12 Best Nerf Guns Under $20
Updated 16 December 2020
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Author
Daniel is our primary content producer here at TheToyZone. He is a big kid at heart and a self confessed geek. His mission is to find toys that kids will treasure, researching and writing about toys he wants to play with himself.
Pop guns, cap guns, sticks that look kinda like rifles… kids have always loved playing with toy guns, whether pretending to be cowboys, James Bond, or futuristic supersoldiers. Today the undisputed king of the market is Nerf, with their guns offering accuracy, sophistication, and a huge amount of fun. For most kids, it’s Nerf or Nothin’, as their slogan goes.
But with such a variety of Nerf Guns out there, how do you choose the best ones to fit your budget? Are your kids fighting zombies, playing out their Fortnite games in real life, or joining a Ghost Ops team? These are all important factors, but so is knowing that you can trust our recommendations, so we’ve trained our sights on the fake reviews out there and eliminated them to leave you with our selection of the 12 best Nerf guns under $20 in 2020.
1Nerf N-Strike Elite Triad EX-3 Toy, Multicolor
The Nerf N-Strike Elite Triad EX-3 is a small compact blaster that comes with three darts. It has a neutral color design, and it is made from high-quality material. Finally, it is capable of shooting darts up to 27m.
What we love
- Quite powerful for such a small gun
- Equipped with smart technology that tells the gun when to reload
What We Don't Like That Much
- Doesn't provide rapid firing
2Nerf Bigshot
The N-Strike Mega BigShock Blaster has a small compact design that provides a single-shot. It is compatible with Mega Whistler darts that scream when they fly. Plus, this blaster fits in the palm of average-sized hands, making it easy to conceal.
What we love
- Comes with two Mega darts
- Makes an excellent backup weapon
What We Don't Like That Much
- Can only use Mega darts with this blaser
3Nerf Nstrike Jolt Other Action Figure
The jolt is the perfect Nerf gun for quick fights. It is designed to be stealthy, and it is a single-shot blaster which means that it can easily be concealed for a quick shot. This blaster includes two Elite darts, and you can purchase extra darts separately.
What we love
- Body of this blaster is sturdy
- Even though it is smaller than most Nerf guns, it still has a powerful shot and accuracy
What We Don't Like That Much
- The trigger is a bit strangely shaped and odd
4Nerf Nanofire Green Blaster and Combats
The N-Strike NanoFire is a single-shot blaster, but it has two openings to hold up to two extra darts. It has a small and compact design that makes it excellent as a backup weapon or a sneak weapon.
What we love
- Has a compact design that makes it easy to conceal
- Holds two extra darts for quick reload
What We Don't Like That Much
- The extra bullets can fall out easily if not careful
5Ner Modulus Round Counter Kit
When looking for the best Nerf Guns under 20, the Nerf Modulus Ghost Ops ChronoBarrel is a customized blaster that is capable of counting darts on-screen as battlers fire. Perfect for fast action fun, gunslingers will enjoy loading, reloading, and firing these high-tech blasters.
What we love
- Comes with the barrel and six darts
- Barrel also measures dart velocity
What We Don't Like That Much
- The screen could be brighter for easier visibility
6NERF Zombie Strike Quadrot Toy
The Zombie Strike Quadrot has a simplistic design that is easy to use and load. It holds up to four darts at a time, and it blasts all four of the darts in a row. Due to its compact design, it makes an excellent choice for on-the-go battles.
What we love
- Easy to prime the gun by merely pulling the plunger
- Has a small compact design
What We Don't Like That Much
- The plastic bolts have sharp threads that the user needs to be careful with
7NERF Nailbiter Zombie Strike Toy Blaster – 8 Official Zombie Strike Elite Darts, 8-Dart Indexing Clip – Survival System – for Kids, Teens, Adults
The Nailbiter is designed to look like a Nerf version of a nail gun, and it uses Zombie Strike darts. It has an indexing clip that automatically indexes to the next dart. It also provides fast-firing options.
What we love
- Has a large trigger for easy firing
- Has several attachment points for stock and barrel extensions
What We Don't Like That Much
- Could be a bit more accurate
8NERF Fortnite Sp-L Elite Dart Blaster
The Sp-L Elite Dart Blaster is designed after a popular blaster used in the video game Fortnite. It comes with a detachable barrel that allows you to customize the blaster, and it has an internal clip that holds up to three darts.
What we love
- Gives kids a real-life feel for one of their favorite video game
- Comes with six official Nerf Elite darts
What We Don't Like That Much
- Although it is designed to work with most Nerf darts, it will not work with them all
9NERF Rival Kronos XVIII-500, Red (Amazon Exclusive)
The Rival Kronos Xviii-500 is classified as a spring-action blaster, and it is capable of shooting rounds at approximately 90 feet per second. The breech-load holds up to five rounds, and it comes with a trigger lock for safety.
What we love
- Includes a tactical rail and a ready indicator
- Includes five high-impact rounds
What We Don't Like That Much
- It can be difficult to load in a hurry
10NERF Fortnite HC-E Mega Dart Blaster -- Includes 3 Official Mega Fortnite Darts -- for Youth, Teens, Adults
This NERF gun is designed to look like a blaster from the popular game Fortnite. The HC-E will allow kids to get out and away from the screen and have real-life battles with their friends. It uses official Nerf Mega darts, and it is a single-shot blaster.
What we love
- Comes with three Mega darts with hollow tips
- It is a single-shot blaster, which makes an excellent backup weapon
What We Don't Like That Much
- It does take some pull force in order to load the gun properly
11NERF Zombie Strike Alternator Blaster Fires 3 Ways, Includes 12 Official Zombie Strike Elite Darts - for Kids, Teens, Adults
The Nerf Zombie Strike Alternator is designed to shoot in three different directions, and it comes with a total of 12 official Zombie Strike Elite darts. It is designed to be easy to load, prime, and fire, which makes it excellent for fast-paced fights.
What we love
- Barrel can be adjusted to shoot in different directions
- User can choose to shoot single, double, or triple darts at a time
What We Don't Like That Much
- This gun can be a little difficult to get good accuracy with the different shots
12NERF Elite 2.0 Trio SD-3 Blaster -- Includes 6 Official Darts -- 3-Barrel Blasting -- Tactical Rail for Customizing Capability
The Elite 2.0 Trio SD-3 is one of the best Nerf guns under 20 for anyone that is looking for a quick and easy-to-load blaster. This gun is capable of firing darts up to 90 feet, and it includes a tactical rail that allows for customization.
What we love
- Includes six official Nerf darts
- Has three vertically stacked barrels that hold a single dart each
What We Don't Like That Much
- Only holds three rounds at a time
