The Pool On Paper

The 28270 is a rectangular frame pool with puncture-resistant 3-ply sidewalls and a zinc-plated, powder-coated metal frame. Capacity is 1,662 litres (about 439 gallons), which is a useful number to know if you're on a water meter: at average UK rates you're looking at roughly £5 to £6 to fill it. The frame has four corner seats rated for 70 kg each, so adults can perch without anything bending.

It comes with a drain plug that connects to a standard garden hose for emptying, and Intex quotes a 30-minute setup time. Crucially, no filter pump is included at this price. If you want to keep the water clean for more than a couple of days you'll need to budget for the Intex C100 cartridge filter (around £45) and chlorine tablets on top.

For a UK garden, the 60cm depth means it's deep enough that adults can sit and submerge most of their body, but shallow enough that small children can still stand. The 220 x 150 footprint suits patios where a 3-metre pool would overhang or block paths.

Where The Bad Reviews Come From (And It's Almost All The Same Thing)

Read the 24 one-star reviews end to end and a pattern jumps out fast. They split into two complaints, and both are quality-control failures rather than design flaws.

The first is leaks straight out of the box. A buyer in May 2026 wrote, "Arrived today put up starting filling and there's a hole on the side so it's leaking." Another in June 2025: "As soon as it was filled with water a pinhole leak was found in it." One repeat customer was emphatic: "I've bought two of these and both had a leak. Useless." Around a dozen one-star reviews mention this exact issue, and several of them report the leak appeared before the pool was even used.

The second is missing parts, specifically the side leg poles. Buyer after buyer reports opening the box short of one or two of the smaller side legs. "Brought for my son for a party put it together to find a vertice pole was missing from the box," wrote one frustrated parent. Another: "Pool is good but it came with a missing pole for the short side." This appears to be a packing issue: the smaller leg tubes nest inside the larger frame tubes during packaging, and some boxes are shipped without them inserted.

The crucial point about that second category is that several reviewers found the "missing" parts were actually hidden inside the larger frame tubes, wrapped in plastic. One five-star reviewer flagged it: "Instructions could tell you that the leg tubes are inside the frame tubes. We missed 2 of these as stuck inside as wrapped in plastic. We spent ages trying to find them thinking missing parts." Before you fire off a return, check inside the longer poles.

Now The Good News: When It Works, It Really Works

Fifty-eight of the most recent 100 reviews are five stars, which is the same proportion you'd see on most well-loved Amazon products. The longevity stories are striking when they appear.

One 5-star reviewer from June 2025 (the most-helpful review in the recent batch, with 35 helpful votes): "We've had this pool for 3 years now and have used it for 5 months continuously each year. Apart from a little inner surface rust on the frame, it still looks brand new." Another: "We have had this pool for 7 years, it's like new no tears or leaks and essential for hot summer days." Those are not outliers. Multiple reviewers report two-, three- and five-summer use with the pool stored properly over winter.

The consistent praise points are space, sturdiness and value. "Sturdy pool, plenty of room for 4 kids to play," said one five-star buyer. Another: "Had 7 kids in at one stage no problem." The rectangular shape gets specific praise from people who'd previously owned round paddling pools: "The rectangular design gives more usable swimming space compared to round pools."

For the price, this is rare. Most rectangular frame pools at this size cost £100 or more. A 4-star reviewer summarised the trade-off cleanly: "Worth £70 but in hindsight wouldn't have paid £100." That's the price-to-quality sweet spot the 28270 sits in.

The Drainage Complaint Nobody Should Ignore

There's one design gripe that comes up across multiple star ratings, not just the negative reviews. The drain plug is mounted partway up the side of the pool, not at the bottom. That leaves several inches of water at the base that won't drain through the hose.

A 4-star reviewer put it neatly: "Great size pool and saves on water. Been tested by 10 kids, 2 dogs, myself and still going strong. My only gripe like other reviewers is the draining hole, 10 cms lower and it would be the perfect pool." Another two-star buyer said: "Such a shame the drain hole isn't lower. With the size of the pool there's no way I could tilt it or even create waves to drain out to then lift. Not sure what the solution is other than to bail out about half a tonne of water by bucket."

