Go with a sand filter for your above-ground pool.

Yes. For the vast majority of above-ground pool owners, a sand filter is the simpler, cheaper, and more durable choice.

Sand filters work by trapping debris in a bed of sand. When they get dirty, you backwash — reverse the flow to flush the dirt out. That’s it. No cartridges to buy, no fragile pleats to tear. The sand lasts 5–7 years.

Cartridge filters are fine if you really hate wasting water. They capture smaller particles and don’t need backwashing. But you have