Intex solar mat review
Searching for an Intex pool heater turns up a solar mat, because in the US that is what Intex sells. On the right pool it is the cheapest real heat there is.
Quick picks
The mat, the step up if your pool is too big for it, and the cover that makes either one worth more. All three have a running cost of zero.
| # | Product | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  The one being reviewed Intex 28685E Solar Heater Mat, 47 x 47 in Rated for above-ground pools to 8,000 gallons and pumps under 2,000 gal/hr. Zero running cost. | An above-ground pool up to about 8,000 gallons, on a sunny site | |
| 2 | No photo If your pool is bigger SmartPool SunHeater S601P Solar Heating System A full solar collector system for a pool the mat is not rated to move. | Adding real heat with no running cost, on a sunny site | |
| 3 |  Buy this alongside it Intex Easy Set Solar Cover The mat adds heat during the day. A cover is what stops the day's gain leaving overnight. | Intex and other soft-sided above-ground pools |
#ad We earn a commission if you buy through this link, at no extra cost to you. It never changes the ranking. How this site is funded. Prices last checked October 17, 2026.
First: Intex does not sell an electric pool heater here
People search for an Intex pool heater and find confusing results, so it is worth saying plainly. Intex has sold a 3 kW electric water heater — the 28684 — but it is a 220–240 V unit built for the European market, and it is not what Intex lists for US buyers. If what you need is a heater that will actually fit the pool, the third-party options for an Intex or Bestway pool are ruled in and out on pump flow, hose size and power supply.
What Intex’s own US heating range actually contains is this: a solar mat. Model 28685E, 47.25 by 47.25 inches, plumbed inline with your existing filter pump. That is the product, and reviewing it as what it is beats reviewing the heater you were expecting.
What Intex publishes
Reading Intex’s own product page on 6 September 2026, and this is unusually good disclosure for the category:
- 47.25 by 47.25 inches, flat before fill.
- Above-ground pools up to 8,000 gallons.
- Filter pumps up to 1/3 HP, or a flow rate under 2,000 gal/hr. This is the specification that decides whether it fits your setup, and it is the one most listings bury.
- 1.25 inch hose attachment points, with adaptors supplied for a 1.5 inch connection, and a bypass valve.
- An increase of approximately 5 to 9 degrees Fahrenheit, stated as depending on weather condition.
One oddity worth flagging rather than tidying away: Intex words the pool rating as up to 8,000 gallons or an 11 square foot surface, and does not say what the 11 square feet refers to. It is not the mat’s own flat area, which works out nearer 15 square feet. We quote the gallon figure and leave the other alone.
Reading the temperature claim properly
Five to nine degrees, depending on weather, with no time period attached. That last part is what tells you how to read it. A gain with no period is a cumulative ceiling reached over days of good sun, not something you watch happen across an afternoon.
Nothing on this site states a temperature without naming which of three quantities it is, because conflating them is why published figures in this category range from 4 to 15 degrees without anyone reconciling them. The reconciliation is here, and it applies to heating claims as much as to cover claims.
Credit where it is due: this is a modest, specific, mechanism-appropriate claim from the manufacturer, with its condition attached. Most of this category does considerably worse.
The arithmetic of one mat
A small collector on a small pool is a genuinely favorable combination, and the reason is volume. Everything in pool heating scales with the water you have to move.
| 8,000 gal x 8.33 x 5°F | = 333,200 BTU |
| 20,000 gal x 8.33 x 5°F | = 833,000 BTU |
The same five degrees costs two and a half times as much energy on a full-size pool
Which is why the mat's rating is a real limit rather than a cautious one. On a pool well past 8,000 gallons, one mat is not a small effect — it is close to no effect.
There is a second effect in the same direction: a shallow above-ground pool has a lot of surface for very little water, so sunlight moves its temperature considerably faster than it moves a deep inground pool. The above-ground arithmetic is here.
The pump specification is the one that catches people
Where the mat runs out
- Pool size. Past 8,000 gallons you are outside the rating, and stacking mats to compensate stops being cheap surprisingly fast.
- Weather. It is solar, so it delivers what the sun delivered. On a cool cloudy week — the week you most want heat — it does very little. That is the mechanism, not a defect.
- Overnight. A mat adds heat during the day and does nothing after dark. If the pool is dropping several degrees overnight, the mat is refilling a bucket with a hole in it. Pair it with a cover.
- Freezing. Like any water-filled collector, it has to be drained and stored before a hard freeze.
Who should buy it
An above-ground pool under 8,000 gallons, a filter pump inside the stated flow rate, and a sunny spot to lay the mat where the hoses reach. In that configuration it is the least expensive thing on this entire site that adds heat rather than retaining it, and its running cost is genuinely zero because the filter pump was running anyway.
Everyone else is better served by a larger above-ground collector, a proper panel system or, if control matters more than running cost, one of the heaters sized for above-ground pools.
