The best Square pools, compared.
Top pick: Intex mini frame 122 cm Best value: Intex mini frame 122 cm – Best value on stated litres per pound among the frame and lounge sizes: 340 litres at about £39.99, if you use the 122 cm table. Updated October 2026.
A square pool is a shallow seasonal pool with equal sides on the dimension table, for a UK patio or a small lawn. Round pools, rectangles and covers sit in other comparisons. Judge a size you can empty the same day, a title that matches the table, and vinyl that loses air against a steel frame that can still puncture. RoSPA says watch children and empty the pool after use, because little water can drown a young child and rain can refill a pool left out. Side length and litres are set out in the [square pool buying guide](/hub/swimming-pools/pool-square/sub/pool-square-buying-guide).
A square pool is a shallow seasonal pool with equal sides on the dimension table, for a UK patio or a small lawn. Round pools, rectangles and covers sit in other comparisons.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What do you need the pool to do?
The Intex mini frame (57173NP) is a 122 cm square metal-frame pool with 340 litres on the dimension table, 3.57 kg, and about £39.99 on amazon.co.uk, at 4.4 from 10,690 reviews. UK buyers who are tired of punctured blow-ups like that there is no daily inflating, and many say assembly takes about ten minutes though the last corner can need two people. The title and a bullet still print 155 x 630 x 170 cm while the table says 122 x 122 x 30 cm, so the table is the size you plan around. The included-components line names a cover, but UK reviews say it was not in the carton, and several people describe a drain plug that is very hard to pull. Dog claws and stones still scratch the liner, so a frame avoids air loss but not holes. It is the best value pick in this set when you want hundreds of litres per pound without stepping up to the 2.29 m lounge.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a toddler-sized square frame pool for repeat hot weeks, and you accept checking the box against the components line.
Less suitable: You need a guaranteed cover in the parcel, easy draining without wrestling a plug, or adult sit-in depth.
Specifications
Common questions
How big is the mini frame?
The dimension table says 122 x 122 x 30 cm and 340 litres. The title prints 155 x 630 x 170 cm. Use the table. The shape field says rectangular. Intex pages call 57173NP square.
Does it include a cover?
The included-components line names a pool cover. UK reviews say the cover was not in the box. Do not treat the cover as included until you check the carton.
Does it need inflating?
It is a metal frame pool. Assembly is required. The assembly-time field says 1 hour. Reviews often say about 10 minutes, and that the last corner can need two people.
The Intex play box (57100NP) is an 86 cm square vinyl pool at 57 litres and 830 g, listed at about £15.99 on amazon.co.uk, with 4.4 stars from 10,160 reviews. Buyers use it as a shallow splash they can tip away the same afternoon, and several UK texts praise the soft inflatable floor for a baby sitting in a corner. The listing includes a repair patch, though one reviewer says it did not hold, and the pump is sold separately so you inflate the two rings yourself. Colour is not chosen on the page, and reviews say pink or lime green arrives at random. The bullets say ages 1 to 3, while the same listing also prints not suitable under 36 months and that the toy does not provide protection, so you read both lines before you buy. A review notes no drain hole, which matters if you planned to hose it out from the bottom. In this square set it is the top pick when footprint and emptying matter more than seats or hundreds of litres.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a small square pool you can empty the same day, often for one baby or toddler with an adult within arm's reach.
Less suitable: You need a drain plug, a chosen colour, or enough water for several children or adults to sit in.
Specifications
Common questions
What age does the play box listing give?
The bullets say 1 to 3 years, with adult supervision. The same amazon.co.uk page also prints not suitable under 36 months and that the toy does not provide protection. Read both lines before you buy.
Does the play box include a repair patch?
The bullets and the included-components line say a repair kit. One review says the patch did not hold. The pump is sold separately.
Can you choose pink or green?
The listing does not offer a colour choice. Reviews say pink or lime green arrives at random.
