You know the feeling. It's mid-July, the humidity is thick enough to chew on, and your kids are staring at you like you’re the person standing between them and sanity. You want a pool. Not a little plastic ring thing, but one of those massive, sprawling basins of blue water that actually fits a floatie. Naturally, your first thought is a trip to the local superstore. But buying big pools at walmart isn't as simple as tossing a box into a cart and calling it a day.
Trust me. I’ve seen enough backyard floods to know that people underestimate these things. They see the price tag—maybe $400 or $600 for a 20-foot monster—and think, "Steal!" It is a steal, technically. But the box is the easy part. The actual logistics of turning that cardboard cube into 10,000 gallons of summer fun is where the real story happens.
The Reality of Those Massive Blue Boxes
When we talk about the big pools at Walmart, we’re usually talking about two heavy hitters: Intex and Bestway (often branded as Coleman). These companies have basically cornered the market on affordable, above-ground swimming. You’re looking at metal frame construction or "Ultra XTR" tech. It’s essentially a thick PVC liner held up by a skeleton of powder-coated steel pipes.
It sounds flimsy. Honestly, it kind of is if you compare it to a $30,000 inground installation, but for the price of a decent lawnmower, it’s a miracle of modern engineering.
Here is the thing people miss: weight.
A gallon of water weighs about 8.34 pounds. If you buy a 16-foot by 48-inch round pool, you’re looking at roughly 5,000 gallons. That is over 40,000 pounds of pressure pushing down on your grass. If your yard isn’t level? You’re not just going to have a lopsided pool; you’re going to have a catastrophic structural failure that turns your neighbor's basement into a swamp.
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Why Leveling Matters More Than the Brand
I’ve talked to landscapers who charge more to level a yard than the pool itself cost at Walmart. That’s the irony. You spend $500 on a Coleman Power Steel pool, but then you realize your yard has a 3-inch grade. You might think, "Eh, 3 inches isn't much." It’s a lot. At that scale, the water weight shifts to one side, puts uneven stress on the frame, and snap.
Most "failed" big pools from big-box stores aren't actually bad products. They are victims of bad prep. You need a sand base, or at the very least, a perfectly leveled patch of dirt with heavy-duty tarps. Some people use foam insulation boards under the liner to give it a soft feel. It's a pro move, honestly.
Comparing the Walmart Titans: Intex vs. Bestway
If you walk down the seasonal aisle, you’ll see the Coleman branding everywhere. Interesting fact: Coleman doesn't actually make pools. They license their name to Bestway. So, if you’re looking at a Coleman pool and a Bestway pool, you’re often looking at the same engineering with a different coat of paint.
Intex is usually considered the "premium" budget option. Their Ultra XTR Frame line is the gold standard for big pools at walmart. The liners are slightly thicker, and the "Easy Lock" system for the pipes is a bit more intuitive.
- Bestway/Coleman: Often cheaper, widely available, uses a "Seal & Lock" system.
- Intex: Better pump options (usually), slightly more robust frames.
But let’s be real for a second. The pump that comes in the box? It’s almost always garbage.
The Great Pump Swindle
This is where the "affordable" hobby gets expensive. Walmart sells these massive pools, but to keep the price point low, the manufacturer includes a cartridge filter pump that is, frankly, undersized. It’s like trying to clean a skyscraper with a handheld vacuum.
If you’re buying a pool over 15 feet, do yourself a favor: budget for a sand filter pump. Intex makes a 2,100 GPH (gallons per hour) sand filter that is a game changer. Instead of changing paper filters every two days—which gets pricey and annoying—you use pool sand or glass media that lasts for seasons. It keeps the water crystal clear. Without a good pump, your "big pool" will be a giant bowl of pea soup by August.
Hidden Costs Nobody Puts on the Label
You aren't just buying a pool. You're buying a chemistry set.
When you bring home one of these big pools at walmart, you're entering the world of pH balancing, alkalinity, and chlorine stabilization.
- The Chemicals: You’ll need a starter kit. Shock, chlorine tablets, and test strips. That’s another $100 right there.
- The Ladder: The ladders included in the "all-in-one" kits are often a bit wobbly. If you have larger adults using the pool, you might end up buying a more stable A-frame ladder later.
