Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

How to set up an inflatable pool

Updated: 21 October 2026

The pool arrives as a soft parcel, and the first afternoon is when the wall leans or the water sits higher on one side. How to set up an inflatable pool depends on which pool you own. A three-ring pool wants every chamber inflated. An Intex Easy Set wants one top ring, a hand pump, and a shallow fill. The listings in the [inflatable pool comparison](/hub/swimming-pools/inflatable-pool) were captured on amazon.co.uk on 19 October 2026. This page uses Intex’s Easy Set instructions and those box lines. Peter F., editor for DIY & tools, did not film a setup in a lab.

The pool arrives as a soft parcel, and the first afternoon is when the wall leans or the water sits higher on one side. How to set up an inflatable pool depends on which pool you own.

Our top picks

Bestway Bestway 12819 pool

Best overall

Bestway Bestway 12819 pool
9.2/10about £34.99
View offer
Intex Intex Easy Set 6 ft

Alternative

Intex Intex Easy Set 6 ft
8.4/10about £31.84
View offer
AirSwim AirSwim baby pool

Best value

AirSwim AirSwim baby pool
8.0/10about £16.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Prepare the ground
  2. 2.Inflate a three-ring pool
  3. 3.Inflate an Easy Set
  4. 4.Fill, then empty

Prepare the ground

Pick a flat, solid patch and clear the stones before the vinyl touches them. Intex’s Easy Set page asks for flat ground, a ground mat, and two people, and it tells you not to drag the liner. A ground cloth is not in the components lines, so you supply the sheet. UK reviews of the Easy Set say uneven ground warps the pool. If you notice the slope once 400 litres are in a Bestway, you will be emptying it to move it. The pool is not a seat for the ring. Intex says not to sit or dive on an Easy Set ring. The same caution applies to a three-ring top chamber: it is an air beam, not a bench. If you still need a new outdoor socket, that is an electrician’s job.

Inflate a three-ring pool

Unfold the pool, then inflate the bottom ring first, then the next, then the top, and press each valve shut. That order is for separate rings. It is not the Easy Set method on the three-ring or Easy Set page. GALAXYER, Olutula and Victoper do not include a pump, and Victoper states three chambers. Bestway’s components line is the pool, and a review describes two rings. Airoieak says “3 layer”, which is not a chamber count. Stop when the ring is firm. Olutula’s UK review says the sides give way if the pool is filled to the top. A repair patch will not rebuild a split seam. If you are still choosing, the buying guide is the order of checks.
Bestway Bestway 12819 pool

Testsieger

Bestway Bestway 12819 pool
9.2/10about £34.99
View offer

Inflate an Easy Set

The only top-ring pool in this set is the Intex Easy Set 28101NP. You inflate the top ring. You do not pump three chambers. Intex says to use a hand pump, never a compressor, and not to over-inflate. Shut the drain before any water goes in. The components line is a manual, so have a hand pump ready. Put in about 3 cm of water and look along the waterline. If the water is deeper against one arc of the ring, empty that shallow fill and move the pool. The table says 890 litres and the title says 880 litres. A warp you can see at 3 cm becomes a wall that folds once the pool is full. This 6 ft listing does not list a filter.

Fill, then empty

After the shallow check, fill to a depth you will supervise and then throw away. Stop before the wall creases. Bestway lists a drain valve and 400 litres. The Easy Set lists a drain plug. Olutula, Airoieak and AirSwim also name a drain. GALAXYER, Victoper and the lounge do not, so plan a siphon or a tip. A 100 litre AirSwim is a different emptying job from a Bestway. Do not leave either one full. Open the drain towards ground you are allowed to flood. Dry the vinyl before you fold it. RoSPA says to empty a paddling pool after use, because rain can refill a ring. Supervision is on the paddling pool garden safety page. If a child has been under the water, get urgent care.

Common questions

Where should the pool sit?
On flat, solid ground you have checked for stones, with room to walk around it. Intex asks for a mat under an Easy Set and tells you not to drag the liner. UK reviews link a warp to uneven ground. A slope you can see with 3 cm of water will be worse when the pool is full.
Do I need a ground sheet?
Intex’s Easy Set page asks for a mat. This folder’s components lines do not include a ground cloth, so it is something you add. A sheet spreads small grit. It does not level a slope and it does not make a stone safe if you lay the vinyl straight onto it. Two people make the unfold easier than one person dragging a corner.
Which chamber do I inflate first on a three-ring pool?
The bottom chamber, then the next, then the top, with the valve pressed shut after each one. That order is for pools that actually have separate rings, such as the GALAXYER, the Olutula and the Victoper. It is the wrong order for an Easy Set, which has a single top ring. Airoieak’s “3 layer” line is not a three-chamber instruction.
How do I know it is level before it is full?
Use a shallow fill. On the Easy Set, Intex’s figure is about 3 cm. Look at the water, not at the grass. If it pools to one side, empty that water and shift the pool. On a three-ring pool the same shallow check works after the rings are firm. Finding the lean at 400 litres means emptying 400 litres.
How do I empty it?
Use the drain that the listing actually names: Bestway’s valve, the Easy Set plug, Olutula’s plug, Airoieak’s bottom drain, or AirSwim’s drain hole. GALAXYER, Victoper and the lounge do not state one. Dry the pool before you store it. Emptying is also the safety step. Rain will put water back into a ring you left upright, which is why you turn a paddling pool over.

Related pages

Best inflatable pool

Inflatable pool

Inflatable pool buying guide: check size before price

Paddling pool safety advice: empty when play stops

Three ring pool vs Easy Set: two different failures

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 drowning prevention (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. RoSPA safe at home, under-5s (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. RLSS UK, splash safely in the garden (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. Healthier Together, drowning (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. DBT notice 0131/26, toys (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. BSI BS EN 16582-3, aboveground pools (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. Intex Easy Set setup (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 19 October 2026)