Bestway Pool Settlement: $40 Without a Receipt, 10% With One — File by October 30, 2026
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File by October 30, 2026 · 16 days left · as of Oct 14, 2026
This is the bestway pool settlement people are seeing online, and it is real. Bestway agreed to pay $15 million to settle a class action over above-ground pools 48 inches or taller whose compression straps run along the outside of the legs. If you bought one new, for your own use, between 2008 and 2024, you can claim $40 with no receipt or 10% of the price with proof. The deadline is October 30, 2026. Nothing is paid until the court grants final approval and any appeals end.
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The claim deadline, what the settlement pays and where to file — plus other settlements still taking claims.
File by Oct 30 · 16 days left
Bestway Pool Settlement
Fund: $15 million
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We are not a claims administrator and not affiliated with any settlement. File only at the official settlement website — filing is always free.
What the Lawsuit Says
On the affected Power Steel, Steel Pro and Coleman Power Steel pools, a compression strap wraps around the outside of the vertical support legs. The lawsuit alleges that strap creates a potential drowning hazard because a small child can use it as a foothold to climb in.
The federal Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled roughly 5 million such pools from Bestway, Intex and Polygroup on July 21, 2025, after nine children aged 22 months to 3 years drowned, per CBS News reporting on the CPSC notice. The recall offers a free repair kit, not money. The complaint’s central claim is that the recall was inadequate because it did not offer a monetary remedy.
Bestway denies that its pools are defective and denies any wrongdoing. The court has not decided who is right.
Case details
The case is In re: Bestway Above-Ground Pools Litigation, No. 1:25-cv-09570, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, before Judge Lindsey C. Jenkins. It began as Castro v. Bestway USA, Inc., filed August 12, 2025. Similar suits followed — Piceno (No. 1:25-cv-12315), Hill (No. 1:25-cv-13422) and Holloway (No. 1:25-cv-12853) — and the court combined them after a status conference on November 6, 2025.
The defendants are Bestway (USA) Inc., Bestway Inflatables & Material Corp. and Bestway (Hong Kong) International Ltd. The official site is PoolSettlementBW.com; the administrator is EisnerAmper LLP.
Status: Settled, Claims Open Until October 30, 2026
Claims, opt-outs and objections are all due October 30, 2026. Online claims are filed at the official site; paper forms must be postmarked by that date. The final approval (fairness) hearing is set for November 20, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. CT. As of October 2026, no payment date has been announced. Our earlier news report on the $40-versus-10% choice covers the receipt math in more detail.
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Claims are due by October 30, 2026. We'll email you 7 days and 1 day before the deadline.
Are You in the Class?
You are a class member if you are in the United States, its territories or D.C. and bought, for personal use and not for resale, a Bestway-branded pool that meets three conditions:
• 48 inches or taller (including Power Steel, Steel Pro and Coleman Power Steel models)
• compression straps outside the support legs
• sold from 2008 through 2024
Not included: second-hand buyers, retailers and distributors, and anyone who opts out. If you bought a used pool, you are not in the class. The pool’s brand line, height and strap position decide it — not where you bought it. Unsure? Call the administrator at 1-855-789-5948.
How Much the Bestway Settlement Pays
• No receipt: a flat $40.
• Valid proof of purchase: 10% of the price you paid, or 10% of the pool’s average retail price if your proof shows no price.
The math decides which is worth it. Per CBS News, the CPSC said the recalled pools sold for about $400 to over $1,000. On a $400 pool, 10% is $40 — the same as filing with no receipt. On a $1,000 pool it is $100. Only dig for the receipt if you paid well above $400.
The $15 million fund also pays notice and administration costs, attorneys’ fees of up to one-third (33 1/3%) of the fund, and $2,500 service awards to each class representative. Payments wait for final approval and any appeals. Personal injury and wrongful death claims are not released by this settlement.
How cases like this one end
Our copy of the federal courts’ own case database covers 129,730 other contract casesclosed in U.S. federal district courts between 2015 and 2026, 6% of them filed as class actions:
- 30.7% ended in a settlement recorded by the court. Another 20.2% were dismissed voluntarily, which often follows a private settlement — so the real settlement share sits between 30.7% and 50.9%.
- 7.5% were decided on a motion before any trial.
- 1 in 72 reached a trial (1.4%), after a median of 29.3 months.
- Median time from filing to the end of the case: 7.6 months.
- Only 7,691 of them (5.9%) record a money award at all; the median of those is $407,000.
