Last Updated On November 29th, 2022
Top 10 Reviews
To have a successful and healthy garden pond, you need the right equipment. Whether it’s to operate a delicate fountain, supply a bubbling waterfall, power a filter system, or a combination of all these, a pond pump is the beating heart of your pond.
If you’re setting up a new pond or looking to upgrade or replace an existing one, this guide will look at everything you need to know to make an educated choice. We will show you the top products on the market and help you choose the best pond pump for your needs.
This 550W highly-efficient pond pump can easily transform your water in no time. It comes with built-in thermal protection to prevent damage, as well as two modes to choose from. You can opt for a manual program to control exactly when your system starts working or use the automatic setting to turn the device on and off with an integrated float switch.
The VEATON 550W is a convenient pond pump, ideal for people who want to spend less time maintaining their garden. It can automatically consume up to 11500 litres of water per hour for rapid cleaning and has a maximum lift of up to 9 metres. It is suitable for emergency and daily use and features multiple hose connectors.
Each pump has three adapters, allowing you to connect quickly to the discharge hose with threading or clamping. This fully-submersible machine can even be left to run on its own when you’re busy dealing with other parts of your garden routine. Moreover, this technology can work in ponds, pools, and even cooled hot tubs.
This pump delivers phenomenal performance, ideal for keeping pond life healthy and thriving, with a maximum flow rate of 6000 litres per hour. Thanks to its compact submersible design, the product is easy to position wherever you need it. Plus, it comes with all the extras you need, such as five metres of heavy-duty hose and two jubilee clips.
The AllPondSolutions PFC-5000 pressurised pond pump intelligently cleans water with an efficient integrated UV system. It supports mechanical and biological filtration, which is excellent for keeping koi fish and other life healthy. The UV rays assist in rapidly removing harmful solid and dissolved waste, nitrate, and ammonia.
For simplicity, this item comes with a rotational handle to make cleaning a breeze. You don’t need to disassemble the filter to remove and clean the filter foams separately. Once you’ve rinsed the system, you can open a separate outlet to discharge any dirty water in a matter of seconds.
Our best value pond pump is the Blagdon Minipond 700 which is a great compact, submersible pump for operating a fountain or small water feature.
An excellent option for homeowners who prefer submersible pumps, this product includes a choice of three fountain heads, a control valve, and five fountain extension pipes for maximum versatility. The Minipond 700 is rated at 10w so will not use much electricity and has a 10m cable included.
There’s a foam pre-filter on the inlet of the pump to stop it from blocking, but this is relatively small and might need cleaning frequently.
This pond pump can lift water up to a maximum height of 1.25m. So this is one of the best for a fountain but might not be sufficient to operate a filter or larger water features.
The Blagdon Inpond 5-in-1 is a complete water pump, UV, and filter package that even has the extra of an LED light to illuminate the fountain at night.
The pond pump system is designed to go in ponds up to 3,000 litres in volume and pumps a maximum of 700 LPH.
The filter basket has four stages to clean the water progressively, and there’s also a UV clarifier lamp to clean green pond algae and an LED spotlight that automatically comes on at night.
There is a strong lifting handle built onto the top for taking it in and out for easy pond maintenance.
Blagdon pond pumps come with a 3-year warranty from the manufacturer, which should mean a reliable life expectancy, but also makes the Inpond 5-in-1 3,000 the best pond filter for small pond use.
Unfortunately, the unit can be awkward to submerge at first as air gets trapped easily in the filter so it might be necessary to weigh it down in the pond initially.
The Cascade 1,500 is a submersible pump rated at 1,500 LPH from the well-known manufacturer Hozelock and features a high-efficiency motor for low running costs.
There’s a large inlet cage to prevent debris from entering the pump, and it stands on a substantial base plate to keep everything stable. This type of inlet can be blocked easily by debris and it is recommended to keep the pump off the bottom of the pond.
The Cascade comes complete with a high-quality fountain set with independent control valves for both the fountain and waterfall outlet.
Unfortunately, the handle on the top of the pump is relatively small, meaning lifting it in and out of the pond can be fiddly.
Hozelock gives a 3-year warranty so it can be chosen with confidence, but users have commented that the instructions are in a tiny print and can be hard to read.
For power and efficiency look no further than our best economical choice, the Swell UK 1400 submersible pump.
This 1,500 LPH maximum flow rate pump from Swell UK uses just 25w of electricity, so it’s efficient and is ideal for supplying filters or waterfalls.
Swell’s filter pumps have a solid handling capacity that means it can shift particles up to 4-8mm, so there’s no need for a foam pre-filter. This means it is much easier to maintain than standard designs.
There’s a multi-stage hose outlet to use with different sizes of hose. However, there isn’t any direction adjustment so you might need other fittings to complete your installation.
The Swell includes a safety thermal cut-out switch to protect the pump if it should run dry and even has a 3-year warranty so you can be confident of a long life.
The product doesn’t come with fountain adjuster valves so you might need to buy these separately.
In common with other designs that can handle solid particles, these pumps are not suitable for those who want to keep wildlife because small creatures can be sucked into the pond pump.
