12 best paddling pools 2024 for babies, toddlers & children – tried and tested

With the help of our brilliant child testers, we've been splashing our way through dozens of paddling pools and assessing the pros and cons of each one. We've found the best buys for every age and budget – from single sit-in shaded pools for babies, to novelty-shaped and sprinkly toddler ones, to great big pools with pumps and solid sides for older kids (and the odd parent). Do take a good look at our selection before you splash out...

For more outdoor fun, take a look at our pick of the best water play tables, best sand tables, best garden slides and best outdoor playhouses. You also may want a pair of kids goggles to protect your child's eyes when they're splashing in the pool and a swimsuit or wetsuit to keep them warm on the colder swims.

Best paddling pools at a glance

• Best water spray feature: Intex Dinoland Play Centre, £39.99
• Best stylish baby pool: KIDLY Inflatable Pool, from £15.50
• Best budget buy: John Lewis Summer Inflatable Paddling Pool, £8.99
• Best for fun accessories: Bestway Magical Unicorn Inflatable Water Play Centre £34.99
• Best big pool for easy assembly: Bestway 10ft Kids Inflatable Paddling Pool with Filter Pump, £41.99
• Best animal character design: Argos Summer Waves Flamingo Quick Up Pool, £28
• Best coverage from the sun: Intex Mushroom Baby Pool, £13.76
• Best for extra inflatable features: Chad Valley 9.5ft Inflatable Funhouse with Pool and Slide, £180
• Best water slide: TP Toys Blue 77 Aqua Slide, £23.99
• Best pop-up/portable pool: JoJo Maman Bebe Pop-Up Paddling Pool, £29
• Best pool for big families: Summer Waves 10ft Round Frame Family Pool, £230
• Best for group fun: BeBop 8-in-1 Activity Inflatable Bouncy Castle, £399.95

Jump to:

• What to look for when choosing a paddling pool
• Best children's paddling pools

What to look for when choosing a paddling pool

Age suitability – Paddling pools vary hugely according to the age range they're made for: baby pools will be small and cosy, toddler pools are bigger with more features, and pools for older children are deeper and designed to stay filled for days on end (see our Safety notes, below). If you're looking for a baby pool, bear in mind that it's hard to find paddling pools made with an age-suitability below 12 months, but, if you choose one with a shallow base and you take super-extra-care to supervise your child at all times, a pool for 12 months+ should be fine for a baby over 9 months who's sitting well independently.

Size and ground suitability – It sounds obvious but you do need to think about your pool's dimensions before you buy – especially if you're opting for one of the bigger pools. You also need to consider where you're going to put your pool: grass is always better (and more forgiving, if your child slips) than concrete (less robust pools will puncture more easily on concrete). And the surface you place your pool on needs to be as clear (no stones!) and as level as possible. If your pool has a filter, an air blower or a hose attachment, you also need to be near a plug and/or a tap.

Safety – Never leave your child unattended in the pool, even for a few seconds and even if it's only filled shallowly: child safety experts, such as RoSPA, advise that small children can drown in as little as 5cm of water. It's also best to empty your pool after every paddling session and store it upright (so it won't get filled with water). We have included some paddling pools in our selection that are designed to stay filled but these are only suitable for older children and are best left covered when not in use.

Water capacity – The bigger your paddling pool, the more water it needs and the longer it's going to take to fill up.

Pumping it up – Don't get caught out with a brand new paddling pool, an excited child, and no way of inflating it other than using your own puff. Even the tiniest of toddler pools can be exhausting to blow up without a pump – we've indicated in our product selections how long (roughly) each one takes to inflate. Few paddling pools come with a pump included these days, so we suggest you invest in a foot pump or an electric pump (see our suggestions for good pumps in And if you need a pump at the end of this article).

Emptying it out – Small, shallow pools are easy to upend to tip the water out but with a bigger, deeper paddling pool, life is a lot easier if it has a drainage plug.

Padded bases – Most paddling pools don't have padded floors, which is fine if your child will be mostly standing up to splash about or wallowing in deeper water. But for a baby or small toddler, who'll mainly be sitting in the water, look for a paddling pool with an inflatable or padded base for extra comfort.

