Best backyard pool for your garden

With summers getting hotter and heatwaves becoming more frequent every year, demand for your own swimming pool has exploded. On top of the 2020 staycation at home due to Covid-19, people in the Netherlands are spending more time than ever in the garden. It’s not just weekends that are for relaxing anymore; after work people head outside to cool down in the garden, ideally with their feet in a pool or to let the kids cool off during a long, hot summer’s day.

Types and sizes of pools for at home

Because the demand for a pool in the garden has grown so much, the number of suppliers, as well as the types and sizes of pools, has also increased. It’s an investment you benefit from immediately, simply because you instantly feel cooler and the kids have a great time. And there’s a pool solution for every garden, and even for roof terraces.
As mentioned before, the number of suppliers has grown enormously, which makes it far from easy for the average person in the Netherlands, myself included, to quickly find the best solution (read: pool) for the best price.
Should you go for a large, wide, deep or narrow pool, and from which brand and in what quality? This all depends on the surface, your wishes, space, budget and so on.
The good news is that in this article you’ll find more tips that will hopefully help you quickly find the right way to cool down, especially during these hot, sweltering summer days!

My search for the best pool

As I described, it was quite a nightmare for me, just like for many others, to find the most suitable pool for my small garden. I hope to spare others this search, which is why I’m sharing my experiences and the choice I ended up making. On top of all the research, I bought the wrong pool twice – both of them didn’t match the product descriptions at all. That was frustrating, not least for my children. Just when I needed the pool and was happy it had been delivered, it turned out not to be right and I had to send it back unused. That also cost me unnecessary time and energy to get my money back and caused a whole bunch of other annoyances.

Top 10 pools for your garden

In the end I found the most suitable and best fitting pool for us on Bol.com, and I’m very satisfied with the quality, size and price, including the warranty. Of course most people will think and wonder why I didn’t look at Bol straight away. That’s because other companies present themselves online as pool experts, and I thought Bol was more of a general retailer than a specialist – but I’m definitely taking that back now. So far they’ve proven to be experts in every respect, have a wide range and haven’t disappointed me. 
I’ll spare you the names of the websites that didn’t live up to my expectations – I don’t think that’s very fair – so I’d rather highlight the company I’m genuinely enthusiastic about: Bol.com.
With just a few simple filters you’ll instantly get a selection of pools that are offered by third-party sellers (with star ratings). Further research shows that you’re only allowed to sell there if you meet Bol’s strict requirements and checks, which is reassuring, especially when it comes to warranties.
After filtering there were 10 pools left that you can easily compare with each other. You can then sort these by price, reviews, etc. so you can ultimately make your choice. And to be fair, the convenience is great and the reviews from others plus the product descriptions are almost 100% accurate, so I was – and still am – positively surprised.

In conclusion

Besides my advice not to fall too hard for slick ads and marketing copy and instead choose a reputable online company like Bol, it’s always smart to do your research before making an impulse purchase. That applies to a pool at home, but just as easily to an air conditioner for the heat, or a BBQ for nice weather.
You can also read comparisons and top 10s for other products on this site. Favourite articles include: 

• The top 10 best electric mountain bikes and e-race bikes
• Top 10 best trampolines
• The 10 best travel agencies of 2020

The real tip is to compare and research things properly in advance, so you avoid disappointment, wasted time and frustration afterwards!