The best Intex sand filters, compared.
Top pick: Intex sand filter 26646FR Best value: Intex SX1500 sand filter 26644BS – Same listing. It leads the value weight because it states 220–240 V, a sand weight, a pool volume and six valve jobs at about £131.09. The £109.99 SX925 does not state a voltage. Updated October 2026.
An Intex sand filter is a complete above-ground pump, tank and valve used in place of the cartridge pump on a seasonal frame pool. Sand, glass or fibre balls are not in the box. Check 220–240 V and a BS 1363 plug before pool volume or hose size. A travel adapter does not make that motor a 230 V pump. The SX925 is the small tank, about 6.5 kg of sand. The title states 220–240 V and pools up to 29.1 m³. How the supplies differ is in the [UK voltage guide](/hub/pool-care/intex-sand-filter/sub/intex-sand-filter-uk-voltage).
An Intex sand filter is a complete above-ground pump, tank and valve used in place of the cartridge pump on a seasonal frame pool. Sand, glass or fibre balls are not in the box.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What does the listing print for voltage?
The listing titled Intex Sand Filter, model 26646FR, is £154.95 and shows 4.6 from 640 reviews on amazon.co.uk. In the written sample, two reviews are from the United Kingdom and the rest are from Spain, Sweden, Germany, France, Italy and Belgium, so that star line is not a British-only score. The listing does not state voltage, flow, sand weight, a timer, hoses or a pool volume. The bullets say it is suitable for each pool and give no number. One UK review says the pump has a 2-pin plug and needs an adapter for a 3-pin socket. Reviews say the media has to be bought separately, and non-UK reviews say the pool hoses were missing. The parcel weight is 11.8 kg, with dimensions of 53 x 35 x 56 cm.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A buyer who has already confirmed the voltage and plug on the unit, and who already knows the sand weight from a manual.
Less suitable: A first sand-filter purchase where the listing itself has to state volts, media and hoses.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this a UK 3-pin pump?
The listing does not state voltage or plug type. One UK review says it has a 2-pin plug and needs an adapter for a 3-pin socket.
How much sand does it take?
The listing does not state a sand weight. Reviews say the media has to be bought separately.
Are the 640 reviews from the UK?
The score is 4.6 from 640 on amazon.co.uk. In the written sample, two reviews are from the United Kingdom. The rest are from Spain, Sweden, Germany, France, Italy and Belgium.
The Intex sand filter model 26648BS costs £194.49, with 2,800 GPH and 220–240 V in the title, and it scores 4.6 from 27 reviews. The specification table says 757.08 litres per minute and does not reconcile that figure with 2,800 GPH. Sand load, pool size and plug type are not stated. The product-style line says submersible, while the title calls it a sand filter pump and the reviews describe an above-ground sand filter. One review names six valve functions and a 24-hour timer, and neither line is in the bullets. Reviewers praise clear water on a large pool, and one says 32 mm pools need adapters. The same small file includes a unit louder than a 2,100 GPH Intex and audible from about 20 yards, plus another that stopped turning on within a year. The unit weighs 21.1 kg.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A large above-ground pool, if you accept a 27-review file, the flow clash and the noise note.
Less suitable: A small frame pool, a 32 mm port set without adapters, or a purchase you need to size from a stated sand weight.
Specifications
Common questions
What flow should you trust?
The title says 2,800 GPH and 220–240 V. The specification table says 757.08 litres per minute. The listing does not reconcile the two.
Is it a submersible pump?
The product-style line says submersible. The title calls it a sand filter pump, and the reviews describe an above-ground sand filter.
What do the reviews say about noise?
The score is 4.6 from 27. Reviewers praise clear water on a large pool. One says it is louder than a 2,100 GPH Intex and audible from about 20 yards. Another says it stopped turning on within a year.
The Intex SX1500, model 26644BS, is the £131.09 listing that prints 220–240 V in the title and scores 4.4 from 100 reviews on amazon.co.uk. The bullets give 1,500 gallons (5.7 m³) per hour, and the table’s 25 gallons per minute is that same hourly rate written as a minute figure. The listing states above-ground pools up to 29.1 m³ (7,700 gallons), a 10 inch tank, and 12 kg of No. 20 silica or 8.5 kg of glass, with that media not included. The valve names filter, backwash, rinse, recirculate, drain and close, and the box includes two 38 mm hoses plus one HydroAeration inlet fitting. Plunger valves and 38 mm outlet fittings are not included, and reviews say smaller pool ports needed adapters. The listing does not state whether the plug is a UK 3-pin plug. The timer is not in the bullets, though reviewers say one is fitted.
Pros
Cons
Best for: An above-ground pool inside the stated 29.1 m³ ceiling, if you can use the 38 mm hoses or fit adapters.
Less suitable: A 32 mm pool if you will not buy adapters, or a buyer who needs the plug type printed on the listing.
Specifications
Common questions
Will it run on UK mains?
