How to fit a pool pillow
Updated: October 2026
You have the pillow and the winter cover, and you do not want a burst seam or a flat cushion by morning. Set the water, inflate only part-way, tie with slack, then put the cover on so the sheet still rests on the water around the pillow. The percent on your listing beats a number copied from someone else’s manual. Which listing to open is on the [pool cushion comparison](/hub/swimming-pools/pool-cushion). Size is on the [pool pillow buying guide](/hub/swimming-pools/pool-cushion/sub/pool-cushion-buying-guide). Whether the cover type changes the need for a pillow is on the [pool pillow winter cover](/hub/swimming-pools/pool-cushion/sub/pool-cushion-winter-cover) page.
You have the pillow and the winter cover, and you do not want a burst seam or a flat cushion by morning.
You have the pillow and the winter cover, and you do not want a burst seam or a flat cushion by morning. Set the water, inflate only part-way, tie with slack, then put the cover on so the sheet still rests on the water around the pillow. The percent on your listing beats a number copied from someone else’s manual. Which listing to open is on the pool cushion comparison. Size is on the pool pillow buying guide. Whether the cover type changes the need for a pillow is on the pool pillow winter cover page.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Fill | Pump | Rope | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Biigdan Biigdan 4 × 8 ft | About 80 percent | No | Yes, length not stated | 9.2 | about £37.99 | View offer |
| Preis-Tipp |  EPN EPN 2.4 × 2.4 m | About 70 percent | No | Yes, 20 m | 8.2 | about £23.74 | View offer |
 Biigdan Biigdan 4.5 × 1.2 m | About 80 percent | No | Yes, length not stated | 6.6 | about £57.99 | View offer |
On this page
Set the water and clear sharp edges
Start with the waterline your pool maker printed. A UK guide, Nature is Calling, lowers the water about 10 cm below the lowest fitting on a frame pool. That figure belongs to that guide. If your manual differs, the manual wins. A UK frame pool may use straps, and many Intex and Bestway covers have drain holes. Do not copy a cable step onto a frame that was not built for it. Pad sharp rails before the pillow goes in. If a wall is already leaning, ask the pool maker before you inflate.
Inflate only part-way
Leave the pillow soft. A hard fill cannot compress when ice expands. Yankee’s manual says about 60–70 percent through the Boston valve. Pool Cover Choice says about three-quarters. World of Pools says about 50 percent for its own pillow. Those are other makers. Follow the percent on the listing you bought.
EPN says about 70 percent, and a pump is not included. Both Biigdan listings say about 80 percent, and neither box includes a pump. Totiro and Bztezml say 70–80 percent. HNsdsvcd, Weiyidea and Mineup print no percent. If yours is silent, stay in a soft half-to-80-percent band and stop before the PVC goes tight. A UK review of the 4 × 8 ft Biigdan used an electric pump, a large nozzle, then a smaller one. That is one review, not a required kit.
Close the valve before you walk away. A German review of the long Biigdan says the pillow was flat within 12 hours on two tries after the valve was checked. A UK review of the HNsdsvcd 120 × 120 cm cushion says it went down twice. Those are returns, not a technique you fix with more air. If it will not hold a soft fill on the grass for an afternoon, do not put it under the cover.
Tether, then the cover
Put the pillow in the centre. Yankee says the cover should rest on the water around it, and that a large pool may need more than one pillow. A UK review of the 120 cm cushion says a large pool needs more than one. That is a size problem, not a reason to tie one small pad in a 24 ft round and hope.
Run the rope through the grommets and tie opposite sides with slack. The Pool Factory says the lines should be slightly loose. Pool Cover Choice says the pillow should still float up and down. Tight ropes tear eyes. German Totiro reviews call four fixing eyes weak. They are not UK reviews, so treat that as a grommet warning. EPN includes 20 m. Totiro prints 49.2 ft. Both Biigdan listings include a rope and do not state the length. If the rope is short, add line. Do not tension a short one until the pillow sits like a drum.
A German review of the 4 × 8 ft Biigdan says the pillow slips if it is not tied before the cover is pulled over. Tie first, then the cover. The sheet should touch the water around the pillow, not hang like a tent. Leave it overnight before you call the job finished.
If it is flat, or if the wall is already damaged
Check it the next morning. A pillow that is flat on day one will not crown the cover in January. Look at the valve first. If you refill to the same soft percent and it is flat again within 12 hours, you are where the long Biigdan review landed: two tries, then a return. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 covers quality and description. It does not publish a failure rate. Photograph the flat pillow and use the return path while you still can.
Do not chip ice off the cover, and do not stand on the sheet to reach a valve. Standing water on a solid cover is a hazard to pump or siphon off. If the wall is already leaning, ask the pool maker. If a person is under the cover, call 999. A winter cover is not a safety cover. The Royal Life Saving Society UK asks for fencing at least 4 feet high and for supervision.
Common questions
How full should I inflate it?
Use the percent on your listing, and keep the pillow soft. EPN says about 70 percent. Totiro and Bztezml say 70–80 percent. Biigdan says about 80 percent. Yankee’s manual, which is not these ASINs, says about 60–70 percent. If your listing prints no percent, stay inside a half-to-80-percent band and stop before the PVC is tight.
What pump do I use if none is in the box?
EPN and both Biigdan listings say the pump is not included. Bztezml points at a standard manual or electric pump and does not list one. A UK review of the 4 × 8 ft Biigdan used an electric pump, a large nozzle, then a smaller one to top up. Stop once the pillow firms. The missing pump is a separate purchase, because the listing said so.
How do I stop the pillow sliding when the cover goes on?
Tie it before you pull the cover. A German review of the 4 × 8 ft Biigdan says an untied pillow slips as the sheet comes over. Centre it, run the rope through the grommets, and fix opposite sides with slack. Pulling the sheet first, then fishing for the pillow, is how it walks off the centre.
Should the ropes be tight?
No. The Pool Factory says slightly loose, and Pool Cover Choice says the pillow should float up and down. Tight ropes load the grommets. Slack is not a droop that lets the pillow wander under the whole pool. You still want it in the centre, with enough spare line that a small rise does not rip the eye.
What if it is flat the next morning?
Check the valve and refill once to the same soft percent. If it is flat again within about 12 hours, treat it as the long Biigdan report and as the twice-down report on the HNsdsvcd cushion. Return it. More air, or a second pillow on top of a leaker, does not crown the cover.
Related pages
Sources
Public sources for ice density, product safety, the Consumer Rights Act 2015, above-ground pool structure, and winter closing. Listings are the amazon.co.uk captures for these nine ASINs on 15 October 2026, not a live reload. Prices on amazon.co.uk move.
- USGS, water density (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, EU Regulation 2023/988 on general product safety (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- BSI, BS EN 16582-3:2015 above-ground pools (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- RLSS UK, water safety in residential swimming pools (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- Nature is Calling, how to winterise an above-ground pool (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- Yankee, pool air pillow user manual (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- World of Pools, air pillow for a debris cover (retrieved 16 October 2026)