More than 5 million above-ground swimming pools are being recalled after reports of nine children drowning over a 15-year span.
The affected Bestway, Intex and Polygroup pools are 48 inches and taller and use compression straps that wrap around the pool on the outside of the support poles, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said in a notice on Monday. The straps “may create a foothold, allowing a child to access the pool and drown,” according to the CPSC. It warned that children can still gain access to the pools using the footholds, even if the ladder is removed.
The CPSC believes nine children between the ages of 22 months and 3 years old drowned after gaining access to the pools using the footholds. It said the incidents occurred in California, Texas, Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin and Missouri between 2007 and 2022.
“As part of this process, starting in 2023, the three companies began working with the CPSC and other safety advocates to update the safety standard for above-ground pools,” Bestway, Intex and Polygroup said in a joint statement. “The updated standard was finalized in May 2025 and aims to prevent unsupervised children from gaining a foothold on the products from compression straps that surround the outside of the pool legs.
The companies said “most above-ground pools 48 inches or taller in height currently being sold today have already addressed this concern,” and that the recall is being issued to “ensure that these changes can be applied to all above-ground pools sold since 2002 that are 48 inches or taller in height.”
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The recalled swimming pools have been sold since 2002, and most recently in 2025, at retailers nationwide, including Walmart, Target, Lowe’s, Home Depot, Costco and Amazon. About 266,000 of the now-recalled pools were sold in Canada.
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Brand names and model numbers of the affected products are printed on the pool liner outside the pool.
The CPSC said consumers should contact Bestway, Intex and Polygroup to receive a free repair kit that includes a rope that serves as a replacement for the compression strap. The agency said consumers should make sure children cannot access the pool without supervision or drain the pool until the repair is made.
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