The Active 360 Water Birth Pool is the freestanding version of our iconic, award-winning Active II, created for hospitals, birth centres and maternity units that want a generous, comfortable and highly supportive pool for physiological labour and water birth.
Designed around the needs of mothers and midwives the Active 360 combines ergonomic shape, spacious internal proportions, supportive seating, wide working rims and Ficore® composite construction in one seamless, hand-built pool.
Its generous organic form, integrated Labour Support Seat, rim-level Safety Seat, recessed handgrips, extra-wide rounded rim, freestanding layout and Water Column create a highly supportive and practical environment for mothers, midwives and birth partners.
Designed for active birth
The Active 360 is a purpose-designed, freestanding 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 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.
A practical working surface for midwives
The extra-wide bullnose rim also has considerable ergonomic value for midwives and birth partners.
Generous open space beneath the projecting rim allows a midwife to sit close to the mother with her legs comfortably positioned beneath the pool edge.
Her arms can rest naturally on the broad rim while she communicates with, observes and supports the mother.
It enables the midwife to remain physically close without having to lean repeatedly over a narrow rim and vertical pool wall.
The rim effectively becomes a comfortable working surface: wide enough to support the forearms, rounded enough to avoid pressure points and positioned to facilitate close, calm communication.
Freestanding 360° access for midwives
As a freestanding model, the Active 360 allows maternity staff to approach and work around the pool rather than being limited to the front and sides of a wall-mounted installation.
This 360° access gives midwives greater freedom to select an appropriate working position as the mother moves, changes posture or requires observation, reassurance, hands-on support or assistance.
It also gives the maternity team more flexibility to approach from different positions when required, supporting clearer circulation, collaborative working and adaptable birth-room planning.
Because the plumbing and specified fixtures are organised on the Water Column rather than mounted across the working rim, the broad support surface remains clearer and midwives can move more freely around the pool.
Designed to assist entry and exit
The bullnose rim also acts as a practical transfer point when the mother enters or leaves the pool.
Used with the Active Birth Pools 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.
Mid-Level Labour Support Seat
The 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.
A deep groove through the centre of the seat allows the sacrum to move more freely and helps avoid pressure against the birth canal.
The seat can be used in several 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.
Rim Level Safety Seat
The Safety Seat is a distinctive feature of the Active 360.
It provides an additional support platform close to the top of the pool and gives the maternity team practical options for monitoring and emergency evacuations.
The mother may use the seat when changing position, being monitored or preparing to leave the pool.
Its position also allows midwives to monitor and provide care without requiring the mother to leave the water unnecessarily.
The Active 360 is compatible with portable hoisting equipment, subject to the maternity unit’s own equipment, procedures, risk assessment and room planning.
The combination of the Safety Seat, open internal space and pool profile supports appropriate emergency-evacuation planning.
Recessed Handgrips
The Active 360 features stainless-steel handgrips set into moulded recesses and bonded directly into the Ficore® pool shell.
Their natural positioning provides firm support for upright, kneeling and forward-leaning positions, helping the mother to brace, turn and change position with greater control and confidence.
Because the grips sit within the rim rather than projecting above it, the broad upper surface remains clear for resting the arms and upper body.
This helps reduce the risk of the mother bumping or injuring herself against raised handgrips, brackets or surface-mounted fittings.
It also minimises snag points and obstructions that could impede access or require awkward reaching by midwives.
The bonded design eliminates exposed brackets, narrow gaps and unnecessary junctions where moisture, residue and microorganisms could remain, creating a smooth, accessible surface that is easier to clean, disinfect and inspect.
The keyhole-shaped water channel
One of the Active 360’s most innovative features is the keyhole-shaped water channel built into the back of the rim.
On the Active 360 with Water Column, this protected inlet area is retained as part of the pool’s ergonomic profile and used in conjunction with the column-mounted filling arrangement.
Positioning the filling point within this protected area helps reduce the risk of the mother striking her head or body against protruding plumbing as she leans back, turns, kneels, rises or changes position.
The keyhole shape opens up the back of the pool, creating more usable internal 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.
The Water Column
The Water Column has been specially designed to complement the Active 360’s freestanding design by providing a practical location for the project’s plumbing, controls, spout and other specified fixtures and fittings.
Moving these elements away from the bullnose rim helps keep the mother’s continuous support surface clear, reduces obstructions and helps address water-safety and manual-handling concerns associated with rim-mounted equipment.
The strong, sturdy column can also provide a useful support point for mothers when entering or leaving the pool and when using upright or standing positions during labour.
For midwives, its height and gently sloping top provide a surface they can lean on for support or use while writing notes, while the freestanding pool layout preserves flexible access around the mother.
Ficore® composite construction
Active 360 Water Birth Pools and Water Column is 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 forms, the Active 360 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.
Multi-colour LED lighting and Bluetooth® sound
The Active 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.
Together, the lighting and sound options allow the birth-room environment to be adapted to the mother’s individual preferences.
Active 360 Water Birth Pool with Water Column
- Dimensions overall: 1965 x 1650 x 770mm
- Material: Ficore® composite resin
- Lifespan: 25 years +
- Guarantee: Lifetime
- Lead Time: 4 – 6 weeks+ shipping
- Availability: Worldwide direct and through selected agents
Hospital-grade sanitary ware for maternity environments
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.
