Don't want to wait 19 months, or whatever the current ETA for Bunch O Balloons is? Get an instant water balloon fix with ZORBZ latex bombs. You won't be able to pump up 3 dozen of them at once, but the balloons' self-sealing technology will decrease your total fill time...not to mention the frustration, finger cramps, and accidental detonating that usually accompany tying up a hundred rubbery necks in a row.

ZORBZ are made of biodegradable latex, and achieve their self-sealing claim to fame via the insertion of a tiny ball into each empty balloon. Once filled with water, users hold their ZORBZ upright and the ball rises up, wedging itself into the fill opening. The ball blocks the water from escaping, and saves human hands the tedium of knot tying.

On the downside, ZORBZ balls are as biodegradable as the balloons themselves. And some reviewers grumble that they begin their dissolution process as soon as the water hits. In other words, if you don't use your balloons within 10 to 15 minutes of filling, the balls will melt away and your weapons will self-destruct. Other reviewers point out that while this is somewhat irritating, it is not as irritating as having a bunch of ZORBZ BBs lying indefinitely all over your front yard at the end of every water balloon fight.

As a new product with a promising concept, my feeling is that it's likely ZORBZ will take steps to improve their balls' performance in the future.

ZORBZ self-sealing water balloons are a top Dude Gift for a Kid pick.