Best Above Ground Pool for the Money (December 2024)

If you truly want to enjoy the warm weather and sun to the maximum, you need a pool. Though there is often the sigma that you need to spend a fortune to get a good pool.

This is completely wrong. You can get an amazing pool like one of the ones I have listed below for a very affordable price. I have used a host of different pools with the focus on affordability and quality.

Below are the best 3 options.

Best Above Ground Pool for the Money – Top 3

Great Value Option

#1 Intex 10′ x 30″

Of all the pools, I have used myself this one is a great all-rounder that has a nice size especially for children and offers all the things you need at a very low price point.

Some on ground pools can be a bit tricky and time consuming to set up. Though this one is easily one of the easiest that I have set up. It took me around an hours’ time to get it set up and ready to go thanks to the easy to follow instructions – they even have included a DVD which shows you exactly what you need to be doing to set up the pool which is tremendously useful if you aren’t sure what to do on a certain step of the instructions.

I was surprised that Intex have included a pump and filter system on such an inexpensive pool and while it isn’t the best pump(due to being not powerful enough) it does a decent job of keeping the pool clean. They have also included 6 filters which can be swapped out as you need which is nice.

This pool is a great all round choice particularly for children. It has a nice structure and overall quality and is a very reasonable price.

Advantages

Ideal for children
Simple set up
Good materials and build
Cheap price point

Disadvantages

Pump lacking a little power

Bargain Choice

#2 Bestway 118 x 79 x 26

This pool is one of the cheapest pools that I used that actually is quality and not some flimsy and poor quality like other cheap options that I used.

The pool is an ideal size for children or adults that just enjoy relaxing in the water. When it came to the setup of this pool it was very simple and easy. It personally only took me about 30 minutes and only about 2-3 hours to fill the pool up from empty.

The frame that allows this pool to hold its shape is strong and are made from a steel that is galvanized to protect it from the weather elements. The material that holds all the water inside is durable and can take some punishment with becoming punctured.

One thing I would like to mention about this pool is due to its smaller size it can fit in a much smaller space. So even if you have a smaller backyard this pool will likely be a more suitable size for you than some of the other pools which can be bigger and use a lot more space typically.

Advantages

Bargain
Can fit into a smaller space
Very easy set up
Great for children
Good quality

Disadvantages

No pump system – so water will need changed more regularly

Quality Option

#3 Intex 18ft X 52in

While this pool is a pricier option than the other 2 pools I have mentioned you get the quality and a significant size increase and also thanks to its other features such as the filtration system.

Unlike the other pools I mentioned this pool is quite a bit larger and is a better size for adults and it can hold a lot more people inside.

There are 2 different versions when you buy this pool, though it makes no difference to the pool itself but to the filtration system. One of them is the sand filter pump and the other has the sand filter pump and a salt water filtering system. The 2^nd one is more expensive of course. In my review, I used the version with both the features.

The pump system works very well and keeps all the dirt and sand out of the water. The salt water system also massively helps with keeping the water clear and clean and I was really impressed with how crystal clear the water looked. For more information on the benefits on salt water click here.

Though it should be mentioned that you will need to buy some additional sand and salt to get it up and running properly which is an expense($30 approx) that should be considered.

The pump has a timer system which can be set to run daily at certain times which is handy though it should be noted that if you manually turn the pump on this will reset the timer which is a bit of a pain.

As you would imagine with a bigger pool the set up will take longer and it does. It took me about 2-2.5 hours to get everything set up and ready for water. The instructions where well laid out. There is also a DVD included which shows you how to set up and maintain the pool which I found very useful.

The great thing about this pool is that you get everything you need for the pool to keep it in good condition and even a few extra things included as well. In the box, you get the pool materials, the pump and filter system, ground cloth, ladder, debris cover, maintenance kit, a surface skimmer and even a volleyball set! While you mightn’t need all of these some of them are really useful, for example the ground cover being included in a sense saves you some money because you don’t need to buy one separately and it keeps the underside of the pool protected.

Overall this is a great pool that really offers a lot of quality and value all in a single package. A package that includes everything you need to maintain the pool for a long time and even a volleyball set!

Advantages