The best Round pools, compared.
Top pick: Bestway Steel Pro Max 10 ft x 30 in – Pump, liner and repair patch in the box, 4.4 from 1,723 reviews, for a 76 cm family cool-off. Best value: Intex Easy Set 6 ft x 20 in – About £31.84 and 4.2 from 39,036 reviews, for a splash you empty. No pump is listed. Updated October 2026.
A round pool is an above-ground garden pool you fill and get into, to cool off rather than swim lengths. The split is an, held by an inflated ring, against a or steel frame. Judge wall height, the stated capacity, whether a pump is in the box, and whether that pump has a BS 1363 plug. Only the 56418 is 100 cm, listed at 9,150 litres when filled to 90 percent. Diameter, water mass and the pump question are in the [round pool buying guide](/hub/swimming-pools/pool-round/sub/pool-round-buying-guide). It is not a cover, and it is not an EN 71-8 paddling pool. BS EN 16582-3:2015 covers domestic aboveground pools deeper than 400 mm.
A round pool is an above-ground garden pool you fill and get into, to cool off rather than swim lengths. The split is an, held by an inflated ring, against a or steel frame.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What will you do with the water?
The Bestway Steel Pro Max 10 ft is a round steel-frame pool, 3.05 m across and 76 cm high, listed at 4,678 litres and £119.99 on amazon.co.uk. Across 1,723 reviews it sits at 4.4, and reviewers often call the frame sturdy once it is up, including people who moved up from an inflatable in a smaller garden. The box includes a filter pump, a liner, and a repair patch, though the listing never states litres per hour. Those same reviews repeatedly call the pump too small for the volume, and several say it stopped within days or a month, with a replacement hard to get from the seller. The bullets say no tools are required, while the catalogue flag says assembly is not required, and reviewers still describe building the frame. One review says there is no bottom plug that empties the last of the water. At 17 kg it is a two-person lift onto flat ground. In this set it is the top pick when you want a 10 ft frame with a pump in the carton, and a poor match if you need a printed flow rate or a wall you can stand in.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a 10 ft round frame with a pump in the same carton, and 76 cm of water is enough.
Less suitable: You need a printed flow rate, a ladder, or a wall you can stand in.
Specifications
Common questions
Does this Bestway 10 ft pool include a filter pump?
Yes. The listing includes a filter pump, a liner, and a repair patch. It does not state the pump's litres per hour.
How big is the Steel Pro Max 10 ft pool?
The listing states 10 ft by 30 in, which is 3.05 m by 76 cm, and a capacity of 4,678 litres (1,236 gallons).
Does the listing say you need tools?
The bullets say no tools are required. The catalogue flag says assembly is not required. Reviewers still describe building the frame.
The Intex 28205EH is an 8 ft by 20 in steel-frame pool, 2.44 m by 51 cm, listed at 483 gallons and £107.33. Across 681 reviews it sits at 4.4, the same star line as the 10 ft Steel Pro Max, and reviewers often finish the frame alone in 20 to 40 minutes. They call it sturdier than a collapsible paddling pool, small enough for a patio, and free of an air ring that can go soft. The box is the pool and a repair patch, and the title says the pump is not included. The wall is 51 cm, so this is a sit-in pool, and reviews say the liner is easy to snag. Holes already in the liner, a slow leak after filling, and punctures from debris are in the same file, and one review says the frame did not match the liner. It suits a small patio splash you will filter yourself. It is the wrong buy if you expected a pump in the carton or a 76 cm wall, which is why the equal score does not make it the top pick.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a small patio frame with no inflatable ring, and you will add a pump yourself.
Less suitable: You expected a pump in the box, or you need a 76 cm or 100 cm wall.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the 28205EH include a pump?
No. The title says the pump is not included. The box lists the pool and a repair patch.
How deep is this 8 ft frame pool?
The listing states 8 ft by 20 in, which is 2.44 m by 51 cm, and a capacity of 483 gallons.
Is a repair patch in the box?
Yes. Included components are the pool and a repair patch.
The Bestway Steel Pro 12 ft is the wide round set, 3.66 m across and 76 cm high, listed at 1,710 gallons and £318.77. Across 2,758 reviews it sits at 4.3, and reviewers describe room for several children and adults plus a sturdy feel once it is filled. Some report a solo set-up in 20 to 30 minutes, often as a step up from an 8 ft inflatable. A filter and a repair patch are listed, while a cover and a ground cloth are marked only as possible contents. The bullets say the pump can filter up to 530 gallons and do not state litres per hour, so that line is not a flow rate you can compare with the 2,006 l/h pump on the 100 cm set. Reviews call the included pump weak, leaking, or dead, and at least one says the filter came with a 2-pin plug. Reviewers also report a missing ground sheet, a missing pole, and side poles that will not slide out for storage. Choose it when the garden can take a 12 ft circle and you will budget for a pump you may have to replace.
