Summer (my favorite season) is here, and so are the hot tubs and swimming pools to provide endless entertainment.
But maintaining swimming pools is quite a task, and the biggest challenge is to take care that the pool lasts for many years of service. However, a few years back, I discovered that the best way to ensure the longevity of a pool is to install an above ground pool liner.
But, truth be told, it isn’t easy finding the best above ground pool liner, particularly when the market is saturated with so many options. Having quite a few above ground pool liners in all these years, I have decided to write this guide to make things easy for you.
Hi! I’m Stacy Smith, and today I will be reviewing the five top-notch best above ground pool liners that you can consider.
Top 5 Above Ground Pool Liner Reviews
1. Smartline Boulder Swirl 18’ Round Liner
This above ground pool liner from Smartline comes in a variety of sizes and is relatively easy on the pocket. After using it for more than a year, I consider this to be one of the best above ground pool liners I have stumbled upon till now.
Product Highlights
Right off the bat, I was highly impressed by the appealing design of the liner. Its Boulder Swirl pattern adds a splash of color to the flowing water backdrop. Made from premium quality North American cut material, this pool liner is hand folded, which ensures that there is no undue crinkling.
In addition, it’s relatively easy to install. I didn’t find any difficulty while installing this liner on my pool. You don’t even need to use a bead receiver, and can just drape it over the pool wall and secure it with the coping strips.
Because these liners are coated with an acrylic layer, they last longer than other liners available on the market. Also, it consists of a gasket kit that is compatible with both all-purpose and wide-mouthed skimmers.
What’s There To Like About It?
Not all pool liners are durable enough to last long, but this ground pool liner by Smartline is highly durable. I know this pretty well because I’ve used numerous pool liners in the past, and this one beats them all by a long shot.
The reason it lasts longer than most liners out there is because it is coated with a layer of acrylic on top of the vinyl. Also, this retains the vibrant color of the liner by preventing fading due to UV rays or harmful chemicals.
What’s There Not To Like About It?
Although this liner performs its job exceptionally well, there’s one problem I must mention: I found the gasket kit was missing in my package. I did receive the kit a few weeks later after complaining, but I had to wait for that time in order to install the liner. This might actually prove to be quite a hassle for many users.
Pros and Cons of Smartline Boulder Swirl 18’ Round Liner
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- MEASURE TWICE, BUY ONCE – Whether installing for the first time, or replacing an existing liner, the Boulder Swirl pattern offers durability while not breaking the bank. Be sure to check the measurements of your swimming pool to assure the correct size is purchased. Pool height is determined by measuring the outside wall from the ground to underneath the top rail. Round pool size is determined by measuring from the center point wall to wall in order to obtain the diameter.
- PRETTY PLEASING PATTERN - Blue rocks top the swirling water backdrop with the Boulder Swirl pattern. The North American cut material is hand-folded to prevent permanent creasing and excess wrinkling. Before installing, lay the liner out in the sun for a minimum of one hour to warm up the vinyl ensuring it is able to stretch when adding water. The best temperatures to install would be between 70-80 degrees.
- NO TROUBLE TO INSTALL - Overlap liners are draped over the walls of the pool during the installation process. Once the bottom seam is even near the cove, the liner is ready to be secured. This material is held in place through the use of coping strips prior to putting the top rails back onto the pool. Bead receivers are not needed for this type of liner. The liner is made to work with pools which have a flat bottom and wall heights of 48” or 52”. ***Will not work with Pop-Up pools***
2. Quality Pool Products 24’ Round Above Ground Pool Liner
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Up next, I have for you a 24’ round above ground pool liner from Quality Pool Products. This liner will be an excellent choice for your swimming pool because of its bold and vibrant hues. I bought these in a variety of patterns as I fell in love with the designs on them.
Product Highlights
If your swimming pool walls are of 42, 52, or 54 inches, then this pool liner will work perfectly for you. I used this for my pool walls of 54 inches, and the fitting was just perfect. Kudos to the brand for getting the sizing right!
Furthermore, I really love the bold and vibrant colors that this product offers. At the same time, it’s extremely durable and is made of 24 gauge vinyl which makes sure that these liners last longer than most comparable brands.
You can use it for pools up to 24’ in size, which means it can easily fit most medium-sized or large pools. Plus, I prefer liners which provide UV protection, and found this product incorporates built-in protection to guard your pool from harmful chemicals and UV radiation.
What’s There To Like About It?
What I really liked about this product is that it’s made from premium quality materials, and so it’s highly durable. This made sure no matter how long I used it, there was very little wear and tear due to exposure to weather.
Also, this liner is pretty easy to install, and I faced no hassles while installing it in my pool. At the same time, the flexibility of the product ensures that it can be used throughout summers as well as winters.
What’s There Not To Like About It?
