As the summers pass and winter weather takes its toll, your pool liner can eventually fail. You often get a puncture or tear, sending all your pool water into your yard.
You can even find years of sunlight takes their toll, and your liner gives up.
However, that does not mean the whole pool has to be replaced; you need to swap the liner, and it will be ideal for your next swimming session in no time.
In our short reviews, you will discover numerous choices when buying a new pool liner. Here, we have the 5 best above-ground swimming pool liners to determine the best and add a new color splash to your pool. (Find the Best Robotic Pool Cleaner)
Contents
Why You Need a Good Above Ground Pool Liner
When you wish to know why you need an excellent above-ground pool liner replacement, it is best to understand what leads to their demise in the first place.
Use by swimmers: Above-ground pool liners take the abuse of pool users jumping in and out, pulling the coping strips, leaning on pool walls, and stretching out the vinyl.
Incorrect chemical disinfection: In their capacity to keep a pool sterile, chlorine tablets and pool chemicals are great. However, they are industrial-grade chemicals, and misusing them will degrade the lining.
UV damage: The sun is not merely the cause of sunburns; over time, UV rays make pool liners fade and bake. It can be worse if your pool is unfilled for any prolonged period.
Harsh weather: Storms, heavy rain, and snow on your pool cover can all stretch and pull at your pool liner. Any weak liner can suddenly fail during these times.
General age: Nothing lasts forever, and any above-ground exposed pool will expand and contract with changing temperatures. Vinyl welded seams weaken, and then above-ground pool liners spring a leak. (Find the Best Solar Pool Cover)
Top Above Ground Pool Liner Reviews
1. Smartline Stone Harbor 24-Foot Round Pool Liner | UniBead Style | 52-Inch Wall Height | 25 Gauge Virgin Vinyl | Designed for Steel Sided Above-Ground Swimming Pools | Universal Gasket Kit Included
Smartline Stone Harbor 12’x24’ Oval Above Ground Pool Liner has a super-lasting design. It calls for a snap or a hook as a uni-bead liner. Although flat-bottom pools of 52 inches will go perfectly with this liner, Intex and pop-up pools need other lining accessories.
The floor is made of iridescent marble tiles representing various shades of blue.
Thanks to the marble geometrical shapes, your pool can achieve a classic yet very outstanding look.
The hand-folded North American cut material avoids excessive wrinkling and permanent plucking.
The installment tip is to lay the liner under the sun for at least one hour to make it more flexible when adding water. 70 – 80 degrees ideal.
You will be given an extra skimmer gasket designed to avoid corrosion. Normal skimmers or Widemouth models can fit with the gasket. These parts are periodically replaced as they dry, resulting in leaks. (Learn How To Add Chlorine To Pool)
Pros
- Made from 100% virgin vinyl – 25 gauge
- Sun won’t cause color fading
- Easy to use and install
- 25-year warranty
Cons
- It can cause issues with sizing for some users
- May need several people to install
With a guide price of just under $365, the Smartline 25-gauge 24-round vinyl liner is one of the best pool liners you can find for this type of pool in this price range.
With no fading and a long warranty, that amounts to a top-rated uni-beaded liner for round pools.
2. Smartline Crystal Tile 18-Foot-by-33-Foot Oval Liner | UniBead Style | 54-Inch Wall Height | 25 Gauge Virgin Vinyl Material | Heavy-Duty Liners | Designed for Steel Sided Above-Ground Swimming Pools
Smartline Crystal Tile 18-Foot-by-33-Foot Oval Liner comes with a pattern of an enticing selection of silver and sapphire crystals set around the top of your swimming pool in a diamond ring.
The North American cut material is hand-folded to avoid irreversible creasing and wrinkling.
Lay the liner in the light, like other Smartline pool liners, to warm up the vinyl to ensure it will stretch while adding water.
The oval uni-bead liner is suitable for steel-sided pools with a flat bottom measuring 54”. If you have an overlap style pool, open the j-hook portion and slide this section over the pool wall.
It uses high-quality materials and can withstand many abrasions, chemicals, and UV fading thanks to Lamiclear technology. Layers are an acrylic topcoat, a UV-resistant print layer, and a 100% virgin vinyl base. It is double welded and cut for a near-perfect fit and finish.
Pros
- 25-year guarantee
- Made from 100% virgin vinyl
- Uses Lamiclear technology for fade-free use
- Easy to use
Cons
- It doesn’t work with Intex or Pop-Up pools
- Upper ring design not to everyone’s taste
With a guide price of just under $550, this replacement liner is more expensive, yet when you consider you have 25 years of trouble-free swimming, it works itself out.
It is easy to install and functions well, although the bottom design may appeal more than the top ring.
3. Smartline Tuscan 24-Foot Round Pool Liner | UniBead Style | 52-Inch Wall Height | 25 Gauge Virgin Vinyl Material | Strong and Durable Liners | Designed for Steel Sided Above-Ground Swimming Pools
Smartline Tuscan 24 Round Pool Liner comes in 25 Gauge Virgin Vinyl Material and a triangle and rhombus shapes pattern to form chevron waves in the Tuscan liner print.
