INNOVATION STORY · NON-INFLATABLE POOL
Rethinking the Backyard Pool
From a rough prototype to a pool that unfolds in seconds.
“In 2020, we asked a simple question: Could a pool work without inflation?”
Could a Pool Work Without Inflation?
In 2020, while looking at how consumers used backyard pools, we kept seeing familiar frustrations. Inflatable pools required inflation, deflation and careful storage. Traditional frame pools offered greater structure, but added assembly and disassembly.
Instead of simply improving either format, we asked a different question: Could there be another way?
That question became the starting point for our non-inflatable pool.
The First Version Didn't Work.
Our first prototype proved the idea was possible—but it was far from a finished product.
Early versions could deform under water pressure. Some structures were too heavy, difficult to fold or inefficient to manufacture. Stability, material performance, leakage, weight, production efficiency and cost all had to work together.
Over the next two years, we tested different materials, structures and production methods, building and refining approximately 20–30 prototypes before reaching a commercially viable design.
From Prototype to Product.
By 2022, the concept had become a commercial product. The final Gen 1 structure used internal HDF support to give the pool its shape without relying on an inflatable air chamber.
It could be unfolded for use, drained after use and folded again for storage—turning the original question into a product that could be manufactured at scale.
No pump. No inflation. No traditional frame assembly. Simply unfold the pool, position it, and it's ready to fill.
Protected Across Key Markets.
As the product moved from development to market, COMCO also began protecting the innovation and related designs across key markets.
Our intellectual-property portfolio for the non-inflatable pool includes registrations in markets such as the United States, Germany, Japan and China, reflecting continued investment not only in product development, but also in protecting the ideas behind it.
One Idea Didn't Stop at One Product.
The original design wasn't the end of the idea. We continued exploring how the non-inflatable concept could work with different shapes, structures and use cases.
The next evolution introduced an oval format, steel-supported construction and an optional tent—extending one original idea into a broader product family.
Original Non-Inflatable Pool
- HDF-supported structure
- No inflation required
- Compact foldable form
Evolution of the Concept
- Oval format engineering
- Steel-supported construction
- Integrated optional sun tent
Innovation & Engineering
It Started With a Question.
For us, product development often starts not with what already exists, but with what could work better. Have a product idea or challenging manufacturing concept? Connect with our R&D and engineering team.