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What Are The Best Laser Tag Sets? (2022 Toy Guide)

Children and adolescents love laser tag toys thanks to their fast-paced and fun gameplay. If you’re looking for a laser tag toy set for your family to share in 2022, however, you’ll need to know which laser tag toy features to look for and which to avoid.

In this article, we’ll roundup several of the best laser tag toys for different playstyles and play niches. Then, you’ll get a quick rundown of the features that you’ll need for your family to have a great time.

Nerf Official: Lazer Tag Phoenix LTX Tagger 2-pack

The Nerf Official Lazer Tag set has both of the laser tag guns you’ll need to have a rousing round of tag — but it has a great set of sound effects and strong battery life too.

This laser tag set has a handful of high-end bells and whistles like sound effects, light effects, recoil, and a detachable battery pack. As a result, when you purchase the set, you’re ready for a fast-paced game.

But that’s not all this set offers. Many laser tag games take place between players of equal skill — but not all. That’s why this set has a built-in handicapping feature which allows for one player to have fewer shots in their laser gun than other players.

So, if your younger son is a much better shot than your older son, you can have the more skilled shooter restricted to 10 shots instead of the standard 25.

The other nice feature of this set is that the guns don’t need any detection hardware to tell if they hit a target. The infrared light on the guns detects a hit without any vests or any other pieces of equipment.

Pros:

• Multiplayer-capable tag game
• Entertaining sound effects and lights
• Good range

Cons:

• Recoil feature may be too strong for younger children

SHARPER IMAGE Two-Player Toy Laser Tag Gun Blaster & Vest Armor Set for Kids

For kids who want to do target practice as well as run around in the yard playing tag, this Sharper Image laser tag set will fulfill all your needs.

There’s something to be said for a basic laser tag set that enables a bunch of different playstyles. With this laser tag set, each pinnie detector can be worn as intended or turned into a target practice puck.

As a result, you could play with this kit non-confrontationally, or in the traditional tag mode. Having target practice contests is as easy as throwing one of the pucks.

The pucks are very durable, but they aren’t the most comfortable to wear. Likewise, while the laser guns are comfortable enough to use, they aren’t the easiest for children with small hands to grip.

Pros:

• Color-coded teams
• Target practice pucks convert into pinnies
• Classic tag aesthetic

Cons:

• Small detection area of pinnies

Kidzlane Infrared Laser Tag: Game Mega Pack

Most laser tag sets only give players with one shooting option — but that isn’t the case with the Kidzlane Infrared Laser Tag Mega Pack.

These Kidzlane laser tag guns are excellent because of the plethora of game modes that are possible. Whether you prefer laser running and gunning, playing laser dodgeball, or skeet shooting target pucks, you’ll get your fix for laser tag.

The guns in the pack have four fire modes:

• Single-fire
• Automatic-fire
• Shotgun
• Rocket launcher

Of these fire modes, the first three are the most engaging additions to typical laser tag gameplay. Players will probably want to make their own set of rules which restrict the use of the different fire modes, however.

While the rocket launcher firing mode may seem cool, it tends to be very easy to land hits. This means that having a fair game in which one person uses the rocket launcher is very difficult, so informal games may not be able to make use of the mode.

Pros:

• Four shooting modes
• Vibrant colors
• Perfect customer feedback rating on Amazon

Cons:

• Heavy trigger pull

Interactive Infrared Rifle Laser Tag Toy Blaster Guns w/ Anti-Cheat Function

If you love to play laser tag with rifle-style laser guns that make it hard to maneuver in close quarters, these blaster guns will be immensely entertaining.

Every pull of the blaster’s trigger cause recoil, sound, and lights. The result is that this set is extremely entertaining to play with — but it’s also entertaining to watch, too.

Seeing your tykes run around the yard or the house with these lasers will probably be a bit more enjoyable for the adults in the audience, too. Unlike many other laser tag guns, these guns have built-in “anti-cheating” functionality which forces players to revive their enemies.

So, if one player is cheating, they don’t get revived by the other team. While it may not be the ideal anti-cheating system, it’s significantly more than what any other laser gun set on the market offers.

Pros:

• Color coded by team
• Rifle-style laser gun
• Easy-grip surfaces

Cons:

• Heavy and bulky

Kidtastic Laser Tag Gun Blasters

While these Kidtastic Lazer Tag Gun Blasters are a bit more realistic than many parents would prefer, they’re formidable laser guns which will give your children the fast-paced laser tag experience they’re looking for.

The Kidtastic laser guns have a handful of features which other sets don’t. First, the Kidtastic laser tag set is equipped with a small pinhole scope at the top of every gun.

Unlike with other sets, this means that the Kidtastic set has a reasonable chance of hitting targets at its maximum range. Many laser gun sets boast that they have ranges in excess of 200 feet — but because nobody can really hit targets at that range without a sight, it’s mostly marketing.

While the Kidtastic guns only have a range of 100 feet — which is a bit shorter than most other laser guns on the market — the added accuracy more than makes up for the minor shortcoming.

Pros:

• Pinhole spotting scopes
• Multiple fire modes
• Pinnie-free gameplay

Cons:

• Shaped a little bit too much like a real gun

FAQ

What should I look for in a laser tag set?

There are a few features that you should be especially attuned for when you find a laser tag set.

These features include:

• Pinnie/detector-free play
• Long battery life
• Cool aesthetics
• Game modes
• Unique luxury features

Pinnies and detector vests are annoying, even when they’re in the best laser tag sets. So, many laser tag toys offer hit detection that is based in the gun rather than in an external detector vest.

