A compact freestanding water birth pool with 360° access for smaller maternity rooms
The Princess 360 Water Birth Pool with Water Column is the freestanding version of the Princess II, created for hospitals, birth centres and maternity units where space is limited but comfort, support and freedom of movement remain essential.
Designed around the needs of mothers and midwives, the Princess 360 combines compact external dimensions with a surprisingly spacious interior, deep water immersion, integrated labour supports, an extra-wide rounded rim and durable Ficore® composite construction.
With the addition of the purpose-designed Water Column, the Princess II becomes the Princess 360: a freestanding water birth pool that allows mothers, midwives and birth partners to move around the pool from every direction.
The Water Column provides a dedicated location for the taps, spout, shower fittings, pipework and plumbing controls, allowing the pool rim to remain clear, open and accessible.
This creates a practical freestanding installation with 360° access, while retaining the supportive internal proportions and ergonomic features of the Princess II.
Designed for physiological labours and active births
The Princess 360 is a purpose-designed water birth pool shaped around the way women move in labour and the way midwives need to work.
The pool gives mothers the space, depth and support they need to move instinctively, change position and find the postures that feel most comfortable and effective during labour.
The organic internal shape supports upright, kneeling, seated, forward-leaning and resting positions without forcing the mother into one fixed posture.
The result is a calmer, more intuitive birth environment where the mother can use the water, the rim, the seats and the support surfaces naturally.
The Water Column is central to the Princess 360 design
A freestanding water birth pool creates more flexibility in room layout and movement around the pool, but the plumbing still needs to be positioned somewhere safe, accessible and hygienic.
The Active Birth Pools Water Column is a purpose-designed service column for freestanding 360° water birth pool installations.
It provides a practical location for taps, spout, shower fittings, pipework and plumbing controls while keeping the pool rim clear for mothers and midwives.
This is one of the defining advantages of the Princess 360.
The Water Column allows the pool to be used away from the wall without cluttering the rim with taps, spouts or fittings.
Supportive design for active labour
The Princess 360 is designed around the way women naturally move in labour.
The pool supports a wide range of instinctive positions, including kneeling, sitting, forward-leaning, supported squatting, upright resting and changing position in the water.
Its internal form gives mothers options, rather than restricting them to one fixed posture.
The integrated Labour Support Seat provides support in upright positions and gives the mother a place to rest between contractions.
It can also help her remain upright while allowing the pelvis to open.
The integrated Lumbar Support provides additional comfort and support in positions such as sitting, squatting and leaning back between contractions.
Together, these features make the Princess 360 feel more purposeful than a simple compact vessel.
It is shaped for the physical realities of labour, not just for the dimensions of the room.
Extra-Wide Bullnose Rim
Unique to Active Birth Pools, the extra-wide, wrap-around bullnose rim is one of the most recognisable and purposeful features of our water birth pools.
Rather than functioning simply as the upper edge of the pool, the rim has been designed as a continuous ergonomic support and transfer surface.
Its generous width, softly rounded profile and carefully considered proportions give mothers a comfortable place to hold, lean, brace and rest throughout labour.
From almost anywhere within the pool, the mother can reach the rim and use it to support natural movement and position changes.
Support that surrounds the mother
Because the bullnose rim extends around the pool, support is not restricted to one designated area.
The mother can move freely and select the position that feels most comfortable without losing access to a broad, supportive surface.
Whether she is sitting, kneeling, turning, leaning forwards or rising, the rim remains within easy reach.
This continuous support helps preserve the freedom of movement that is central to labouring in water.
Internal support features: help mothers adopt postures natural to labour and birth, while allowing them to rest comfortably to relax.
This mid-level Labour Support Seat is tilted slightly forward to encourage upright postures and help the pelvis remain open during labour.
It gives the mother somewhere to rest between contractions while continuing to benefit from immersion.
The deep channel down the centre of the seat allows the sacrum to move more freely and helps avoid pressure against the birth canal.
The Labour Support Seat can be used in a variety of ways.
The mother may sit upright, turn towards it for support, lean forward over the rim or use it as a resting place while welcoming her baby.
This carefully considered shape distinguishes the Labour Support Seat from a conventional bath seat.
It has been designed around the physical needs of labour and birth rather than simply providing somewhere to sit.