What we could not assess
Real output at your latitude, mat angle and shading, which is the number that would actually answer “how much warmer”. How the PVC holds up across several seasons of UV and freeze cycles. And whether the supplied adaptors suit a filter system that is not an Intex one — the fittings are specified for Intex hose sizes, and a non-Intex pump is a plumbing question we cannot answer from a listing.
Every pick, in detail
What each one publishes, what is good and bad about it, and — the section this category usually omits — what we could not judge without owning one.
Intex 28685E Solar Heater Mat, 47 x 47 in
The cheapest thing on this site that adds heat rather than keeping it, and the only reason it works is that it is honest about its scale: one mat is a small collector plumbed into a small pool's filter line, and Intex rates it for 8,000 gallons. On the pool it was designed for it is a genuinely sensible purchase with no running cost at all. On a full-size inground pool it is a rounding error, and buying several to make up the difference gets expensive faster than people expect.
Best for An above-ground pool up to about 8,000 gallons, on a sunny site
| Dimensions | 47.25 x 47.25 in, flat before fill | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|
| Rated pool size | Above-ground pools up to 8,000 gallonsIntex's own page words this as "up to 8,000 gal / 11ft sq surface". It does not define what the 11 ft sq refers to — it is not the mat's own flat area, which works out nearer 15 sq ft — so we quote the gallon figure and leave the other alone rather than guess at it. | Manufacturer |
| Pump requirement | Filter pumps up to 1/3 HP, or a flow rate under 2,000 gal/hrThis is the specification that decides whether it fits your setup, and it is the one most listings bury. | Manufacturer |
| Connections | 1.25 in hose attachment points, with adaptors supplied for a 1.5 in connection | Manufacturer |
| Material | UV-stabilized PVCStated in retail listings. Intex's own product page does not name the material. | Retail listing |
| Running cost | $0 in fuelThe filter pump is already running to filter the water. There is no additional fuel or electricity cost attributable to the heat. | Our arithmetic |
Approximately 5 to 9 degrees F
Claimed by Intex, on its own product page. Conditions: Stated as depending on weather condition; no time period is given. Source
Intex's exact wording is that it is designed to increase pool water temperature by approximately 5-9 degrees Fahrenheit depending on weather condition. With no period attached, this is a cumulative ceiling over days of good sun, not a figure you will watch happen in an afternoon.
- No running cost at all — the filter pump is already circulating the water
- Intex publishes real numbers for it, which most of this category does not
- Mats can be added in series as the budget allows
- Rated to 8,000 gallons, so it is the wrong tool for a full-size pool
- Needs a low-flow pump — over 2,000 gal/hr and it is outside its own spec
- Delivers what the sun delivered, so it does nothing on a cool cloudy week
- Actual output at your latitude, mat angle and shading
- How the PVC survives several seasons of UV and freeze cycles
- Whether the supplied adaptors suit a non-Intex filter system
These need a unit in hand across a season. We do not have one, so we do not have an opinion worth printing on them.
#ad We earn a commission if you buy through this link, at no extra cost to you. It never changes the ranking. How this site is funded. Prices last checked October 17, 2026.
SmartPool SunHeater S601P Solar Heating System
Solar panels that plumb into the return line and heat the water with sunlight rather than fuel, which puts their running cost at zero — the only entry in the whole heating category where that is true. The trade is that you cannot dial in a temperature: the panels deliver what the sun gives them on the day, and on a cloudy week they deliver very little.
Best for Adding real heat with no running cost, on a sunny site
| Type | Roof, rack or ground-mounted solar collector panels, plumbed inline | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|
| Collector area | Two 2 x 20 ft panels, 80 sq ft totalThis is the number to size from. The trade rule of thumb is collector area equal to 50-100% of the pool's surface, so a 16 x 32 pool needs several of these systems rather than one. | Manufacturer |
| Material | Polypropylene, stated not to corrode or scale | Manufacturer |
| Also required | One SK21 System Installation Kit per installation, sold separatelyThe manufacturer's own wording. One SK21 serves up to four of these two-panel systems. The panels on their own are not a complete installation, which is the commonest surprise in this product category. | Manufacturer |
| Running cost | $0 in fuelThe circulation pump is already running for filtration. There is no additional fuel or electricity cost attributable to the heat. | Our arithmetic |
Up to 6 to 10 degrees F
Claimed by SunHeater, on its own product page for the S601P. Conditions: Stated as under favorable conditions; no time period given. Source
Worth reading beside the figure below. The manufacturer's own claim for this product is 6 to 10 degrees. The retail listings for the same model say up to 15. The larger number is the one further from the manufacturer.
As much as 15 degrees F
Claimed by Bob Vila, describing the S601P. Conditions: Stated as requiring ample sunlight; no time period given. Source
Note the phrasing: with ample sunlight it can boost temperature by as much as 15 degrees. That is a cumulative ceiling reached over days of good sun, not a figure you will see in an afternoon.
