Do laser guns need batteries?
Since laser tag guns are portable devices, they need batteries to function. For those that come with vests and other accessories, these accessories may also be battery powered.
But what batteries do gun lasers take?
We evaluated the features of 20+ blasters and found that a blaster typically uses 3 rechargeable lithium-ion batteries or 3 replaceable AA/ AAA varieties – both of which can be easily found in stores. On average, a new or fully charged battery should be able to power about 2 hours of fun or even longer, based on the blaster.
Continue reading to find out the battery specifications of 20+ taggers.
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Which Batteries Do Different Laser Tag Guns Use?
Here’s an evaluation of the battery specifications of 20+ blasters.
Let’s start with blasters that use rechargeable batteries:
- ArmoGear – four pack
- ArmoGear Infrared Guns and Vests (Set of 2)
- ArmoGear Rechargeable Guns & Vests Set of 4
- Squad Hero – Rechargeable + Innovative LCDs and Sync – 4 Infrared Guns & 4 Vests
What about blasters that use normal batteries?
These type of phasers are much more common, including:
- LASER X MICRO BLASTER DOUBLE SET
- Laser X Revolution 4 Players Set
- Revolution Complete Blaster Set 2 player
- LASER X 88016 ORIGINAL BLASTER DOUBLE SET
- Laser X – 88016 ORIGINAL Four Player Gaming Set
- LaserX Micro B Blasters (2 Pack)
- laser x MICRO B2 BLASTER DOUBLE SET
- NSI Laser X Morph Blasters Single Unit DOUBLE SET
- Laser X Long Range Blaster
- Laser X Single Player Gaming Set
- Steradian S-7 Gun
- Nerf Official: Lazer Tag Phoenix LTX Tagger 2-pack
- Kolegend blaster
- Kidzlane Gun
- Play22 Gun
- Squad Hero – Rechargeable + Innovative LCDs and Sync – 4 Infrared Guns &4 Vests
- POKONBOY Guns with Vests and Carry Case – 4 Gun Modes – (Set of 4)
- Kidpal Blasters with Vest (Set of 4)
- Best Choice Products (Set of 4)
- HISTOYE Set with Gun and Vest (Sets of 4)
- MESIXI Guns with Vests (Set of 4)
Apart from the difference in the type of battery, there are also differences in battery sizes. Some phasers use AAA battery size while others use AA size.
Here are the brands that use the AA size battery:
Laser X Single Player Gaming Set
Gun uses 2 AA power banks.
Nerf Official: Lazer Tag Phoenix LTX Tagger 2-pack
Gun uses 6 AA power banks
Kolegend Set
Each blaster uses 4 AA power banks
Kidzlane Gun
Each blaster uses 4 AA power banks
POKONBOY Guns with Vests and Carry Case – 4 Gun Modes – (Set of 4)
Each gun needs 4 AA power banks
Kidpal Infrared Blasters with Vest (Set of 4)
Each blaster uses 4 AA power banks
Best Choice Products (Set of 4)
Each phaser uses 4 AA power banks
HISTOYE Set with Gun and Vest (Sets of 4)
Each gun just requires 3 x AA 1.5V power banks
MESIXI Guns with Vests (Set of 4)
Each gun requires 3 AA power banks
There is also just about the same number of brands that use AAA size energy-storage cells instead.
Here are the brands using the AAA battery (for these blasters, each of the guns uses 3 AAA batteries):
- ArmoGear – four pack
- ArmoGear Infrared Guns and Vests (Set of 2)
- LASER X MICRO BLASTER DOUBLE SET
- LASER X 88016 ORIGINAL BLASTER DOUBLE SET
- Laser X – 88016 ORIGINAL Four Player Gaming Set
- LaserX Micro B Blasters (2 Pack)
- laser x MICRO B2 BLASTER DOUBLE SET
Some of these brands also require batteries for the vest receivers too.
