PoppinColorz Hydra: The Award-Winning Blaster That Shoots Water and Color Bubbles
One trigger for water, one for pink and blue bubbles, and a 2025 Outdoor Toy of the Year win behind it. Here’s who it’s really for, what it costs to keep going, and what to know about the mess.
By TDmonthly Staff · October 2026
Disclosure: This is free editorial. South Beach Bubbles did not pay for this coverage, and no samples were provided. We have not play-tested this product. This spotlight is built from the maker’s own pages, the Amazon listing, The Toy Foundation’s award announcements and the public sources listed at the end.
Official product photo: South Beach Bubbles · Source
Bubble guns are a dime a dozen. Most blow clear bubbles, drip down your wrist and end up in the garage. PoppinColorz Hydra tries two tricks at once. It shoots water as well as bubbles, and its bubbles come in color: pink and blue that the maker says vanish when you rub them. That combination won it Outdoor Toy of the Year in 2025. Here’s what you get, what to watch out for, and whether it’s worth a spot in the backyard bin.
Meet the Maker
South Beach Bubbles is a family-fun toy company in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (its own contact page). Its lines include WOWmazing giant bubbles, Build-A-Bubble STEAM kits, PoppinColorz color bubbles, The Unspillables and H2GO! Splash Tag. Its stated mission is “to bring families together through fun, creative, and screen-free play.”
PoppinColorz Hydra: 2-in-1 Water Blaster & Color Bubble Blaster
🏆 2025 Outdoor Toy of the Year, Toy of the Year Awards (The Toy Foundation). See the winners list
Age grade: 6–12 years (Amazon, manufacturer’s recommended age; the maker’s site says 6 and up) · Rechargeable lithium battery included · 2 color + 4 clear bubble solution packs · 13.2 × 3.15 × 8.7 in.
Safety: CHOKING HAZARD: small parts, not for children under 3 (Amazon listing). Do not drink the solution, and avoid contact with eyes; if it gets in eyes, rinse right away with water (Amazon safety information).
Kid Hook
One trigger fires a cloud of pink or blue bubbles. The other trigger fires water. So yes, you can build a bubble wall and then blast it out of the sky yourself. When a color bubble pops on your arm, you rub it and the color disappears. It also lights up, which matters a lot to anyone under 10.
Parent Reality Check
Ages: go with 6 and up. That’s the maker’s own age and Amazon’s manufacturer-recommended range (6–12). One Amazon bullet says “ages 3 and up” and the title mentions toddlers, but the box warning says small parts, not for children under 3.
Mess: the maker says the color bubbles don’t stain and wipe off skin, clothes and outdoor surfaces with plain water. Its FAQ says color bubbles are meant for outdoor play, so this is a backyard toy, not a living-room toy. We haven’t tested it, so skip the white party dress the first time.
Power: it runs on an included rechargeable lithium battery, and the box comes with a screwdriver and a funnel for refilling (Amazon). One reviewer on the maker’s site says the battery comes out to charge by USB. Amazon doesn’t list a charging cable, so check your box before the battery runs out.
Running cost: the 2 color packs in the box run out eventually. Color refills cost $16.99 for a 14 oz pouch on the maker’s site and on Amazon at our check.
Reviews are split: 3.8 out of 5 from 49 Amazon ratings (63% five-star, 26% one-star) versus 4.9 from 16 reviews on the maker’s own site. Amazon offered free 30-day returns when we checked, so keep the box for the first week.
Pros
Two toys in one: a bubble blaster and a water blaster
Color bubbles the maker says wipe off with water
Rechargeable battery included, no AAs to buy
2025 Outdoor Toy of the Year, and $7 under list on Amazon at our check
Cons
Amazon reviews are mixed, with about 1 in 4 ratings at one star
Color bubbles are outdoor-only, per the maker
Color refills add $16.99 a pouch
Not for kids under 3 (small parts)
Price: $27.99 on Amazon, sold by South Beach Bubbles and shipped by Amazon, in stock (Oct. 26, 2026, 1:15 PM PT; list price $34.99). The maker sells it for $34.99 on southbeachbubbles.com.
South Beach Bubbles won the Outdoor category again in 2026 with this UFO-style bubble machine. The maker says it spins 360°, plays music, lights up, “dodges obstacles” and has a stationary mode, and that it comes with a rechargeable lithium battery, a USB cable and two stain-free bubble solutions. The maker lists it at $29.99, but it was sold out on southbeachbubbles.com when we checked on Oct. 26, and we found no Amazon listing. The age grade isn’t consistent (the maker’s web address says ages 3–8; its TDmonthly product page says 6–96), so check the box before you buy.
Pros
Back-to-back award winner for the brand (2026 Outdoor Toy of the Year)
Hands-free bubbles, so little arms don’t get tired
Cons
Sold out at the maker, and no Amazon listing, at our check
PoppinColorz Hydra is a smart pick for a 6-to-10-year-old who already has a water blaster and a bubble wand and wants both in one hand. The award is real, the Amazon price was $7 under list when we checked, and the color bubbles add something most bubble guns don’t have. Go in with eyes open: Amazon reviews are split, it’s an outdoor toy, and you’ll be buying color refills if it’s a hit.
Safety check: On Oct. 26, 2026 we searched the CPSC recall database (saferproducts.gov, 10,058 recall records, the newest dated Oct. 22, 2026) for “South Beach Bubbles,” “PoppinColorz,” “WOWmazing,” “Bubble Goalz” and “Build-A-Bubble.” We found no recalls naming South Beach Bubbles or any of its products.
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Writer's Bio: Driven by a fascination with how young people learn, grow, and connect, Laura N. Larsson has spent years researching the role of play and social media in child and adolescent development. Since 2012, she has combined her ecommerce background with in-depth interviews of children and teenagers, producing insightful articles that explore the evolving interplay between play, communication, and online interaction. Read more articles by this author
Writer's Bio: Driven by a fascination with how young people learn, grow, and connect, Laura N. Larsson has spent years researching the role of play and social media in child and adolescent development. Since 2012, she has combined her ecommerce background with in-depth interviews of children and teenagers, producing insightful articles that explore the evolving interplay between play, communication, and online interaction. 
