A good number of our inflatables — bounce houses, combos, and obstacle courses included — can be set up either wet or dry. If you've never rented one before, here's what that choice actually means for your event.

What "wet" actually means

A wet setup connects the unit to a garden hose so it sprays or fills with a shallow layer of water during use — think a built-in sprinkler feature rather than a full pool. It's a great way to take the edge off Texas heat without needing a dedicated water slide.

How pricing works

The pricing direction depends on the category. For water slides, the wet setup is the standard price, and choosing to run it dry actually gets you a discount. For most other categories — bounce houses, combos, and obstacle courses — the base price is for dry use, and adding water is a small surcharge on top. Every listing on our site shows exactly which way the pricing goes for that specific unit, so there's never any guesswork at checkout.

What to consider before choosing wet

You'll want a garden hose reachable from the setup location, and a yard surface (grass, not just a bare patio) that can handle getting damp. Wet setups are also weather-dependent in a different way than dry ones — a cooler day might mean cold water isn't as appealing, while a Texas August afternoon makes it an easy call.

Our default recommendation

During the hottest stretch of the year (roughly May through September), we default new bookings toward wet for the categories where it's optional, since that's what most families choose in that window. You can always switch it to dry when you book if that's not what you're after — it's your call either way.