Okay so this whole inflatable pool toy thing? Yeah that started because my kids threw a fit last weekend. Dug out last summer’s stuff from the garage – unicorn raft, two dolphin rings, and this giant pizza slice thing the dog already chewed a bit. Just dumped them in the yard, kids jumped right in. Got me staring at this pile of bright plastic and I’m like, “What are these things actually made of?”
The Great Pool Toy Autopsy Begins
First step? Well, grabbed the scissors. Yeah, I know, seemed wasteful. But that chewed pizza slice float was toast anyway, dog saw to that. Plus, one of the dolphins had a slow leak we couldn’t find. Perfect victims.
Started slicing into the pizza slice first. It felt thick, kinda rubbery? Cut a piece off near where the dog bit. Peeled the layers apart. It was… sticky. Seriously sticky inside. And smelled kinda weird, like a cheap plastic shower curtain mixed with chemicals. Made my nose wrinkle. Underneath the bright top layer was a white material, felt plasticky too, but smoother.
Found the valve near the bite mark. Tried ripping the material around it off the valve. Needed pliers. That stuff did not want to let go. Like super glued on. Pulled and twisted until a chunk tore off. Held it up. Strong stuff. Flexible, but tough. Looked almost like the material that fake leather jackets are made of.
Digging Deeper (And Finding Some Answers)
After washing that weird smell off my hands (seriously, needed soap!), hit the internet. Just typed stuff like “inflatable pool toy sticky inside” and “plastic pool float smells”. What popped up?
Turns out my guinea pig pizza slice was classic PVC – Polyvinyl Chloride. That sticky feel inside? That’s the give-away. They melt PVC chips down, add plasticizers (which is where that chemical smell probably comes from) and colors, and pump it out into sheets. The stickiness? Means it had a lot of plasticizers to make it flexible. Explains why it felt thick and that weird smell lingered.
Moved on to the unicorn raft. This one felt different – smoother, less ‘rubbery’, kinda lighter? Plus, no weird smell at all. Cut a small piece near the seam. This time, no sticky layer inside! Just two fused layers of plastic. Cleaner, less smell. Much easier to cut too. Looked it up.
Bingo. TPU – Thermoplastic Polyurethane. Sounds fancy but it’s just another plastic. Way more durable and way less of that nasty plasticizer stuff. No sticky residue, way less smell. Felt higher quality just handling it. Definitely pricier than the pizza slice was.
One dolphin ring left – the one that held air! This felt thinner than the others. Almost… crinkly? Flipped it over, the texture was different on the bottom. Snipped it. Three layers! Bright top, kind of a woven mesh middle layer? Like fishing line woven into fabric, then another plastic layer underneath. More searching.
Laminated PVC or sometimes Nylon with a vinyl coating. That mesh layer? Makes it way stronger without needing super thick plastic. Made sense for a smaller toy like a ring. Didn’t smell nearly as bad as the pure PVC pizza slice.
So… What Did My Backyard Investigation Teach Me?
Glad I sliced them open? Yeah, weirdly satisfying. Here’s the takeaway:
- PVC is EVERYWHERE: Cheap, flexible, but man, that smell and the sticky plasticizer feel? Kinda gross now that I know. Felt flimsier after a year in the garage.
- TPU = Premium Feel: Definitely held up better. Smoother, tougher, no chemical weirdness. Worth paying extra for if I can.
- Laminated Stuff Has Layers (Literally): That reinforced material is sneaky strong. Looks simple from the outside, but tough inside.
Bottom line? Now I’m that dad standing in the store aisle next summer squeezing and lightly smelling the pool toys before buying. Cheap unicorn raft? Smells like chemicals? Probably PVC, maybe skip it. Bigger raft feeling durable and smooth? Looking for that TPU tag. No way I’m buying another super smelly pizza slice. Kids screamed when I popped theirs, but hey, knowledge isn’t free!