12 fun pool floats for an Instagrammable summer: camels, cats, rainbows and more

As the summer kicks in, keep your cool with these inflatables, and discover how Taylor Swift kickstarted the pool trend

Cat face, Dh66.50, www.mumzworld.com — This hyper-realistic inflatable makes the purr-fect addition to your pool. Photo: Intex

Camel, Dh179, www.carrefouruae.com — Children and adults alike will love to set sail on this inflatable ship of the desert. Photo: Bestway

Rainbow, Dh154.93, www.revolve.com — This bright-coloured inflatable will bring a smile to all who relax on it. Photo: Funboy

Cactus, Dh130, www.amazon.ae — There’s nothing spikey about this relaxing float. Photo: Intex

Jellyfish, Dh125.26, www.virginmegastore.ae — While away the day on this float, complete with tentacles, that promises not to sting. Photo: Bigmouth Inc

Jet ski, Dh176.40, www.mumzworld.com — Vroom slowly around the pool on this jet ski in on-trend tie-dye. Photo: Sunnylife

Orange slice, Dh42, www.mumzworld.com — This floaty is as refreshing as a dip in the pool itself. Photo: Intex

Giant unicorn, Dh930, www.sanddollardubai.com — This giant inflatable fits up to four people and features a built-in cooler and drinks holders. Photo: Intex

The Rolling Stones logo, Dh217, www.namshi.com — The famous Rolling Stones logo gets the inflatable treatment. Photo: Sunnylife

Refreshing drink, Dh105, www.aceuae.com — From the metallic cup to the slice of lime, this float will make thirsty work of the pool. Photo: Bestway

Greek eye, Dh288, www.harriandeve.com — Ward off any hint of bad weather, with this traditional Mediterranean symbol to lounge on. Photo: Sunnylife

Trainer, Dh149, www.virginmegastore.ae — You won't put a foot wrong buying this float for the sneakerhead in your life. Photo: Didak

The trend started, as these things usually do, with Taylor Swift.

On June 10, 2015, the multi-Grammy winner posted a photo to Instagram of herself and her then-boyfriend, DJ Calvin Harris, sitting atop a giant inflatable swan.

Scroll through the gallery above to see our favourite pool inflatables you can buy in the UAE.

In the weeks that followed, searches for “inflatable swans” on Google more than doubled, and just like that, Swift — already the inspiration behind #squadgoals — had created a new set of goals: pool ones.

However, the Style singer didn’t stop there in redefining the pool aesthetic for a generation.

By the summer of 2016, she and Harris split up, but Swift had moved on with Tom Hiddleston, and set about introducing the world to the concept of Taymerica, an event which would further cement her queen of summer status.

For Taymerica, Swift gathered together some of her closest A-list friends, including Cara Delevingne, Karlie Kloss and Gigi Hadid, and Hiddleston, for her Fourth of July party. A bash that quickly earned the hashtag #taymerica on Instagram.

The annual party upped the ante, moving beyond mere inflatable birds to incorporate giant inflatable slides, at her Rhode Island home.

Gen Z prop and status symbol

Cool inflatables instantly became a favourite prop of the Instagram generation, as well as a status symbol, becoming the perfect way to show off your pool, lake, summer holiday or beach body.

Pretty soon, no summer Instagram grid was complete without a snap atop a giant inflatable unicorn.

There was even an event dedicated to it. Floatchella was hosted on the Jersey Shore in the US in July 2017, and boasted one inviolable rule: “no basic floats”. The message was clear: turn up with your traditional lilo and you won’t be allowed in.

These days, you can find most things in inflatable form.

There are entire zoos worth of animals to choose from, from alligators to giraffes, and bears to lobsters. Food-based floats have also become a firm favourite with the likes of watermelons, doughnuts, pizzas, strawberries, cupcakes and ice-creams.

While old-school pool noodles, water wings and rubber rings will always be handy for those learning to swim, nothing less than a gold-winged unicorn will do for a pool aesthetic Swift would be proud of.