- Zero fuel cost, forever — nothing else in this category can say that
- No combustion, no gas line, no additional electrical service
- Panels can be added to as the budget allows
- You get the sun's schedule, not yours
- Needs real unshaded mounting area, and plumbing work to install
- Does nothing on a cold cloudy week, which is when you most want it
- Actual heat output at your latitude, roof pitch and shading
- How the panel material survives a decade of UV and freeze cycles
- Whether the included fittings suit your existing plumbing
These need a unit in hand across a season. We do not have one, so we do not have an opinion worth printing on them.
#ad We earn a commission if you buy through this link, at no extra cost to you. It never changes the ranking. How this site is funded. Prices last checked October 17, 2026.
Intex Easy Set Solar Cover
Made to fit Intex's own above-ground pools, which is the entire reason to buy it: on a soft-sided pool, a cover that matches the frame diameter is worth more than a thicker cover that does not. It is a thin cover and it will not last like a 12-mil blanket, but on a 5,000-gallon above-ground pool the physics are in your favor anyway, because there is far less water to move.
Best for Intex and other soft-sided above-ground pools
| Price shown for | 16 ft round (28014E)This product is sold in several sizes on one listing. The live price and photograph on this page are the ones Amazon returns for this variant; other sizes are priced separately. | Retail listing |
|---|---|---|
| Fits | Sized to Intex Easy Set and metal-frame pool diametersThe manufacturer publishes no retrievable specification sheet; figure is as listed at retail. | Retail listing |
| Color | Blue | Retail listing |
| Bubble side | Bubbles face the water | Published standard |
| Evaporation reduction | 95%Intex states this on its own product pages. It publishes no temperature claim at all — the 5 to 15 degree figure that appears on some retail listings is not Intex's. | Manufacturer |
- Actually fits the pool it is made for, which most generic rounds do not
- Cheap enough to replace on the schedule a thin cover needs
- On a small pool the same sunlight moves the temperature several times faster
- Thin. Expect a season or two, not five
- Sized to Intex diameters, so it is a poor buy for anything else
- Actual thickness — Intex publishes no mil rating we could retrieve
- How it holds up to the sun in a hot climate over one full season
- Whether the fit is as close on the metal-frame pools as on the Easy Sets
These need a unit in hand across a season. We do not have one, so we do not have an opinion worth printing on them.
#ad We earn a commission if you buy through this link, at no extra cost to you. It never changes the ranking. How this site is funded. Prices last checked October 17, 2026.
Questions people actually ask
Does Intex make an electric pool heater?
How much will an Intex solar mat heat my pool?
Will an Intex solar mat work on a big pool?
Does an Intex solar mat need its own pump?
Do I still need a solar cover if I have a solar mat?
- Intex 28685E solar mat product page: 47.25 x 47.25 in, rated for above-ground pools up to 8,000 gallons, filter pumps to 1/3 HP, and an increase of approximately 5-9°F depending on weatherIntex Recreation Corp. · read 2026-09-06
- Average retail price of electricity to US residential customers: 18.34 cents/kWh, June 2026U.S. Energy Information Administration · read 2026-09-02
- US residential natural gas price: $24.09 per thousand cubic feet, June 2026U.S. Energy Information Administration · read 2026-09-02
- US residential propane price: $2.674 per gallon, week ending 30 March 2026U.S. Energy Information Administration · read 2026-09-02
- Energy content conversion factors: 3,412 BTU per kWh, 1,036 BTU per cubic foot of natural gas, 91,452 BTU per gallon of propaneU.S. Energy Information Administration · read 2026-09-02
- U.S. Department of Energy pool-energy figures (evaporation share, BTU per pound evaporated, cover savings, recommended temperatures, wind effect)Recreonics, reproducing and attributing the U.S. Department of Energy · read 2026-09-02
- Pool heater roundup: the 8.33 BTU per gallon per °F figure, attributed on the page to Alicia Toedter of Leslie'sBob Vila · read 2026-09-02
Every URL above was fetched and returned content on the date shown. Where a figure is ours rather than somebody else’s, the arithmetic is on the page and on the methodology page. If you find an error in it, we would genuinely like to know.
Read next
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Heaters for above-ground pools
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Intex solar pool cover review
Intex's own solar covers, what the manufacturer publishes about them, the temperature claim retailers add that Intex never makes, and why fit outranks thickness here.
Solar covers for above-ground pools
Why fit matters more than thickness on an above-ground pool, and the arithmetic showing why a small pool responds several times faster to the same sunlight.
Building your own solar pool heater
The physics of a homemade solar collector, how much area you actually need, and an honest list of the parts that take longer than the videos suggest.
What heater fits an Intex or Bestway pool?
Intex's entire US heating range is one solar mat. The heaters that suit an Intex, Bestway or inflatable pool, ruled in and out on power supply, pump flow rate and hose size rather than on output.