Buy your natural swimming pool online: how to compare kits and equipment without making a mistake

Ordering a natural swimming pool online may seem strange: we are talking about a project covering several dozen square metres, tonnes of gravel and live plants. Yet many of our customers now buy their liner, pump, skimmer and plants online, after taking the time to compare them at home. Choosing a natural swimming pool online is not about choosing a photo: it is about checking that a set of equipment is compatible with your water volume, planted area and maintenance routine. Here is the method we recommend for comparing options without making a mistake.

Complete kit or separate components?

There are two ways to buy. The complete kit includes the liner, underlay, pump, skimmer, piping and sometimes the plants, sized for a given pond size. This is reassuring, but a kit designed for a “standard” pond does not always match the shape of your land or the distance between the swimming area and the planted regeneration zone. Separate components require a little more thought, but allow you to adjust each element to your project and choose brands whose replacement parts are easy to find. In both cases, the rule is the same: start with your plan, not the catalogue.

What to prepare before comparing

Have four figures to hand: the total water volume, the surface area of the swimming zone, the surface area of the planted regeneration zone, and the height difference between the pump and the water return point. Without them, it is impossible to determine whether a pump or skimmer is suitable. Also note the distance between the swimming zone and the planted regeneration zone: it determines the length and diameter of the pipes, and therefore the head losses.

The product-sheet review grid

The pump, the biggest long-term expense

In a natural pool, the pump runs continuously throughout the season. Its energy consumption therefore matters more than its purchase price. Always compare the actual flow delivered at your system’s pumping height, and the power consumed at that operating point: this is the only fair comparison between two pumps. Reputable manufacturers publish a performance curve; if it is missing, ask for it.

Liner, gravel, plants: what travels well and what does not

A large EPDM liner is heavy but can be delivered without difficulty. Gravel, on the other hand, is almost always ordered locally: transporting it over long distances quickly costs more than the material itself. Aquatic plants travel well if shipped in the right season and planted upon arrival; organize your project so the regeneration zone is ready to receive them on the delivery day.

Promises that should alert you

• “Zero maintenance”: a natural pool requires little maintenance, not none.
• “Crystal-clear water from the first week”: biological start-up actually takes a season.
• A tiny planted area for a large swimming zone, without additional filtration.
• Chemicals included in a kit described as “natural”.

After purchase: support matters as much as price

During the first year, you will have questions: cloudy water, filamentous algae, a noisy pump, plants turning yellow. A seller who answers the phone, offers water tests, and knows the products they sell will save you far more than a few euros off. This is also why we are committed to keeping a physical store in Nodebais alongside the online shop.

Also read

Before you decide: The advantages of an ecological swimming pool and natural swimming.

READ THE ARTICLE

Frequently asked questions

— Can you buy a complete natural swimming pool online?

Yes, as a kit or as individual components. Gravel is generally ordered locally, and the design must be adapted to your site.

— What information is most often missing from product data sheets?

The pumps' flow/head curve and the maximum surface area treated by the skimmers. Without them, it is impossible to make a serious comparison.

— Is a kit with a filter and UV a natural swimming pool?

Not in the strict sense: a natural swimming pool relies on a planted regeneration zone. Filters and UV can complement it, but not replace it.

— How can you be sure that the equipment is compatible?

Starting with your volume, surface areas, and delivery head, and having the list checked by an advisor before ordering.

In summary

• Start with your plan: volume, surface areas, delivery head, distances.
• Compare pumps at the actual operating point and in continuous consumption.
• Demand complete technical data sheets: liner material and thickness, skimmer surface area.
• There is no natural swimming pool without a genuine planted zone; avoid “zero maintenance.”
• Advice and spare parts are often worth more than a discount.

Last updated: September 29, 2026.