Bladez Toyz Star Wars Radio Control Inflatable Droids Review

You read it right! Bladez Toyz sell radio controlled inflatables, and just in time for Christmas this year they will have a host of new additions, including Star Wars. I'm delighted to say we've been sent R2-D2 and the incredibly cute BB-8 for review.

BB-8 is large enough at 43cm tall, but R2-D2 is a giant 64cm. Both have a 30m range and run on 2.4GHz, however multiplayer is absolutely fine. You just need to 'wake up' your droid, then wait ten seconds for player 2 to 'wake' theirs.

When you open the box you find the inflatable itself, the base unit/battery pack with wheels, and a familiar style controller with 2 dual direction buttons forwards/backwards, left/right. Each droid needs 1 x 9v battery for the controller, and 4 x AA batteries for the inflatable itself .

As well as moving when directed via the controller, the battery pack has a speaker on the side, and the droids play sound effects, 'chattering', beeping and in the case of R2-D2, occasionally screaming.

Inflating both models doesn't take as long as you'd expect. Obviously R2-D2 takes a little longer, but my partner blew him up in around 5 minutes. BB-8 really has as much air as only around 3 large balloons, super quick.

The BB-8 is not quite as round as I'd hoped, but I imagine there must be some strengthening reason for this, and the more you can blow him up, the rounder he is. He is however still very cute, and nips about just like the real BB-8.

BB-8's wheels are all on one battery pack unit, which slots into two rubber attachments on his specially shaped underside. It's really secure and hard to remove and unlikely to ever come out by accident.

R2-D2 is gorgeous. The inflatable is a really nice shape, the dome and arms are great. He is a bit wibbly and jolts when he stops, which feels perfect and gives him proper R2-D2 character.

R2-D2's wheels come as 3 sections that slot together, and then slide into the rubber fastenings on his underside, very similarly to BB-8. The wheels are really good, with big chunky tyres for great traction on carpet or wooden flooring.

They really are super easy to control, really responsive, fantastic fun and a great laugh. Here's a quick look, and listen, at the droids in action....

Bladez Toyz have some awesome radio control inflatables suitable for age 3+, including Disney's Star wars, Big Hero 6, Minions, Cars, Frozen, Tellytubbies, Peppa Pig and lots of others. The BB-8 (rrp £29.99) and R2-D2 (rrp £39.99) are both available at Argos. For that price we think they're both a great Christmas present for any Star Wars fan.

These are the droids you're looking for. We were sent ours for review.