What's the Best Pond liner? The Top Materials & Brands Compared
by Tory Jon | Last Updated: February 06, 2024
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Like a house, your pond needs a solid foundation.
This is a must to prevent leaking and the potential killing of any fish.
That's where pond liners come in!
These special liners can provide the foundation necessary to keep your pond healthy, clean, and leak-free!
Let's review and compare the 5 best pond liners on the market today and help you find the best liner for your pond!
5 Best Pond Liners
To save you time and potentially a lot of hassle, here are our picks for the best pond liner on the market.
Comparison Chart
*Buying through links in this chart may earn us a commission at no additional cost to you.
Aquascape EPDM Rubber Pond Liner
The Aquascape pre-cut EPDM liners are 45 mil thick and extremely durable. In fact, Aquascape is known for creating high-quality and durable products.
This product is ideal for lining ponds, waterfalls, and even streams. This is because the rubber liner material can be easily cut and sealed.
If you're looking for a large liner, it comes in a 20 x 25 feet size, which again can easily be sealed together with another rubber liner if you have a pond bigger than that.
This heavy-duty pond liner is resistant to UV rays from the sun and safe for fish and pond plants, and other aquatic life. Plus, it's backed with a 20-year warranty guarantee!
Available Sizes:
- A variety of sizes that range from 8 x 10 feet up to 20 x 25 feet
Beckett Corporation PVC Pond Liner
The Beckett Corporation lightweight PVC liner has a thickness of 20 mils, making it apt for garden pond enthusiasts who are just starting out with a small pond.
The UV and ice-resistant material is safe for fish and plants. Plus, its flexible design makes it easy to install.
Comes with a 15-year manufacturer's warranty.
Available Sizes:
- 8 x 10 ft PVC liner
- 10 x 12 ft PVC liner
- 17 x 12 ft PVC liner
TotalPond EPDM Pond Liner
TotalPond creates high-grade EPDM liners for ponds in various sizes and competitive costs. In fact, it's one of the least expensive liners on the market and one we use with clients on a tight budget.
Their fish and plant-safe liners are a thin yet durable 14.5 mil thick. They feature an inner polyester weave, a textured surface, and are UV-resistant, making them perfect for harsher environments prone to extreme weather.
Their textured surface promotes beneficial bacteria growth to help improve water quality.
Comes with a 20-year limited warranty.
Available Sizes:
- 7 x 10 ft
- 10 x 13 ft
- 13 x 20 ft
Firestone EPDM Pond Liner
Firestone EPDM pond liners feature a beefy 45 mil thickness yet are extremely flexible!
This liner is made of high-quality EPDM material that is resistant to UV radiation, ozone rays, and other harsh conditions.
It can also be molded to the contours of any pond despite being extremely strong.
All Firestone liners are safe for plants, koi ponds, and other pond fish. Plus, they come with a 20-year warranty.
Available Sizes:
- Multiple sizes that range from 5 x 5 feet up to 50 x 200 feet
Pond Boss Pond Skins Liner
Pond Boss makes durable PVC pond liners that are safe for fish, puncture and UV resistant, and extremely easy to install!
Their PVC liners feature a reinforced mesh construction and come up with an industry-standard 20-year warranty.
Available Sizes:
- 7 x 10 ft
- 10 x 13 ft
- 13 x 20 ft
- 10 x 15 ft
- 15 x 15 ft
- 15 x 20 ft
- 20 x 20 ft
Pond Liner Buyer's Guide
A pond liner is a waterproof membrane sheet which, I'm sure you're aware, you use as the base for your pond or water garden. This helps keep water in and control algae by keeping nutrients and sediment out.
For example, when installing a new pond (save time and hassle with a pond kit), you would dig the appropriately sized hole and then fill it with a pond liner, which acts almost like a “groundsheet” for your pond. The water is then filled up and contained within this impervious pond liner.
It seems simple enough. But, there are many different types of pond liners, including:
- Polyethylene pond liners
- RPE liners
- EPDM pond liners
- Preformed pond liners
- PVC pond liners
We'll go over all of them in this guide, giving you a quick reference of the best pond liners available and calculating how much liner you will need for your pond's unique shape and depth.
What Are the Different Types of Pond Liners?
There are many different types of liners available for ponds and water gardens, each with its own set of pros and cons. Let's take a look at 5 of the best pond liner types on the market today to find the best one for you.
EPDM Liner/Rubber Pond Liner
EPDM stands for Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (a mouthful, we know). Despite the long name, they are a very dynamic and flexible pond liner. This makes them especially suitable for ponds that are unusually shaped.
