The Best Above-Ground Swimming Pools for Small Backyards

What Kind of Pool Should You Buy?

What is a Temporary Swimming Pool?

What is an Inflatable Pool?

What is a Metal Frame Pool?

How to Care for Your Temporary Pool

Someday, you’ll own a beautiful inground swimming pool with lights, a fountain and a cabana. Right now, however, your dreams of a Hollywood-style yard don’t match your humble circumstances.

Luckily, newer swimming pool styles on the market mean a backyard dip is still possible. Today’s above-ground frame and inflatable swimming pools are an affordable and comfortably sized option for homeowners with modest backyards or bank accounts. 

There are many choices available to those interested in owning a backyard swimming pool. Before making a final decision on what type of pool is best for you, consider these points:

• Budget - How much can you spend on a pool?

• Space - How much room do you have?

• Commitment level - How much time are you willing to spend on maintenance?

• Lifestyle - How often will you actually use your pool?

If you’re ready for a backyard swimming pool and you have the funds, an inground pool is the way to go. Inground pools are the largest and deepest type of swimming pool. Depending on the materials used, they may last up to 50 years. They also cost the most to install and require the most maintenance.

A traditional, hard-sided above-ground pool is more budget-friendly, but involves some concessions. The pool won’t be as large and the depth will max out at around four feet. With proper maintenance, they generally last between seven and 15 years.

However, inground and traditional above-ground pools are no longer your only options for backyard swimming. Newer metal frame and inflatable swimming pools offer an alternative to the above-ground pools you swam in as a kid.

While these types of pools are smaller, they can be set up in a day, are easier to maintain and cost way less. And, since temporary swimming pools get put away for the winter, they won’t hog your yard space year-round. You can even take it with you if you move!

A temporary swimming pool, sometimes called a portable pool, is designed for seasonal use and usually is disassembled and stored once the weather turns cool. While not as deep as a traditional above-ground swimming pool, most are a good size for kids to play in or adults to enjoy a cool dip.

Small backyard swimming pools are a reasonable option for renters and families with younger children. A temporary pool might be the ideal choice for someone who just wants to float in a pool and occasionally take a dip to cool off.

If the last swimming pool you blew up was a kiddie pool, you might be surprised to know that inflatable pools have grown up.

Today, they are available in many dimensions, from a “personal size” pool similar to a large bathtub, to play pools 10 or 12 feet in diameter.

Made of durable materials such as heavy-duty vinyl and PVC, a blow-up swimming pool can be inflated quickly using an electric pump, leaf blower or other high-volume air source.

Inflatable pools have a few potential drawbacks.

Since the pool walls are flexible and in some cases not very high, water loss is likely if swimmers step on or straddle the sides while getting in and out. This could lead to more frequent refills, making it hard to balance water chemistry, which can result in a higher water bill and additional chemical purchases.

Consider installing and enforcing the use of a pool ladder to minimize water maintenance and avoid damage to the sidewalls.

An inflatable pool is vulnerable to punctures that could quickly let the air out of your pool party, so keep sharp-edge toys and pets with claws out of the pool.

The lifespan of an inflatable swimming pool can be two to five years.

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Frame pools consist of a heavy-duty liner fitted around a supportive metal frame. A sturdy frame enables more generous pool sizes than inflatables – some as large as traditional above-ground swimming pools.

Unlike permanent, hard-sided above-ground pools, however, there’s no need to excavate and prepare the pool area. A temporary metal frame pool can be installed on a level lawn or dirt.

The unique frame structure is more rigid and stable than inflatable pools. The frame can be disassembled to store the pool at the end of the summer – and even take it with you if you sell your home.

With care, a metal-framed temporary swimming pool may last up to five seasons.

While you may dump the water from a kiddie pool after a day or two, you won’t want to drain your temporary swimming pool.

Install a pool pump to keep the water moving and prevent it from becoming stagnant. In addition, purchase and learn how to use pool chemicals to keep bacteria and algae from growing.

A pool ladder, cover and pool skimmer are also recommended.

Furthermore, protect small children and pets from accidental drowning by installing a temporary fence around the pool.

A portable swimming pool can be an affordable option for an enjoyable swim experience, even in undersized yards.

Evaluate your yard, budget and needs to determine if an inflatable or metal frame swimming pool might be the best way for you and your family to enjoy a refreshing summer swim.

Browse Christmas Central to view our selection of inflatable and metal frame swimming pools for your backyard fun.

The first known man-made swimming pool was The Great Bath of Mohenjo Daro, created about 4,500 years ago in Pakistan. It was not technically a swimming pool, as archeologists believe it was built for ritual bathing. Roughly 39 feet long, 23 feet wide and about 7.5 feet deep, its size suggests it may also have served as a communal bath.

The Romans and Greeks also practiced communal bathing in large man-made basins, which were sometimes constructed around hot springs. However, recreational swimming was likely enjoyed only in natural bodies of water, such as lakes and rivers.

As cities grew during the industrial revolution, so did the need for better sanitation. Six public pools were built in London in 1837. The first public bathing pool in the United States was built in Boston in 1868. A recreational pool opened in Brookline, Massachusetts, in 1887, but swimming pools remained relatively rare until the 1920s.

Today, it is estimated that about 8% of U.S. homes, or about 10.4 million residences, have a swimming pool.