Extras – Some paddling pools are just plain circles or squares; others have slides, sprays, inflatable accessories – even bouncy castles! You'll find that the price of your pool generally reflects how plain or feature-packed it is, though, however much or little it costs, it's worth checking to see if it comes with a repair patch or repair kit.

Shade – Water reflects the sunlight's rays, so on a bright day a small child sitting in a paddling pool can get sunburnt on their back, arms and shoulders very quickly. If you have a baby or small toddler, look for a paddling pool with a built-in sunshade; for older children, always remember to layer them up with some waterproof high-SPF sun protection.

Here's our pick of the best children's paddling pools

1. Intex Dinoland Play Centre, £49.99

– Best water-spray feature

Available from: Amazon and Smyths Toys

Age: 3+ | Size: L3.3m x W2.3m x H1.1m | Assembly: 10 minutes (electric pump), plus filling time | Drainage plug: Yes | Water capacity: 290 litres | Max user weight: 50kg
Pros:

• Generous size
• Excellent play features
• Padded landing below slide
• Host attachment
• Drainage plug

Cons:

• Might be too big for some gardens
• No sun shade
• Unpadded base (mainly)
• Only suitable for toddlers/preschoolers

This long, large, dinosaur-themed pool features a slide, a blow-up pterodactyl and stegosaur, a volcano ball chute, and a brilliant, movable diplodocus arch sprayer (which you can connect to your garden hose with the included hose attachment) that also turns the slide into lovely water slide. It also comes with 6 balls, 3 hoops and a repair patch.

We've used it for the past 2 summers and it's lasted. We have a small dog who likes to jump in too, and it hasn't punctured. It has little balls and hoops and a slide, so it's really fun. I'd say you do need an electric pump but, once it's up, it stays up the whole summer.

2. KIDLY Inflatable Pool, from £15.50

– Best stylish baby pool

Available from: Kidly

Age: 12 months+ | Size: W79cm x H20cm | Drainage plug: No | Max child weight: Not specified

Pros:

• Stylish design
• Good size for a baby
• Affordable

Cons:

• No drainage plug
• No extra features
• No sun shade
• No padded base
• Not as robust as some other pools

This stylish, fun, small paddling pool is great choice for a baby or young toddler. It's quick and easy to inflate with a pump or, equally, you can blow it up yourself. Once you're done, you can simply tip out the water and deflate it in minutes. It's also a perfect size for a small garden or if you just wanted something in a small area of your garden. You can add a few toys and some balls for your little one to play with, too.

3. John Lewis Inflatable Paddling Pool, £8.99

– Best budget buy

Available from: John Lewis

Age: 2+ | Size: L114cm x H25cm | Drainage plug: No | Max child weight: Not specified

Pros:

• Great value
• Bright colours
• Affordable

Cons:

• No extra features
• No sun shade
• No padded base
• Not as robust as some other pools

If you're after a decent-but-not-huge-sized preschooler paddling pool that won't break the bank, then this is definitely one to consider. It's not as robust as some of the others on our list but it is very good value.

4. Bestway Magical Unicorn Inflatable Water Play Centre, £34.99

– Best for fun accessories

Available from: Very

Age: 2+ | Size: L297cm x W145cm x D107cm | Assembly: 4 minutes to inflate, 6 minutes to fill | Water capacity: 181 litres | Drainage plug: No | Max child weight: Not specified

Pros:

• Generous size
• Fun accessories to play with

Cons:

• No sun shade
• Slide only suitable for small children
• Unpadded floor
• No drainage plug
• Air pump not included

This long, shallow paddling pool comes with a slide, a built-in water sprayer and a friendly unicorn. It also has separate inflatables of a donut ring, some balls and an ice lolly. The slide is another fun feature for kids but it is a small slide – perhaps too small for over 3s. The built-in sprayer is fun and easily attaches to your average garden hose. There's no drainage plug but it's a fairly shallow pool, so not too tricky to tip over for emptying. Without doubt, it's the number of standalone accessories that make this pool stand out from the crowd.