Pros
Cons
Best for: The lawn can take a 12 ft circle and 76 cm is deep enough, with money left for a replacement pump.
Less suitable: You need a stated litres-per-hour figure, a ladder, or a confirmed cover in the box.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the 12 ft Steel Pro include a pump?
Yes. Included components list a filter and a repair patch. The bullets say the pump can filter up to 530 gallons, without stating litres per hour.
Is a cover included?
The included-components line marks a pool cover and a ground cloth as possible, not as confirmed contents.
What size is this round pool?
The listing states 12 ft by 30 in, 3.66 m by 76 cm, and a capacity of 1,710 gallons.
The Bestway Steel Pro Max 56418 is the deep round set: 366 cm across and 100 cm high, listed at 9,150 litres when filled to 90 percent, at £299.00. Across 646 reviews it sits at 4.3, and reviewers call it large enough for more than paddling, with the 107 cm ladder helping older relatives get in. The box states a filter pump at 2,006 litres per hour, a cartridge, repair patches, and a garden-hose adapter for the drain. The same file includes seam leaks on the first fill, a pump delivered not working, and a liner that arrived damaged. One review reports rust on the pole supports and the ladder after about three months, and another says the EU-to-UK plug adaptor did not fit a UK socket. The listing itself does not state the plug type. At 31 kg and a 100 cm wall you are also siting about 9 tonnes of water if you fill to that 90 percent line. Choose it when you want the only printed flow rate and a ladder in this set, and skip it if a 76 cm wall at a lower price will do.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the only printed flow rate in this set, a ladder, and water deeper than 76 cm.
Less suitable: A 76 cm cool-off is enough, or you cannot site and drain about 9 tonnes of water.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the 366 cm Bestway include a ladder?
Yes. The listing includes a Flowclear safety ladder of 107 cm, plus a filter pump and repair patches.
What pump flow does the listing state?
The bullets state a filter pump of 2,006 litres per hour. That figure is not printed on the other sets in this comparison.
How much water does it hold?
The listing states 9,150 litres at 90 percent full, for a pool 366 cm across and 100 cm high.
The Intex Easy Set 28101NP is a 183 by 51 cm starter pool, about 880 litres at 80 percent full, with the specification line saying 890 litres, at £31.84. Across 39,036 reviews it sits at 4.2, and reviewers often praise the price, a fast set-up, and sidewalls that felt tougher than a cheap paddling pool. The listing says it can be ready in about 30 minutes, and adults can sit in it, though it is not deep enough to swim. The included-components line lists an instruction manual, while the bullets claim a drain plug and three-layer sidewalls, and a filter pump is not listed. Reviews also say the wall warps unless the ground is very flat, the air ring loses pressure, and water leaks at a seam or from the ring. Missing valve stoppers on arrival show up in the same file. At 2.6 kg it is the lightest set here. It is the best value when you want a small children's splash you will empty, and a poor match if you want a steel frame or a pump in the box.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a cheap pack-away splash for children, and an adult will stay within arm's reach.
Less suitable: You want a steel frame, a pump, or water you will leave in for weeks.
Specifications
Common questions
Is a filter pump included with this Easy Set?
No. The included-components line lists an instruction manual. The bullets claim a drain plug and three-layer sidewalls.
What age does the listing give?
The age-range description says 6+ years. It is sold as a starter pool for younger children.
How much water does the 6 ft pool hold?
The bullets say about 880 litres at 80 percent full. The specification line says 890 litres.
The Intex 28205NP is the lower-priced 8 ft by 20 in frame, 244 by 51 cm, listed at 1,828 litres and £81.38. Across 1,875 reviews it sits at 4.1. Positive reviews call the size right for young children, say adults can sit in it, and describe a faster fill than the larger sets. The listing names a galvanized metal frame and an easy drain valve. The included-components line does not list a pump, a ladder, or a cover, and reviews say those parts were implied on the page and were not in the box. Liner holes on the first fill, a seam leak before filling finished, and missing leg feet are in the same file, and one review says the poles rusted after about a week. The catalogue flag says assembly is not required, while reviewers describe clicking poles and joints together. Buy it only if you already know the carton is the shell. Leave it if the pictures led you to expect a pump and a ladder.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the lowest-priced frame in this set and you already know the box is the shell.
Less suitable: The pictures led you to expect a pump, a ladder, or a cover in the carton.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the 28205NP include a pump or a ladder?
The included-components line does not list a pump, ladder, or cover. Reviews say those items were missing from the box.
What capacity is stated?
1,828 litres, for an 8 ft by 20 in pool (244 by 51 cm).
Does the listing mention a drain?