A drawback of this pool liner is that it cannot be installed by one person alone. You will have to take the help of your friends and family members to get it in place. I installed this pool liner with the help of my husband and son, and now it works like a charm!
Pros and Cons of Quality Pool Products 24’ Round Above Ground Pool Liner
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3. Quality Pool Products 24’ Glimmerglass Pool Liner
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Up next, I have for you another wonderful product from the previous brand, which is ideal if you are looking for a unique pool liner. I am fond of vibrant colors when it comes to pool liners, and the Glimmerglass design of this product appealed to me immensely.
Product Highlights
To begin with, this above ground pool liner is ideal for pools of all sizes. This means, no matter the size of your pool, you’re sure to find a suitable sized liner for it.
Plus, its bold and vibrant hues make this pool liner unique from the other similar products available on the market. And as far as durability is concerned, the product is extremely hardy as it’s made up of heavy-duty virgin vinyl of 25 gauge thickness.
Further, this pool liner has been chemically coated to resist UV rays, and so there’s no risk of sun damage. Also, you’ll be glad to know that it is very easy to install, and comes with an affordable price tag.
What’s There To Like About It?
What I love about this above ground pool liner is it’s 25 gauge thick vinyl, which offers you high durability. It also provides excellent protection from UV rays and harmful chemicals. I have been using this for quite a few years now, and it is still working perfectly.
Further, since it offers unmatched versatility in terms of size and design, you can use multiple liners of the same brand to give your pool a designer feel. I recommended the same to my neighbor Mr. Cross, and he implemented the advice to great effects.
What’s There To Not Like About It?
My only gripe is that I wish they had provided the coping strips with the installation kit. I had to buy them separately, and this pushed up the overall cost of the product. But as far as the performance of this pool liner is concerned, I’m pretty much satisfied with it.
Pros and Cons of Quality Pool Products 24’ Glimmerglass Pool Liner
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4. Liner Life GP18R Pre-Cut Above Ground Pool Liner
The next above ground pool liner you can rely upon for protecting your swimming pool is this quality product from Liner Life. Based on my experience, this is a highly efficient product that gets the job done with ease. I also recommended it to a few of my friends, who loved its performance.
Product Highlights
This above ground pool liner is already pre-cut, which makes it relatively easy to install. You do not have to go through the hassles of measuring, cutting, and taping, as is the case with other pool liners. Further, there’s need to worry as this liner is perfectly sized to fit an 18-inch pool.
Moving forward, it is made from premium quality polyester geotextile material, and so it is highly durable. Such robust durability helps it protect my pool from damage by debris, grass, rocks, pebbles, and any such objects.
It protects the bottom of my pool so well that after installing this, I did not have to go through the hassles of replacing the vinyl liner. Moreover, it is manufactured to fit almost every shape. Whether you have a rectangular-shaped pool, an oval-shaped one or a round one, you can get this product for every shape.
What’s There To Like About It?
One of the best things that I loved about this above ground pool liner is that it prevents the debris from entering the pool and also protects it from damage by any sharp objects. Ever since I installed this pool liner, I don’t have to worry about cleaning it daily. Also, what I liked more is that it is pre-cut to fit the size of the swimming pool.
What’s There To Not Like About It?
I was a bit disappointed to see that the seams were noticeable once the pool was filled with water. Those who pay attention to such details might find this a bit disturbing. But, this product stands true to its claim of protecting your pool and keeping away debris.
Pros and Cons of Liner Life GP18R Pre-Cut Above Ground Pool Liner
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Cons
- ABOVEGROUND POOL LINER PAD – The Liner Life Pre-Cut Pool Liner Pad is specifically designed to protect the bottom of your aboveground pool.
- PRECUT TO SIZE – Liner Life pool padding is pre-cut for easy installation. It’s manufactured to fit most popular pool sizes, eliminating the need to measure, cut, and tape as one would with foam padding.
- PROTECTS POOL – Made of a high-quality, durable polyester geotextile material, this liner pad for swimming pools will help prevent grass, roots, rocks or other sharp objects from damaging your pool’s liner.
5. Harris HAB186 Overlap Above Ground Pool Liner
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Next, I have for you the HAB186 Overlap Above Ground Pool Liner from one of the leading brands, Harris. Previously, I had to install a liner clip beneath the top ledge of the pool. But, since I discovered this overlap liner, I haven’t had to go through all that trouble.
Product Highlights
First of all, this above ground pool liner is robust and resilient, thanks to its 20 gauge thick vinyl liner which offers protection against UV rays. Also, the seams of this above ground pool liner are double welded for further strength and longevity.
The durable build ensures that I can promise you one thing: this is a product that will last for a pretty long time. Furthermore, this ground pool liner is an ideal fit for 48 to 52-inch pool walls. What’s more, it is also resistant to cracks due to cold weather.
