Key performance metrics for hospital grade water birth pools

K.D.Brainin Founder & Director
Blog: 06.06.2025

When hospitals invest in medical equipment, especially water birth pools, decision-makers must assess value based on a clear set of performance indicators.

Here’s how Active Birth Pools meet and exceed every standard, justifying their place at the top of the premium category.

While options exist at every tier, the true value of a birth pool lies not just in the price—but in how well it performs across key metrics critical to hospital environments.

Water Birth Pool Price Summary  (in UK Pounds Sterling)

  • Entry-Level Fixed Birth Pools: £5,000.00 – £8,000.00
  • Mid-Range (Enhanced Hygiene & Safety): £8,000.00 – £12,000.00
  • Premium Hospital Grade Pools: £12,000.00 – £17,000.00

Key Performance Indicators for Hospital Equipment Purchases

  1. Safety and Compliance
    Must meet all health and safety, manual handling and infection control regulations.
  2. Sustainability, Durability and Longevity
    Built to withstand continuous use over long period of time with minimal maintenance.
  3. Ergonomics and User Experience
    Designed to safeguard and support both the clinical team and labouring mothers.
  4. Hygiene and Infection Control
    Prioritizes seamless one-piece construction, easy cleaning, absence of “dirt traps” and antibacterial resistance.
  5. Material Quality
    Made from specialised medical-grade materials robust enough to withstand the rigours of constant use and harsh chemical disinfectants.
  6. Cost-Efficiency and ROI
    Offers long-term life-cycle value through extended life span.
  7. Clinical Effectiveness
    Demonstrated benefits and results for patient care and outcomes.
  8. Brand Reputation & Customer Support
    Established trust and reliability in healthcare environments.

How Active Birth Pools Deliver on Every Metric

Safety and Compliance

  • Designed to optimise safety, negate risk and deliver safer birthing environments.
  • Fully compliant with international medical standards.
  • We’ve utilised intelligent design and a range of innovations to negate risk and maximise water safety.
  • Slip-resistant surfaces, extra-wide rims and integrated handholds ensure safe, independent movement.
  • Negates the manual handling risks commonly associated with water birth pools through innovative design and superior materials.
  • Variety of options to facilitate emergency evacuations including portable hoists.
  • Simple and safe for mothers to enter the pool without need for bulky step units which present unacceptable risks

Sustainability, Durability and Longevity

  • Constructed from Ficore® composite, stronger and more resilient than traditional materials.
  • Engineered to last over 25 years in demanding clinical settings.
  • The design of Active Birth Pools focuses on durability and longevity, aiming to reduce waste and optimise resources use over time.

Ergonomics and User Experience

  • Developed through extensive research to support natural movement and optimal midwife access.
  • Designed with midwives’ comfort, safety and well-being firmly in mind. The concave surround and extra-wide rounded rim enables midwives to sit in complete comfort safeguarded from risk of injury.
  • The contoured interior with integrated seats provide comfort and support to mothers in the wide range of positions natural to labour and birth,

Hygiene and Infection Control

  • Seamless, non-porous surface eliminates places for bacteria to propagate.
  • Bespoke drainage systems and advanced design reduce cross-contamination risks.
  • Absence of surface mounted metal work (taps, handgrips etc.) which presents significant infection control risks in other birthing pools

Material Quality

Active Birth Pools are fabricated from a highly specialised material called Ficore® composite that has many advantages when compared to fibreglass or acrylic:

  • Highly polished surface is tactile and warm to the touch.
  • Superior heat retention (less then .7 degree per hour heat loss).
  • Seamless one-piece construction.
  • Easier to clean and more resistant to bacteria.
  • Less slippery
  • Superior strength and durability – 5 x stronger than materials used in manufacture of other birthing pools.
  • More resistant to damage and easily repaired like new if need be.

Cost-Efficiency and ROI

  • Virtually maintenance-free and energy-efficient.
  • Lower lifetime costs than cheaper alternatives due to minimum down-time and long-lasting performance.
  • Stunning design helps create world-class water birth facilities that attract clients.
  • Optimises hospital resources increasing revenue and reducing costs

Clinical Effectiveness

  • Proven to support natural labour progression, reduce pain, and enhance relaxation.
  • Endorsed by maternity professionals world-wide for ease of use and improved patient satisfaction and outcomes.
  • Ergonomic design ensures midwives can maintain proper posture, reducing physical strains and improving overall results and job satisfaction.

Brand Reputation and Customer Support

  • Over the past 38 years Active Birth Pools have supplied hundreds water birth pools to leading hospitals worldwide.
  • Supported by unparalleled experience, expert consultation, and robust aftercare.
  • Built to last for decades and backed by a unique lifetime guarantee

Why Active Birth Pools Are the #1 Choice Worldwide

  • Premium-quality construction and unrivalled clinical design place us at the very top of the water birth pool market.
  • We are the only manufacturer using Ficore® composite, ensuring unmatched safety, sustainability, hygiene, durability and overall performance.
  • Active Birth Pools deliver exceptional safety, value and performance over decades, far surpassing the expectations of the £12,000–£15,000+ premium tier.
  • We helped pioneer the use of water for labour and birth by designing the water birth pools that made this revolution in maternity care possible.
  • Since 1987 we’ve supplied thousands of birthing pools to hospitals world-wide and helped millions of women have better births.
  • Trusted partner to maternity services around the globe, supporting safe, empowering, midwife-led care.

When hospitals choose Active Birth Pools, they’re not just buying a product—they’re investing in the safest, most effective, and most durable solution on the market.

Visit our Information Hub to find out more:

Active Birth Pools Information Hub

Why Water Birth Pools Designed by Keith Brainin and Manufactured by Design and Form are the Superior Choice for Hospitals

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