The Intex swim centre is a 2.29 m square inflatable with four built-in seats, two glass holders on the included-components line, 6.35 kg, and about £55.75 on amazon.co.uk, at 4.0 from 19,632 reviews. It is the family lounge in this comparison: adults buy it to sit in the water, not to bathe a one-year-old in 57 litres. The capacity field prints 262 gallons, and a manufacturer block elsewhere on the listing mentions 990 litres at a stated wall height, so you treat gallons as the field on the buy box and you do not quote a single litre figure from that mix. Reviews praise the seats and cup holders, but they also report air loss, split seams, thorns, and a stopper that came off, which is why the star line sits below the two 4.4 Intex squares. No pump is named in the included line, and buyers describe needing an electric pump and an outdoor socket. Skip it if you only have a small patio or you cannot store 2.29 m of vinyl dry between uses.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You have space for a 2.29 m square and you want adults to sit in the water during a heatwave, with time to inflate and dry it properly.
Less suitable: You need a toddler-only depth, a small patio, or a pool you trust without regular air top-ups.
Specifications
Common questions
How many seats does the swim centre have?
The bullets say four built-in seats with backrests. The included-components line names two glass holders. Occupancy on the listing is 4, and the age line is 3 to 99 years.
What capacity is printed?
The specification field says 262 gallons. It is not printed as litres in that table. A manufacturer block elsewhere mentions 990 litres at a stated wall height. Use the gallons field on the buy box, and do not call 262 gallons 262 litres.
Is a pump in the box?
The included-components line does not name a pump. Reviews say an electric pump is needed to inflate it, and buyers describe needing an outdoor socket.
The Hidyliu listing is a 95 cm square PVC frame pool, 20.1 cm high, 2.55 kg, at about £57.19 on amazon.co.uk, with a 1.0 star line from a single United Kingdom review. The dimension table matches a metre-scale baby pool, yet the price sits beside the 2.29 m Intex swim centre in this set, which is why the value block scores so low. That one review says the pool looked much smaller than the photos and that two adults could stand inside it, which is the only buyer outcome on the page. The title calls the material puncture proof, but that is marketing, not a test result, and there is no stated capacity, age line, drain, or repair patch. The box list names stands, connectors, and a manual, so you still have assembly work for a footprint barely larger than the Intex play box. On current evidence you would buy the play box for less money or the 122 cm Intex frame for more water before spending swim-centre money here.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already accept a one-review listing and you specifically want a 95 cm frame rather than the Intex options in this table.
Less suitable: You want proof from UK buyers, stated litres, or a lower price for a baby-sized square.
Specifications
Common questions
How big is the Hidyliu pool?
The dimension table says 95 x 95 x 20.1 cm. The title says 37.4 x 37.4 x 7.9 inches. Capacity is not stated. There is no age line, drain, or repair patch on the page.
What did the UK review say?
The only review is 1.0 from 1. It says the pool was much smaller than the photos and that two adults could stand in it. That is the only buyer outcome on the listing.
What is in the box?
The included-components line says the pool, stands, connectors, and an instruction manual. Assembly is required. The title's puncture-proof line is not a test result.
Four amazon.co.uk listings, saved on 19 October 2026, were scored from 0 to 100. Amazon evidence is 35, listing fit is 30, review outcome is 20, and value is 15. There is no laboratory test. A title line that contradicts the dimension table is not scored as size. Capacity in gallons is not converted to litres. The Hidyliu has one United Kingdom review and does not fill the review-outcome block. The top pick is the highest score, once. Best value is the value award, once, and it is not given to the top pick.
Amazon evidence
35%Star rating and review count on amazon.co.uk. A 4.4 from about 10,000 scores higher than a 4.0 with seam and air-loss themes. One review at 1.0 is deducted hard.
Listing fit
30%Equal sides on the table, stated litres or gallons, a repair patch or drain where reviews need them, and age lines that can be read without inventing safety. A cover named but disputed, a colour you cannot choose, or a shape field that says rectangular while the table is square loses points.
Review outcome
20%A comfortable floor, frame assembly in minutes, seats that hold air, and a patch that holds score. A stuck plug, a missing cover, split seams, thorns, and holes on arrival are deducted.
Value
15%Shelf price in GBP against stated volume that matches the printed square. This block informs the best value pick. The top pick does not also take that award.
