An effective pool filter not only keeps your water clean and clear, but also removes contaminants, reduces chemicals and heat, and kills algae and bacteria from your pool.
We researched and tested pool filters from the top pool filter brands, evaluating ease of installation and maintenance, efficiency, and capacity. Our top pick, the INTEX 26643EG SX1500 Ground Pools, has a long-lasting cartridge filter and an extra large capacity, making it a great choice for larger pools.
Here are the best pool filters.
Best Sand Pool Filters: Editor Recommended
Our Editor’s Best Sand Pool Filters Reviews
- High-Quality Filtration: U.S. Silica Mystic White II Pool Filter Sand provides superior filtration for above ground and inground pools; This bag contains 50 pounds of high-purity white silica sand
- Convenient Packaging: Also available in packs and bags, making it easy to store and handle; Ideal for use with sand pool filter pumps, ensuring thorough cleaning of pool water
- Effective and Reliable: Consistent-sized pool filtration solution captures and removes dirt, dust, leaves, insects, moss, oil, cosmetics, gum, and other debris, ensuring your pool water remains clean
- Easy Application: Quality angular-shaped sand maximizes solid entrapment and ensures uniform flow to prevent clogging; Compatible with any standard pool filter system
- The U.S. Silica Expertise: For over 100 years, U.S. Silica has led the industrial silica and minerals industry with resilient, reliable, and innovative solutions.
- Crystal Clear Pool Water: Effectively captures leaves, dirt, dust, sunscreen oil, hair, and other small particles, ensuring your pool remains pristine and inviting all season long
- Superior Purity: Undergoes a rigorous washing and screening process, providing the purest 20-40 Sieve pool filter sand available; High-quality filtration means cleaner water and reduced maintenance time
- Safe & Natural Composition: Soft, clean, and free from chunks or harsh additives; Meets the standards for most pool filter pump brands, ensuring safe operation and a healthy swimming environment
- Innovative Technology: Produced with cutting-edge robotics and screening technologies, this filter sand offers a long-lasting solution for your pool’s filtration needs
- Generous Size: You’ll have more than enough to keep your pool functioning at its best as each bag fills an area of 18 square inches to a depth of 3 inches; Ideal for pool filters, molding, and building
- Silica Sand for Pool Filters: This sand has a uniform angular 99% pure silica formula to capture dirt and debris for superior pool water clarity. It’s ideal for in- and above-ground pool filters.
- High-Capacity Filtration System Sand: Our sand has a high dirt-holding capacity in the pool filter container. Its composition promotes water flow while reducing backwash for less cleaning and maintenance.
- Promotes Clear Pool Water: This silica sand has a low dust content to enhance clarity and reduce initial cloudiness, so you can swim, play, and make waves in pristine pool water.
- Planet-Conscious Design: Made without harmful chemicals, our silica pool-filter sand is a safe, planet-conscious system for pool filtration that also helps extend the filter’s life.
- A Standard of Excellence: Proudly made in the USA, Optiflow is crafted in our advanced facilities using complete logistics capabilities to provide a premium swimming pool experience.
- Package contains two bags of specialized pool filter sand, meticulously engineered to efficiently capture and eliminate a myriad of unwanted intruders, including leaves, dirt, and dust
- Meticulously craft it to meet the rigorous standards demanded by the majority of leading pool filter brands, providing an unparalleled filtration experience for your pool
- Chemical-free filter sand is purposefully designed to guarantee seamless backwash operations for sand pool filters. It ensures efficient and environmentally friendly filtration
- Crafted through cutting-edge robotics and advanced screening technologies, it serves as a long-lasting solution, ensuring a luxurious and velvety pool surface
- Specifically designed to efficiently fill an 18-square-inch space to a depth of 3 inches, making it a versatile choice for applications ranging from pool filters
- Premium Pool Pump Sand – Designed to enhance the cleanliness and appearance of your inground pool, our filter sand is compatible with all pool sand filtration systems. It effectively captures particles such as dirt, leaves, hair, and small debris.
- Residential or Commercial Pools – Classic Sand & Play pool sand is compatible with all sand filters for above and inground pools in commercial or residential spaces which means it can be used for your backyard pool or pools in hotels, RV campgrounds, and local municipalities.
- Clean, Efficient, and Clump Resistant – This silica filter sand provides smoother, cleaner operation and effectiveness with no harsh chemicals, chlorines, or additives so you can maintain an efficient filter without impacting pH balance.
