Intex 6ft x 20in Easy Set Swimming Pool #28101, Blue

We got tired of having to replace the children’s garden pool every few years because of both punctures and unattractive discolouration of the plastic. Garden pools are particularly expensive during the summer months while they don’t last very long – at least not when exposed to our over-active children. Yet with our south-facing inner city patio it can get really hot in summer, so the children do need some water play facility.

These Intex pools seemed of much stronger, durable design. Also, in case they prove to be as sturdy as expected the Intex pools offer add-on options and accessories like a cover and perhaps a filter at a later stage. Moreover the reviews were good. I was tempted to order the larger and higher 8-feet pool, but as we have limited outside space it seemed wiser to stick to the smaller 6-feet variant.
The pool came neatly presented in a a 60 x 40 x 12 cm box, this is important as it implies there pool doesn’t require too much storage space (also given that only the top ring is inflatable, this pool is easy to deflate and subsequently easy to fold in a compact manner). Included are 3 filter-hole plugs (1 spare) that you’ll have to put in place if you lack this accessory. There is also a filter connection part that remains unused in my case for now. You’ll have to make sure you place the pool on a level area and on a floor cover. We already had a collection of inter lockable rubber play/gym mats on which we placed the pool to have a soft seating and to protect the bottom. Then you’ll have to inflate the top ring, for this a non-electrical pump is advised. In order to spare me the effort of finding our pump, I just inflated it by mouth, which took less than 2 minutes and a few deep breaths. During the early stages of filling with water you’ll then have to make sure to straighten out the bottom mat of the pool. All in all, the set up is less burdensome than a full inflatable children’s pool. However, filling the pool with water took about 40 minutes and a lot of water – be aware that these Intex pools require a substantial quantity of water as they are 2x to 3x as deep as the average inflatable garden pool for young children. So there is a cost to that, and in times of severe drought you may be reprimanded by you neighbours for putting such pool in place.
Nevertheless the outcome was very satisfying. It’s is really nice and even a luxury (also for grown ups) to have a reasonably deep pool outside during hot weather. It’s very refreshing for dad to cool down and enjoy a beer in the sun. And the children have a lot of fun with it every day when the weather allows.
Most importantly the material of this Intex pool is of high quality, it is made of thick layers plastic that can endure some wild children’s water play. Even the inflatable top ring seems much more durable than a traditional children’s pool.
The only drawback is that is lacks standing sides and a supportive top ring. So you can’t really relax and hang on the sides as you will push it down and the water will flow out. Similarly, when our youngest, 6-year old enters the pool he will lean on the top ring for support, but this will cause water to flow out.

We have already bought a cover that will keep the water clean and that helps to heat it up a little, I keep this in lace with ratchet straps. I’ve also ordered a somewhat treacherous but affordable pool heater, we’ll see how that works out. The next step would be an investment in an Intex filter. In the mean time I’m looking into adding a well-measured amount of chemicals to the water to keep it clean for more than two days – we live in a hard-ware area and after a couple of days of intensive play the water gets milky and unclear.

But overall, very, very pleased with this pool. Highly recommended.