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—Comparing the options

Plunge pool or full-size pool

A plunge pool cools and soaks in a small footprint; a full-size pool swims. The garden and the use decide it.

A plunge pool is a compact pool built for cooling off and soaking rather than swimming lengths, and it fits a garden where a full pool would not. A full-size pool allows proper swimming but needs the length and the equipment to go with it. The decision is mostly about space and what the pool is for.

Comparison guides set out how two pool options differ and when an owner might prefer one over the other.

The running costs and the equipment scale with the water and the plant, so a plunge pool is cheaper to run and easier to cool. The trade-off is that it cannot serve laps or a large family all swimming at once, which a full-size pool can.

01Summary

What matters most here

  • The space

    A plunge pool fits a small garden; a full-size pool needs the length.

  • The use

    Plunge pools cool and soak; full-size pools swim and play.

  • Running cost

    A plunge pool has less water and plant, so it costs less to run and cool.

02Detail

What each option involves

  • Plunge pool

    A compact pool, often with cooling, built for soaking rather than laps.

  • Full-size pool

    A pool long enough to swim, with the equipment sized to the water.

  • Equipment

    Both need a pump and filter, sized to the water and the use.

03Before you start

Before choosing

  • Measure the garden

    Whether a full-size pool fits, or only a plunge pool.

  • Say how it will be used

    Cooling off, family play or swimming lengths.

  • Think about running cost

    A plunge pool cools and runs for less.

—In practice

How to use this

Decide from the garden size and the use. A plunge pool fits a small garden and costs less to run and cool, but cannot serve laps or a large family swimming at once. A full-size pool needs the length and the equipment to go with it. Say what the pool is actually for before choosing.

Mistakes worth avoiding

A full pool that will not fit
A pool chosen for laps that will not fit the garden wastes the space. Measure first.
A plunge pool for a swimming family
A plunge pool cannot serve a family that wants to swim and play. The use decides the size.

04FAQ

Common questions about this

Is a plunge pool cheaper to run?
Usually, because it holds less water and needs smaller plant, so the pumping and cooling cost less than a full-size pool.
Can a plunge pool be heated?
Yes, and because it is smaller it heats and cools faster, so temperature control is cheaper than on a large pool.
Which is better for a small garden?
A plunge pool. It does the cooling and soaking job of a pool in a footprint a full-size pool would not fit.

05Read next

More pool guides on this

Filed under new pool construction. Every pool guide is listed on the pool guides page.

—NEXT

Choosing the pool size?

Tell us the garden size and how the pool will be used. We will advise between a plunge and a full-size pool.

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