I'm afraid that objective reviews of specific pool packages -- either in ground (IG) or above ground (AG) -- are few and far between. In fact, I'm not sure I've ever seen one.

There are 'reviews' of a sort in some of the pool trade mags, but those are close to being 'bought and paid for'.

And, then there are online accounts in various forums -- but again, those reflect only a particular point of view. People come online when they are having problems, not when everything is going well

What makes it worse is that companies revamp product lines, so that the name on the 'grille' is still the same, even when what's 'under the hood' has changed totally.

If you are using an installer or pool builder, I'd strongly recommend asking them for a list of customers. And, then ask them for installation dates for each pool. Call the ones that are 2 years old or older. (Almost everybody -- if they aren't furious at their builder -- loves their pool the first season, no matter how crappy it is.)

Good luck,

PoolDoc

PS. You could always send a note to Consumer Reports asking them to look at pools and equipment. Might even work!