This isn't a defect, it's the design. The workaround most owners use is either a small submersible pump to clear the last few centimetres, or tilting the pool by lifting one corner once the frame is partly collapsed. If you're not prepared to do that, factor in £20 for a cheap submersible drainage pump before you buy.

Setup Reality: The 30-Minute Claim

Intex advertises a 30-minute setup. The reviews say this is broadly true but conditional. A four-star buyer flagged the catch: "It's definitely a two man job to construct and does NOT take 30mins. Much longer is needed to build." Another five-star buyer was more positive: "Took me about half hour to build myself once everything out the box."

The consensus reads like this. Two people working together with clear instructions: 30 to 45 minutes for the frame, plus 4 hours minimum to fill from a garden hose. One person working alone: closer to an hour, especially if you're unpacking the leg poles from inside the frame poles for the first time.

One specific gotcha worth flagging is ground prep. The 3-ply liner is described as puncture resistant but it's not invulnerable. A 4-star reviewer warned: "Definitely make sure your surface is pebble free as anything sharp will easily pierce the pool, but repair kit has worked well and have only had to patch once." Lay a tarp or a foam tile groundsheet underneath. Several long-term owners credit that habit for the multi-year service life they've got out of theirs.

The Size Question For UK Gardens

One reviewer raised a footprint issue worth knowing about. The pool itself is 220 x 150 cm but the legs splay outward when assembled. A 1-star reviewer with 2 helpful votes flagged it: "It says 2 by 3 M however the area you need to set this pool is 2.60 by 3.60 M as the legs extend out of 2 by 3."

That reviewer was talking about the larger 300 x 200 model, but the principle applies here too. The 220 x 150 pool needs roughly 270 x 200 cm of flat, clear ground to accommodate the leg spread. Measure your patio or lawn before you order. Also check the surface is level: several collapse reports trace back to uneven ground putting asymmetric stress on the frame.

The depth is generous at 60cm. One reviewer who bought the larger model warned: "Be aware that the larger one is also deeper so I've ordered some steps for the kids." The 28270 sits at a height where small children can reach over the side, but bigger kids may want a step stool if they want to climb in rather than swing a leg over.

What You'll Actually Spend Beyond £69.51

The headline price is for the pool only. Realistic running costs for a UK family using it for a summer:

Filter pump (Intex C100 cartridge, recommended): around £45. You can skip this if you only plan to use the pool for a long weekend and empty it, but anything longer than 4 days and the water will go cloudy.

Chlorine tablets and water test strips: about £15 to £20 for a season's supply.

Filter cartridge replacements: £3 each, changed every 2 to 3 weeks per the most-helpful long-term reviewer.

Pool cover: £15 for a basic one, £30 for the Intex bubble solar cover that actually keeps the water warmer overnight.

Foam tile groundsheet: £10 to £15 for a 2 x 2 metre coverage.

Drainage pump (optional): £20 to fix the drain-plug-too-high problem.

All in, you're looking at £160 to £190 for a properly equipped setup that will run all summer. Still cheap compared to a hot tub, and the multi-year owners suggest the per-summer cost works out at well under £50 if you store it properly.

Should You Buy It?

The Intex 28270 at £69.51 is a yes for UK families who:

Have a smaller garden where a 3-metre pool would dominate the space. The 220 x 150 footprint is the sweet spot for a typical terraced or semi-detached garden.

Are willing to inspect on arrival. The leak and missing-parts complaints are real but happen to a minority. Open the box, check inside the larger frame tubes for the smaller leg poles, and run a quick visual over the liner before you start filling. If anything is wrong, Amazon's returns process is straightforward.

Don't mind the drainage workaround. Either accept that you'll bail or tilt the last few centimetres, or budget £20 for a submersible pump.

It's a no for buyers who want a fit-and-forget summer pool with no setup faff, who have an uneven surface they can't level first, or who want a guarantee against the bad-batch lottery the recent reviews suggest is in play.

For everyone in the first camp, the 28270 is the cheapest entry point to a proper frame pool you'll find that has any track record. Three and seven-year owners aren't anomalies, they're consistent enough across the review pile to be plausible. The trick is being part of that group, and the steps above are how you stack the odds.