The 9 Best Above Ground Pools
Updated by · How we research
Nine frame, inflatable and steel-wall pools compared on filter, kit, depth and setup. The Intex Ultra XTR 18-Foot leads for its sand filter and warranty. When users buy our independently chosen editorial picks, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
Water weighs a little over eight pounds a gallon, so even a mid-size above-ground pool puts tens of tons on your lawn, and most failures start with ground that isn't flat and firm. These kits suit families who want a real place to swim for a fraction of in-ground cost and can give up a patch of yard.
At a Glance
Editor's Notes
November 1, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Admin:
The Intex Ultra XTR 18-Foot now leads this list. A sand filter, a two-year warranty and a kit that includes the ladder, cover and ground cloth make it the frame pool most families can set up and keep for years.
Only two pools survive from the 2019 version of this page. The Wilbar Impressions 18 x 33, Embassy Creamy Tan Para100, Heritage Complete DXP, iPool D Set Deluxe and both Summer Waves pools have left the market, the Intex Oval Frame is unavailable, and the Bestway Max 15 x 42 has disappeared. The Intex Ultra XTR Rectangular stays, and the Intex Metal Frame 15-Foot stays as the value pick. New picks cover the choices people actually weigh: an inflatable-ring Intex Easy Set 15-Foot for a quick summer, a shallow Bestway Steel Pro MAX for small children, and the steel-walled Bestway Hydrium 18-Foot for a pool that stays up all year.
Safety shaped the list as much as specs did. In 2025, Intex, Bestway and Polygroup recalled about five million pools 48 inches and taller because an outside strap around the legs let toddlers climb in. We checked each pick against that recall and read the makers' setup and warranty terms.
March 12, 2019:
Intex has a lot of good offerings on the market, and an update to their XTR vastly improved both its performance and appearance, and skyrocketed it to a much higher spot on our list. A few other models had to be retired due to performance issues, most notably a Bestway option that had a big problem with frame corrosion. The Summer Waves Elite at number 10 is a fine choice for anyone with a particularly small yard, but unless you're really worried about your youngsters drowning out there, you might want something a little bigger.
Special Honors
Pool Safely Pool Safely is the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's public education campaign on drowning and drain entrapment. It's a good free stop for new pool owners, with checklists for barriers, ladders, alarms and supervision, and current pool recalls. poolsafely.gov
Frame, Inflatable Or Steel Wall
A steel-wall pool, like the Bestway Hydrium, uses a corrugated metal wall and a heavier liner.
Above-ground pools come in three builds. An inflatable-ring pool, like the Intex Easy Set, has no frame: an air-filled collar floats up as the pool fills and pulls the wall with it. It's the cheapest and quickest to set up, but the soft sides sag on uneven ground and the ring can leak.
A steel-frame pool hangs a vinyl liner from a ring of legs and top rails. This is the mainstream choice, from shallow kids' pools to 52-inch sets big enough for adults to swim. Frames go together without tools, and most come down for winter. Intex backs its Ultra XTR sets for two years on the liner, frame and pump (Intex), while its basic pools carry a warranty of a few months.
A steel-wall pool, like the Bestway Hydrium, uses a corrugated metal wall and a heavier liner. It takes longer to build and is meant to stay up year-round, which puts it between a frame pool and an in-ground one.
The filter matters as much as the frame. A cartridge filter is cheap and simple, but you rinse the paper cartridge often and replace it through the season. A sand filter is cleaned by backwashing and handles bigger pools and heavier use better (The Pool Factory). For anything 18 feet and up, a sand filter is worth paying for.
The Ground Under The Pool
Most pool failures start underneath. Water weighs about 8.3 pounds a gallon, so an 18-foot pool holding about 7,000 gallons weighs close to 30 tons when full. Intex's instructions call for flat, level, compacted ground and warn against setting up on mud, sand or loose soil (Hunker). A pool that sits off level puts uneven strain on the frame and liner and can buckle.
The usual approach is to strip the grass, level the native soil rather than building up a low side, and set a flat paver under each leg so it can't sink. Owners setting up the Intex 15-foot frame pool trade tips on exactly this, from leveling with a long board to padding the liner (Trouble Free Pool). Lay a ground cloth or foam pad on top to protect the liner from roots and stones.
Plan the spot before you buy. You need clearance around the pool, a nearby outdoor outlet on a ground-fault circuit for the pump, and a place for water to go when you drain it. Many towns require a permit for pools over a set depth, so check with your building department first.
Barriers, Ladders And The 2025 Strap Recall
A small child can slip into a pool in seconds, and a wall alone may not stop a climber. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's barrier guidelines say an above-ground pool needs a barrier, and the pool wall can serve as one if it's tall enough. Any barrier mounted on top should leave no more than a four-inch gap, and the ladder should be removed, locked or fenced off when nobody is watching (CPSC). Local codes are what you must follow, and they're often stricter.
In July 2025, Bestway, Intex and Polygroup recalled about five million pools 48 inches and taller. On these pools, a compression strap wrapped around the outside of the legs, giving a toddler a foothold to climb in, and nine children died (CPSC recall). The fix is a free kit that replaces the strap with a rope at ground level. Pools whose strap runs behind the legs aren't affected. If you buy a used pool or already own one, check the model and the strap, and contact the maker for the kit.
No pool, fence or alarm replaces an adult watching the water. Keep a phone and a throwable float at the poolside, and teach kids to stay away from the pump intake.
How we researched this
We compared 15 above-ground pools from Intex and Bestway, read the makers' specs, setup instructions and warranty terms for the nine picks, used pool-care guides and owner forum threads for setup problems, and checked every pick against the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's 2025 recall of tall pools with an outside leg strap. We found no independent lab tests of these pools.
Sources (7)
- U.S. CPSC: 2025 recall of above-ground pools 48 inches and taller
- U.S. CPSC: Safety Barrier Guidelines for Residential Pools
- Pool Safely
- Intex: Ultra XTR frame pool set
- The Pool Factory: above-ground pool filter systems
- Hunker: how to level an Intex pool
- Trouble Free Pool: 15 ft x 48 in Metal Frame installation
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a sand filter or a cartridge filter?
Cartridge filters are fine for small and mid-size pools, but you rinse and replace the cartridge often. A sand filter is cleaned by backwashing, and it suits pools of about 18 feet and up.
Can I put sand under an above-ground pool?
Intex tells owners not to set its frame pools on sand, mud or loose soil. Level compacted ground, put a flat paver under each leg, and use a ground cloth or pad under the liner.
Are semi-above-ground pools a good idea?
Steel-wall pools such as the Bestway Hydrium can stay up all year and look more permanent, but they take longer to build and cost more. Partly sinking a pool is only safe if the maker's instructions allow it.
How do I winterize an above-ground pool?
Most frame and inflatable pools should be drained, cleaned, dried and stored for winter. Year-round steel-wall pools stay up: lower the water below the return, add winter chemicals, and cover the pool.
Do I need a fence or a permit?
Often. Many towns require a permit and a barrier for pools over a set depth. Even where they don't, remove or lock the ladder whenever no adult is at the pool.
