Container Loading for Inflatable Pools: 20GP vs 40HQ Planning

Why Inflatables Win at Logistics

A deflated drop stitch pool occupies roughly 5–10% of the shipping volume of an equivalent acrylic or fiberglass pool. That single fact reshapes pool import economics: higher container load efficiency, lower per-unit freight, cheaper destination warehousing, and the ability to replenish in weeks rather than committing to flatbed and oversized freight.

It also means the classic import logic — "light and bulky is expensive to ship" — inverts in your favor. Packed weight, not volume, is usually the planning constraint that matters.

Packed Weights by SKU

Published packed weights from the Felizbay quotation sheet, round pools: Ø 2 × 0.5 m — 18.4 kg; Ø 3 × 1.2 m — 45 kg; Ø 3.7 × 1.2 m — 58 kg; Ø 4 × 1.2 m — 65 kg; Ø 4.6 × 1.2 m — 78 kg; Ø 5 × 1.2 m — 88 kg; Ø 5.5 × 1.2 m — 102 kg; Ø 6 × 1.2 m — 115 kg; Ø 6 × 1.6 m — 135 kg; Ø 7 × 1.2 m — 130 kg; Ø 7 × 1.5 m — 140 kg; Ø 7.3 × 1.3 m — 160 kg; Ø 10 × 1.2 m — 250 kg.

Weight scales with fabric area and wall thickness, which is why the Ø 6 × 1.6 m at 135 kg outweighs the physically larger-diameter Ø 7 × 1.2 m at 130 kg. For rectangular, SPA and custom models, packed weights are confirmed per SKU at quotation.

20GP vs 40HQ

A 20GP (general purpose) container offers roughly 33 m³ of cubic capacity with a payload around 21–22 tonnes; a 40HQ (high cube) offers roughly 76 m³ with a comparable payload. Because pools pack dense, most importers hit the payload before they fill the cube.

Practical guidance: use a 20GP for a first order or a narrow assortment (for example, 20–40 pcs of family-size pools plus accessories and spare cartons); step up to 40HQ when you are running a full program across multiple series. Consolidating pool orders with accessories — ladders, pumps, sand filters, covers — in the same container amortizes freight across a higher cargo value.

How to Plan a Loading

The planning sequence we recommend to buyers:

• 1. Fix the SKU mix and quantity per SKU against your sales forecast
• 2. Request packed weight and carton dimensions per SKU from the factory
• 3. Calculate the shipment's gross weight and total cube; compare against container payload and capacity
• 4. Ask the factory for a carton-level loading plan (pieces per tier, cartons per row, stacking limits)
• 5. Confirm shipping marks, carton labeling and any palletization with your destination warehouse
• 6. Book with your forwarder on FOB Qingdao terms and align the factory's loading date with vessel cutoff

What Affects the Load

Three variables move your numbers more than anything else: wall thickness (a 50 cm wall rectangle packs roughly double the fabric of its 20 cm equivalent), packaging format (color boxes and mailer cartons add volume versus standard export cartons), and accessory bundling (sand filters and ladders are dense, high-value cube fillers).

Custom packaging in particular should be dimensioned against the container, not against the product alone — a color box that adds 2 cm per side can cost you a full tier of loading across hundreds of cartons.

Get the Loading Plan With Your Quote

A factory that exports pools every week can hand you a loading plan in the same document as your FOB quote. Ask for it: packed weights, carton dimensions, pieces per container by SKU, and a 20GP versus 40HQ comparison for your mix. Felizbay provides this on request with every wholesale quotation.