5. Bestway 10ft Kids Inflatable Paddling Pool with Filter Pump, £41.99

– Best big pool for easy assembly

Available from: Amazon

Age: 6+ | Size: L3m x W3m x H76cm| Assembly: 10 minutes (with electric pump), plus filling time | Drainage plug: Yes | Water capacity: 3638 litres | Max user weight: Not specified

Pros:

• Generous size
• Quick assembly
• Drainage plug
• Filter pump

Cons:

• Takes a long time to fill
• No sun shade
• Unpadded base
• Not suitable for younger children

This large and deep family pool is made from heavy-duty PVC/polyester and comes with a filter pump, flow-control drain valve and a heavy-duty repair patch. The filter pump will keep the water from getting too dirty and so you can leave it out without having to empty and refill it. Obviously, if you have a baby or small children, it's not safe to leave a pool full of water in your garden when you're not using it, especially one as deep as this, so this is strictly an older-kids-only buy.

Also comes in an 8ft and a 12ft size, and you can buy it without the filter pump if you prefer. You may also want to buy water clarifier to help the filter pump keep the water clean.

It's really easy to fill: all you have to do is blow up the outer edge. It comes with a basic filter which helps keep it clean and it's large enough for a few kids to have a bit more fun without it being massive. We really like it.

6. Argos Summer Waves Flamingo Quick Up Pool, £28

– Best animal character design

Available from: Argos

Age: 2+ | Size: L183cm x W51cm x D183cm | Assembly: 10 minutes, plus filling time | Water capacity: 757 litres | Drainage plug: No | Max child weight: Not specified

Pros:

• Fun design
• Built-in water sprayer
• Bright colours
• Quick Up inflation feature

Cons:

• No extra features
• No sun shade
• No padded base

If you want something different to the usual blue paddling pools out there, this is a great choice. It has a super vibrant and fun flamingo design that will brighten up any garden. Just the right size for smaller gardens too and can fit up to 3 people inside. For extra moments of fun, there is a built-in water sprayer that springs from the flamingo's tail as seen in the photo above.

What makes this pool unique is the Quick Up feature – when it comes to inflating it, you simply inflate the top ring with a pump and then go ahead to fill the base with water. The pool will rise up as it fills with water. For easy inflation and deflation, there are 5 air chambers in this paddling pool.

7. Intex Mushroom Baby Pool, £13.76

– Best coverage from the sun

Available from: Amazon and Pool Pro

Age: 12 months+ | Size: L89cm x W89cm x H102cm | Assembly: 10 minutes (with a manual pump), plus filling time | Water capacity: 45 litres | Max child weight: Not specified

Pros:

• Sun shade
• Great size for toddlers
• Inflatable floor

Cons:

• Small and shallow-sided so not suitable for older children
• No drainage plug

This colourful toddler pool has a fun, mushroom-style inflatable sunshade that sits above the pool, rather than to one side like many other paddling pools with shades. It also has a soft, inflatable floor with little indentations that make for fun splash effects or for nestling little balls in. As with the Unicorn pool, it's sold as suitable for 1 year plus but we'd say it's fine for babies over 9 months who can sit independently provided you only put a little water in (it's quite shallow-sided anyway) and you're constantly supervising your child.

This pool is great for toddlers who just want to splash about as it's easy to inflate and super-fast to fill. And the built-in sun shade is great for keeping your child cool.

8. Chad Valley 9.5ft Inflatable Funhouse with Pool and Slide, £180

– Best for extra inflatable features

Available from: Chad Valley

Age: 3+ | Size: L2.4m x W2.9m x H 1.9m | Assembly: 2 minutes (with air blower, included), plus filling time | Drainage plug: No | Water capacity: Not specified | Max user weight: 60kg

Pros:

• Quick assembly
• Great extra features
• Generous size
• Air blower and hose attachment included

Cons:

• Pricey
• No sunshade
• No padded base
• No drainage plug
• Pool area relatively small
• Not suitable for younger children
• Might be too big for some gardens

This product is large, tall, and the paddling pool is actually the least of it – as the 'wow' factor is really all about the 'bounce house' and water slide. The bounce house has netting on the sides (which opens like a curtain on one side) and a climbable inner wall (with grab holes) that takes you up into the water slide. The pool comes with a hose attachment that fixes at one end into your garden hose and, at the other, onto the slide to turn it into a water slide.

