Compare above-ground pools: frame, inflatable, steel and wood

You set up an above-ground pool in the garden without having a pool built. Here you compare frame pools, inflatable pools and pools with a steel or wooden wall from Intex, Bestway, Interline and Gre.

Which type do you choose?

An inflatable pool, such as the Intex Easy Set and Bestway Fast Set, has an inflatable ring and is ready quickly. A frame pool hangs in a frame of steel tubes and is also available in larger and deeper sizes. Pools with a steel wall or a wooden wall are meant to stay in place longer. Use the Model filter to choose between the four.

Size and capacity

Use the Shape, Diameter or length and Capacity filters to find a pool that fits in your garden. Place the pool on a flat, firm surface without stones or roots, and use a ground sheet or floor tiles to protect the base. A filled pool is heavy: each litre of water weighs about a kilo.

What is included?

A pool set often includes a filter pump, sometimes also a ladder, a cover or a ground sheet. Check the title and specifications to see exactly what is included. If something is missing, you will find separate pumps and filters and covers and accessories in the other subcategories.

Covering and keeping clean

A cover keeps leaves and rain out when you are not swimming, and a solar cover helps keep the water warm. With a skimmer net, a brush or a pool vacuum, you keep the base clean. Choose a cover in the same shape and size as the pool.

Safe use

Always supervise when children are in or near the water. Remove the ladder when the pool is not in use and cover it. Connect a filter pump to an earthed socket with a residual current device (RCD) and follow the instructions.