Such blasters include:
POKONBOY Infrared Guns with Vests and Carry Case – 4 Gun Modes – (Set of 4)
Each vest needs 3 AA energy-storage cells
MESIXI Guns with Vests (Set of 4)
Each vest requires 3 AA energy-storage cells
HISTOYE Set with Gun and Vest (Sets of 4)
Each vest requires 3 x AA 1.5V energy-storage cells
ArmoGear – four pack
Each vest uses 3 AAA energy-storage cells
ArmoGear Guns and Vests (Set of 2)
Each vest uses 3 AAA energy-storage cells
Kidpal Blasters with Vest (Set of 4)
Each vest uses 3*AA energy-storage cells
Nerf Official: Lazer Tag Phoenix LTX Tagger 2-pack
Vest uses 6 “AA” energy-storage cells
How Many Batteries Do You Need for Your Laser Tag Gun?
Some phaser sets require as many as 28 batteries, while some need as few as 4 batteries.
All this depends on the brand as well as the number of units in the blaster set. Blasters that require batteries for both vest and gun will likely need even more cells.
Here is an overview of the total battery requirements of different brands:
ArmoGear – four pack
Set of 4 totals to 24 AAA power cells required.
ArmoGear Guns and Vests (Set of 2)
Total of 12 AAA power cells required.
ArmoGear Rechargeable Guns & Vests Set of 4
Total of 8 Lithium-ion power cells required.
LASER X MICRO BLASTER DOUBLE SET
Total of 6 AAA power cells required.
Laser X Revolution 4 Players Set
Total of 4 AA power cells required.
Revolution Complete Blaster Set 2 player
Total of 4 AA power cells required.
LASER X 88016 ORIGINAL BLASTER DOUBLE SET
Total of 6 AAA Duracell power cells required.
Laser X – 88016 ORIGINAL Four Player Gaming Set
Total of 12 AAA Duracell power cells.
LaserX Micro B Blasters (2 Pack)
Total of 6 “AAA” (1.5V) power cells
laser x MICRO B2 BLASTER DOUBLE SET
Total of 6 “AAA” (1.5V) power cells
NSI Laser X Morph Blasters Single Unit DOUBLE SET
Total of 6 AAA power cells required.
Laser X Long Range Blaster
Total of 6 AAA power cells required.
Laser X Single Player Gaming Set
Total of 2 AA power cells required.
Steradian S-7 Gun
Nerf Official: Lazer Tag Phoenix LTX Tagger 2-pack
Total of 12 AA energy cells required.
Kolegend Set
Total of 16 AA energy cells
Kidzlane Gun
Total of 16 AA energy cells required.
Play22 Gun
Total of 28 AA energy cells required.
Squad Hero – Rechargeable + Innovative LCDs and Sync – 4 Infrared Guns &4 Vests
Total of 8 lithium-ion energy cells required.
POKONBOY Guns with Vests and Carry Case – 4 Gun Modes – (Set of 4)
Total of 28 AA (1.5 V) energy cells required.
Kidpal Blasters with Vest (Set of 4)
Total of 28*AA energy cells required.
Best Choice Products (Set of 4)
Total of 16 AA energy cells required.
HISTOYE Set with Gun and Vest (Sets of 4)
Total of 24 1.5V AA energy cells are required.
MESIXI Guns with Vests (Set of 4)
The blaster set needs 24 AA energy cells
Check Out This Blaster We Reviewed Recently.
Laser X - 88016 ORIGINAL Reviewed | ||
  | Pros: - Still good as new after 5+ years of heavy commercial use Cons: - no screws to open it up | |
To read the full Laser X Review, click here.
Do You Have to Buy Batteries for Your Laser Tag Gun?
Often, you’ll have to buy the battery separately when purchasing blasters.
Fortunately, there are a few brands that provide batteries with their products. This is typically so with blasters featuring a rechargeable battery, but even brands using a normal battery may offer it with the product.
Here are some brands that offer the battery with their products:
- ArmoGear Rechargeable Guns & Vests Set of 4
- Laser X Revolution 4 Players Set
- Revolution Complete Blaster Set 2 player
- Laser X – 88016 ORIGINAL Four Player Gaming Set
However, if the battery used is not rechargeable, you’ll still have to buy it afterwards.