You will find the North American cut virgin vinyl hand-folded to stop permanent creases and excess wrinkling. Then, like others, lay in the 70-80-degree sun for over an hour before you add water.
Measure twice, buy once, so make sure you make your measurements correct. Pool height is determined from the outside wall from the ground to below the top rail. Round pool size will be measured from the center point wall to wall for the diameter.
The 24’ round uni-bead liner works suits flat-bottoms pools measuring 52”. For overlap pools, open the j-hook and slip over the pool wall. However, this liner doesn’t work with Intex or Pop-Up pools.
Pros
- 25-year guarantee
- Quick and easy to install
- Uses Lamiclear technology for fade-free swimming
- Touch acrylic topcoat
Cons
- We May need several people to install
- Won’t work with all pool types
With a guide price of just under $330, you get a great quality pool liner, one of the best above-ground pool liners for 24 feet pools.
4. HARRIS 21’ Round Overlap, Boulder Swirl, 25 Gauge Above Ground Pool Liner
These 21 feet round overlap liner from Harris is made of virgin vinyl of professional-grade quality. The liner boasts a stunning design that lasts decades, ensuring you need another liner in the foreseeable future.
The best feature is to use this flat-pooled product with 21 feet pools with sidewalls of 48 to 52 inches.
The linear features a pad for stopping rocks, sand, and grass from puncturing your pool. The 25-gauge liner comes with a 25-year guarantee, like the 20 gauge. So you can quickly install the liner by yourself without the need to hire anyone.
Pros
- Prevents UV rays
- Easy to install
- Great design
- Fits a range of pool wall heights
Con
- An extremely light liner
- Not as durable as other fabrics
With a guide price of just over $310, the Harris pool liner can be an excellent choice for pools that use the overlap pool design v bead pool design.
5. Smartline Waterfall 18-Foot-by-33-Foot Oval Liner | Overlap Style | 48-to-52-Inch Wall Height | 25 Gauge Virgin Vinyl | Designed for Steel Sided Above-Ground Swimming Pools
Smartline Waterfall 18-Foot-by-33-Foot Oval Liner has a super-lasting design. It uses a uni-bead design and is suitable for flat-bottom pools with walls of 48 to 52 inches. Unfortunately, it will not work with Intex and pop-up pools.
The floor is made of squiggly lines and topped by a waterfall pattern surrounding the upper ring. Your pool will achieve a classic yet very outstanding look. The hand-folded North American cut material avoids excessive wrinkling and permanent plucking. (Read Under Pool Guide)
Lay the liner under the sun for at least one hour to make it more flexible when adding water.
Pros
- Heavy-duty 25-gauge virgin vinyl
- UV protection
- Great timeless design
- 25-year guarantee
Cons
- Expensive
- No pool pad included
With a rough guide price of under $400, this pool liner designed for steel-sided pools can make your pool a thing of beauty. It has much flexibility in overlap liners compared to a beaded pool liner.
Best Above Ground Pool Liner Buying Guide
Here is all the lowdown on types of above-ground liners, buying one, and installing above-ground pool liners.
Overlap Pool Liners
The most common vinyl liner option is easy to install during the most economical for an affordable replacement liner.
Place the liner in the pool center and stretch the edges over the top of the pool walls, and clip it in place with coping strips.
Beaded Pool Liners
Here, there is a bump along the liner’s top edge; you may hear the term snap bead or standard bead liners. With these, you tuck edges into a track along the pool wall.
Overlap pool liners are economical but can be fiddly to install. Make sure the liner fits with sufficient overhang.
Beaded liners are easier to install as they snap into place easier. However, installing the track can be cumbersome in some cases.
Size & Shape?
Take care when you measure from separate points. For example, run the measure from the inside to the inside wall and height to the top.
Thickness?
Pool liners come in two thickness levels. 20 gauge is standard, and 25 gauge is heavy-duty.
Color?
Pool liners are in a variety of styles and colors. Plain blue show wrinkles and dirt.
Patterns hide folds and debris. So make sure the pattern doesn’t dazzle when filled with water.
Durability
If careful, you can get around 10 years, though thinner 20-gauge may last a few seasons.
Extended warranties are comforting, yet they often only cover seam separation and manufacturing defects, not damages. Virgin vinyl means they contain no recycled materials.
Final Verdict
When compiling these reviews for above-ground pool liners, there was a lot to consider. Even though many are similar, there are little things that make certain ones stand out.
The Smartline Stone Harbor 24-Foot Round Pool Liner | UniBead Style | 52-Inch Wall Height | 25 Gauge Virgin Vinyl | Designed for Steel Sided Above-Ground Swimming Pools | Universal Gasket Kit Included sealed it.
Thanks to the gasket kit, the heavy gauge thickness of the material with UV protection fits one of the most common pool sizes. It was a clear winner. Besides, the pattern is classic, and neither the underwater design nor above the waterline will appear out of place at any stage of your liner’s life.
You also have the comfort of the uni-bead fitting and the backup of the 25-year warranty. It is easily the best above-ground pool liner for 24-foot round pools.
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