- Helps Extend Filter Life – Pairing our pool pump sand with your filtration process can help keep your filter running more effectively throughout its lifespan which can help reduce repair costs and improve your overall filtration functionality.
- Pre-Washed for Enhanced Purity – Our high-quality sand for pool filters is pre-washed and kiln dried to remove any particles or impurities before it’s bagged and shipped, so you can be sure you’re adding reliable sand to your filtration system.
- Pool Filter Sand: SILURIAN Pool Filter Sand is an ideal choice for maintaining a clean and secure swimming environment
- Optimal Filtration: Each grain represents effective filtration at its finest, graded at an optimal 20 level (0.40mm to 0.55mm) for crystal-clear waters
- Meticulously Screened: Every grain is meticulously screened to ensure uniform size, guaranteeing a flawless filtration experience
- Angular Shape: With its angular shape, each particle acts as a warrior against debris, ensuring maximum filtration efficiency and leaving no contaminants behind
- Pristine Pool: Chemically inert, this sand plays nice with pool chemicals, maintaining a balance while keeping the environment in mind; Safely disposable, ensuring your pool stays pristine without harming the planet
- HYDROAERATION TECHNOLOGY BY INTEX -– Transforming the Above Ground Pool industry, by bringing revolutionary water aeration benefits such as improved circulation and filtration, improved water clarity, increased negative ions at the water surface
- EASY INSTALLATION – Just hook up hoses and plug in! This pump is a must have for any above ground pool up to 12,800 gal (Partial assembly required)
- 24 HOUR TIMER – The SX2100 has a built-in 24-hour timer with 2 to 12 hour pre-set cycles for automatic operation. The timer adds to the hassle-free experience with maintaining a cleaner pool
- 2100 GPH PUMP FLOW RATE – Water flow rate at pump (pump capacity): 2,100 gph (7,949 lph); in pool (system flow rate): 1,600 gph (6,056 lph); suitable for INTEX pools up to 12,800 gallons
- SAFETY, QUALITY and VALUE – Intex designs, builds, and tests all its products to the highest standards with safety the first order of business; our affordable and innovative products are built to last
- 2025 New Upgraded Cost-Effective: These pool filter media balls can efficiently replace traditional swimming pool filter sand. It is lighter, more eco-friendly, and more effective. What's more, filter balls won't clog your filter, high-quality fiber filter balls can extend the life of your sand filter pump for above ground pool. 3.1 pounds of filter balls are equivalent to 110 pounds of filter sand, which can meet your needs and replacement, provide a nice pool experience for you
- New Pool Filter Material: Pool filter balls are made of high quality eco-friendly polyester fiber. It not only has the advantages of strong adsorption capacity,high dirt interception capacity, and fast filtration speed, but also has a long service life, is reusable and has low water consumption, the swimming pool maintenance will improve extremely
- High Efficiency Filtration: These filter balls can filter tiny suspended solids that are not easy to settle and cottonwood pollen that fall into the pool, filter impurities as microns, and the filtration rate is higher than other sand filter media. perfect alternative to sand and filter glass, ensuring your pool water crystal clear, let you and your family enjoy the swimming pool more happily
- Reusable: Filter media balls are different from sand, these reusable filter balls are machine wash friendly and you can clean them whenever needed, and can be reused after cleaning. With proper care and handling, the swimming pool filter balls can last for several seasons, indispensable accessory for swimming pool.(never use clarifiers with these filter balls and check and clean your filter balls as needed usually once a month)
- Multipurpose: The pool cotton filter media balls suitable for sand filter pump for above ground pool and aquarium, fish tank, filter pump, etc, wide range of application, excellent filtration performance, lighter and more efficient than traditional filter sand. Reduce filter cleaning and maintenance work, saving a lot of time and energy
- 【New Eco-Friendly Pool Filter Ball】These fiber filter balls can perfectly replace the traditional pool filter sand, it is lighter, more environmentally friendly, and more effective than traditional sand filters. Moreover, they won't clog your filters, high-quality filter balls extend the service life of the filter. 3.1 lbs filter ball is equivalent to 100 lbs of filter sand, which can meet your needs and replacement.