Why Do Laser Tag Guns Use Single Use Batteries Instead of Rechargeable Batteries?
A normal AA/ AAA battery is used because it gives more voltage than a rechargeable AA/ AAA battery. The more voltage the gun has, the further it can shoot.
If you use a rechargeable battery, then your phaser will not be able to shoot as far. It only gives 1.2 volts whereas a single use battery gives 1.5 volts. This means that the rechargeable battery is not as powerful as a regular one.
So, if you want your phaser to shoot as far as possible, then you should use a normal battery.
But it is much cheaper in the long run to use a rechargeable battery. The downside to this is that you might need to charge your battery after only one day of playing.
How Much Will You Spend on Batteries for Laser Tag Guns?
The cost of a regular battery varies according to the type of battery.
For example, if you buy 2 packs of 12 AA Energizer batteries it will cost about $15. But if you buy 1 pack of 4 AA Duracell rechargeable batteries, it will cost around $12.
The maintenance cost of rechargeable AA batteries can be calculated by multiplying the number of kilowatt hours used per year by the cost of electricity. In this example, if the cost of electricity is $0.10 per kilowatt hour, so the maintenance cost per year for the rechargeables is $0.24.
How Often Should You Replace Batteries for Laser Tag Guns?
This question is difficult to answer as it depends on how often you play and the type of battery that you are using. Normal batteries will need to be replaced every so often, but rechargeable batteries can last up to two years.
It is important to note that if you are not using rechargeable batteries, then you might need to replace the batteries every time you play.
How to Prevent Batteries from Dying in Laser Tag Guns?
There are a few ways that you can prevent your batteries from dying in your phaser. One way is to make sure that you do not leave your batteries in the gun for an extended period of time. This will cause the battery to die faster.
Another thing to remember is that you should never overcharge your rechargeable batteries. This can cause damage to the battery.
Finally, you should always use the correct type of battery for your blaster. If you use the wrong type of battery, it might not work properly.
How Long Do Batteries Last in Laser Tag Guns?
It depends on the brand of the battery and the blaster.
For example, Alkaline batteries may last for only 2-3 hours of straight play time.
In general, phasers using normal batteries have a longer play time than ones using rechargeable batteries because of the voltage difference between these two types of batteries.
It is important to note that if you are not using rechargeable batteries, then you might need to replace the batteries every time you play.
Also, depending on the brand, it may not be possible to effectively estimate how long the batteries will last. Between high-quality and low-quality brands, there can be a great variance in battery life.
Some brands may also use different types of batteries for different models.
For example, The Steradian S-7 can last up to 12 hours of game time on one battery charge. This is a lot longer than many other types of batteries. So even if you’re playing the whole day at the park, your phaser will stay powered and you’ll be looking out for your next shot.
How to Insert Batteries into Your Laser Tag Gun
It is important to read the manual for your phaser before inserting batteries.
In general, there are a few types of insertion methods.
The first type of insertion method is through a removable hatch on top or back of the gun. Using this method, you would unlock the hatch and remove it from the phaser. You would then insert the batteries into the designated slots and replace the hatch.
The second type of insertion method is by unscrewing the battery cover at the bottom of the gun. This will reveal the battery compartment. You would then insert the batteries into the designated slots and replace the battery cover.
The third type of insertion method is by sliding the battery cover off the side of the gun. This will reveal the battery compartment. You would then insert the batteries into the designated slots and replace the battery cover.
Once you have inserted the batteries, make sure that they are facing in the correct direction. The blaster will not work if the batteries are inserted incorrectly.
Additional Resources That can Help You
You may also be interested in the following useful resources.
How Do You Reload a Laser Gun? Interesting Reload Mechanisms
How Heavy is a Laser Tag Gun? (20+ Blasters Evaluated)
What is the Range of Laser Tag Guns? (30+ Blasters Evaluated)
What is Laser Tag? Everything You Need to Know
If you’re new to laser tag, here’s an introduction video to it and you can also check out our ultimate guide on our homepage.