The upside of these detector-free laser tag sets is that your children never need to worry about someone cheating by covering up their detector. They also never need to worry about losing the detector vest in a pile of their other toys.

But, the problem with detector-free laser tag sets is that they simply don’t detect hits very well. This means that many people prefer to purchase sets which have detectors, even though they aren’t as comfortable.

Long battery life is also an essential feature, but it isn’t without tradeoffs. Longer battery life means that your children can play outside for extended periods of time, right? In fact, battery life has a cost when it comes to laser tag sets: weight.

The longer the battery life on your laser tag set, the heavier the elements of the set will be. So, lower battery life isn’t exactly a problem so long as the gun is relatively light. But, your preference may vary, so there isn’t any single correct answer.

Cool aesthetics are another area where there isn’t any feature that reigns supreme over the others. Whichever flavor of paint and form factor you and your child prefer is the flavor to buy. The one caveat is that laser tags which are painted black may look too much like a real gun.

Multiple game modes are also a key feature when you’re hunting for a laser tag set. The best laser tag sets have more than one game mode, and many have up to four or five different modes.

The choice of game modes depends on who will be using the laser tag set the most. Children who prefer to play with one friend might enjoy the laser dodgeball modes, whereas children who plan to play tag with large teams of their friends would probably prefer the more standard tag modes.

Unique or luxury features can include features like venting vapor from a chest pinnie after a player is tagged. These unique features might seem pointless, but they can add a lot to the tag experience — provided that the players enjoy them.

There’s no single rule regarding which unique or luxury features you should look for. Anything that creatively makes the play experience richer is fair game.

Do laser tag sets encourage violent behavior?

No, laser tag sets do not encourage violent behavior even though they do utilize props which look like guns. If you are concerned about a given laser tag set being too realistic for your children, don’t purchase it.

Alternatively, there are a handful of laser tag sets which are suitable for single-player use. These sets often have target drones which can be shot instead of other players, which means that they’re more nonviolent than normal laser tag gameplay.

Are laser tag sets good for active play?

Yes, laser tag sets are excellent for active play because they force players to move around vigorously to win the game.

The more a player wants to win the round of laser tag, the more they’ll need to exert themselves to be faster at moving and shooting than their opponents. A game of laser tag can be very vigorous, especially when there are more than two or three players.

There is an exception to the rule, however. Laser tag sets are only good for active play when there is more than one player. Playing with a laser tag set to shoot targets won’t provide any of the same active play benefits that playing with friends will.

Likewise, the environment where laser tag is played will also determine how much activity the players need to perform. Playing inside on a rainy day will not provide a high level of activity, even when playing with friends.

On the other hand, playing outside in a large area will be a great boon to the level of activity of the gameplay.

Are laser tag sets good for imaginative play?

Laser tag sets are not the best toys for imaginative play, but they may be useful for some children.

Laser tag sets do not necessarily inherently imply a given frame of play, so players may make stories about the context of their play. But, it isn’t guaranteed that a player will exercise their imagination as strenuously as they exercise their bodies.

Remember, imaginative play requires a substantial amount of effort invested up front by all the players to establish the rules of the universe in which the subsequent playtime will take place.

If you have a particularly creative and imaginative child, you don’t need to worry that their laser tag time is being spent without exercising their strengths.

For children who aren’t as inclined to be creative, however, it’s entirely possible that they can go through an entire laser tag session without engaging their imaginative capabilities.

With a little guidance from an adult—or a playdate with an imaginative friend — these children can be cajoled into using their imagination during laser tag, however.

The problem is that laser tag’s possibilities for imaginative play are not endless. The premise of laser tag implies some sort of armed conflict or sporting competition between the two teams.

This means that children who are inclined to spend their time imagining how they would build things or paint things can gain a new imaginative experience from playing laser tag, but a child who likes to play war games probably can’t.

Which age group benefits from laser tag the most?

Children who are between the ages of 7 and 15 will enjoy laser tag the most. Because of the wide age range that the gameplay appeals to, you’ll need to be responsible and ensure that gameplay is far.

Older children will enjoy laser tag more than younger ones, but they’ll also play at a much higher intensity. This means that if you have children from different age groups, you’ll need to level the playing field if the children plan to play together.

The youngest children may grow tired of laser tag after relatively short sessions as a result of the physical activity involved. They may also not have an intuitive grasp for how they can win the game against more experienced opponents, so they may get frustrated easily.

Laser tag isn’t traditionally considered a long-term hobby for most children. So, keep in mind that it’s entirely normal for children to grow out of — or into — the habit of laser tag.

Can adults play laser tag with their children?

Yes, adults can play laser tag with their children, but they can’t play at full intensity most of the time. While there’s nothing wrong with playing a game of laser tag with your children, the parent factor may make it seem very uncool, which can defuse enthusiasm quickly.

Children may not always want to play with adults, and adults may not understand that it is difficult to provide a genuine challenge to their child while playing tag.

For the most part, you should probably ensure that your child has ample opportunity to play laser tag with children their age rather than planning to be your child’s primary playmate with the laser tag set.

How many players should be in a laser tag game?

The answer is that it depends on the laser tag systems which people have and how much space you have available to play in.

Most systems can accommodate up to 4 players, and some systems can scale to 8 players or more. For every additional person that you add, you’ll need to add a substantial amount of additional play space lest the battle be too close-quarters to be much fun.

The ideal number of players for a laser tag game is 6, if there is a normal-sized yard to run around. For indoor play, 4 players are pushing your luck.

The age of the players is also a major consideration. Younger players will be more willing to run around inside, but they’ll also create more chaos.