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Bestway cartridge vs sand filter

Updated: 21 October 2026

You can clear the same above-ground pool with a small cartridge pump or with a sand tank, and the prices on amazon.co.uk make the sand look like the upgrade. A Bestway cartridge vs sand filter choice is about what each media catches and what is missing from the box, not about which star line is higher. Bestway UK says the cartridge is the finer media. The five listings are in our [Bestway filter pump comparison](/hub/pool-care/bestway-filter-pump), priced on 19 October 2026. This is not a lab test. Litres and hose size are on the [buying guide](/hub/pool-care/bestway-filter-pump/sub/bestway-filter-pump-buying-guide). A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You can clear the same above-ground pool with a small cartridge pump or with a sand tank, and the prices on amazon.co.uk make the sand look like the upgrade.

Our top picks

Bestway Bestway 950 GPH sand filter pump

Best overall

Bestway Bestway 950 GPH sand filter pump
4.0/10about £156.47
View offer
Bestway Bestway 58383 cartridge filter pump

Rank 2

Bestway Bestway 58383 cartridge filter pump
7.6/10about £49.99
View offer
Bestway Bestway 58381 cartridge filter pump

Best value

Bestway Bestway 58381 cartridge filter pump
7.4/10about £37.49
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What each media catches
  2. 2.What you replace, and how often
  3. 3.The listings in this set
  4. 4.Which job fits which owner

What each media catches

Bestway UK puts a cartridge at about 10–20 microns and sand at about 20–40 microns. The cartridge catches the smaller debris. Sand is less fine. Calling sand the finer option reverses the only comparison Bestway publishes for these two media. This page stays with 10–20 against 20–40. A small pool often stays on a cartridge. The 58381 is listed for 1,100–8,300 litres and uses a Type I cartridge. Sand earns its place when you would rather not pull a cartridge every fortnight, and when you accept that some finer dust will pass. Bestway describes sand as the lower-maintenance choice, not as the cleaner one. Those micron bands are the manufacturer’s description, not a result measured in a UK pool for this page. Bleeding a cartridge pump is on the how to use page. It does not cover a sand backwash.

What you replace, and how often

Bestway’s cartridge-versus-sand article says to replace a cartridge about every 15 days. The 58381 bullet says clean or replace about every two weeks. Keep both lines. They are the same habit, not one merged interval invented here. The sizing guide says sand is about every three years. A separate Bestway UK note says quartz sand can last a season. Do not collapse those into one date. On 19 October 2026 the cartridge pumps were £37.49, £49.99 and £133.92. The sand pumps were £156.47 and £305.07. Sand is not included. You pay the pump, then you pay for media. Bestway names silica #20, 0.45 mm to 0.85 mm. Play sand is the wrong grain. These listings do not state a fill weight. Turn the pump off before you move the six-way valve, and do not run the pump dry.
Bestway Bestway 950 GPH sand filter pump

Testsieger

Bestway Bestway 950 GPH sand filter pump
4.0/10about £156.47
View offer

The listings in this set

The 58381 takes Type I, cartridge 58093, and the listing does not say a cartridge is in the box. The 58383 takes Type II, cartridge 58094, and the title says a replaceable cartridge is included. The 58389 takes Type III, cartridge 58012, and whether it is in the box is not stated. A Type I refill will not fit a Type III pump. Match the code, not the word cartridge. The sand side is B0DGMHBGZF at 950 GPH for 300–4,800 gallons, and B0DD1K3SJT at 2,200 GPH for 300–11,200 gallons. Both say sand is not included. Both name a six-position handle: filter, closed, backwash, rinse, drain and circulate. Hose diameter is not stated on either page. Neither states a timer. Polysphere balls are allowed instead of sand. They are a separate purchase, and they must not be backwashed.

Which job fits which owner

Choose a cartridge when the pool is in the smaller litre bands and you will rinse a core about every two weeks. The 58381 at £37.49 is that case when the hose is 32 mm, with the limits on the best Bestway filter pump page. You are trading a finer mesh, about 10–20 microns, for a regular rinse. Choose sand when you will pay £156.47 or £305.07 plus media, and you would rather turn a six-way valve than open a lid every fortnight. Sand is about 20–40 microns, so you are not buying a finer filter. Voltage is not stated on either sand listing. The 58383 is the only listing in this set that states a UK plug, and it is a cartridge pump.

Common questions

Which catches smaller debris, a Bestway cartridge or sand?
The cartridge. Bestway UK says about 10–20 microns for a cartridge and about 20–40 microns for sand. Sand is the coarser media and the lower-maintenance one. Those bands are Bestway’s description, not a lab test on these amazon.co.uk ASINs. A higher shelf price does not reverse the pair.
How often do I replace a Bestway cartridge?
About every 15 days, in Bestway’s cartridge-versus-sand article. The 58381 bullet says clean or replace about every two weeks. Sand is described separately as lasting about a season in one Bestway note and about every three years in the sizing guide. Do not merge those into one date.
Is sand in the box on the amazon.co.uk sand pumps?
No. Both B0DGMHBGZF and B0DD1K3SJT say sand is not included. The shelf prices of £156.47 and £305.07 do not include the media. You buy silica #20, or Polysphere, before the filter can run. The pump price is not a complete kit.
What sand grade does Bestway name?
Silica #20, with a grain of 0.45 mm to 0.85 mm, on Bestway’s UK sand-in-pool page. These two listings do not state how many kilograms to pour in. Play sand is not that grade, and a fill weight from a different product page is not copied here.
Can I use Polysphere balls, and can I backwash them?
Polysphere is the alternative to sand. You must not backwash it. The six-way valve’s backwash position is for sand. Balls are not a cartridge, they are not in the box, and they are a separate purchase, just as the sand is.
Which cartridge type fits the 58381, the 58383 and the 58389?
Type I is 58093 on the 58381. Type II is 58094 on the 58383, and that title says a cartridge is included. Type III is 58012 on the 58389, and the box contents for that cartridge are not stated. The codes are not interchangeable.

Related pages

Bestway filter pump UK voltage

Bestway filter pump

Best Bestway filter pump for a UK above-ground pool

Bestway filter pump size for your above-ground pool

Bestway filter pump air lock: bleed before the plug

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest, captured on 19 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures in the display file. The three cartridge star lines are one shared block.

  1. Bestway UK: choose the right size filter pump (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. Bestway UK: cartridge filters vs sand filters (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. Bestway UK: noisy filter pump (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. Bestway UK: pool pump not working efficiently (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Bestway Flowclear 58389 manual (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. Bestway North American Flowclear manual (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. Electrical Safety First: garden (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. PWTAG Code of Practice (retrieved 19 October 2026)