Choose the side length before the star count. An 86 cm box you tip out, a 122 cm frame for one or two small children, and a 2.29 m lounge with seats are different objects. On amazon.co.uk the four listings here run from about £15.99 to about £57.19, saved on 19 October 2026. Quality is whether the title matches the dimension table, what is actually in the carton, and whether you can empty the water the same day. A 4.4 from about 10,000 reviews is a different record from 1.0 from one review.
A square pool in this comparison is a shallow seasonal pool with equal sides on the dimension table, which you fill and then empty. It is for a UK patio or a small lawn. Round pools that print a diameter twice, rectangles, a shade sail and hot-tub covers were in the same listing dump and are not this page.
The mini-frame title says rectangular and prints 155 cm by 630 cm by 170 cm. The item-type line and the dimension table say 122 cm by 122 cm and 340 litres. Plan the patio from the table. Do not quote the title metres as the size of the pool.
Equal sides on the dimension table make a square. A round pool prints a diameter, even when two numbers look alike. Rectangles, a shade sail and hot-tub covers from the same dump are not this comparison. If the shape field says rectangular and the table is square, use the table.
Rain can refill a pool left out. Empty it after use and turn it over. The mini-frame components line names a cover, and UK reviews say it was not in the carton. The play box does not let you choose pink or green. Do not buy on a photo colour or a named cover until the box matches the components line.
Side length decides who can use the pool and whether you can empty it the same day. 86 cm and 57 litres, the Intex play box, is a baby box at 830 g and about £15.99. 122 cm and 340 litres, the mini frame, is a toddler frame for occupancy 2 at about £39.99. 2.29 m, the swim centre, is a family lounge with four seats at about £55.75. 95 cm at about £57.19, the Hidyliu, is a small frame at a swim-centre price, with no capacity field and one UK review that says it looked smaller than the photos.
Construction is inflatable rings, inflatable seats, or a metal frame. A frame avoids blowing up. It does not avoid punctures from claws, stones or thorns. The play box is two vinyl rings and a soft floor. Reviews mention air top-ups and holes on arrival, and the pump is sold separately. The mini frame needs assembly. Reviews often say about ten minutes, with the last corner needing two people, and they also describe knobs lost in the tubes and a plug that is hard to pull.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You want a shallow square you can tip away, often as a bath or a corner for one baby with an adult within arm's reach. The Intex play box at about £15.99 is 86 cm and 57 litres, with a soft inflatable floor and 4.4 from 10,160 reviews. The pump is sold separately, colour is not chosen, and the age bullets conflict with an under-36-months warning on the same page.
You want a toddler-sized square for repeat hot weeks and you do not want to inflate rings. The Intex mini frame at about £39.99 is 122 cm and 340 litres on the table, at 4.4 from 10,690 reviews. UK reviews say the named cover was not in the box, and the drain plug is hard to pull. A frame avoids air loss. It does not avoid holes from claws and stones.
You have space for 2.29 m and you want four built-in seats during a heatwave. The Intex swim centre at about £55.75 has 4.0 from 19,632 reviews. The capacity field prints 262 gallons, not a simple litre line. Reviews praise the seats and also report air loss, split seams and a stopper that came off. The pump is not on the included-components line.
The top pick is the Intex play box (57100NP) at about £15.99. It is the highest score: 86 cm, 57 litres, a repair patch on the listing, a soft floor, and 4.4 from 10,160 amazon.co.uk reviews, for a square you can tip out the same day. Colour is not chosen, a review notes no drain hole, and the age bullets conflict with an under-36-months warning. The best value is the Intex mini frame (57173NP) at about £39.99: 122 cm and 340 litres on the table, 4.4 from 10,690 reviews, and no inflating. The title prints a different size, UK reviews say the named cover was missing, and the plug is hard to pull. None of these scores is a laboratory test, and none of these pools is a safety ranking.
Intex mini frame 122 cm
Best value on stated litres per pound among the frame and lounge sizes: 340 litres at about £39.99, if you use the 122 cm table.
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.
