6 Best Towable Tubes: for Boating, for Kids, 3-Person (2024)

Lake rats and river people, listen up. Boating season never has to end. No matter what the weather’s like in your area, it’s always a good time to shop for new boating gear, and a must-have for all boating enthusiasts is a towable tube, providing hours of fun for kids and grownups alike. 

In this article, we research the best inflatable towable tubes for your next water adventure. Including picks for up to five riders and in categories like the best for kids and the most durable. We even tip you off on some especially good deals on tubes for tubing.

So, dive right in. Our reviews of the best towable tubes are coming up next.

Our Top Picks

Skim the surface with a quick look at the best inflatable towable tubes for boating.

A Closer Look: Best Towable Tubes

Don’t be afraid. Here’s a deeper look at the six inflatable towable tubes we reviewed.

Up first in our ranking of the best-rated towable tubes is the Airhead Hot Dog. Yes, the thing looks like a giant wiener, but trust us when we say this thing will be the envy of all the other lake rats. After trying the Airhead Hot Dog towable tube, some called it the most fun they had on the lake, in fact.

For up to five riders, the Airhead Hot Dog has a durable nylon cover with EVA padding and a Kwik Connect tow rope attachment. There’s also non-slip ,cushioned padded handles. Furthermore, inflation and deflation is quick and easy with a speed safety valve, which gets you and your family out on the water as quickly as possible. 

The Airhead Hot Dog may not be quite as dynamic as a true tube-shaped tube for tubing, according to some, but others call it fun for both the young and old, easy to stay on, and easy to inflate and deflate. It’s also easy to roll-up and store.

The best boat tubes for three riders come from SportStuff. The brand’s Super Mable 3-rider towable tube for boating is a definite buy, according to some, with a dual-patented aluminum quick connect and heavy-duty nylon construction with a zipper. 

There’s also a speed safety valve for quick and easy inflation and deflation, and two tow points offering different riding experiences each and every time.

Based on feedback, the Super Mable offers everything from a relaxing experience cruising on the water to an adrenaline rush, if that’s what you’re after. The Super Mable performed well when pulled behind both a pontoon and speed boat, and SportsStuff products are always durable and well made, according to reports.

The Super Mable is even stable enough to pull young children but older kids and adults also like to ride it, either in a sitting position or while kneeling.

For a romantic, 2-person rendezvous out on the water, we recommend the WOW World of Watersports towable tube. Made from UV-protected and heavy-duty FLEX-SIT material with multiple riding positions — sitting, kneeling or laying flat on your stomach —the Macho towable tube for boating has a nylon harness and universal fit connection point. All together, it makes an awesome tube 

Otherwise, the mesh on the tube cradles riders well in the seated position, we learned, and it’s overall well made and worth the money. For added excitement, some love the option to lay down flat on their stomachs, but there are lots of places to hold on to, just in case. Or grownups like to sunbathe on the tube as it’s leisurely pulled behind a boat.

When is a towable tube for boating more than just a towable tube? When it also teaches kids to water ski. That’s just what you can expect from Airhead EZ ski, the best towable tubes for kids we reviewed. Shaped a bit like an inflatable water ski, the Airhead EZ ski is made from canvas with a releasable tow rope for safety. 

The EZ ski doesn’t attach to the boat. Instead, an adult — or spotter — holds on to it, maintaining slower speeds, and for safety, the rope can be released at any point. Otherwise, children step on to the EZ ski from the stern of the boat, so no swimming is required. And they’re able to sit on until they’re confident enough to stand, with integrated wooden water ski trainers and ski bindings.

Overall, the Airhead EZ ski works great for kiddos who are just beginning to explore the water, according to reports, and otherwise, it’s safe, well-made, durable and very stable: The perfect starter for kids to get used to being pulled behind a boat or just across the pool.

Not looking to spend a bunch of money on a towable tube only to use it during boating season? 

If that’s the case, consider the next boat tubes in our ranking, the Airhead Mach 2. Though reasonably priced, this towable tube for boating carries two riders and it is made from durable, double-stitched nylon with a Kwik-Connect tow point. 

There’s also comfortable cockpit seating, deluxe handles and heavy-gauge PVC bladder, among many other features.

Those who’ve taken the Mach 2 out on to rivers and lakes call the Mach 2 easy to inflate and fun to ride, and although it can get a little bumpy, people rarely fall off. It holds air well, and the backrests are comfortable. A balanced weight differential between the two riders is important to maintain, however.

Nobody wants to invest in the best inflatable towable tube only to have it spring a leak after only using it a few times. All the tubes we reviewed are durable enough, but the absolute most durable of all, we learned, is the Airhead G-Force, with seating for four, and Airhead’s patented Kwik-Connect tow point.

What earned the G-Force this distinction was the heavy-duty full nylon construction and bolster find, which also helps to keep riders secure while floating. There’s also a heavy-gauge PVC bladder. 

We learned the exterior cover is super tough, based on feedback, and the handles are durable. Overall, the Mach 2 offers a fun ride zig-zagging back and forth in the wake.

Our Process

For this guide on the best towable tubes, our team spent hours researching the most popular options and brands. We then read user reviews (both positive and negative) to discover what shoppers thought about each tube. After comparing this data, we narrowed our list down to the top 6 tubes on the market. You can count on this research to guide you to a mindful purchasing decision.

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Further Reading