Super Wubble Bubble Ball Review: Can it Hold Up?

Super Wubble Ball is an inflatable ball that looks like a bubble. Read our Super Wubble Bubble Ball review plus additional product information.

About Super Wubble Bubble Ball

Super Wubble Bubble Ball is an improved, strengthened version of the original Wubble Bubble Ball. The official product website is wubbleball.com, which was registered in January 2014. The screen capture below shows the official website as it appeared at the time of this writing in May 2016.

Claims and Features

• Can be used inside or outdoors
• Can kick, whack, throw, and bounce it
• Floats, wobbles, dribbles, spins, and smashes
• Soft and lightweight

Cost

Available online only for $19.99 + $8.99 P&H. It is expected to be available in stores in August 2016, presumably for about $20.

Super Wubble Bubble Ball Review

When the original Wubble Bubble Ball arrived several years ago, it was met with an almost immediate backlash by consumers who complained of its lack durability. The ball popped much easier than people expected. I spoke with one of the people responsible for marketing the original Wubble Ball at the time, and he told me that the the Wubble Bubble Ball wasn’t supposed to be a long-lasting toy, but more like a one-time (or few-times) use product. He compared the idea of a Wubble Bubble Ball to that of an amusement park, providing a day of fun with no expectations beyond that. That sentiment wasn’t really mirrored in the advertising, however, and consumers weren’t happy when their Wubbles popped.

One-time use toys aren’t unique. Fast-fill balloons, which are one-time use products, have been highly popular over the past couple of years. So why didn’t Wubble Bubble Ball get a pass, too? It’s tough to say. That didn’t stop the makers from going back to the drawing board in order to upgrade the product in hopes of achieving higher consumer satisfaction than the original.

Thus, we now have Super Wubble Bubble Ball, a product which is touted as a next-generation Wubble that is more durable and built to last. It is said to be built with “Xpandium” that is super stretchy and super strong. They even favorably compare it to the original Wubble in the advertising.

As with the original Wubble, I was supplied a couple of samples by the company to evaluate. It is expected to hit retailers soon, and there will be two versions: One with a pump and one without.

The overall experience of unboxing and blowing up the ball felt highly reminiscent of my experience the first time around. First, I had to grab 4 AA batteries, a Philips screwdriver (to access the battery compartment on the pump), and a cotton swab.

After inserting the batteries in the pump, I used the cotton swab to apply petroleum jelly around the ball’s valve, and then inserted the nozzle. I had to remove the nozzle and re-apply more petroleum jelly, as it wouldn’t go all the way in the first time.

With the nozzle firmly in place, I attached the pump and hit the switch. It took about 3 minutes to inflate to the desired size of a little under 3 feet. After removing the pump and nozzle, and making sure the valve was depressed into the balloon, the Super Wubble Bubble Ball was ready to go.

The experience was virtually identical to that of the original Wubble Ball, except this time the ball didn’t pop during normal play. I tried a few stress tests, such as placing my foot all the way to the ground, pinching the ball with my fingernails (which is what popped the original ball years ago), and rolling it over rocks. In each of these tests, Super Wubble Ball performed perfectly.

After what I felt was an appropriate amount of use, I was convinced that the makers were able to fix whatever design problems existed with the original ball in order to make a much more durable product.

A few items to note:

• The ball will slowly deflate over time (such as overnight). This is a normal part of the ball’s design. Simply re-inflate and you’re good to go.
• It doesn’t bounce as well on flat, smooth surfaces (such as tile) because the stickiness of the ball tends to slow down its rebound.
• Expect the ball to pick up hair and dirt, but this won’t affect the ball’s performance. You could probably wipe it down with water, but I didn’t bother cleaning it.
• Although it sports a superior design, Super Wubble Bubble Ball can pop, so you’ll still want to exercise some caution around such hazards as thorns or sharp branches.
• If it does pop, a small patch is included so you can keep the fun going.

Overall, I feel that the makers of Super Wubble Bubble Ball listened to consumer feedback and produced a product that will last longer and ultimately garner higher consumer reviews than the original.

Television Commercial

Your Super Wubble Bubble Ball Reviews

If you’ve used Super Wubble Bubble Ball please give us your opinion by leaving a comment below and a star rating above.

Updated August 19, 2016