Recommend me a paddling pool.

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

I guess we are not going anywhere for the summer and my daughter (13) wants to be in water. This will probably have to take place in our back garden. Has anyone got any experience of these things? Tips? Things to look out for. I am as yet undecided as whether I want something small for a paddle or start spending more money on something big to lie down in.

 

[Pickman's model]

What's your budget?

 

[Sprocket.]

One thing I would consider is have you somewhere to store it when it’s not in use?
I ask because a family a few doors down hired a pool for a month last summer because of this reason.
Though I can imagine the hire cost may be prohibitive.

 

[souljacker]

We've got a bestway 2mx1.5m. It does the job. You might want to invest in an electric pump as well as they take a while to pump up manually. You can get them from Amazon but we got ours from the Range if you have one of them nearby.

Important tip: Fill it up the day before you want to use it. Otherwise the water will be freezing.

 

[bimble]

When it was really hot couple of weeks ago I bought.. this. Have not yet opened it but look at it it’s got everything, drink holders, pillows, a hexagon shape.

 

[platinumsage]

There's inflatable but there's also rigid:

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

Bestway 8ft circular one here. Quick to inflate with a car fag lighter powered pump.

When it was really hot couple of weeks ago I bought.. this. Have not yet opened it but look at it it’s got everything, drink holders, pillows, a hexagon shape. View attachment 217877

Pentagon

 

[baldrick]

Lidl were selling steel framed pools last weekend for £100 might be worth having a look.

 

[wtfftw]

Side question: How long would you leave a filled pool out for? You can just fish out the bugs and debris but then the mosquitoes breed...

 

[maomao]

If it's inflatable get an electric pump. Lidl have cheap ones this week. Even a decent bike pump will take ages.

 

[dessiato]

There's inflatable but there's also rigid:

View attachment 217878View attachment 217879

My niece got one like the top one for her teen aged daughters. They also got a circulating pump, filter, and chemicals to keep it clean. I don’t know how that all works. They live in Lincolnshire and are enjoying using it. Even though it can’t be very warm up there.

 

[souljacker]

If it's inflatable get an electric pump. Lidl have cheap ones this week. Even a decent bike pump will take ages.

We use a hairdryer with a plastic bottle sellotaped on! It works ok but even on a cool setting the air is warm so it deflates a bit when it cools.

 

[Sprocket.]

My niece got one like the top one for her teen aged daughters. They also got a circulating pump, filter, and chemicals to keep it clean. I don’t know how that all works. They live in Lincolnshire and are enjoying using it. Even though it can’t be very warm up there.

Bracing in fact.

 

[maomao]

Be lucky to find anywhere with a paddling pool in stock to be honest. Was just having a look for our one and all sold out.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Bestway 8ft circular one here. Quick to inflate with a car fag lighter powered pump.

How do you get the car into your back garden?

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

When it was really hot couple of weeks ago I bought.. this. Have not yet opened it but look at it it’s got everything, drink holders, pillows, a hexagon shape. View attachment 217877

That looks quite fun.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

What's your budget?

I don't really want to go over £100 to be honest. Just something small to sit in when it's hot.

 

[bimble]

Get the one with built in pillows and drinks holder ! It’s not like you’re going to swim in a paddling pool anyway. Think it was about 40 quid.

 

[Glitter]

Get a hot tub. Well over budget but they’re ace!

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Get a hot tub. Well over budget but they’re ace!

Perfect for when you want to sit in the warm sweat and other potential bodily secretions of your mates

 

[Glitter]

Perfect for when you want to sit in the warm sweat and other potential bodily secretions of your mates

They can fuck off, social distancing means it is literally my soup.

I don’t even let the kids in if I can avoid it

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

How do you get the car into your back garden?

First we take down a section of brick wall, carefully so as not to damage the bricks. Then we put down some ply boards to drive onto, so as not to churn up the grass. Inflate the pool, drive out again, take up the boards and re-build the wall.

The other option, which we of course disregarded, was to leave the car where it was then walk the VERY LIGHT INFLATABLE THING DOWN THE GARDEN PATH

 

[Chilli.s]

Get the biggest. Preferably one you can swim in. Take a day to fill it up.

 

[Crispy]

We've got a bestway 2mx1.5m. It does the job. You might want to invest in an electric pump as well as they take a while to pump up manually. You can get them from Amazon but we got ours from the Range if you have one of them nearby.

Important tip: Fill it up the day before you want to use it. Otherwise the water will be freezing.

Got that one too. Not a big deal using a foot pump, and plenty big enough for splashing around.
As per my earlier thread, a couple of black bin bags floating on top will get the water nice and warm in strong sun.
We peg a fitted sheet round it at night to keep the mozzies out.
You can get treatment tablets if you're worried about it getting manky, but you can always just water the garden with it every few days and refill.

 

[spanglechick]

something to bear in mind is that you'll need to make sure the ground underneath is free of stones and twigs, and is on as minimal an incline as possible.

Also, they aren't really built to support the full weight of an adult leaning back on the edge, even if they have built-in backrests.

If I had a bigger garden I would totally get a hot tub. I love to be in the water.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

We've got a bestway 2mx1.5m. It does the job. You might want to invest in an electric pump as well as they take a while to pump up manually. You can get them from Amazon but we got ours from the Range if you have one of them nearby.

Important tip: Fill it up the day before you want to use it. Otherwise the water will be freezing.

Ah, that was the one I was originally looking at. Is it ok? I was a bit worried it was a bit feeble. Does it pack up into a small enough size when it's time to put it away? Will the foxes and badgers come and pop it in the night?

Oddly the slightly bigger 262x175 is four quid cheaper on amazon.

 

[souljacker]

Ah, that was the one I was originally looking at. Is it ok? I was a bit worried it was a bit feeble. Does it pack up into a small enough size when it's time to put it away? Will the foxes and badgers come and pop it in the night?

Oddly the slightly bigger 262x175 is four quid cheaper on amazon.

Yeah, it's fine. Not been popped by wildlife yet thankfully. We are on our second one but only because I didn't look after the first one and it got a bit manky. The current one gets dried and cleaned properly before putting away so should last years. I think this is summer 3 for it now (might be wrong, could be summer 2). You can patch them with bike puncture repair kits too if you do happen to get a hole.

It can be packed up and put back in its box for storage. I've never managed to get it back in perfectly but it doesn't take much space.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Will the foxes and badgers come and pop it in the night?

If you're lucky you'll get bears.

 

[Glitter]

something to bear in mind is that you'll need to make sure the ground underneath is free of stones and twigs, and is on as minimal an incline as possible.

Also, they aren't really built to support the full weight of an adult leaning back on the edge, even if they have built-in backrests.

If I had a bigger garden I would totally get a hot tub. I love to be in the water.

My garden is tiny. I say get one anyway.