However, this synthetic rubber liner is a little less flexible than other materials, like PVC pond liners, for example, but they go down nicely with a minimal amount of wrinkles.
EPDM pond liners are known for their strength, durability, and excellent protection and resistance from harsh elements like sunlight. They are, in our opinion, the best all-around pond liner on the market today.
PVC Pond Liner
PVC liners have been used in various applications, including swimming pools, for years and are known for being extremely flexible liners. However, depending on the product's brand and quality, PVC liners can be susceptible to tears and punctures.
If deciding on a PVC pond liner, be sure to get one that is reinforced with a mesh or similar construction for added strength.
Polyethylene Pond Liner
Polyethylene is the most commonly used plastic today, being used in plastic bags, bottles, and even pond liners!
Polyethylene pond liners are easy to install, offering a good combination of flexibility and strength, which many find to be the ideal mix. Polyethylene pond liners are tear and puncture-resistant, making them ideal for harsher pond environments.
RPE Pond Liner
RPE stands for Reinforced Polyethylene. RPE is a lightweight material that is usually a mix of LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene) material and HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene) material. It is so strong that it doesn't require a pond underlayment before installation. However, the major downside is its flexibility (or lack thereof).
What Size Pond Liner Do I Need?
You can use our pond liner calculator below to find the perfect size for your needs. You can also use our advanced pond calculator, which will tell you the exact size you'll need amongst a host of other important information, like your recommended pond pump GPH, filter size, pond volume, and more!
To use the calculator, choose your preferred unit of measurement and enter your pond's length, width, and depth. I recommend entering your pond's longest length, deepest depth, and widest width to ensure you have enough liner to cover your pond completely.
How to Install a Pond Liner
Once you have dug the hole and have the correct sized pond liner, it's time for installation!
First, you'll need to ensure that there are no sharp rocks, pebbles, or stones protruding out into the dug hole, as this could damage the pond liner. If you want to reduce the risk of damage or punctures, pour a 2-inch layer of sand onto the floor or use a robust pond underlayment before installing your pond liner. In fact, I recommend using a pond underlayment no matter what type of pond liner you plan on using.
Next, carefully place the lining down in the pond evenly, securing it in place with strategic round rocks. If you haven't already, dig an anchor trench around the outside of your pond. The pond liner will lap into this trench, and you can fill dirt on top of the liner. This trench will help keep the liner in place and will help stop any runoff from entering your pond.
Now you can begin to fill the pond with water from your hose, but be sure to watch out for any wrinkles in the pond liner and straighten them out as they occur. If you plan on installing a pond pump, now would be a good time to do that, although you should leave it unconnected to power for the time being.
Once the pond is filled, use more decorative stones and rounded rocks to secure the liner in place around the perimeter of your pond. If there is still visible pond liner, use a pair of high-quality scissors to trim the excess around the edge, keeping the look subtle.
What About Preformed Pond Liners?
Essentially, a preformed pond liner is a mold that forms the shape of your pond under the water. These pond tubs provide you with a solid aesthetic and require very little topographical pond-sculpting skills on your part.
There is a wide selection of preformed pond liners available on the market, making them ideal for people who want a simple water garden with as little hassle as possible! Although you still have to dig the initial hole, preformed kits simplify the finishing process.
However, preformed kits typically aren't very big, and you're limited in the design aspect of building a pond or water garden.
How To Install A Preformed Pond Liner
Opting for a preformed pond liner is arguably the easiest and quickest way to be up and running with a backyard pond or small garden pond. Here are the step-by-step liner installation instructions to get you up and running in as little time as possible.
- First, you'll want to place your liner in the desired location of your yard and draw a chalk outline around it. This will be the outline for the hole you need to dig.
- Using a shovel, dig the hole slightly larger than the shape of the outline. And make the hole the same depth as the pond's liner. If your preformed liner has corners or plant shelves, you'll want to make sure you dig for them, as well.
- Next, put a 2” layer of sand in the bottom of the hole and level it out so the liner will sit level. This will help support the liner and ensure it sits slightly above ground level, which is important so that rainwater doesn't wash soil and fertilizers into the pond.
- You can now start filling the garden pond with water. While that's filling, you can start filling in the hole with dirt.
- Install your pond pump and filter equipment so you can start circulating the pond's water.
- Perform a water quality test to ensure there are no harmful chemicals. You'll want to be sure your water is suitable before adding your fish and plants.
- Finally, add any landscaping rocks, pond lights, and plants.
