Metal-frame pool
Also called: frame pool, steel-frame pool, soft-side pool.
A metal-frame pool is an above-ground pool that hangs a soft liner on a steel tube frame. Against an inflatable-ring Easy Set it gives more depth and a real rectangular swim area, at the cost of a longer, fiddlier build.
Why it matters
Expect a genuine assembly job, an afternoon or more, and expect it to be unforgiving about square. Like every above-ground type it fails on unlevel ground, so level the pad first. It is semi-seasonal, and the maker decides the winter: Intex says a soft-side pool comes down when the temperature drops below 41°F. If it stays up, it takes a ratchet-strap fabric winter cover, because scrim covers are cut for a wide steel-wall top rail. Intex also says not to set the pool up on a deck, balcony or platform, which may collapse under the weight of the filled pool.
In numbers
A scrim cover's spec is thread count, 7×7 up to 14×14. A frame-pool cover publishes denier instead (420D, 500D) plus the tie-down: straps round the pool's legs, or a ratchet cranked against the curve.