This $25 Bubble Machine Comes With Serious Bubble Power (and Won’t Break After the First Use)

• Value: 17/20
• Functionality: 18/20
• Quality: 19/20
• Aesthetics: 19/20
• Bubble Power: 20/20

Total: 93/100

It’s the cheap thrill every parent should have in their back pocket: a bubble machine. The single item guaranteed to turn the most humdrum of hangouts into the equivalent of a rager for anyone under the age of 5. (Who am I kidding, it’s pretty damn magical for grown-ups, too.) That's why when my sister called me with a recommendation for a bubble machine from Kidzlane that she described as “next level, my immediate reaction was, "Add to cart," as they say.

Still, I was skeptical: A bubble machine is also just a single pour away from immense disappointment. Maybe the solution wasn’t drained properly on the last use. Maybe the battery compartment wasn’t airtight enough and liquid got in. Suddenly, what started out as affordable joy has the potential to be quite the investment. (I’m speaking from experience—I shelled out for three different machines last summer, each one with a shorter life span than the last.)

After repeated use of this one for over a year, however, I can say it’s leaps and bounds above the rest for a multitude of reasons. Here, my honest review.

The design is instant eye candy for the toddler set. Is anyone else’s toddler as animal-obsessed as mine? This bubble machine comes shaped as a dolphin—one that’s aquamarine blue and bright. Even more important, the button to turn it on and off rests on the dolphin’s head, just in front of its dorsal fin. A light press and it comes alive, spouting 500 to 1000 bubbles a minute. Plus, it’s so user-friendly, your toddler can do it. (Raise your hand if you’re a mom who, just once, would like the option to not have to get up every five seconds to help.)

Let’s talk bubble mechanics. The bubble power on this machine is phenomenal and the solution actually lasts. On previous machines, I felt like I was pouring a bottle in every few minutes. With the dolphin, I poured a third of a bottle into its spout and got close to five or six minutes of bubble play. The base is also extremely sturdy, which means my toddler didn’t tip it over every time he reached down to interact. The spout also angles upward, so bubbles float elegantly into the sky instead of pop-pop-popping immediately on the ground. (In other words, there’s a serious “ooh” factor.)

The downside. The dolphin machine requires six AA batteries that don’t come included when you buy. But with proper care—i.e. storing it upright so the solution doesn’t leak into the battery pack—you’ll get hours of use before a battery replacement is required.

The PureWow100 is a scale our editors use to vet new products and services, so you know what's worth the spend—and what's total hype. Learn more about our process here.