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If you’ve ever been to Vegas, you know just how compelling a big, beautiful water fountain can be. The shapes, the lighting, synchronization with music... they’re visual shows, staged with sprayed water, and they can really capture folks’ attention.
Have you ever thought about using water fountains in your backyard pool?
They might not ever reach the height or visual complexity of that big jet in front of the Bellagio... but you’ve still got tons of classy, high-quality, adaptable fountains from which to choose on sites like Amazon, or via many dedicated pool-supply outlets.
With so many options, how can you choose?
Well, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s take a look at some of the best-looking, best-performing swimming pool fountains on the market today.
If you get one for your River Pools fiberglass pool, please send us a photo! We’d love to feature your fountain setup in our gallery.
Swimline Floating Fountain (Blossom)
- Average customer review: 3.9 stars (get it on Amazon)
- Style: Floating (not attached to pool walls)
- Pump: connects to return jets
- Size: 10 inches by 11 inches by 8 inches
- Neat features: Three tier sprays
- Maximum fountain water height: 17 feet
- Cost: $115
Look at that bad boy right there. It’s impossible to ignore. It floats right smack dab in the middle of your pool, shooting out water like you’re at a fancy resort waiting for someone to bring you a Mai Tai. Hook it up to your return jet pipes with some pliers (according to the manufacturer) and make it rain on your pool party.
Customers tend to either love or hate the Swimline blossom fountain. It works in both inground and above-ground pools, and some buyers have even used it to deliver that extra bit of pop at a relative’s wedding. Several reviews will tell you to ignore the negativity, and they do kinda have a point -- someone who has a bad experience is supposedly 20 times more likely to leave a bad review for a product than someone who has a good experience.
Alpine 48-LED Floating Spray Fountain
- Average customer review: 3.9 stars (Amazon)
- Style: Floating (not attached to pool walls)
- Pump: included
- Size: 12 inches by 12 inches by 6 inches
- Neat features: 48 LED lights (red / white / blue)
- Maximum fountain water height: 3 feet
- Cost: $125
Drop a couple of these all-in-one lighted floating fountains in your pool for a one-of-a-kind backyard nighttime experience. This fountain includes its own pump, capable of blasting out 550 gallons of water every hour, but a number of reviews mention the need to replace this default pump pretty quickly. You can increase the fountain’s spray height with a more powerful pump -- one reviewer used a 1,600 gallon-per-hour pump to get the fountain spray up to six feet.
Alpine’s fountain has a ring of 48 LEDs surrounding the central fountain jets, which can modulate between red, white, and blue. It’s a great color scheme for Independence Day parties (and to show your aquatic patriotism in general), but some folks might want more color options and adjustable color-changing settings.
Swimline Grecian Triple Tier Fountain
- Average customer review: 3.8 stars (get it on Amazon)
- Style: Floating (not attached to pool walls)
- Pump: connects to return jets
- Size: 12 inches by 12 inches by 8 inches
- Neat features: Three tier sprays
- Maximum fountain water height: 16 feet
- Cost: $59
Swimline makes a few different floating fountains -- this one works pretty similarly to the blossom design we discussed earlier, but it’s cheaper! These two fountains will be largely interchangeable in your pool, so it’s just a matter choosing the more cost-effective one. You may prefer the blossom design of the other model a bit more, as this one is flatter and simpler, but hey, you can get two of these for the price of one Blossom fountain.
WaterSHOP Waterfall Pool Fountain
- Average customer review: 3.8 stars (get it on Amazon)
- Style: Wall-connected tubing
- Pump: connects to return jets
- Size: 14 inches by 5 inches by 3 inches
- Neat features: Reverse waterfall (cascade style)
- Maximum fountain water height: 14 feet
- Cost: $22
This is a popular style of fountain for a few clear reasons. For one thing, it won’t get in the way of swimming or play time by floating in the middle of your pool. For another thing, it’s pretty easy to connect to your return jet fittings, so long as they’re 1.5 inch fittings. It’s inexpensive, easy, and it can really add to the ambience of a good pool party.
On the other hand, it does look a little cheap. But hey, you can’t expect high-fashion gear for $20. If you’re particularly crafty with waterproof materials, you might be able to dress it up a bit, but in the end, it’s a tube you hook onto another tube in the side of your pool.