Yes. Other special features name a galvanized metal frame and an easy drain valve.
The Bestway 56407 is a second 10 ft by 30 in round frame, 3.05 m by 76 cm, listed at 1,236 gallons and £200.85, with a filter pump in the box. Across 1,679 reviews it sits at 4.1. Reviewers who kept it call the size right for a family cool-off and the frame sturdy, and some describe a one-person set-up in about 30 minutes. The specification block does not state the plug type. Several reviews say an American-style plug arrived and would not go into a UK socket. The same file calls the included pump too weak or stopped within a week, and describes a thin liner, a pinhole a patch did not hold, and a pool that creeps if the ground is not level. Litres per hour are not printed, and the listed weight is 7.67 kg. It is the same footprint as the Steel Pro Max at £119.99, so the plug reports are the reason to leave it unless you have checked the pump label for 230 V and a BS 1363 plug.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You have already checked that the pump in the carton is 230 V with a BS 1363 plug.
Less suitable: You want the cheaper 10 ft set with a pump, or you cannot confirm the plug before you fill.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the 56407 include a filter pump?
Yes. The included-components line says filter pump. Litres per hour are not stated.
Does the listing say the plug is a UK plug?
No. The specification block does not state the plug type. Several reviews say an American-style plug arrived.
What size is model 56407?
The listing states 10 ft by 30 in, 3.05 m by 76 cm, and a capacity of 1,236 gallons.
The Intex 28106EH is an 8 ft by 24 in Easy Set, 2.44 m by 61 cm, listed at 513 gallons and £45.97. Across 700 reviews it sits at 4.1. The bullets say you inflate the top ring and then fill with water, and that it can be ready in about 10 minutes. Reviewers call that quick, often bigger than they expected, and deep enough for lounging, and some report more than one summer. A repair patch is in the box and a filter pump is not. The same reviews say the top ring deflates after little use, a puncture shows up on the first fill, and there is no ground sheet. One review links a burst to extreme heat, and floor wrinkles appear if the ground is not smooth. It is the larger ring pool if the 6 ft Easy Set is too small and you do not want poles. It is a poor match if you will not top up the ring or you expected a pump in the carton.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a larger ring pool than the 6 ft Easy Set and you will empty it rather than filter it.
Less suitable: You will not check the ring pressure, or you want a steel frame with a pump.
Specifications
Common questions
Does this 8 ft Easy Set include a pump?
No. Included components are the Easy Set pool and a repair patch.
How is it set up?
The bullets say inflate the top ring, then fill with water, and that it can be ready in about 10 minutes.
What capacity does the listing state?
513 gallons, at 8 ft by 24 in (2.44 m by 61 cm).
The Intex 28200EP is a 10 ft by 30 in metal-frame pool, 3.05 m by 76 cm, listed at 1,185 gallons at 90 percent full and £146.66. The highlight says the box is the pool only, and the bullets say the pump is not included. The star line is 4.0 from 75 reviews, the smallest file in this comparison. Reviewers who liked it call the frame sturdy once it is up, and some say the build took about 25 minutes against a listing claim of about 45 minutes. The same thin file includes a liner that would not fit the frame, T-joints that were hard to seat, and leaks along the bottom seam straight out of the box. One review says the frame rods stuck to the liner in extreme heat, and another reports a missing horizontal beam. The listing says ages 6 and up. It is a 10 ft shell you would have to filter yourself, and a weak default next to the Steel Pro Max that includes a pump and has 1,723 reviews.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a 10 ft Intex shell and you will buy the pump separately, knowing the review file is small.
Less suitable: You want a pump in the box, or you are treating 75 reviews as the same evidence as 1,723.
Specifications
Common questions
Does this Intex 10 ft frame pool include a pump?
No. The listing highlight says pool only, and the bullets say the pump is not included.
Who is it listed for?
The bullets say children and adults ages 6 and up.
What capacity does the listing give?
It states 1,185 gallons at 90 percent full, at 10 ft by 30 in (3.05 m by 76 cm).
Nine amazon.co.uk listings, saved on 19 October 2026, were scored from 0 to 100. Amazon evidence is 30, listing fit is 25, review outcome is 30, and value is 15. There is no laboratory test. A star line is not a durability certificate. The highest score is the top pick, once. Two listings share 88. The award goes to the 10 ft set with a pump in the box and 1,723 reviews, not the 8 ft frame with no pump and 681 reviews. Best value is the 6 ft Easy Set at about £31.84 with 39,036 reviews, for a splash you will empty. In sentences this page says top pick and best value.
Amazon evidence
30%Star rating on amazon.co.uk, with more weight when the count is in the hundreds and the texts match that ASIN. A 4.2 from 39,036 outranks a 4.0 from 75 reviews. A file of 75 reviews is reduced.