I love that we can put it up really quickly, it takes 2 minutes to blow up and you don't need very much water. I find the younger children get cold in big pools so this is easier. It dries out really quickly if you leave it on after use too. We've had it for 2 years and found it longer lasting than a paddling pool.

9. TP Toys Aqua Slide, £23.99

– Best water slide

Available from: TP Toys, John Lewis and Amazon

Age: 3+ | Size: W1m x L6m | Assembly: 15 minutes | Water capacity: N/A | Drainage plug: N/A | Max user weight: 60kg

Pros:

• Easy to assemble
• Water-shower feature

Cons:

• Not strictly a paddling pool
• Not suitable for younger children
• Might be too long for some gardens

You can certainly paddle in this, although it's not actually a pool, but the real thrill is sliding along it for a whole 6m. It's made of heavy-duty silicone, has a little inflatable cushion (easy to blow up yourself) at the end and – most exciting of all – water spray shower all along both sides. The slide can be set out on the grass or you can anchor the non-cushioned end under a garden slide for a bit of downhill action before the watery whoosh. Comes with 2 lawn anchors and a hose attachment.

10. JoJo Maman Bebe Pop-up Paddling Pool, £29

– Best pop-up/portable pool

Available from: JoJo Maman Bebe

Age: From 9 months | Size: 97cm diameter (40cm, packed down) x 57cm height (with canopy) | Assembly: 1 min | Drainage plug: No | Water capacity: Not specified | Max user weight: N/A

Pros:

• Sun shade
• Super-quick assembly
• Good size for a baby

Cons:

• Unpadded base
• No drainage plug
• Not suitable for more than 1 small child

This baby-sized pool has whale motifs and a nicely designed UPF 50+ sun canopy. It's well made and, as the name suggests, it pops up in seconds out of its (included) carry bag. The base isn't padded and there's no drainage plug – and, although popping it up is super-quick, packing it back down does take a little longer (it would be helpful if the instructions were a little clearer).

I really rate the sun shade. We end up using it as a ball pit when it's not quite warm enough to fill up with water – and we love it!

11. Summer Waves 10ft Round Frame Family Pool, £230

–Best for big families

Available from: Argos and Amazon

Age: 6+ | Size: L3m x W3m x D76cm | Assembly: 30 minutes, plus filling time | Water capacity: 4792 litres | Drainage plug: Yes | Max child weight: Not specified

Pros:

• Large enough for several children
• Filter pump
• Drainage plug

Cons:

• Longer assembly and fill time
• No sun shade
• Unpadded floor
• Too big for some gardens
• Not suitable for small children

This rigid-sided family pool is very robust and sturdy and can easily fit 6 children in at once. It comes with its own electric filter pump to help keep the water clean (though you may also want to buy water clarifier, too). As with the Bestway pool, this is strictly an older-kids-only buy. If you have a baby or small children, it's not safe to leave a pool full of water in your garden when you're not using it, especially one as deep as this.

It's amazing! And I found it easy to put up. It does take ages – around 6 hours – to fill up but, if you keep it clean, the water will last ages.

12. BeBop 8-in-1 Activity Inflatable Bouncy Castle, £399.95

– Best for group fun/ garden party

Available from: BeBop

Age: 3-10 | Size: L400cm x W340cm x H250cm (overall) | Assembly: 5 minutes, plus filling time | Water capacity: 4792 litres | Drainage plug: No | Max weight per child: 38kg | Max height per child: 145cm | Maximum weight capacity: 152Kg

Pros:

• Extra accessories
• Multiple activities to do
• Great for group fun

Cons:

• Expensive
• Not suitable for small gardens

This is the paddling pool or bouncy castle of childrens' dreams. It has a whopping 8 activities all in this one castle including a large slide, a bouncing area, basketball hoop, climbing wall, tunnel, a velcro ball target with velcro balls, a ball pit that can be filled with water and turned into a splash pool and even water tubing that is easily attached to your garden hose.

If you have a fairly large garden, this bouncy castle would be a great choice for a birthday party in the garden or just for daily summer fun. It takes 4 people at a time only and can be played with wet or dry. It includes an electric blower fan, compact storage bag and a repair kit too. BeBop have prized themselves on ensuring the bouncy castle is designed in the UK so that the materials used meet European standards.

Pics: Product websites/MadeForMums testers

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