If you’re dreaming about installing an outdoor swimming pool or giving your established one a serious upgrade – you’re in the right place. We have put together the hottest new trends for 2026 to help take a deep dive into what’s possible.
At Pure Blue Pools, we live and breathe beautiful outdoor spaces. Our team has the expertise and knowledge to create the swimming oasis you have always dreamed of, while using the very latest innovations combined with style, comfort, fitness, sustainability and fitness-focused features.
We have multiple options to suit your vision and budget and we offer a fully personalised service from concept to construction so do not hesitate to get in touch.
From pool houses to hard landscaping and lighting, we can design and construct a beautiful outdoor space tailored to your lifestyle.
Ready to explore what your space could be? Let’s take the plunge.
1. Fitness-Focused Pool Features
A gym doesn’t have to be the only place you keep fit, pools are fast becoming multifunctional training spaces. We have seen growing demand for counter-current swim jets, which create a controllable swim current and a perfect low-impact exercise in a compact pool.
For more serious swimmers or just fitness enthusiasts, these systems offer personalised, adjustable resistance for endurance building, technique work, rehabilitation or physio. They are also great fun for the whole family.
Another rising trend is dual swimming machines, which combine a powered swim current with built-in fitness units such as underwater treadmills or resistance walkers. These allow users to switch between swimming, running, and aquatic strength training in one space.
These additions make pools more versatile, future-proof and aligned with the growing desire for home-based fitness and wellbeing solutions.
2. The Multi-Functional Pool House (Pool Cabana)
Whether you need a simple room for showering and changing or a more luxurious retreat for entertaining and relaxing, a pool house truly elevates your pool experience.
We’ve created a range of stunning pool houses, often in collaboration with other specialists we work with, to bring a seamless extension to your home and garden for entertainment, fitness and all year-round enjoyment.
It could be you want a bar, kitchen, a sauna, a gym or all of them! With so many options, it’s no wonder pool houses are a hot pick for 2026.
3. Sustainability & Low-Energy Systems
With rising energy costs, our eco-conscious customers are asking for renewable heating solutions and options that reduce running costs and carbon footprints – a trend that will only increase in 2026.
We have already created sustainable pools, entirely powered by solar panels and battery storage. Combined with automatic pool covers, these dramatically reduce heat loss and evaporation – delivering long-term energy savings.
We can advise you on the most efficient and eco-friendly pumps, filtration systems and heat pumps that offer long-term savings.
4. The Natural Swimming Pool (NSP) and Pond Look
Driven by a desire to bring nature and all its aesthetic beauty into your garden, Natural Swimming Pools (NSPs) never went out of fashion.
These pools mimic a beautiful natural pond and typically use biological filtration to clean the water as opposed to chemicals.
Although PBP does not create true NSPs (which rely on a dedicated regeneration zone with aquatic planting) we work with trusted experts to recreate this look. By integrating native planting with natural stones and organic shapes, we can design landscaping that gives your pool that same seamless, pond-like feel.
Prefer something a little more exotic? Try layering in hardy tropical-look plants like windmill palms or banana plants for a pond-meets-paradise effect or your own five-star resort. We work with garden designers who can craft the planting scheme to strike exactly the tone you want.
We are also now an approved installer and distribution partner for Origin Aqua’s cost-effective Mineral+Biome system – a chemical-free, filter-based pool water treatment system based on the science behind natural swimming lakes. It creates mineralised water that is sanitised and enhanced by the same residual minerals, beneficial bacteria, and “water in, water out” flow system found in pristine natural lakes.
With studies showing that immersing yourself in a small part of the natural environment can significantly enhance mood and reduce stress, the NSP could be your perfect pool move for 2026.
5. Smart Pool Automation
Smart pool technology continues to advance. Automated, smart pool systems that optimise chemical dosing and reduce water waste can be controlled via your smart phone app, managing temperature, filtration and lighting. And advanced tech to self-monitor chemicals and ph balancing systems that provide real-time water quality data and automated dosing.
These modern systems save time, reduce waste and improve efficiency.
6. Compact Luxury: Plunge and Spool Pools
Perfect for smaller gardens or urban spaces and limited spaces, compact pools are booming.
Plunge pools and ‘spools’ (spa + pool) offer a boutique, hotel-style experience and are ideal for cooling off, relaxing or enjoying hydrotherapy jets in a smaller footprint.
Design can be customised to suit your space and have multi-space usage. Perhaps you want in-pool seating and built-in benches for entertaining and not just swimming. Add ambient lighting and it becomes a socialising space for evening, not just day time. Add a sound system and music to maximise your entertainment even in the smallest outdoor garden.
7. Darker Pool Finishes
Pools look great with traditional light blue tiles and have some clever and scientific reasons why they are a popular choice. But many are moving away from light blue and instead embracing dark interior finishes for a more contemporary look.
Slate grey, charcoal, deep navy, and black pool linings and tiles are trending. Not only do they create an elegant and mirror-like reflection but they also help the water absorb more solar heat so it can be a sustainable choice too.
8. The Resort-Style Lounging Ledge (Safety and Accessibility Feature)
Whether you call it a lounging shelf, Baja shelf, sun shelf or tanning ledge, this shallow platform has become a sought-after feature and offers far more than a comfortable spot for relaxation and socialising.
We have been successfully integrating these in pools and they are a game changer gaining increasing popularity. This is a platform built into a swimming pool, typically located at the shallow end on the perimeter between 6-18 inches below the service.
It not only enhances the overall aesthetics and functionality of the pool but serves as an excellent safety and accessibility feature.
It works as a gentle, wide step and makes an ideal, safe entry and exit point for the elderly, young children or anyone with mobility challenges who may struggle with traditional ladders or steep steps. We can customise the depth and width and even add more than one, like large, wide steps if preferred.
It still functions as an expansive, shallow area for placing submerged furniture or supervising children but becomes a pool everyone, whatever their ability, can enjoy.
Why not add one to your pool?
9. Dramatic Integrated Lighting and Water Features
Pools aren’t just for sunny afternoons anymore; they’re fast becoming the star of the garden once the sun goes down. Homeowners are leaning into mood-setting lighting and striking centrepieces after dark.
Programmable LED lighting now lets you create bespoke evening atmospheres, from gentle ambient glows to vibrant colour-changing displays, all fully integrated with smart-home controls.
Many homeowners are also pairing water with fire to create a dramatic, multi-sensory effect. Features such as waterfalls, sheer descents and illuminated jets are now being combined with fire bowls or adjacent fire pits, adding warmth, movement and a touch of theatre to the poolside.
Together, these elements transform a pool into a captivating nighttime destination.
10. Moveable/Floating Floor Technology
Moveable floors are an innovative and rising trend, offering unmatched versatility. By adjusting the depth of your pool, it can change the way you use it, from a deep diving pool to a child-friendly shallow pool. When closed it offers full security for children or pets.
This works brilliantly for smaller gardens, meaning you can convert the space from pool to a more multifunctional and safe space when needed.
Let’s Start Creating Your 2026 Pool
Whether you’re dreaming of a brand-new pool or upgrading an existing one, we can guide you through every trend and option.
Contact us today to start planning.