These are base rates for this type of case (federal other contract cases) — not a prediction about this lawsuit, and not legal advice. Source: Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (civil), analysed by Settlement Insight. Cases heard in state courts are not included.
Bestway Pool Case Timeline
July 21, 2025 — Pools Recalled
Bestway, Intex and Polygroup recall roughly 5 million above-ground pools with outside compression straps. Remedy: a free repair kit, no refund.
August 12, 2025 — Castro Suit Filed
A class action in the Northern District of Illinois alleges the straps create a drowning hazard and the recall should have included money.
November 6, 2025 — Cases Combined
Castro and similar suits become In re: Bestway Above-Ground Pools Litigation, No. 1:25-cv-09570, before Judge Lindsey C. Jenkins.
May 4, 2026 — Preliminary Approval
The court preliminarily approves the $15 million settlement signed April 30, 2026. Notice begins August 1, 2026.
October 30, 2026 — Claim Deadline
Last day to file a claim online or postmark a paper form. Opt-outs and objections are due the same day.
November 20, 2026 — Final Approval Hearing
The court decides whether to give final approval at 10:00 a.m. CT. Payments can follow only after approval and any appeals.
Three Things to Watch For
A settlement that pays $40 with no receipt invites lookalikes. Check before you type anything:
Lookalike claim sites
The court notice names one website, PoolSettlementBW.com, and one phone line, 1-855-789-5948. Type the address yourself rather than tapping a link in a text or social media ad. A real claim form does not charge a fee.
Confusing the recall with the settlement
The free repair kit comes from Bestway’s recall program; the $40 or 10% comes from the settlement administrator. Anyone saying you must pay to get the repair kit, or that the recall kit replaces your cash claim, is wrong — the notice says the settlement does not limit recall rights.
The spa pump settlement mix-up
Bestway also settled a separate spa pump case in Arizona whose claim deadline was October 5, 2026. A message telling you a pool claim “closed” on that date, or that one claim covers both, is mixing two cases.
Bestway Pool Settlement — Questions People Actually Ask
Short answers to the questions people ask most about this case.
Is there a class action lawsuit against Bestway pools?
Yes. In re: Bestway Above-Ground Pools Litigation, No. 1:25-cv-09570 in the Northern District of Illinois, settled for $15 million. The settlement received preliminary approval on May 4, 2026, and the claim deadline is October 30, 2026.
Why are Bestway pools being recalled?
The compression strap on the outside of the legs can act as a foothold that lets a young child climb into the pool, even with the ladder removed. The CPSC recall announced July 21, 2025 (recall number 25-393) offers a free repair kit that includes a rope to replace the strap.
How much money will I get from the Bestway pool settlement?
$40 if you have no receipt, or 10% of the price you paid if you have valid proof of purchase. On a pool that cost $1,000, that is $100. Payment comes only after the court grants final approval and any appeals are resolved.
Which Bestway pool models are covered?
Bestway-branded pools 48 inches or taller with compression straps on the outside of the support legs, sold 2008 through 2024 — including Power Steel, Steel Pro and Coleman Power Steel. We did not find a public model-number list; if you are unsure, call the administrator at 1-855-789-5948 or check Bestway’s recall page.
Do I need a receipt?
No. Without proof you get $40. With proof you get 10% of the price, so a receipt only pays more if the pool cost more than $400.
I bought my pool used. Can I claim?
No. The notice excludes second-hand purchasers. You can still use the recall to get the free repair kit.
Is this the same as the Bestway spa pump settlement?
No. Armstrong et al. v. Bestway (USA) Inc., No. 2:24-cv-02812-DMF in the District of Arizona, covers certain AirJet and HydroJet spa pumps sold May 2021 to May 2024 and offers a payment of up to $75. Its claim deadline was October 5, 2026. A pool claim and a spa pump claim are separate.
Does filing a claim give up an injury lawsuit?
No. The settlement does not release claims for personal injury, wrongful death or property damage. It does release economic claims about the pools unless you opt out by October 30, 2026. For injury cases, see our guide to product liability lawsuits.
About This Information
- Editorially Reviewed — Content reviewed for accuracy using published legal research, government data, and verified court records. See our methodology. Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
- $236 billion in real payouts analyzed · See what we found
This page is for general information only and is not legal advice. Lawsuit status, eligibility, and compensation can change. Settlement Insight is not a law firm and does not represent any party. Consult a licensed attorney about your specific situation.
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