A former Doughboy dealer’s honest comparison—and where to get the same quality for less.
Let me be upfront: Doughboy makes good pools. I was a Doughboy dealer for years. I’ve installed their pools. I recommend them to customers regularly—especially if you’re on the West Coast where shipping my pools doesn’t make financial sense.
But I stopped selling Doughboy pools for a reason. And if you’re shopping for an above-ground pool and comparing prices, you deserve to know what I learned from the inside.
The Short Version
Doughboy’s premium models (Tuscany, Saratoga) are excellent pools with thick resin components and quality construction. But you’re paying a premium for the brand name and dealer network. You can get the same quality—sometimes better—for significantly less money if you know where to look.
If you’re in California, Arizona, or anywhere west of the Rockies, and you cant find a pool installer, I’ll tell you straight: go buy a Doughboy. My pools cost less even with the shipping, but they have a large installation /dealer network. Doughboy has dealers everywhere out west, and their high-end models are worth the money.
But if you’re anywhere in the Eastern U.S., Midwest, or can receive freight shipping affordably, keep reading.
What Doughboy Gets Right
Build Quality on Premium Models
Doughboy’s Tuscany and Saratoga pools feature some of the thickest extruded resin I’ve ever seen. The top rails and uprights are massive—overbuilt, really. This isn’t cheap injection-molded plastic from China. It’s heavy-duty American manufacturing.
Dealer Network
If you want the same company that sells you the pool to also install it, Doughboy has one of the best networks in the country. That’s worth something, especially if you’re not comfortable with DIY installation or coordinating separate contractors.
Liner Quality
Doughboy liners are solid—20 mil on most models, thicker on expendables. Good patterns, decent quality. No complaints there. If I was nit-picking, i would bitch about the way they pack their liners, they twist them in a way that makes getting packing wrinkles out a nightmare on cooler low sun days.
Where Doughboy Falls Short
No Aluminum Wall Option
This is the big one. After 30+ years in this industry, I can tell you: aluminum walls outlast steel walls. Period.
Steel pools eventually rust. Even galvanized steel with G90 treatment will deteriorate over time, especially in humid climates or if the liner develops a slow leak. Aluminum doesn’t rust. Ever.
Doughboy doesn’t offer an aluminum wall option on any of their pools. For a company selling “premium” pools at premium prices, that’s a significant gap.
Price vs. Value
Here’s where my experience as a dealer comes in. I saw the wholesale costs. I saw what customers were paying. And I couldn’t justify selling Doughboy pools when I could offer my customers the same or better quality (Aquasport 52) —often with aluminum walls—for $1,000 to $2,000 less.
You’re paying for:
- The Doughboy brand name
- Dealer margins (multiple levels)
- National advertising
- Showroom overhead
None of that makes the pool in your backyard any better.
Entry-Level Models
Doughboy also sells lower-end pools to hit price points. These aren’t the quality their brand is known for. If you’re looking at their cheaper models, you’re not getting the “Doughboy quality” you’re paying the brand premium for.
Don’t Bury a Doughboy Pool
I need to address this because I see it come up constantly: do not bury a rolled-wall above-ground pool in the ground.
This includes most Doughboy models, and honestly, most above-ground pools on the market. Rolled-wall construction isn’t engineered to resist lateral earth pressure. If you ever lose water—a liner leak, a pump failure, anything—the walls will fold inward like cardboard.
Doughboy’s workaround is backfilling with a cement slurry. That’s an expensive band-aid on a fundamental engineering problem. Speaking of which, it must be easier to get pool permits out west!
If you want a semi-inground or fully buried installation, you need a slat-wall pool designed for it. The Aquasport 52 uses interlocking aluminum panels that create a 1.5 inch rolled metal column every 4 inches—it’s engineered for burial and doesn’t require a cement collar. That’s what I install when customers want an inground look. Well, that or a Fox Ultimate.
What I Sell Instead (And Why)
When I stopped selling Doughboy, I partnered with Aquasport Pools LLC (the company behind Buster Crabbe pools) to offer what I believe is a better value:
Comparable to Doughboy’s Premium Resin Pools:
Atlas – Heavy-duty resin frame in four colors (white, brown, gray, charcoal). Buttress-free ovals available and with aluminum wall options and lower pricing.
