Go big or go home! Probably a pretty accurate mantra for most pool owners. If we are investing in a backyard oasis for our home, we want to be sure that it’s suitable for birthdays, parties, and family get-togethers. Above-ground pools can be absolutely massive and in this article, I’ll go over the biggest sizes in the market per type of pool to answer what is the biggest above ground pool size?
The biggest above-ground pool size is 33 ft. diameter round at 855 sq. ft. or 21’x43′ oval-shaped pool at 903 sq. ft. These pools are 54″ deep along the walls and will hold approximately 25,000 gallons of water. The largest size soft wall pools like the Intex Ultra XTR Frame is 32′ x 16′ with 52″ walls with a water capacity of 14,000 gallons.
These are, of course, huge pools and they may not be exactly the size you need. If you would like to jump more in-depth about various above-ground pool sizes, check out my article, what size above ground pool should I get? For the rest of this article, I’ll “dive” deeper into these massive above-ground pool models to help you make the best decision for your home.
How Many People Can Fit in a 33′ or 21’x43′ Above Ground Pool?
A huge amount of people can fit into these pools. You could easily have a party with 15-20 adults in these pools playing games and having fun. Of course, with that many people things will be tighter but there will still be ample room to feel comfortable while socializing and playing.
Personally, we have never had an above-ground pool of this size at any of our homes, simply because we didn’t need a pool this big. These pools are really perfect for the family and home that hosts a lot of parties and get-togethers. If that’s you, then this is the size to go for. If you want to go the opposite to a smaller pool that will be easier to maintain you can look to at my article here to see if an 18 foot above ground pool would be big enough for your needs.
The other reason you would choose to get one of these huge size above-ground pools is for swimming. While this isn’t optimal for extremely serious swimmers, these sizes will work great for getting some laps in an above-ground pool. In my typical recommendations for those looking to get a pool, I will recommend inground pools for lap swimming but if you do get one of these big boys for your home, you’ll have no problem as the 20’x40′ is comparable to the most popular diving pool size for inground pools.
Please note you can not dive into any above-ground pool. Even if you get an expandable liner to make the pool deeper, it will not be deep enough for diving.
What are the Largest but Cheapest Above Ground Pools?
Cheap is subjective but if you want something with size but don’t want to make a huge investment you’ll want to take a look at the soft wall above-ground pools from Intex, Bestway, and Summer Waves. These pools are not going to break the budget and have a lifespan of 4-5 years when taken care of.
Intex has the massive 32’x16′ with 52″ walls that I mentioned earlier for $2,799.95 and Bestway offers something slightly smaller at 31.4’x16′ with 52″ walls for a much cheaper price at $1,899.99.
In my opinion, inground pools are absolutely the way to go if you can afford it. If you are considering an above-ground pool the metal options are great for the price, longevity, and durability of the product. If you are a first-time above-ground pool owner or living somewhere that you may not be for a long time then go with the soft-walled options. You can always upgrade after a few years and if your pool is in good shape these soft wall pools are relatively easy to resell.
Comparing The Largest Above Ground Pools To Other Sizes
If you have decided that you want to get one of these huge above ground pools but don’t have the space. Stepping down in size to the 31′ diameter pool or a bit smaller on an oval pool isn’t going to make a huge difference to the number of people you can fit into your pool. The size difference isn’t going to keep you from having the same amount of people in the pool during a party that you would with the bigger size. The difference would just be the amount of space around each person would be slightly tighter.
But again, with this giant size of a pool that we are talking about you really aren’t going to notice. So, if you can’t get the biggest size because of the available space in your backyard just isn’t there. Don’t lose any sleep over it, get the biggest size that you can afford or that will fit in your yard.
Here is what a pool owner on Facebook said about their 33′ round pool,
33 round and I’m not sure we could have gone bigger with what pool factory was offering at the time. The size is both amazing and ridiculous at the same time
Anonymous, Facebook Above Ground Pool Owners GroupWe didn’t *need* all that space but it’s nice to have at times, doesn’t really make maintenance harder however the size is the reason I won’t do a solar cover though I’d love to. It would just be too much bubble wrap to wrestle every day.
Closing thoughts about What is the Biggest Above Ground Pool Size You Should Get
There are a ton of options if you are going to go with a large pool. You can save money by buying your pool kit online and setting it up yourself. This is of course easier done with the Intex and other soft wall pools. You can look at my compiled article about pool manufacturers to check the various options out there for you.
If you decide you want to go big and want to go deep, I think that’s wise and I would look at a company like Doughboys which specialize in getting above-ground pools to 7.5 feet deep or shallower with their custom expandable liners and pool kits. A professional setting it up will be a foot or foot and a half deeper than you’ll get with just the standard expandable liner. I think this makes sense if you are getting one of these large above ground pools with metal walls. The investment of building a deck around it with a deep end for feet-first jumping would be well worth the money spent.