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How to inflate a pool lilo

Updated: 21 October 2026

The usual failure in this set is not a fancy valve. It is a float that is first filled on holiday, then goes flat, after the easy return window has closed. This is how to inflate a pool lilo, or a mesh hammock, from the listings in the [air mattress pool comparison](/hub/swimming-pools/air-mattress-pool), and how to notice a leak while you can still send it back. Prices and pack counts stay on that table. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. On 19 October 2026 we used the amazon.co.uk listings and the UK review notes, not a pressure test. What belongs in the box is on the [pool lilo buying guide](/hub/swimming-pools/air-mattress-pool/sub/air-mattress-pool-buying-guide).

The usual failure in this set is not a fancy valve. It is a float that is first filled on holiday, then goes flat, after the easy return window has closed.

Our top picks

Xndryan Xndryan pool hammock, pack of 2

Best overall

Xndryan Xndryan pool hammock, pack of 2
8.4/10about £11.99
View offer
Intex Intex 18-pocket fashion mat

Rank 2

Intex Intex 18-pocket fashion mat
8.8/10about £14.60
View offer
Bestway Bestway pool lounger

Alternative

Bestway Bestway pool lounger
7.8/10about £16.90
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What you are filling
  2. 2.Inflate and close the valve
  3. 3.If it will not hold air
  4. 4.Deflate, dry, and pack

What you are filling

A mesh hammock fills a ring or a frame, and the net in the middle stays empty. UMUACCAN, Xndryan, WuYuLunBi, Alintor, and Splosh are that kind of float. A vinyl lilo fills a whole bed. Only two listings name a pump. Xndryan puts one manual inflator in the box for two hammocks, and reviewers say that pump can die before one float is full. WuYuLunBi's bullets claim two pumps, and more than one reviewer reported that the pump was not in the parcel. Intex, Bestway, and Splosh do not include one. Fill whatever you bought at home before you pack it.

Inflate and close the valve

Lay the float flat, off gravel and off the buckles of a suitcase, and open the valve before you blow. Poolmaster's general advice, from a US pool retailer, is to stop when the float is firm and not to over-inflate. That is a rule of thumb for these toys, not a UK measurement and not a pounds-per-square-inch figure. The Bestway lounger and the plain Intex pair each list two air chambers. Fill both, and close both. Cooler air, or the water of the pool, makes vinyl feel softer than it did in the sun. Top it up.
Xndryan Xndryan pool hammock, pack of 2

Testsieger

Xndryan Xndryan pool hammock, pack of 2
8.4/10about £11.99
View offer

If it will not hold air

If it is flat the moment you finish, look at the valve before you look for a pinhole. A stopper that is not seated matches the UMUACCAN notes and the Alintor notes of a defective valve. WuYuLunBi reviews include both floats punctured on first opening on holiday. CNMTCCO reviews include a hole at a packed fold on first inflation. That is why the first fill belongs at home. The Intex fashion mat and Splosh name a patch. On mesh, Xndryan reviewers say patches would not hold where the net meets the pillow. If the sheet is split on day one, send it back.

Deflate, dry, and pack

Get the water off before the float goes near the suitcase. Rinse pool water and sunscreen, then let it dry while it is still inflated. Mould follows a float packed damp. Splosh includes a tidy bag in the bullets. Deflate on a flat surface and keep the valve open until the pack is flat. A wet fold is how the next puncture starts in the review notes. Flags, the orange windsock, and when to call the Coastguard are on the inflatable lilo sea safety page. If someone is in trouble in open water, the number is 999 or 112, and you ask for the Coastguard.

Common questions

Can I inflate a pool hammock by mouth?
Yes for the mesh rings reviewers actually describe. Splosh and UMUACCAN are blown up by mouth in the notes, because you are filling a tube, not a whole mattress. Stop when the ring is firm. Xndryan includes a manual pump, and that pump is the part reviews say fails first, so mouth inflation is the backup, not a harder method. Do not keep blowing until the seam creases.
Do I need an electric pump for a vinyl lilo?
You need a pump you trust, and it does not have to be electric. None of the Intex or Bestway listings includes one. Reviews of the Intex pair say inflation is hard without a strong pump. A hand pump is enough if you are not forcing the last bit. No pressure figure is printed for these toys.
How full should a pool lilo be?
Firm, with a little give under your hand, not rigid. That is the general float advice from valve guidance, including Poolmaster's, and it is a rule of thumb rather than a tested pressure for these ASINs. Two-chamber floats, the Bestway lounger and the Intex pair, need both chambers filled. If the pillow is hard and the body is soft, the body chamber is the one to check.
Why does it feel softer in the pool than in the sun?
Cooler air and water shrink the air inside the vinyl, so a float that felt tight on a hot patio feels softer in the pool. A top-up is normal. A float empty within about ten minutes, which one Splosh review describes, is a leak. Check the stopper, then the seams, while you can still return it.
How do I get the air out for a suitcase?
Open the valve after the sheet is dry, press the float flat, and work the air out. Keep the valve open while you fold. Splosh's packed size is 23 x 17 x 5 cm. A vinyl fashion mat is bulkier, which is what its reviews say. A damp fold is the one to avoid.
What if it is flat the moment I finish?
Seat the stopper again. UMUACCAN reviews include stoppers that would not close, and Alintor reviews include a valve that would not hold. If it still falls, look for a hole at a fold or a split seam, the pattern on CNMTCCO and WuYuLunBi at first opening. Use the return window before the float is in a flight case.
Should I try it in the sea once it is inflated?
No. A firm ring is still a pool toy. RoSPA says these inflatables are for swimming pools, not the sea, rivers, lakes, lochs, or canals. The RNLI's beach advice is to leave them for the pool. Call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard if someone is in trouble.

Related pages

Lilo or pool hammock

Air mattress pool

Best pool lilo: vinyl bed, sit-up lounger or suitcase

Pool lilo buying guide: shape, size, load and pump

Inflatable lilo sea safety for beaches, lakes and rivers

Sources

Public UK sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures saved for this set on 19 October 2026.

  1. RoSPA water inflatables (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. RoSPA staying safe on holiday (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. RNLI beach safety advice (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. GOV.UK Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011, Schedule 5 paragraph 6 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. PoolPro Intex 18-pocket fashion mat (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. amazon.co.uk airbeds and inflatables best sellers (retrieved 19 October 2026)