Dauntless – Full aluminum construction (wall AND frame). This is the “built like a tank” option that will outlast any steel-wall pool on the market, including Doughboy’s best.
Best Value Entry Point:
Lamark – Same premium wall and liner as our expensive models, just simpler resin framing. Available with steel wall (Edge) or aluminum wall (Lasa). This is where you get Doughboy-quality construction at a fraction of the price.
Premium: Above Ground | Semi-Inground | Inground
Aquasport 52 – The strongest above-ground pool made. Interlocking aluminum panels, can be buried fully or partially, no cement collar required. This is what Doughboy would build if they made a semi-inground pool.
The Numbers
I’m not going to publish Doughboy’s pricing—it varies by dealer. But here’s what I can tell you:
A comparable 18′ round pool with premium resin frame, quality liner, and skimmer package:
- Doughboy Tuscany/Saratoga: Typically $4,500–$6,000+ through dealers
- MGK Atlas (steel wall): $3,332 shipped free
- MGK Atlas Lasa (aluminum wall): $3,682 shipped free
- MGK Dauntless (all aluminum): $3,652 shipped free
Same quality construction. Aluminum wall option. $1,000–$2,000+ less.
And unlike Doughboy’s entry-level pools, I don’t sell cheap pools. Every model I offer—even the lowest-priced Lamark—uses the same premium wall and liner as my expensive models. The only difference is the frame styling.
When to Buy a Doughboy
I still recommend Doughboy pools in these situations:
- You’re on the West Coast – You can’t find someone to install one of my pools, next best choice is a Doughboy
- You want same-company sales and installation – If having one company handle everything matters to you, Doughboy dealers often provide that.
- You’re buying their premium models – The Tuscany and Saratoga are legitimately excellent pools. Just know you’re paying extra for the name.
When to Buy From Me
- You’re East of the Mississippi – Shipping is free on pool packages, and the savings are significant.
- You want an aluminum wall – Doughboy doesn’t offer this. I do, on multiple models.
- You want semi-inground installation – The Aquasport 52 is purpose-built for this. Doughboy doesn’t have an equivalent.
- You want dealer-quality without dealer markup – I sell direct. No showroom overhead, no middleman margins.
- You want support from someone who’s installed hundreds of pools – I give customers my cell phone. I answer questions. I’ve done this for 30+ years.
Bottom Line
Doughboy makes great pools. I sold them for years and I still respect the brand. But when I looked at what my customers were paying versus what they were getting, I couldn’t keep doing it.
You can get the same quality—with options Doughboy doesn’t offer—for significantly less money. That’s why I switched, and that’s why I’m still here a decade later.
Questions? Call or text: (978) 710-8667
Compare all MGK pool models here →
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Are Doughboy pools good quality?
A: Yes. Doughboy makes excellent above-ground pools, particularly their high-end resin models like the Tuscany and Saratoga. They use thick extruded resin components and quality construction hard to compare with anything else. They’re consistently ranked among the best above-ground pools available and have one of the largest dealer/installer networks in the country. They and My Manufacturer are the two oldest most trusted pool manufacturers in the country.
Q: Why are Doughboy pools so expensive?
A: Doughboy pools carry premium pricing for several reasons: strong brand recognition, extensive dealer network, heavy-duty resin components on their high-end models, and quality liners. However, you’re also paying for their marketing and dealer margins. Comparable quality pools from us can cost significantly less, especially if purchased direct.
Q: Can you bury a Doughboy pool in the ground?
A: Yes absolutely, I don’t recommend it. Rolled-wall pools (which most Doughboy models are) aren’t engineered to hold back earth pressure. If you lose water, the walls can collapse inward. For semi-inground or fully buried installations, you need a better wall like the Aquasport 52, or the Fox Ultimate which uses better engineered walls for burial.
Q; What pools are comparable to Doughboy?
A: Pools made by Aquasport Pools LLC offer comparable or superior quality to Doughboy’s premium models. The Atlas, Dauntless, and Aquasport 52 feature the same heavy-gauge construction and premium liners as Doughboy’s top-tier pools, but often cost $1,000–$2,000+ less. Unlike Doughboy, these pools also offer aluminum wall options which last longer than steel.