- Electricity: That pump needs to run 8 to 12 hours a day. Your utility bill will notice.
- Water: Depending on where you live, filling 10,000 gallons can cost a few hundred bucks on your water bill, or you might need to hire a water truck.
It’s a lot of work. But is it worth it? When it’s 95 degrees out and you’re floating with a cold drink while your kids are actually burning off energy instead of playing video games? Yeah. It’s worth it.
The Safety Conversation We Need to Have
Local codes don't care that your pool came from Walmart. In many jurisdictions, any pool deeper than 18 or 24 inches requires a fence with a self-closing gate. Many people skip this because they think "it's just an above-ground pool."
Check your local ordinances.
Insurance companies are also notoriously picky about this. If you have a massive 22-foot pool in your backyard and it’s not fenced, and something happens, you are in for a legal nightmare. Also, buy a pool cover. Not just for debris, but for safety.
Maintenance: The "Every Day" Rule
You can't ignore a big pool. If you skip two days of skimming and checking the chlorine, the algae will move in. It's opportunistic. It's mean. Once a pool "turns," it takes a lot of expensive chemicals (flocculant and algaecide) to bring it back.
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Pro tip: Get a "Pool Whale" or a similar vacuum head that attaches to your pump. The little vacuums that run off a garden hose are mostly useless for the fine silt that settles on the bottom of a 20-foot pool.
Where to Buy and When
Walmart’s inventory for big pools is highly seasonal. If you wait until the first heatwave in June, the shelves will be empty. The sweet spot is actually late March or April. That’s when the full selection is in stock.
Wait.
Actually, the real sweet spot for deal hunters is mid-August. That’s when Walmart starts panicking about floor space for back-to-school and Halloween. I’ve seen $800 pools marked down to $250 just because the store manager wanted them gone. If you have the garage space to store a 300-pound box until next year, that’s how you win the game.
Common Misconceptions About Above-Ground Pools
"They only last one season."
False. If you take an Intex or Bestway pool down, dry it completely (and I mean completely), and store it away from mice, it can last 5 years or more. Most people leave them up, let the ice stretch the liner, and then wonder why it leaks in May.
"You can just put them on the grass."
Technically, yes. But the grass will die, rot, and smell like a swamp. Nutgrass can actually grow through the liner of some cheaper pools. You need a barrier.
"Saltwater systems are better."
They are gentler on the skin, sure. But salt is corrosive. If you have a cheap metal frame pool, a saltwater system can accelerate rust on the poles. Stick to traditional chlorine unless you’ve invested in a high-end resin-frame pool.
How to Actually Enjoy Your Big Pool
Don't overcomplicate it. Once the leveling is done—which is the hardest part, honestly—and the water is balanced, the maintenance takes about 15 minutes a day.
Get a decent skimmer net.
Invest in a floating thermometer.
Buy the "extra large" floaties because you have the room.
The joy of big pools at walmart is that they democratize luxury. You don't need to be a millionaire to have a "resort" feel in a suburban backyard. You just need a level spot of ground and the patience to read the manual.
Actionable Steps for the Aspiring Pool Owner
If you’re heading to Walmart tomorrow to grab one of these giants, do this first:
- Measure twice. Don't just measure the pool diameter. You need 3 feet of "clear zone" all the way around for the struts and for safety.
- Check your exterior outlets. These pumps shouldn't be run on flimsy indoor extension cords. You need a GFCI-protected outlet near the pool site.
- Order a sand filter now. Don't even bother with the cartridge filter that comes in the box. Order an Intex Krystal Clear Sand Filter pump separately. It will save your summer.
- Find your "level." Buy a long 2x4 and a carpenter’s level. Rotate it around a center stake to find the high spots in your yard. Dig down the high spots; never build up the low spots with loose dirt, as it will compress under the weight of the water.
- Buy a heavy-duty tarp. The "ground cloth" included in most Walmart kits is about as thick as a trash bag. Buy a real, silver-grade heavy-duty tarp to protect your liner from rocks and roots.
Taking these steps ensures that your backyard oasis doesn't turn into a backyard disaster. It’s about doing the boring work upfront so you can do the floating later.