During the summer of 2020, when our local pool shuttered in the wake of the pandemic, my husband and I found a mini miracle in our basement: A 16-foot “pop-up” swimming pool that we never had the need (or energy) to set up. At a time when above-ground swimming pools were completely sold out, we were very lucky and enjoyed it all summer long. At first, I imagined this would be a one-off opportunity for our kids to cool off and have fun at a time when everything familiar was on hold.
We spent nearly every day in the pool — swimming, playing catch, lying around on small floaties, and I even found a way to “lap swim” to get some aquatic exercise. By late September, we couldn’t imagine a summer without it. But my family agreed: we needed “a bigger boat, er, pool” to accommodate our growing preteens. We couldn’t afford to put in an inground pool, and my husband and I were on the fence about giving up limited yard space to a year-round above-ground one.
Flash forward to the summer of 2022. Enter the Intex Rectangular Ultra XTR Frame swimming pool. Yes. It was expensive at around $1200 at the time, but certainly less than all other options.
Intex Rectangular Ultra XTR Frame Swimming Pool
Right away, besides the length, I liked a few things about it:
- The liner: It has a liner design (blue and white checkered) that, in my opinion, elevates the pool.
- The length: I would love a longer pool, but at 24 feet across, I can swim small laps back and forth (I’m short) and it’s my primary (and favorite) form of exercise from late May to early October.
- The setup: My family of four can set it up in about three hours or less. It’s hard the first time you set it up, but it’s easier the second and third times.
- The durability: It is rust-resistant
Things I don’t like about:
- Taking it down is harder than putting it up (in my experience).
- You have to purchase the water to go in it. This is not a garden-hose-type of pool.
- All the plastic. It is a giant, hulking plastic container.
- It is 52 inches deep (maximum), and you don’t have a shallow-end entry point
- It is very difficult to set up on grass (according to a friend with a grass yard). We set ours up on top of a stone patio for this reason.
Setting Up Your Intex Pool
Intex pools come in a few versions: round, oval, and rectangular. I frequently eye the 32-foot version. (I want it; we can’t afford it; and we don’t have the space to accommodate it.) The Intex pool we purchased comes with a set-up kit that includes, besides the liner and the parts to put it together, a sand filter pump, ground cover, a pool cover, and a ladder. Note: We replaced all of these items with a saltwater filter and a sturdier ladder, and we bought a giant piece of turf to put between the stone patio and the pool to work as the ground cover. My husband even sprung for a heater, but we haven’t tried it yet. The pool is big enough for the kids to actually swim, versus keeping a paddling pool on our deck, although there are many cute ones available.
When setting up the pool, it helps to lay out the pieces ahead of time to help the process go smoothly and not freak out when you can’t find a piece. The pieces are labeled with letters and if you lose the directions, you can find them online. Our family of four can now get our pool together in about three hours, give or take. We buy our water, as it takes over 8,403 gallons (90% filled), and usually have it delivered on the day we set up the pool, when possible.
You Must Have a Patch of Level Ground
If you don’t have level ground for the pool, don’t buy it. It needs a flat, debris-free surface—otherwise, it can become unstable, lean, spill, or even collapse. A friend set one up on grass, and after heavy rain, it collapsed from the water’s weight. We only felt confident setting ours up on bluestone, right next to a deck. We even cut the deck railing to align the pool with the edge and added a gate for easy access and a better view. From the deck, it feels almost like an inground pool—much nicer than looking at the U-shaped support legs.
The frame itself will sag when you put it up, before it fills up with the thousands of gallons of water that expand the pool to its pool-shape glory. I love the rectangular shape (versus a circular one) because it gives me the illusion of a “real” pool.
You Must Clean This Pool Daily
If you don’t have the time to clean your pool, you’ll regret it, and honestly, if you can’t clean it daily you should reconsider buying it. You must maintain the pool by skimming it (sometimes twice a day), running the filter system, and testing the pool’s water balance so you don’t get sick or a rash from too high pH levels or too low chlorine.
We clean the pool in the morning and in the evening to keep it in good shape and for good reason: A pool this size can quickly become pond-like, attracting mosquitoes and growing green scum if you don’t take care of it. We fill it once over the summer, and the water (if treated, filtered, and cleaned daily) will last the length of the pool season.
The Intex pool is durable, rust-resistant, and large enough for my whole family (even the dog) to enjoy. The upgrades, like a saltwater filter system and a sturdy set of stairs, definitely made a difference, but this pool can still be operational without them.
Intex Rectangular Ultra XTR Frame Swimming Pool
Pool Safety Is a Must
At night, we lock the self-latching entry gate on the deck and put a cover on it. If you have a swimming pool, you need to have a safety gate, a surrounding fence, or another barrier to protect against the danger of someone getting into the pool when you are not home or at night. Swim and pool safety is critical. The National Drowning Prevention Alliance is a great resource for pool owners to learn how to protect themselves and others, and one of the things that gave me pause about putting up the pool was the potential risks a swimming pool creates.
In the End, Swimming Is Worth It
Our pop-up pool, as we call it, provides an anchor to our summer backyard activities. As the kids grow older (and bigger), my family may need a larger pool, or we may finally buy one that we can use year-round. For now, we are looking forward to the 2025 summer season with our 24-foot pop-up and can’t wait to try the new heater. Stay tuned.
