CHILDREN love water play and splashing around in a paddling pool will keep them cool and burn off excess energy on hot days.
There are paddling pools to suit all ages, budgets and gardens – but if you don’t want to spend a fortune, then you are in luck.
Lynsey Hope tested paddling pools to see how they compared[/caption]
We have tested the best pools you can buy for £40 or less and there are lots of fun ones to choose from.
From fast set options to a pool with basketball hoops for extra fun, here are my favourites:
Intex Swim Centre Rectangular Inflatable Paddling Pool
- £24.99, Smyths Toys
- Age: 6 plus
You will have to buy a pump separately if you want this paddling pool[/caption]
This Intex pool is a good size and can hold a whopping 749 litres of water, so it’s big enough for the whole family to enjoy.
I liked the extra wide walls too, as you could lounge back on it and watch the kids play on a hot sunny day and it felt very comfy.
It also comes with a repair patch in case of puncture.
Overall, I thought this pool is a good option that would suit pretty much anyone and all for a wallet friendly price.
- Performance: 4/5
- Price: 5/5
- Total: 9/10
Funsicle Turtle QuickSet Pool
- £30, Argos
- Age: 6 plus
This pool is easy to get set up[/caption]
A super cute pool, the kids were really excited when they saw the turtle blown up and ready for action.
It’s a quick set so super easy to get ready. You simply inflate the top ring and the pool rises as it fills with water.
It took a minute to inflate and though the box says it takes ten minutes to fill, it definitely took a little longer than this – probably more like 25, but it was easy to do.
It seems durable and is made from three-ply puncture resistant material.
It can hold 757 litres of water and there’s probably enough space for three kids to play in the water.
It has a built in water sprayer too which provided hours of fun. For £30 I thought it was fun and good value.
- Performance: 5/5
- Price: 5/5
- Total: 10/10
Bestway Family Paddling Pool with Basketball Game
- £39.99, Amazon
- Age: 3 plus
Sport-loving kids will be keen on this interactive paddling pool[/caption]
The basketball hoops added a whole new layer of fun to my kids’ excitement when I blew up this paddling pool.
They couldn’t wait to jump in and were immediately diving in and scoring hoops whilst they played.
Handy that it came with two blow up balls as well.
Although this pool is one of more expensive ones in our test, it did keep the children entertained for longer.
My eldest son Jacob, 10, was also more entertained in this than he was in the plain pools.
This also comes with a repair patch, which I think will come in handy as they were jumping around in a lot so probably only a matter of time before there is a puncture.
- Performance: 5/5
- Price: 4/5
- Total: 9/10
Home Swimming Pool
- £21.26, Temu
- Age: 6 plus
Don’t buy this if you don’t want to be regularly having to top up the air[/caption]
This two-ring rectangular pool was easy to blow up and it was put up and filled with water in less than half an hour.
It’s a decent size for the price, though it did sag a bit quite quickly.
After a couple of hours quite a bit of air had come out and I had to pump a bit more in.
However, the two large outer rings were super comfy to relax against and it’s a great price.”
- Performance: 3/5
- Price: 4/5
- Total: 7/10
Intex 1.8m Easy Set Paddling Pool
- £29.99, The Range
- Age: 3 plus
This robust paddling pool is worth spending a bit more money on[/caption]
Simply blow up the ring and this pool builds as it fills with water.
It’s not so labour intensive as others but it did take longer to fill – around 30 minutes from start to finish and whilst waiting, the kids were desperate to jump in. It feels robust.
The idea walls are made with three separate layers for strength.
It’s good for smaller children, you can probably get two or three playing in it at once, and it measures around 20 inches deep.
It also stayed up in the garden for several days with no maintenance required, other than fishing out grass and leaves.
- Performance: 4/5
- Price: 4/5
- Total: 8/10
Polar Pals Inflatable Pool with Play Centre
- £29.99, Bestway Store
- Age: 2 plus
This paddling pool is a great option for those with smaller gardens[/caption]
What a fun looking pool.
There’s only a little bit of water in the pool area but it’s ideal for smaller kids who prefer running in and out of the water than fully submerging themselves.
It has a couple of games to keep little ones entertained too – there’s a ring toss game using the narwhal’s horn and seal’s nose and you can move the seal around to make it harder or easier.
Thee’s also an inflatable penguin and two foam fish toys for kids to splash with or they can try and feed them into the dolphine’s mouth.
Super cute and not to huge to store.
Great option for smaller gardens too.
- Performance: 5/5
- Price: 4/5
- Total: 9/10
Bestway 40inch Safari Themed Kids Inflatable Paddling Pool
- £9.99, Bestway Store
- Age: 2 plus
This paddling pool is the cheapest on the product test[/caption]
Small and without the bells and whistles of some of the others, but for less than a tenner it’s a cute design and it held up well.
The three ring construction increases stability and reduces the risks of the sides buckling in and it comes with a repair patch, though it seemed reasonably sturdy.
Easy to put up and filled in a matter of minutes.
Great option for the price and for smaller gardens – little children are sure to love the cute safari design.
- Performance: 3/5
- Price: 5/5
- Total: 8/10
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