The title states 220–240 V. The listing does not state whether the plug is a UK 3-pin plug.
Do the hoses fit a small Intex pool?
The listing includes two 38 mm hoses and says plunger valves and 38 mm outlet fittings are not included. Reviews say adapters were needed for smaller pool ports.
Is the sand included?
No. The listing recommends 12 kg of No. 20 silica sand or 8.5 kg of glass sand, and says that media is not included.
The Intex SX925, model 26642BS, is the £109.99 listing in this set and scores 4.1 from 96 reviews on amazon.co.uk. The listing says it needs 6.5 kg of silica sand, that the sand is not included, and that a bullet puts a sand change at every five years. It also lists a 24-hour automatic daily timer and a valve described as 6-way with four named jobs: filter, backwash, recirculate and drain. The specification table does not state a voltage, and it prints the flow as 925 gallons per minute beside the SX925 name. Reviewers praise clear water and an easy backwash on small frame pools. The same file repeats a pump that will not restart, flow that dies while the motor still runs, and sand returned to the pool. One UK review mentions 90 W, and that wattage is not in the table.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A small seasonal frame pool, if you confirm 220–240 V on the unit before you add 6.5 kg of sand.
Less suitable: A UK socket you have not checked, or a pool that needs a hose diameter the listing does not state.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the sand come with it?
The listing says the SX925 requires 6.5 kg of silica sand and that the sand is not included. A bullet also says the sand is replaced every five years.
What voltage does the listing state?
The specification table does not state a voltage. One UK review mentions 90 W. That figure is not in the table.
What do the reviews repeat?
The listing score is 4.1 from 96. Reviewers praise clear water and an easy backwash on small frame pools. Repeated complaints are a pump that will not restart, flow that dies while the motor runs, and sand returned to the pool.
The Intex SX2100 Plus, model 26655EG, is the dearest listing in this set at £219.07 and scores 4.0 from 13 reviews. The specification table says 120 volts. The only United Kingdom review says the voltage is wrong for the UK. Sand weight, flow, pool size, timer and hoses are not stated. The bullets do name six valve jobs: filter, wash against the current, rinse, circulate, empty and close. The parcel weighs 15.5 kg. The other written reviews in the file are from the United States and Canada, including comments about a timer and an app, so they are not a UK plug report.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A buyer who already has a 120 V supply the table matches, and who does not need a stated sand weight.
Less suitable: A UK socket, or anyone paying about £219.07 who needs sand weight, flow and hose size on the listing.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this the UK-voltage SX2100?
The specification table says 120 volts. The only United Kingdom review says the voltage is wrong for the UK.
Does the listing state sand or flow?
No. Sand weight, flow and pool size are not stated. The bullet lists filter, backwash-style wash, rinse, circulate, empty and close.
Where are the written reviews from?
The score is 4.0 from 13. One written review is from the United Kingdom. The others in the raw file are from the United States and Canada, including comments about a timer and an app.
The Intex SX925, model 26641EG, is £141.28 and scores 2.2 from 328 reviews, the lowest stars and the largest review file in this set. The specification table says 120 volts. UK reviews say the pump arrives with a US plug and that a travel adapter does not turn it into a 230 V pump. The bullets state 925 gallons per hour at the pump and 550 gallons per hour as the system flow, for above-ground pools up to 4,500 gallons, and the table’s 15.42 gallons per minute matches that pump figure. The listing also includes a 24-hour timer with cycles of 2 to 12 hours, two 1.25 inch connector hoses and a 25-foot cord. The sand weight in kilograms is not stated, and reviews say the sand is not included. The written UK reviews are mostly about 110–120 V, cut-outs and returns, with a few saying the water is clear once a transformer is fitted.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A 120 V supply that already matches the table, which is outside a UK mains socket.
Less suitable: Any UK socket, including one used with a travel adapter or a step-down transformer.
Specifications
Common questions
Can you plug this into a UK socket?
The specification table says 120 volts. UK reviews say the pump arrives with a US plug and that a travel adapter does not make it a 230 V pump.
What flow does the listing print?
The bullets state 925 gallons per hour at the pump and 550 gallons per hour as the system flow, for above-ground pools up to 4,500 gallons. The table says 15.42 gallons per minute.
Why is the score 2.2?
The listing score is 2.2 from 328. The written UK reviews are mostly about 110–120 V, a US plug, cut-outs and returns. A few say the water is clear once a transformer is fitted.
Six amazon.co.uk listings were scored on 19 October 2026 from the star lines, the written review notes and the fields a UK sand filter needs. Flow, voltage, sand weight and pool size are listing claims. A shop page is not treated as the amazon.co.uk plug or price. Review lines from outside the United Kingdom are not scored as British opinion. There was no laboratory test. The four weights below sum to 100.
Amazon evidence
25%Star rating on amazon.co.uk, then a smaller addition for review count. A 4.6 from 640 is reduced because the written sample has two United Kingdom reviews. A 4.6 from 27 and a 4.0 from 13 stay thin. A 2.2 from 328 is a low score with a large file, not a filtration ranking.