Aqua Select Three Tier Grey Rock Fountain
- Average customer review: 3.5 stars (get it on Amazon)
- Style: Floating (not attached to pool walls)
- Pump: connects to return jets
- Size: 10 inches by 11 inches by 8 inches
- Neat features: Three tier sprays... from a rock
- Maximum fountain water height: 16 feet
- Cost: $49
This Aqua Select fountain fits particular pool aesthetics -- if a rock floating in the middle of your pool makes sense to you, this fountain might just become your new favorite pool toy. It’s less expensive than the previous options, and it seems to be able to match them for functionality… but, of course, it’s a floating rock, which might not work in a modern-style backyard.
The reviews for the Aqua Select pool fountain are a bit all over the place. The low cost and easy assembly are major selling points, but the hose included to connect the fountain to your return jets seems a bit cheaply made, and can kink easily. You might want to invest in a high-quality connecting hose as well.
MADETEC Solar Fountain with LEDs
- Average customer review: 4.1 stars (get it on Amazon)
- Style: Floating (not attached to pool walls)
- Pump: self-contained
- Size: 10 inches by 11 inches by 8 inches
- Neat features: Solar-powered LEDs and multiple spray heads
- Maximum fountain water height: 2 feet
- Cost: $29
The MADETEC fountain is about as close to a completely self-contained fountain as you’ll find. It’s solar-powered and designed to work in birdbaths, so you won’t need to hook it up to your pool’s pump and filter system. On the other hand, it was designed to work in birdbaths, so it might not seem particularly awe-inspiring to see a little solar circle squirting out a couple feet of water from one of its 7 swappable spray heads.
The two-foot height is conditional, too -- you might get a one-foot spray on overcast days, and you might not be able to use the fountain at all at night. Its four LEDs can run on a full solar charge for four hours, which is enough to give you a small bit of illumination for an evening pool party, but this fountain is probably best-suited for small pools, or even for backyard birdbaths. Just make sure to keep the birdbaths far enough away from your pool to keep the birds from pooping in it.
OASE 1/4 HP Floating Fountain
- Average customer review: 4.2 stars (get it on Amazon)
- Style: Floating (not attached to pool walls)
- Pump: self-contained
- Size: 15 inches by 5 inches by 19 inches
- Neat features: Wide spray + swappable spray heads
- Maximum fountain water height: 10 feet
- Cost: $469
The OASE fountain occupies a bit of middle ground between the smaller toy-like floating fountains and the gigantic fountains typically sold for pond aeration. This fountain is actually marketed for pond use, but it can work well in large pools, typically custom concrete pools at least 40 feet long and at least 20 feet wide.
It might not get the same height as other fountains, but it can really reach more of your pool -- its three spray heads can hit widths of up to 16 feet, which should be more visually impressive than a tall, narrow fountain spray. You won’t have to connect this fountain to your pool pumps, but its various parts might get in your way a bit when you’re trying to take a dip. You might want to keep it for special occasions when you don’t expect too many folks in the pool at once.
GKanMore Lotus Nozzle Pool Fountain
- Average customer review: 4 stars (get it on Amazon)
- Style: Wall-connected tubing
- Pump: connects to return jets
- Size: 20 inches by 4 inches by 4 inches
- Neat features: Lotus nozzle + wall-mounting
- Maximum fountain water height: 14 feet
- Cost: $19
Want something a bit more understated and decorative for your wall-mounted fountain? GKanMore’s circular nozzle is encircled by a little bit of plastic petals. Does it look like a lotus? Not really. But hey, it’s not just a pipe on the side of your pool. It’s a decorative pipe!
This fountain strikes a great balance between price (it costs less than you’ll probably spend on burgers for the backyard BBQ this weekend), reach (14 feet ain’t no joke), ease of use (screw it into your return fitting and you’re good to go), and style (for $19, anyway). Plug that sucker in and let it rain, baby.
Is your favorite pool fountain on this list?
You’ve got a wide range of fountains to choose from for your pool decor. Some will sit by the walls and spray water into the middle of your pool. Others float freely (with a hose connecting it to some kind of pump, of course) and create eye-catching centerpieces in pools large and small.
The fountain(s) you choose always depend on your pool’s size, its style, and any surrounding decor. The goal, of course, is to enhance your backyard style. If these fountains don’t do the trick, please let us know which ones you might rather use. There are hundreds available on Amazon and various pool-supply stores, so you’re bound to find one you love somewhere!
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