Bestway Steel Pro Above Ground Pool Review

Bestway Steel Pro Above Ground Pool

If you are looking for a sturdy and durable family-sized above ground swimming pool, the Bestway Steel Pro is a great choice.

It’s a round pool with a steel frame. It comes in two sizes, both big enough for a small to mid-size family.

The easy no-tool assembly means you don’t have to spend extra money on professional installation. Set up takes just 30 minutes.

Read on for our full review.

If this is not what you were looking for, see our reviews of the best above ground pools for other top recommendations.

Sizes Available

Pros

Cons

Product Specifications​

Specifications

Best Features

1. Sturdy Construction

The Bestway Steel Pro above ground pool will last for years.

The PVC liner is thick and sturdy. It can easily withstand the hot sun and impact from objects such as stones.

It’s a Tri-Tech material, consisting of a polyester mesh core sandwiched by two layers of laminated PVC. The 3-ply design gives the liner rigidity and ensures it can support the weight of the water.

But it doesn’t do it all on its own. The steel frame provides extra support to keep the pool from buckling.

A 3-ply support band goes around the entire pool for additional support. It wraps around the vertical steel feet, ensuring the frame stays in place.

2. Weather Resistant

The liner is designed to retain its strength and quality through multiple seasons. The UV light from the sun or moisture when it’s raining or snowing does not degrade the material.

The steel frame is also designed to live outdoors without any issues. It has an anti-rust coating to keep out corrosion.

So you don’t have to drain and fold up the pool at the end of summer. Just cover it well to keep out debris and algae and leave it until the next season.

3. Complete Installation Kit and Accessories

If the prospect of putting together an above ground pool scares you, don’t let it. Most above ground pools are easy to set up, and the Bestway Steel Pro is no different.

If you have a busy schedule, you can certainly pay a pro or a company to set it up for you. But there’s no need to spend more money on professional installation.

Just get a friend or family member to help you, and you’ll be done in half an hour. You can also set it up alone though it will take you a bit longer.

Everything you need for installation comes with the pool. This includes:

  1. The pool liner and disassembled frame
  2. A filter pump with antimicrobial cartridges
  3. Ladder
  4. Ground cloth
  5. Pool cover

4. Includes Drain Valve

If you ever need to drain the pool, the included drain valve makes it easy.

Instead of letting the chlorine water spread all over the lawn, you can connect a garden hose to the drain valve and direct the water into a drain.

On the downside, the valve is slow. It takes several hours to drain the pool. So if you plan to drain the pool, start early.

Issues and Concerns

Weak Filter Pump

The cartridge filter pump that comes with the Bestway Steel Pro has weak suction. You have to run it almost all day to keep your pool clean.

You can’t even use it with most automatic pool cleaners.

The larger pool comes with a 1,500 gph (gallons per hour) pump while the smaller one has a weaker 330 gph pump.

Most customers found it better to get a more powerful sand filter pump. Brand compatibility is not an issue. You can use any filter pump from Bestway, Intex or some other company.

The Intex Krystal Clear Sand Filter has a more powerful 2,100 gph flow rate, and Bestway’s Flow clear Sand Filter has a 2,000 gph flow rate.

Of course, getting a new pump means spending more than you’d planned on the pool. But customers say it’s worth it. It makes pool maintenance much easier.

Low-Quality Ground Cloth and Pool Cover

Two other things you might consider replacing are the ground cloth and the pool cover.

The ones that come with the pool feel flimsy. Some types of grasses can easily grow right through the material and threaten the liner.

As with the filter pump, some customers found it better to switch to a tougher ground tarp for better protection and peace of mind.

The pool cover, though a nice addition is also not very strong. It doesn’t feel like it would last more than a season or two, and it looks vulnerable to strong wind and rain.

For best protection, get a good quality pool cover.

We recommend a solar pool cover. It does two things: keep debris out of your pool and warm the pool using the sun’s heat.

Some solar covers are so effective that you can enjoy a comfortable night swim.

If you plan to leave the pool up during the winter, we also recommend a winter cover to protect the water and liner.

Assembly Instructions

As I mentioned, you can set up the Bestway Steel Pro yourself – no special skills or tools necessary.

The first and most important step is to find a level ground to set up the pool. A level area keeps the pool stable.

If you have a slightly sloping pool, you can create a level pad using concrete or sand. But this may require you to hire a pro.

Something else to consider when scouting for the right location is proximity to a GFCI outlet. You’ll need it to power the filter pump.

Also, make sure that your garden hose can reach the pool though you can easily extend your current hose using a connector if the pool is too far away.

Once you find a suitable location, clear all the debris from the ground, including pebbles and any objects that can puncture the pool liner.

Lay out the ground cloth to create a protective barrier between the lawn and the liner. If you don’t find the included cloth sufficiently tough, buy your own thicker tarp.

Next, spread the liner above the ground cloth and assemble the steel frame.

The metal tubes are light, so you don’t have to worry about lifting any heavy parts. The metal parts are designed to fit easily into each other without requiring tools or a lot of force.

Finish by connecting the filter pump to the pool and assembling the ladder.

You can fill the pool using a garden hose (takes several hours) or call a pool filling service.

Overall, it takes two people to assemble the pool, longer if you do it alone.

Our Bottom Line

3.9/5

The Bestway Steel Pro is a great choice for families looking for a good-sized above ground swimming pool with a sturdy steel frame.

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