- 【Premium Polyester Fiber Material】Pool sand filter ball is made of 100% eco-friendly polyester fiber. It not only has the advantages of strong adsorption capacity and fast filtration speed, but also has a long service life, can be reused, and low water consumption. It is a brand new swimming pool filtration material.
- 【Powerful Filtering Effect】These fiber filter balls can filter impurities as low as 5-3 microns, ensuring that your swimming pool remains clean and tidy; The filtration rate is much higher than traditional sand filtration media, giving you more time to enjoy the swimming pool！
- 【Machine Washable & Reusable】We provide a high-quality polyester fiber mesh bag for these filter balls, which you can place fliter ball in the fiber mesh bag and use a washing machine for cleaning. These fiber filter balls will make your pool cleaning effortless！
- 【Zero-Risk Purchase】We will provide you with a pleasant shopping experience and take responsibility for our products. If for any reason you aren't happy with your purchase, please contact us, we will quickly provide you with a satisfactory solution！
- Filter balls outperform traditional sand, lighter, eco-friendly, non-clogging, and prolong filter life. 4 lbs = 150 lbs of sand.
- Filter balls, 100% polyester, outperform sand, lighter, efficient. Fit all pools/aquariums, ease cleaning, more time to relax.
- Resilient filter balls handle heavy use, last long, perform reliably. Include wash bag, machine washable, reusable.
- Filter balls effectively trap tiny particles and pollen, outperforming sand for clearer pool water, ideal for family enjoyment.
- Filter balls fit various pool sand systems, ideal for pools, aquariums, ponds; ensure clear water for joyful family swims.
Best Sand Pool Filters Buying Guide
Before choosing the best sand pool filter you should consider the following options:
1. Sand Filter Size: The size of your sand filter will depend on the size of your pool.
Sand filters come in two sizes: standard size and oversized size.
Standard-sized sand filters usually measure 20 inches in diameter.
Sand filters with oversized tanks measure 22 inches in diameter.
If your pool is 24 inches or less in diameter, then you need a standard-sized filter. If your pool is 24 inches or more in diameter, then you need an oversized filter.
2. Flow Rate: Most sand filters have a GPM (gallons per minute) of between 5 and 15.
This number tells you the rate at which water will move through the filter. The higher the GPM, the more powerful the pump.
The higher the flow rate, the more powerful the suction of the pump. You will need a powerful pump if you have a large pool or one with a lot of water features.
You will need a less powerful pump if you have a small pool with few water features.
3. Suction Rate: This tells you the rate at which water will be drawn from your pool and into the filter.
The higher the suction rate, the more powerful the pump. You will need a powerful pump if you have a large pool, or one with a lot of water features.
You will need a less powerful pump if you have a small pool with few water features.
4. Sand Size: Pool sand comes in various sizes, depending on the application.
There are four grades of pool sand: standard, medium, coarse and ultra-coarse.
Standard sand is the most common and is used in all-purpose filters.
If you use your pool for swimming, then you will need a sand filter with standard sand.
If you use your pool for water play, such as water slides and splash pads, then you will need a sand filter with coarse or ultra-coarse sand.
The grade of sand you need will depend on the type of water play you have.
5. Tank Size: Your tank size will depend on the flow rate of your filter.
The higher the flow rate, the larger the tank. If you have a powerful pump, then you will need a larger tank.
What else you should know about the best sand pool filters
1. What are the best sand pool filters?
The best sand pool filters are those that are made of high-quality materials and that are designed to last. There are many different brands and models of pool filters on the market, so it is important to do your research to find the best one for your needs.
2. How do sand pool filters work?
The sand in the filter helps to trap dirt and debris in the water as it passes through the filter. The dirt and debris are then removed from the water when the filter is cleaned.
3. How often should I change the sand in my pool filter?
The sand in your pool filter should be changed every 3 to 5 years.
4. What are the pros and cons of sand pool filters?
Some pros of sand pool filters are that they are relatively low-maintenance, they are easy to backwash, and they are effective at trapping debris. Some cons of sand pool filters are that they can be difficult to clean, they can be less effective at trapping smaller particles, and they can require more frequent backwashing.
5. How do I choose the right sand pool filter for my pool?
There are a few things to consider when choosing a sand pool filter for your pool. The first is the size of your pool. The second is the type of pool you have. The third is the type of filtration system you have.
Conclusion
On the market, there are numerous best sand pool filters. Hopefully, the list of the top ten best sand pool filters will save you time researching and deciding on the best one for you.