KEY POINTS:
Our Voting Panel - The Hancocks of Whenuapai
The Verdicts
Cheapest: Kids' sport pool, The Warehouse ($38.93)
"Although it was the smallest pool, it was the most popular with the kids - they loved it. It was the easiest to blow up. While all three children could get into it at once, they couldn't swim in it. It's more of a toddlers' pool."
Best Value: Circular pool, Plastic Box ($39.99)
"Mum's favourite! It was an attractive metallic blue pool that was easy to inflate and relatively easy to fill. Quite a good size - deep enough for the kids to splash around in but didn't require an excessive amount of water. The dog loved it too."
Other: Rectangular fish pool, Mitre 10 ($69.78)
"This was a great pool, but it took forever to inflate. It has three different chambers that need to be inflated separately. It used a lot of water that had to be emptied out at the end of the day, not a practical option for us. And it was challenging to drain. It was the biggest pool at 305cm x 183cm x 36cm so it almost needed to be fenced. It came with a lot of safety instructions."
Expert Tip
Take a deep breath, exhale - and repeat. The relaxation ritual also comes in handy to inflate children's paddling pools during summer.
A backyard oasis helps littlies cool off and can provide a refreshing footbath for grown ups.
But be aware, says Water Safety New Zealand operations manager Matt Claridge, to properly supervise children around water, fence the pools when required and empty and store paddling pools when they are not in use.
"They are brilliant fun and we don't want to see them not being sold in New Zealand," says Mr Claridge.
"It's just realising and acknowledging that there have been drownings in inflatable pools and paddling pools."
The authority and retailers together created stickers to help educate the public about paddling pool safety. An additional awareness-raising package is set to be launched mid-year.
