Top 10 Best Non-Inflatable Kiddie Pools in 2020 (Step2, Intex, and More)

When you're done, you can fold it up into a little rectangle and shove it up on a shelf somewhere. The sides stay upright even when the pool’s empty, but we wouldn’t recommend leaning back on them. 

The skeleton’s made up of fiberboard, which is light and perfect for carrying–but, put too much pressure on it, and you could break something, or tip the pool over. There’s also a drain on the side, so you don’t need to pull a Hulk and flip the thing over.

It’s sturdy enough to last a few seasons, which means your kids will probably outgrow it before it breaks. All of it is rigid, too, so you can lean against the side and not go rolling out head-over-heels.

They’re also metal, which a) conducts heat like nobody’s business and b) doesn’t tend to mix well with water. So if you leave a full pool out for too long, the piping rusts and burns.

Consider sticking a heavy-duty tarp underneath, too; otherwise, you’ll feel rocks and gravel under your feet. The included pump works, but it’s not powerful and it doesn't have a timer, flow switch, or pressure gauge. Most people just swapped theirs out for a better one.

If you’ve got an active baby, they’ll crawl right out of the pool! But the hood is sturdy enough to protect your kid from the sun, and strong winds on the beach won’t rip it off and carry it away. 

The pool’s pop-up–no assembly required–and the sides stay up on their own. You can even use it indoors! And don't get us started about how cute the frog is.

Even the tent needs to be secured with stakes! You could drill them into your lawn, at least, and protect your kid from the sun and summertime mosquitoes. Just roll down the little mesh screen and you’ve got yourself an impenetrable fortress.

The bottom’s like vinyl, so you can roll it up and stuff it in a box during winter. It’s not easy, though, so when you take it out of the box, pay attention to how it’s folded! If you lay it out on a bunch of rocks, though, the thin bottom might tear. 

Even Intex knows their pool doesn’t stand up to roughhousing, though. They’ve included a repair patch, so get ready to plug up those holes.

The bottom’s soft, and after you stuff it into its package, it measures just 12 by 5 by 5 inches, so you can bring it with you on family outings. 

When you want to let out water, you don’t need to muster your inner Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson and hoist the entire thing up; just push down the sides. That also means you can’t lean on the sides–not if you don’t want to go tumbling out. You also need to set it up on level ground; otherwise, the water comes sloshing out.