Listing fit
35%A stated 220–240 V supply scores. A stated 120 V supply scores zero on voltage. Voltage not stated is not treated as 230 V. Sand weight, a flow line that agrees with itself, named valve jobs, a pool volume and stated hoses add points. A gallons-per-minute line that the listing does not reconcile with the model name is not full marks.
Review outcome
25%Clear water on a small pool adds. A pump that will not restart, sand returned to the pool, a US plug, a two-pin plug, adapters, noise, or a motor that stopped inside a year is deducted. No UK review text stays low.
Value
15%Shelf price in GBP against a pump whose voltage you can still check. The lower price scores more only inside that limit. A 120 V listing does not win value by being cheaper than a dearer 120 V listing.
Buy the supply first, then the pool, then the hose. A familiar SX925 name is not a 230 V pump. Sand is a separate purchase. The valve moves only with the pump off, and Intex says not to run on closed.
An Intex sand filter in this comparison is a complete above-ground pump, tank and valve, and on some models a timer. It replaces the cartridge pump on a seasonal frame pool. The sand, glass or fibre balls are bought separately. Play sand is the wrong media. Voltage comes first. UK mains are about 230 V with a BS 1363 plug. Regulation 35 of the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 requires a correct UK plug assembly for a BS 1363 socket.
Model 26641EG prints 120 V and UK reviews report a US plug. Model 26655EG prints 120 V, and the only UK review says the voltage is wrong for the UK. A travel adapter, a converter plug or a transformer does not make that motor acceptable on UK mains. Fitting a UK plug to a 120 V motor is the same mistake.
Every listing in this set leaves the media out. Intex Support gives the fill by model: 6.5 kg for the SX925, 12 kg for the SX1500, 23 kg for the SX2100 and 35 kg for the SX2800, or the matching fibre-ball weight. Play sand is the wrong media. Balls have to sit in a compact layer.
The UK SX925 safety sheet says switch the pump off before you move the lever. Intex says not to run on closed. A motor that will not start after a fuse check is a return, not a new valve setting. Ask the sewerage company before waste water leaves a permitted foul connection.
UK mains are about 230 V with a BS 1363 plug. A 220–240 V line is not the plug shape. A missing voltage is not treated as 230 V. A stated 120 V supply does not score as a UK pump. A travel adapter does not turn a 120 V motor into a 230 V pump, and the SX925 safety sheet says no converter plug. The SX1500 (26644BS) and the 2,800 GPH model (26648BS) state 220–240 V in the title. Neither states a UK 3-pin plug. SX925 26641EG and SX2100 Plus 26655EG state 120 V.
Match the pool before the price. Poolpro lists the SX925 to about 16,805 litres and the SX2100 to about 31,805 litres. The SX1500 bullet states above-ground pools up to 29.1 m³. A four-to-six-hour turnover is a rule of thumb. A 10 ft pool is the SX925 job if the unit is 220–240 V. A larger pool, or a heater on the same hoses, is the SX1500 job. Media is bought separately.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
A 10 ft pool, or roughly 3 m by 2 m, is the SX925 job if the unit is 220–240 V. The £109.99 listing, model 26642BS, names 6.5 kg of silica and does not state a voltage. Confirm 220–240 V on the unit before you add sand. The other SX925, 26641EG, prints 120 V.
A larger pool, or a heater or solar loop on the same hoses, is the SX1500 job. Model 26644BS states 220–240 V, pools up to 29.1 m³, and two 38 mm hoses, at about £131.09. Budget for adapters if the pool ports are smaller. The plug type is not stated.
Model 26648BS states 220–240 V and 2,800 GPH in the title, at about £194.49, with 4.6 from 27 reviews. Sand load and pool size are not stated. The table says 757.08 litres per minute and does not reconcile that with 2,800 GPH. One review mentions garden noise.
The top pick and the best value are the Intex SX1500, model 26644BS, at about £131.09. It has the highest score in this set: the title states 220–240 V, the bullets name six valve positions, the media line is 12 kg of No. 20 silica or 8.5 kg of glass, and the pool ceiling is above-ground pools up to 29.1 m³. The star line is 4.4 from 100 reviews. The plug type is not stated, plunger valves are not included, and reviews needed adapters on smaller ports. The £109.99 SX925 is not the best value here, because that listing does not state a voltage. A 120 V table line is not treated as a UK pump. None of these scores is a lab test.
Intex SX1500 sand filter 26644BS
Same listing. It leads the value weight because it states 220–240 V, a sand weight, a pool volume and six valve jobs at about £131.09. The £109.99 SX925 does not state a voltage.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Sources for the buying notes, checked with the amazon.co.uk listings on 19 October 2026.
This article contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices and review counts are from amazon.co.uk listings checked on 19 October 2026, plus public UK sources. This is not a laboratory test.
