Should I buy a fibreglass or concrete pool?

[#1]

We went with a fibreglass pool. We’ve had three friends all install fibreglass pools in the past few years and are happy. They look great. Don’t worry about what other people think. Just get the pool that suits your needs and location. And, of course, your budget.

We ended up tossing up between Compass and Leisure Pools. Both seemed great and came recommended. We ended up with Leisure because the builder was fantastic and they had a shape that really suited the spot.

Be a little wary of the self-cleaning systems. I’m sure they are fantastic time savers but add a fair bit to the cost of the pool. In comparison, robot cleaners are really cheap and effective. If something goes wrong on the self-cleaning system, it could be expensive and difficult to fix. With a robot, you just chuck it out and get another one. - Kermit

I had to make this decision recently and went with fibreglass. The only reason I would've gone concrete is for a custom design, otherwise there's really no advantage in my opinion.

I got the shape I wanted, a great colour, simple install and a great price. I found there's more room to hustle a better price with fibreglass because there's less labour involved.

Wouldn’t bother with self cleaning unless your pool is huge and is likely to get more dirty than you can handle. Self cleaning is added cost upfront and creates another thing that can go wrong with your pool in future, which adds more costs again.

Personally I'd be putting the money into paving, landscaping, features, furniture, etc - ProjectPete

Here's our fibreglass pool going in. It was an exciting day! Here's our pool 18 months later. No complaints on the choice we made. We were happy with a standard shape so didn't need to consider concrete. Fibreglass has been easy to maintain and easy to get to a lovely temperature. We are in Melbourne and get to swim from September through to April thanks to solar heating on the roof and a good quality solar blanket. - Jason

I was in the fibreglass industry for 45 years. If I did not know the solution to a problem there probably wasn't one. Concrete or fibreglass. I have over the years heard this maybe a thousand times and my answer is this. Get the design and price that suits you best if it's concrete fine and same with fibreglass.

If the concrete one does develop minute cracks after a few years in the ground don't worry have it skinned with fibreglass. No more cracks, etc. If it's done properly it will last you many many years to come. - John1

I just wanted to add some info regarding the self cleaning pool. We have a 27K litre pool fibreglass with the in floor cleaner and are very happy with it. No connecting up a robot in bad weather and no emergency cleaning at the last minute. I find it fantastic. Runs during the day off the solar. We also have the heater which extends our season. - stewiesnr

We have seen a fiberglass self cleaning pool and it seems a ripper. These jets pop out the bottom and move all the water and leaves around. Some mates think they are cheap looking compared to concrete but it seems they have improved a lot.

We were thinking we would rather save a bit of cash and put it into landscaping, glass fencing and paving. - MartyH

Shipping container pools are potentially cheaper than both fibreglass and concrete, especially if you have a tricky block to work with. Interesting article here - https://www.domain.com.au/living/shipping-container-pools-804142/

- Isobel

[ponga3]

just had a 7x4m compass fibreglass pool installed with the self ckean system and it is amazing, has stayed clean and havnt had to touch it for a month now other then empty out the basket. also the self cleaning system uses less power and chemicals so it will save you money down the track.

[MitchellMc]

That sounds wonderful, @ponga3. It's really interesting to read about everyone's experiences here.

Thanks for sharing.

Mitchell