Rent or buy a birth pool? What makes the most financial sense?

April 29, 2025 Christine Clausen

Leje eller købe fødekar? Hvad kan bedst betale sig?

It can be hard to figure out what makes the most sense financially: Should you rent a birth pool or buy one yourself? Many pregnant women and partners ask themselves that question, and it can feel overwhelming to compare prices, equipment and practical considerations. This article goes through both the advantages and disadvantages of renting and buying – and shows you how the calculation actually looks. It can, incredibly, be cheaper to buy a birthing pool! Can it really be true? Yes, it can. Read on to see how. 👇

🛁 Advantages and disadvantages of rental birth pool

Benefits:

The immediate cost is lower than buying.
You get everything you need in one complete package.
You don't need to think about storing the birthing pool beyond the due period.

Disadvantages:

Birth pools often need to be booked months in advance to make sure you get one.
The birth pool is usually delivered around the start of the home birth period. It can feel stressful if the pool is not in the house in advance.
The price of renting the pool is usually not the only cost associated with the booking (liner, possible shipping and deposit are added on top), and the total can feel non-transparent.
You must buy a liner, and in many places the slightly more expensive original liners are required to protect the pool – so you cannot use a liner you may have been given by your birth facility.
You can’t always get a specific pool – for example, if you want a beautiful white Saga pool or a Maxi pool with room for your partner.
If you already own, for example, an electric air pump, a garden hose or a tarpaulin, you can’t deselect it and save money.
If a planned home birth has to be cancelled after booking a birth pool (e.g. due to breech position), you can typically get a refund for rental, shipping and the cost of the liner, but usually not the deposit, which is then forfeited.
You are liable for damage to the pool and accessories.
The pool has to be returned shortly after the birth. Not always the time when you feel most up to lugging a heavy parcel to a parcel shop.

🧺 Pros and cons of buy birth pool

Benefits:

You can buy in advance and have everything ready without stress.
You can wait to buy until you’re completely sure you’ll be giving birth at home – delivery from homeborn.dk takes 1–3 working days.
The pool is brand new and has only been used by you.
You can get exactly the pool you want.
The price is what you see – there are no extra costs.
You decide whether to use a liner – it is completely safe to give birth without a liner if you clean the tub thoroughly afterward.
You can choose a cheaper liner, or use the one you may have received from your midwife.
You can customize the equipment according to your needs. If you already have a pump, hose, or underlay, you can save money here.
You can relax in the newborn bubble with your baby without having to think about returning the birth pool.
The tub can be used multiple times. You can save the tub for the next birth, resell it, or even rent it out and earn some money on your investment!

Disadvantages:

The upfront cost is higher than renting.
You need to choose a pool and accessories (You can buy a complete accessory kit to make it easy).
You’ll need to store the pool and equipment. It takes up about as much space as an IKEA bag.
If you want to sell the pool after use, you’ll need to find a buyer – but that’s not difficult, for example in the Facebook group “Køb/salg/leje af fødekar mm.”.

🔍 What does it actually cost? A little calculation

If you choose to rent:

Rental of La Bassine Standard birth pool incl. accessories*:

Rental for 6 weeks incl. accessories: 599,-

Original La Bassine standard liner: 369,-

Shipping out and back: 199,- (This can be saved if you pick up and return it yourself)

Deposit: 500,- (Refunded if pool and accessories are returned on time and without damage)

➡️ Total immediate cost: 1667,-

➡️ Your actual cost after the deposit is refunded: 1167,-

If you choose to buy:

Purchase of La Bassine standard birthing pool and an accessory package*:

Birth pool: 1399,-

Accessory pack: 899,-

Non-original liner: 249,- (Optional, this can be saved if you use the pool without a liner)

Shipping: Free

➡️ Total: 2547,-

If you sell your birthing pool including equipment after the birth, you can typically get around 1200,- for it.**

➡️ Your actual cost of purchase therefore ends up at: 1347,-

It’s only an additional 180,- when you buy the pool and accessories. If you choose not to use liners in your tub, you save an additional 249,-, and the purchase price actually becomes 69 kroner lower than the rental price!

* Based on prices at Homeborn.dk April 2025

** Seen in the Facebook group "Køb/salg/leje af fødekar mm." April 2025. Several people commented on the post and the pool was sold immediately.

💬 My recommendation

I honestly believe that buying a birth pool is often the best solution – also financially. And I do, in fact, make money from renting out pools. 😉 I take pride in offering good service to both renters and buyers, and my goal is to help you make the choice that best suits your situation. I offer personal assistance and advice, whether you are buying or renting a tub from me. If the air pump is acting up, or if you're unsure how the liner should be positioned, you can always just call.

That said, I often find that buying gives the most benefits, especially if you want to be prepared in good time, want peace and quiet around the birth, or are planning more children. You get flexibility, peace of mind and the chance to recoup a large part of the cost afterwards. Many parents who choose a home birth end up being happy to own their own pool.

✅ When does it make the most sense to buy?

If you want peace of mind by having the pool in the house well in advance – and would like to avoid a return deadline right after the birth.
If you prefer to give birth in a completely new and unused tub.
If you don’t want to stress about possible damage to rented equipment.
If you already own some of the equipment (such as an air pump or a water hose)
If you are planning more children.
If you want to resell or rent out the pool afterwards.

Buy birth pools and equipment here

✅ When does it make the most sense to rent?

If you’d prefer to keep your upfront costs lower right now.
If you don’t want to think about resale or storage.
If you’re early and have the option to book the pool in advance.

See my birthing pools for rent here

🛒 Consider buying a birth pool from me

At Homeborn you’ll find a selection of birth pools – both the new white ones from Saga Birth and the best-selling classics from La Bassine. I stock all equipment and liners – both original and non-original. If you’re unsure what to choose, both in terms of setup and accessories, I’m always happy to help with guidance. Contact me

When you buy a birth pool, shipping is always free. And you get personal guidance included.

📍 See birth pools and accessories here