What is the best pool for 2027? A guide to choosing by space and budget
The best pool for 2027 depends on three things: the space you have, how much you want to spend and whether you are willing to do construction work. For most homes with a garden or terrace, the most balanced option in 2027 is a rigid portable pool: firm walls up to 150 cm deep, no excavation and ready in an afternoon, for less than €3,000. If you want a permanent pool built into your home, a concrete pool is still the benchmark; and if you just want to splash around for a few weeks with small children, a cheap inflatable will do. Here is the full comparison so you can decide calmly before summer.
What types of pool are there in 2027 and how much do they cost?
These are the options you will find when looking for a pool for 2027, with approximate market prices:
| Type | Approximate price | Construction and permit | Ready to swim | Can you take it with you |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seasonal inflatable or frame pool | From under €100 to a few hundred | No | Quick, but the walls give way | Yes |
| Rigid Drop Stitch portable pool (Helyora) | €799–2,999 | No construction; above ground, normally no permit | 10–35 minutes to set up, no tools | Yes |
| In-ground steel panels (7×3.5 m) | €10,000–16,000 installed | Excavation; normally needs a permit | Days of work + permit | No |
| Polyester prefab (8×4 m) | €13,000–20,000 installed | Yes | A few days of work + permit | No |
| Concrete (8×4 m) | €18,000–28,000 | Yes | Between 2 and 4 months | No |
These are market ranges, not quotes: the ground, the region and the finishes change the final figure a lot. Each type wins at something. A concrete pool wins on permanence and free shape; an inflatable, on price; and a rigid portable pool sits in the middle: the feel of a real pool, with walls that don't give way when you lean on them, without bringing a digger into your garden. We explain it in detail in Inflatable Pool vs. Rigid, Dismantlable Pool and in concrete, prefab or portable pool.
When do you need to decide to swim in summer 2027?
It depends on the type of pool. A concrete pool realistically takes between 2 and 4 months from signing the quote to the first swim, including design, permit and construction. If you want it ready for July 2027, the sensible thing is to ask for quotes this winter and have the permit under way before spring; starting in May is usually too late.
With a portable pool the timeline is different. In Spain it arrives in about a week (up to 3 days of preparation and about 3 days in transit) and in the rest of the EU in about ten days, with free shipping to all 27 countries. It sets up without tools and then you just fill it. Even so, don't leave it to the last minute: choosing the spot, preparing and levelling the ground and buying the filter pump all take time, and the first hot days of 2027 will be, as every year, when everyone remembers at once.
What size of pool should you choose?
Start with the free space and how many people will swim at the same time. Leave room around it to move, for the ladder and for the filter pump. This table sums up which model fits each case:
| Your situation | Model | Size | Depth | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terrace or penthouse | Azora XS / Marea XS | Ø2 m / 200×200 cm | 50 cm / 80 cm | 799 € / 1.199 € |
| Relaxing with a seat | Solara S | Ø2 m | 80 cm | 1.399 € |
| Couple or small children | Azora S / Marea S | Ø3 m / 300×200 cm | 80 or 120 cm / 90 cm | From €1,249 / €1,499 |
| Family of 3–4 | Azora M / Marea M | Ø4 m / 400×200 cm | 80 or 130 cm / 120 cm | From €1,499 / €1,899 |
| Swimming a few strokes | Marea L / Marea XL | 400×300 / 500×300 cm | 150 cm | 1.999 € / 2.499 € |
| Groups and holiday rentals | Azora XL / Marea XXL | Ø6 m / 600×300 cm | 150 cm | 2.849 € / 2.999 € |
Prices include VAT, a PVC cover and a ladder; the filter pump is sold separately. You will find every size, the litres and the number of people for each model in our size guide.
Round or rectangular?
Rectangular if you want to swim, if your garden is long and narrow or if the pool goes against a wall: the Marea L and Marea XL, 150 cm deep and 4 or 5 metres long, let you swim a few strokes. Round if the pool goes in the middle of the garden and, above all, for playing: it has no corners, the edge stays free all the way round and, for a similar price, you get more water. The 130 cm Azora M holds 15 m³ for €1,949, compared with 9 m³ in the Marea M for €1,899.
How much does it cost in total to have a pool in 2027?
The price of the pool is only part of it. To do the numbers properly, also add:
- Filter pump. Not included. For a Marea M (9 m³) a cartridge pump of about 2.3 m³/h is enough; from about 15 m³ a sand filter is worth it. You will find the calculation for each model in our guide on which filter pump a portable pool needs.
- Water. With tap water at €2–4/m³, filling a Marea M costs between €18 and €36, and a Marea XL (22 m³) between €44 and €88. Details in our article on how much water an above ground pool holds.
- Base. A geotextile mat or interlocking floor tiles to protect the bottom, depending on where you set it up.
- Treatment. Chlorine or salt (they are compatible with salt chlorination) and the electricity for the filter pump in the months you use it.
Compared with an in-ground pool, the big difference comes in the following years: there is no construction to maintain, in Spain an above-ground pool with no construction work normally doesn't affect property tax (IBI) (we explain it in our regulations guide) and out of season you can empty it and store it or leave it set up in winter mode, as we explain in our guide on how to winterize an above ground pool.
What should you check before buying a pool for 2027?
- Rigid walls. Lean on the edge: if it gives way, it will lose its shape with use. That is the main difference between an inflatable and a Drop Stitch pool, where the internal threads of D-Stitch™ technology keep the wall firm at 10 PSI.
- The weight, if it's for a terrace. Every 10 cm of water adds about 100 kg per m²: a 50 cm pool when full is about 500 kg/m². Before setting it up, check the load your floor slab can take. More in our guide to portable pools for terraces.
- The ground. Firm and level: grass, tiles, concrete or wood all work if there is no slope.
- Permits. Above ground and with no construction work you normally don't need a permit, but it depends on the municipality and, in a flat, on the owners' association.
- What's included. With Helyora you get a cover, a ladder, a manual inflation pump and a repair kit. The filter pump is bought separately.
- What you'll do in winter. If you have nowhere to store it, check that it can stay set up and full all year round.
Our recommendation for 2027, depending on your situation
- Garden and family with children: Azora M (Ø4 m). Lots of water for its price and no corners to get in the way of play. If your garden is long and narrow, Marea M.
- You want to swim: Marea L or Marea XL, 150 cm deep.
- Terrace or penthouse: Azora XS or Marea XS, after checking the floor slab.
- Holiday rental home: Marea XL or XXL, depending on the number of guests. We cover it in our guide to portable pools for holiday rentals.
- Relaxing in a small space: Solara S, with a built-in perimeter seat.
And when we don't recommend a portable pool: if you are going to live in the same house for many years and want a pool built into the garden, in the shape you choose, a concrete pool makes sense even though it costs about ten times more. And if you are only going to use it for a couple of weeks with a baby, a small inflatable is more than enough.
In summary
The best pool for 2027 is the one that fits your space, your budget and how long you will stay in that house. For most people, a rigid portable pool offers the depth and firmness of a real pool without construction work, for a fraction of the price, and can be ready in days. You can see the rectangular Marea pools and the round Azora pools, or come and see them in person in Nigrán before deciding. That way you will reach summer 2027 with your pool set up, not still looking for one.