Bring the fun home with the best laser tag sets
Laser tag is a great way to spend a couple of hours with friends and family. You may be familiar with laser tag as an activity that takes place at a commercial laser tag facility, but you can also buy a set of your own to play at home. It can be played indoors or outdoors and comes in many different game types, like elimination, capture the flag and king of the hill.
How does laser tag work?
Despite the name, laser tag sets do not actually use lasers. Generally, they use a directional beam of infrared light that activates a light on a vest or gun to indicate contact. The infrared rays will often have encoded information to indicate the person shooting and calculate the score. The player deducts points from an opponent’s health pool by hitting a target on a vest or a gun.
Why laser tag versus paintball or airsoft?
If you are looking for a recreational shooting sport but don’t want the high barrier to entry of paintball and airsoft, laser tag is an excellent option for you. Airsoft and paintball gear can get expensive and generally will require more space to play. Individual paintball guns can cost north of $100 per gun, and protective gear will take the entry cost for a game even higher. Airsoft guns are similarly priced. On the other hand, with laser tag, you can easily find a set of four guns for $100 or less, and you can play at home.
Types of laser tag sets
Standard laser tag sets generally have similar features, but a few key characteristics may differentiate them.
Vests
Most laser tag sets will come in one of two varieties: those with vests and those without. For sets with vests, the vests often act as targets and light up when shot. Sets that do not come with vests typically use the gun itself as the target.
Single-player options
For those looking for a different approach to laser tag, some sets come with specially designed targets or app compatibility for single-player modes. This is a great way to make use of your laser tag set even when you can’t get a group together to play.
Power options
AA batteries are the most common power source for laser tag sets, but some sets have rechargeable batteries that can be charged at a charging station. The rechargeable option can save you a lot of money on batteries, so it may be worth paying a little extra for the feature.
Best Laser tag sets
Squad Hero Rechargeable Laser Tag Set
The Squad Hero laser tag set comes with four laser guns, four vests and a recharging station. The built-in LCD screens let users know their score and battery life. Fully charged guns with multiple weapon modes and a flashlight on every gun can be used for up to eight games, so paying extra for this feature is well worth it. Moreover, each gun comes with an LCD screen that tracks your ammo, health and battery life, and the rechargeable guns mean you won’t have to spend money on batteries.
Nerf Official: Lazer Tag Phoenix LTX Tagger 2-Pack
This compact, convenient set comes with two guns and no vests. For those who wish to play with three or more players, more sets will need to be purchased. However, what they lack in numbers, they make up for in quality. They feature recoil when fired, vibration when hit and a unique action reload.
Laser X Revolution Laser Tag System
If you’re looking for a product with a great range, this set will be perfect for you and your children, too. The Laser X Revolution laser tag system includes four laser guns with attached vests. Each gun and vest set takes two AA batteries to operate.
The AlphaPoint Nerf Laser Ops Pro Toy Blasters
This set comes with two laser guns and two smartphone armbands. Smartphone compatibility lets players use their phones as a status indicator and play an augmented reality game in single-player mode. Give life to your play with the Nerf Laser Ops Pro app to customize the blasters, track your performance and detect other players. The set does not keep score, so you’ll need to keep score yourself or use the app.
SHARPER IMAGE Team Battle Laser Tag Set
If you want to feel that you’re in a real arcade area, this set’s exciting sound, light and vibration effects will do just that. The Sharper Image laser tag set comes with four laser guns and four vests. It uses two AAA batteries per gun and three AAA batteries per vest.
Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.
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