Another aspect that I like about this product is that it comes with an attractive warranty of 15 years, which I found pretty impressive. It is because of this reason that this pool liner is preferred by so many customers above comparable brands.
What’s There To Like About It?
I found the quality of this pool liner to be pretty impressive. Because it is double welded, it is strong and resilient. I was worried about whether or not it would be able to withstand the cold weather, but to my surprise, there weren’t any cracks even in extremely cold temperatures.
And the fact that it offers 15 years of warranty made me love this even more, which means you can reach out to Harris in case any issue crops up with it. It’s very rare to find a brand which stands behind its products for such a long time, but Harris certainly makes that cut.
What’s There To Not Like About It?
The only drawback of this pool liner is that it isn’t easy to install. I tried installing it by myself, but found that it’s rather impossible to go it alone. But once the installation is successful you won’t face any such difficulty in the performance. So, I recommend a pair of extra hands to help you put it in place.
Pros and Cons of Harris HAB186 Overlap Above Ground Pool Liner
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Buyers Guide
Choosing the right above ground pool liner is not that challenging if you take into account certain key factors before buying one. Bearing these factors in mind will help you in making an informed decision. Otherwise, you might just end up with the wrong one if you’re being hasty.
On that note, I’ve put together all the essential factors in this list that you must consider while buying an above ground pool liner.
1. Thickness
The first thing that you need to consider is the thickness of the pool liner. Most people tend to ignore this factor while buying a pool liner, but in my opinion, you shouldn’t count yourself among them.
Usually, above ground pool liners come in two types of thickness. The first is of 20 gauge thickness which is referred to as standard one, while the other of 25 gauge is considered to be the extra-durable one.
Going for a 25 gauge one will actually be a good decision for these are more durable than the 20 gauge variants and will also be able to withstand weather damage. Further, if you use the pool frequently, then a thicker one is certainly the better option.
2. Size And Shape
The worst blunder that you can commit while buying an above ground pool liner is to get one of the wrong size. Make sure you carefully measure the walls and circumference of the pool before you get the liner. In case the liner needs to be cut to fit your pool, do go about it very carefully.
If the product you’ve bought is small then it might not fit your pool, while oversized ones will accumulate debris. So, make sure you choose the correct size based on the dimensions of the pool. And in case you don’t want to go through the hassles of measuring and cutting, I suggest you go for the ones which are pre-cut. For pre-cut variants you just need to select the appropriate size of the pool liner, install it, and you will be good to go.
Also, please keep in mind the shape of your pool and choose according to it. Doesn’t matter if it is rectangular, circular, or oval; there are pool liners for every shape and size. So, bear in mind the shape of your pool while buying the product, and you’ll avoid a lot of hassle in the long run.
3. Color
The next thing that you must consider is the color of the pool liner. Pool liners are available in a variety of colors and styles on the market. But, before buying you must decide the color of the liner, all the while keeping in mind its functions.
If your children are going to spend their summers in the pool, it’s best to go for printed ones as they will be fascinated with the animal and marine life prints. And, if you are looking for something minimalistic, then I suggest you opt for a solid blue one. But, bear in mind that the wrinkles are fairly visible in solid color, and they also begin to fade away faster.
You can also go for dark color liners if you live in cold regions because it will help you to heat the pool by absorbing a decent amount of sunlight. And patterned ones will be great for a relaxing pool session, as they will also mask any dirt in the water and help its aesthetics.
4. Longevity
Above ground pool liners are a one-time investment, so before buying one, you must also consider their longevity. A liner will last for years only if you take proper care of the unit. As I’ve already mentioned before, do go with the 25 gauge variant if you’re looking for extra durability and long-term use.
The warranties usually cover manufacturing defects or seam separation, and do not cover damage due to wear and tear. So, make sure you buy a pool liner of premium quality and thick material. Also, it’s best to buy one made of virgin vinyl, because it will be highly durable and will last for years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Above ground pool liners can last for up to 10-15 years if you take proper care of them. However, without proper care, even though they come with a warranty of up to 20 years, they might begin to wear early. So, when you see the pool liners cracking or stretching, it’s high time you replace them.
You can make use of a pool patch kit to fix your leaking pool liner. Just locate the leaking area, empty the water from the pool, and use the kit to fix the leak.
If your above ground pool liner isn’t installed correctly, it might begin to crease. And, at times, even heavy rainfall can cause creasing.
My Final Recommendation
So, are you ready to dip into the pool this summer? Shoot ahead and choose the best above ground pool liner for your pool. While buying, make sure you choose according to your needs and preferences.
Before I sign off, I would like to tell you my favorites from the list. The Smartline Boulder Swirl is the best overall due to its impeccable performance. On the flip side, the Liner Life Pre-Cut Above Ground Pool Liner is amazing if you want a pre-cut pool liner for your pool.
That’s all for today. Bye, folks!