Lumbar support
There is a lumbar support into the front of the pool which is set at 45 degrees to give mothers additional comfort and support in upright positions such as squatting.
Because it is moulded into the pool, it does not create a loose accessory, additional fitting or avoidable obstruction.
Designed to make entry and exit simple and safe
The bullnose rim also acts as a practical transfer point when the mother enters or leaves the pool.
Used with the Single Step Unit, it supports a simple and controlled movement sequence:
Step onto the unit. Sit on the wide rim. Swivel towards the water. Lower gently into the pool. For exit, the movement is reversed:
This method avoids requiring the mother to climb over a high pool wall or balance on a large multi-step platform in a wet clinical environment.
The broad rim gives both the mother and attending midwife a stable area around which the movement can be organised, helping to reduce awkward lifting, excessive reaching and avoidable manual-handling strain.
Keyhole-shaped water channel: protecting mothers from protruding spouts
One of the Princess 360’s most innovative features is the keyhole-shaped water channel which contains the drain and importantly prevents mothers from hitting themselves on protruding spouts.
By positioning the taps and spout above the water channel and within the pool’s profile, the design helps protect the mother from striking her head or body against protruding plumbing as she leans back, turns, kneels, rises or changes position.
The keyhole shape also opens up the back of the pool, creating more usable space and allowing the mother to move freely and explore positions that are natural to labour and birth.
She can lean comfortably against the back, use the recessed handgrips and rounded rim for support, and reposition herself without being obstructed by the water inlet.
Multi-colour LED lighting and Bluetooth® sound
The Princess 360 can be supplied with integrated multi-colour Chromotherapy LED lighting and a Bluetooth® sound system, helping to create a calmer and more personalised environment for labour and birth.
The lighting can be adjusted to soften the clinical appearance of the room and create an atmosphere that feels more private, reassuring and conducive to relaxation, while still allowing the wider birth-room lighting to be used whenever required.
Bluetooth® connectivity enables women to play music, relaxation tracks, hypnobirthing recordings, guided breathing exercises or other familiar audio from a compatible device.
Together, the lighting and sound options allow the birth-room environment to be adapted to the mother’s individual preferences.
They complement the comfort and freedom of movement provided by the pool, helping create a space in which she can feel more settled, focused and in control throughout labour.
Ficore® composite construction
Princess 360 Water Birth Pools are hand-built to order in England from Ficore®, a solid composite material selected for the demanding requirements of hospital water birth.
Ficore® is exceptionally strong, rigid and durable, providing the structural stability needed for repeated use in busy maternity environments.
Its smooth, warm-to-the-touch surface is comfortable against the body, while its thermal properties help the pool water retain warmth during labour.
Ficore® is resistant to the cleaning and disinfection processes used in maternity settings and, unlike many conventional pool materials, can be professionally repaired and refinished if damaged.
This extends the practical life of the pool, reduces the need for premature replacement and contributes to better lifetime value for hospitals.
Importantly, Ficore® has a greater adhesive factor and is less slippery, or more slip resistant, than fibreglass or acrylic.
Because Ficore® can be moulded into smooth, seamless, one-piece forms, the Active II incorporates fewer joints, crevices and dirt traps than pools assembled from multiple components.
This makes the pool easier to clean, disinfect and inspect, supporting effective infection control practice throughout its working life.
Princess 360 Water Birth Pool
- Overall dimensions: 1900 x 1100 x 770
- Material: Ficore® composite resin
- Lifespan: 25 years +
- Guarantee: Lifetime
- Lead Time: 4 – 6 weeks + shipping
- Availability: Worldwide direct and through selected agents
Download Princess 360 Data Sheet
Active Birth Pools are hospital-grade sanitary ware products designed specifically for maternity environments.
They are manufactured under documented quality-control procedures and designed with reference to applicable sanitary-ware and healthcare-estates guidance, including BS EN 14516 / EN 14516 for cleanability and durability, CEN/TR 17221 for sanitary-appliance Declaration of Performance guidance, and HBN 00-10 Part C for sanitary assemblies in healthcare facilities.
CE documentation and Declarations of Performance are available where applicable. Plumbing and electrical components should always be specified and installed in accordance with local regulatory requirements and the hospital’s estates, infection-prevention and water-safety procedures.