Listing fit
25%A stated size that agrees with itself, a stated capacity, and an honest box list (pump, ladder, patch, or neither) score. A catalogue flag that says assembly is not required, while reviewers still build a frame, does not score as tool-free. A 530-gallon line with no per-hour unit does not score as a flow rate.
Review outcome
30%A sturdy frame, a second summer, or a ring that holds air scores. A pump that dies in the first week, a US-style plug, a seam split on first fill, or a pictured kit that was not in the box is a deduction.
Value
15%Shelf price in GBP against a pool whose size and box list you can plan around. A lower price does not win this block when the wall is 51 cm and the pump is absent. This block decides the best value award, not a tie on the headline score.
A round above-ground pool is a cool-off you site on flat ground, not a length to swim. The decision is wall height, the stated water mass, and whether the carton actually contains a pump with a UK plug. Prices below are the amazon.co.uk lines saved on 19 October 2026. A later page for the 6 ft Easy Set showed a lower offer than £31.84. This comparison keeps the raw snapshot.
A round pool in this comparison is an above-ground garden pool you fill and get into. It is not a cover, and it is not an EN 71-8 paddling pool. BS EN 16582-3:2015 covers domestic aboveground pools deeper than 400 mm. Every wall in this set is at least 51 cm. You are buying a cool-off. None of these listings is a pool you swim lengths in. Depth comes first. A 51–76 cm wall is for sitting.
A 10 ft or 12 ft circle can still be a sit-in pool. Walls here are 51 cm, 61 cm, 76 cm or, on one set, 100 cm. A 51–76 cm wall is for sitting. Only the Bestway 56418 is 100 cm.
A catalogue flag that says assembly is not required does not make a steel frame tool-free. Reviewers of the Intex 28205NP still describe clicking poles and joints together. The Easy Set is the one you inflate and fill.
Bestway's manual says drain and re-level, and not to move a full pool. Do not site one on a deck, driveway, gravel or asphalt. Reviews often call the included cartridge pump too small. That is a pump limit, not proof the liner has failed. One litre is about a kilogram.
Wall height decides whether you sit or whether an adult can stand. Every pool here is at least 51 cm, so BS EN 16582-3:2015 is the domestic aboveground standard, not the paddling-pool standard for pools of 400 mm or less. A 51–76 cm wall is for sitting. Only the Bestway 56418 is 100 cm, at 9,150 litres when filled to 90 percent, with a 107 cm ladder in the box. Diameter is the ground you must level. A 3.05 m circle, the 10 ft sets, is about 7.3 square metres of water.
A pump is in the box only when the included-components line says so. Four Bestway sets list a filter. The Intex sets in this comparison do not. A flow rate counts only when litres per hour are printed. Only the 56418 states 2,006 l/h. The 12 ft line that the pump can filter up to 530 gallons is not litres per hour. Bestway's filter-size guide uses a full turnover in about six hours as a rule of thumb. Reviews on the sets that include a cartridge pump often call it too small.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You want a small pool you empty after use, with an adult within arm's reach. The Intex Easy Set 6 ft at about £31.84 is 183 by 51 cm, about 880 litres, and 4.2 from 39,036 reviews. No filter pump is listed. RoSPA says children drown in very shallow water, and RLSS UK says arm bands are not supervision.
You want a family cool-off with a pump in the same carton, and 76 cm is enough. The Bestway Steel Pro Max 10 ft at about £119.99 states 4,678 litres, includes a filter pump, a liner and a repair patch, and sits at 4.4 from 1,723 reviews. Litres per hour are not printed, and reviews call that pump too small.
You want the only printed flow rate in this set and water deeper than 76 cm. The Bestway 56418 is 366 by 100 cm, 9,150 litres at 90 percent, about £299, with a pump stated at 2,006 l/h and a 107 cm ladder. That is about 9 tonnes of water to site and drain. A cover is not in the components line.
The top pick is the Bestway Steel Pro Max 10 ft at about £119.99. It shares a score of 88 with the Intex 28205EH, and the award stays with the 10 ft set because a pump is in the box and the review file is 1,723 rather than 681. The best value is the Intex Easy Set 6 ft at about £31.84, with 4.2 from 39,036 reviews, for a supervised splash you pack away. A 100 cm wall and a stated 2,006 l/h pump appear only on the Bestway 56418, at about £299. Prices are the 19 October 2026 amazon.co.uk snapshot.
Bestway Steel Pro Max 10 ft x 30 in
Pump, liner and repair patch in the box, 4.4 from 1,723 reviews, for a 76 cm family cool-off.
Intex Easy Set 6 ft x 20 in
About £31.84 and 4.2 from 39,036 reviews, for a splash you empty. No pump is listed.
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.
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.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are the UK listing lines saved on 19 October 2026. We did not run a lab test.
