Head-to-head · Best Inflatable Pools

Intex Sunset Glow Inflatable Baby Pool vs Intex Swim Center Round Family Lounge Pool

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

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The short answer

Intex Sunset Glow Inflatable Baby Pool and Intex Swim Center Round Family Lounge Pool score essentially the same (4.5 vs 4.5). Pick the one whose trade-offs match your priorities — the strengths and watch-outs below are where they actually differ.

Ranked #1 in Best Inflatable Pools

Intex Sunset Glow Inflatable Baby Pool

4.5

1 sourceall derived$9.95as of Oct 11

For two decades the Intex Sunset Glow has been the classic 34-by-10-inch baby pool in American suburban backyards. Three rainbow-colored inflatable rings stack on a soft inflatable floor, holding 15 gallons of water at a safe-for-toddlers 6-inch depth. Five minutes of mouth-inflating and ten with a garden hose gets it ready. At under $20 and built for ages 1-3, it is functionally consumable: buy one each summer, recycle the punctured one, repeat. Bob Vila's pool roundup named it the best baby pool category-wide.

Strengths

— Soft inflatable floor cushions toddlers' bottoms — no hard PVC against tailbones, per Bob Vila
— Holds 15-22 gallons, which a garden hose fills in roughly 10 minutes
— Lightweight enough (1.4 lbs deflated) to fold into a beach bag for trips

Watch-outs

— No included drain plug; you tip it over to empty, per Bob Vila

$9.95 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

Ranked #4 in Best Inflatable Pools

Intex Swim Center Round Family Lounge Pool

4.5

1 sourceall derived$54.99as of Oct 16

The Intex Swim Center Round Family Lounge Pool is a 90 by 86 inch inflatable pool with a built-in bench and backrest, holding 156 gallons. Bob Vila tested it with two adults and two 4-year-olds, found it comfortable, and named it the best pool with seats. The bench gives a little under adult weight, the cup holders do not fit every bottle, and it is not meant for children under 3.

Strengths

— Built-in bench with backrest for lounging, per Bob Vila
— Dual individual air chambers hold the pool shape
— Drain plug for emptying, plus a repair patch

Watch-outs

— Bob Vila found the bench sank in a bit under adult weight
— Not suitable for children under 3, and no air pump is included

$54.99 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

Derived means the reviewer published no score, so one was inferred from their written verdict. Everything else is a number the publisher printed. How we rank.

How they stack up

Intex Sunset Glow Inflatable Baby Pool

Within this list, the Sunset Glow is the only pick designed for kids one to three — every other pool in the category requires age 2+ or 6+. It is also the smallest and cheapest by an order of magnitude versus the Intex Easy Set 10ft, which needs an older child to be useful, or the Intex Rainbow Ring Play Center.

Intex Swim Center Round Family Lounge Pool

At 156 gallons it is a lounging pool, far smaller than the 1,018-gallon Intex Easy Set 10ft, which has no seating, but much larger than the 15-gallon Intex Sunset Glow. Unlike the Intex Rainbow Ring Play Center it has no slide or games; its draw is the built-in bench.

Specs side-by-side

Spec	Intex Sunset Glow Inflatable Baby Pool	Intex Swim Center Round Family Lounge Pool
Size	34 in diameter x 10 in tall (inflated)	90 x 86 x 31 inches
Capacity	15 gallons (6 in water height)	—
Age Range	1-3 years	—
Material	PVC, 8-gauge rings + 7-gauge floor	—
Setup Style	Three stacked inflatable rings + inflatable floor	—
Inflation	Mouth or pump, ~5 minutes	—
Drain Plug	No — tip to empty	Yes
Weight	1.44 lbs deflated	—
Repair Patch	Included	—
Filter Pump Included	No	—
Dimensions	34"L x 34"W x 10"H	—
Water Capacity	—	156 gallons
Seating Capacity	—	2 adults and 2 children (Bob Vila spec)
Seating	—	Built-in bench with backrest
Air Pump Included	—	No
Model	—	57190EP

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