The Best Budget-Friendly Splash Pool For Toddlers
Since my 3-year-old and I have been spending so much time outside, I wanted something that could help us cool off that didn't require us to get in the car and drive away. While I would really like an actual swimming pool, I did not want to spend hundreds of dollars on one. But I also wanted something a little bigger than one of those round plastic kitty pools.
I needed something in between. And I found the perfect solution! A backyard splash pool!
We have used this inflatable pool several times a day for the past month since getting it. It really is the perfect family splash pool.
I chose this pool for two reasons.
I was looking for a budget friendly pool under $50, and a big enough for both my son and I to be in, where I could sit comfortably in and he could splash on the other side. This one met both of those needs. And with over 23,000 reviews on Amazon, I felt like this was a fairly safe purchase.
When it finally got here, I frantically searched for an air pump to inflate it (there was no way I could have blown it up without one). Thankfully it didn't take so long to blow it up once I did find one. It was a little challenging to put the plug in the hole before the air could escape, especially with my toddler trying to climb into the pool at the same time!
It is slightly deeper than a bathtub and about triple the square footage of one, which makes it a perfect toddler pool. It is big enough for my 3-year-old to feel like it's a real pool, while still being shallow enough that he can get on his hands and knees and still touch the bottom, which gives me peace of mind.
It also feels really sturdy, like the pool material is thicker than I envisioned, and I am pretty positive that it will be able to hold up all summer.
The funny thing is, I think my husband and I like the pool more than our son. We are constantly sitting around it with our feet in the water. In fact, most of the time when I can't find my husband in the house, I find him lounging by the pool with his feet in it, catching up on whatever work project he is working on.
One thing I don't love about the design of this pool is how long it takes to drain. The drain is located on the bottom of the pool in a corner and it seems like it takes double the amount of time to drain it as it does to fill it. I do try to drain it and clean it once a week because it is under one of our trees and the water does get dirty and the sides start feeling a little slimy. So draining it and scrubbing it with dish soap before filling it back up keeps it from getting gross.
The other thing I noticed about the pool is that in the morning when it is cold outside, it deflates a little. Not enough to lose water, but enough to sag a little bit. But by the afternoon, when the air heats up, it is back to being fully inflated. And it does seem to hold air fairly well as I haven't had to put any more in since the initial set up.
All this to say is I really am enjoying my inflatable pool. I would 100% recommend it to anyone trying to stay cool this summer while living on a tight budget.
If you're interested in checking it out, this is the splash pool we bought.
As always, thanks for reading!
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