The Jebao TMP is a high power submersible pump delivering up to 6,500 LPH with a cable length of 10 metres. It is capable of saving up to 65% in energy consumption, making it highly efficient, and one of the best pond pumps for waterfalls and large ponds.
It is equipped with a handy IC electronic detection feature that automatically turns the pump off in case the water runs dry.
Also, the pump features a sizable pre-filter cage to stop big debris from getting in. The pump itself is designed for solids handling and can filter particles up to 6mm.
Because the pump is designed for solids, it shouldn’t be purchased for use with fountains as solid waste could quickly block the jets. Additionally, cleaning the pump can be slightly challenging as this one comes with screws.
Our Editor’s Choice in this best pond pumps list, the All-in-One System CUP-311 from All Pond Solutions. This pond pump combines a 2,500 litres per hour pump, an 11w UV clarifier and a filter system to keep a small to medium-sized pond healthy.
Everything is contained inside one unit that goes in the bottom of your pond, so there’s no ugly equipment outside in the garden. This pond pump is easy to install, and there’s a single 10m cable to make management easier.
For fountain lovers, there are three fountain heads to choose from with a valve built in to adjust the height, and a splitter to connect a hosepipe that could supply a small waterfall.
In smaller ponds, the product may take up quite a bit of space and any maintenance you need to do might involve getting wet. Additionally, because the filter elements are not as large as other options, you should be aware that you might have to clean them quite frequently.
Ideal for a new fish pond, this 2,300 LPH pump comes complete with an external 9w UV clarifier and box filter system for ponds up to 6,000 litres.
The UV filter has an indicator light to show that it’s working and the filter includes a thermometer and an excellent blockage indicator to tell you when it’s time for maintenance.
The filter has multiple stages to clean particles and allow good bacteria to break down fish waste. However, the included pump is not suitable for pumping more than tiny solids.
Although the filter box can be partially buried, it can be challenging to hide as the outlet pipe must be about the level of the pond. The outlet pipe is also relatively short and may need extending.
This pond pump can filter 10,000 litres per hour, but other flow rate options are also available. This particular option is powered by 155 watts. Its hose tail is able to fit the four most common hose sizes ranging from 20 to 38 mm. You also get 10 metres of power cable for convenient installation.
High-quality materials are used to build the All Pond Solutions Pond and Aquarium pump. It features a rust-proof ceramic shaft and is designed to have a maximum height of 5 metres. If versatility and convenience sound good to you, this could be the perfect pond pump for your needs.
You should know, this device may have a somewhat shorter lifespan overall when compared to other top options on our list, and it could be a bit less powerful than expected. Additionally, the design lacks filter protection, so it could suck up debris and become clogged if extra precautions are not taken to prevent this from happening.
To help you choose the best pond pump, our buying guide is going to look at what a pump can do and what are some of the essential features to consider before making your purchase.
The pond pump that is right for you is going to depend on what you need it to do. Amongst the benefits that pond pumps can provide are:
Maybe you need just one of these, or perhaps you need them all.
It’s possible to buy just a pond pump, or you can buy a kit with filters and all accessories.
A stand-alone pump is best if you already have a filter to use, or want to be able to choose your system from different manufacturers. Choosing from our separate pond pumps is going to give you the maximum flexibility to set up your pond exactly how you want and is often the best option for experienced fish keepers.
A combination pond pump and filter kit make it easy as it includes features that you know will work well together. A complete kit is recommended for beginners or those happy to keep it simple.
Energy consumption is another factor to consider when shopping for garden and outdoor products such as LED grow lights and pond pumps and water filters.
In submersible pond pumps, electrical efficiency can vary dramatically from model to model and flow rates, and pumps with a high energy consumption can result in a large electric bill for the customer.
Pumps running pond filters need to provide water flow 24-hours a day for the filter to work so you should take special consideration in this case to how much electricity the pump will use and look for the most energy efficient model available for your pond.
Some pond pumps are “solid handling.” This means that they can pump water with some solid matter suspended in it.
The benefit of these pond pumps is that they don’t require a pump pre-filter that needs regular cleaning. Also for large fish like koi, they are perfect as they will pump the larger waste that is produced by these fish to the filter system where it can be removed.
Pond pumps vary hugely in their water maximum flow rate which is measured in litres per hour of water.
Manufacturers quote the max flow rate per hour possible, and when you fit an accessory like a fountain or some hose pipe for a water feature, the flow will reduce.
If you’re operating a filter with the pump, you’ll need to take into account the max flow rate capacity. There’s a limit as to how much water flow can go through a filter which can’t be exceeded for the filter to work correctly.
Make sure the pump features all the accessories that you need. Most fountain pumps come as standard with jets, a water flow valve and a pre-filter. In others, you might need to add these.
Different pumps come with different warranty lengths, and they can be used as a rule of thumb as to how reliable and long-lasting you might expect the pump to be. They can vary between 1 and 3 years which is quite a difference.
We’ve shown you some great options for the best pond pumps but if you’re still not sure, we recommend our top pick – the powerful VEATON 550W water pump.
This submersible system can quickly clean huge amounts of water in minimal time, without hassle. The unit can consume up to 11500 litres of water each hour and works in various settings, from pools and ponds to hot tubs at cooler temperatures. There’s even a convenient “automatic” mode which sets the device to work on its own for added convenience.
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