A compact, robust freestanding water birth pool for hospital maternity rooms where space matters
The Princess 360 Water Birth Pool with Water Column is the freestanding version of the Princess II: compact enough for smaller maternity rooms, but substantial, supportive and durable enough for long-term hospital use.
This is an important distinction. The Princess 360 is not a lightweight or compromised “small pool”.
It is a compact hospital water birth pool with a generous internal bathing area, deep water immersion, a broad supportive rim, integrated labour supports and a freestanding Water Column that keeps the pool rim clear of taps, spouts and plumbing fittings.
Active Birth Pools describes the Princess II / 360 range as compact and “surprisingly spacious”, designed for delivery rooms where available space is limited but mothers still need freedom of movement and midwives need practical access.
With the addition of the Water Column, the Princess II becomes the Princess 360: a freestanding birth pool that allows 360 degrees of movement around the pool for mothers, midwives and birth partners.
Compact, but reassuringly substantial
The Princess 360 has a smaller footprint than the larger Active II and Venus II models, but it still feels solid, grounded and reassuring in use.
Its shape, rim and internal supports give it a more substantial presence than its compact dimensions might suggest.
The pool measures 1900mm long, 1100mm wide and 770mm high, with a water depth of 640mm and a capacity of 425 litres when filled to 4 inches below the rim.
This gives mothers the depth needed for effective immersion, while keeping the overall pool size suitable for rooms where a larger model would be difficult to accommodate.
The result is a practical balance: a birth pool that saves space externally, but still feels generous, secure and comfortable internally.
Designed for smaller rooms without compromising performance
The Princess 360 is particularly suitable for maternity rooms where space is limited but a permanent, hospital-quality water birth pool is still required.
Its compact form helps preserve working space around the room, while the Water Column allows plumbing services to be positioned away from the wall and away from the pool rim.
This makes it especially useful for midwife-led units, birth centres, refurbishment projects and delivery rooms where wall-mounted services are not practical.
It also gives maternity departments a freestanding 360° pool option without requiring the room size needed for a larger model.
Why the Water Column makes the Princess 360 more practical
The Water Column is not simply an aesthetic addition. It is central to the way the Princess 360 works.
In a conventional wall-mounted installation, taps, spouts and plumbing controls are usually positioned near the pool edge or on the wall behind the pool. I
n a freestanding 360° installation, those services still need to be located somewhere safe, hygienic and accessible.
The Water Column solves this by moving plumbing fixtures into a dedicated service column.
This keeps taps, spouts and fittings away from the main working edge of the pool and helps preserve the rim as a clear support and access surface.
This matters because the rim is used constantly.
Mothers use it to hold, lean, turn, rest, enter and exit.
Midwives use it to observe, communicate, monitor and support care. In an emergency, the rim also needs to remain as clear and accessible as possible.
By taking plumbing and fittings off the rim, the Water Column gives midwives better access, fewer obstructions and greater freedom to move in response to the changing needs of labour and birth.
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 rounded rim for comfort, support and access
One of the reasons the Princess II / 360 feels more substantial is the rim.
The Princess range has an extra-wide rounded bullnose rim that wraps around the pool.
This gives mothers a firm, comfortable handhold in a wide range of positions, while also allowing midwives and birth partners to sit close to the mother with their arms resting naturally on the rim.
For mothers, the rim provides reassurance and physical support throughout labour.
It gives them something broad and stable to hold when changing position, leaning forward, resting between contractions or lowering themselves into the water.
The rounded shape is comfortable against the arms, chest and shoulders, helping mothers use the pool actively without hard edges pressing into the body.
For midwives, the rim improves access and working comfort.
It allows them to sit close, rest their forearms on the edge of the pool and maintain a more comfortable posture while observing, communicating and supporting care.
The space beneath the rim also helps midwives get closer to the mother without unnecessary bending or reaching.
This broad rim is not just decorative. It is a working support surface for mothers and a practical ergonomic feature for midwives.
Easier entry and exit
The Princess 360 can be used with the Active Birth Pools Single Step Unit.
The extra-wide rim and single step unit make it simpler for mothers of different shapes and sizes to get into the pool.
The usual method is straightforward: the mother steps up, sits securely on the broad rim, swivels her legs into the water and lowers herself into the pool in a controlled movement.
This avoids the need to climb over a high edge.
It also makes the broad rim part of the safety and usability of the pool, rather than just part of its appearance.
The step unit and grab rail also help mothers get in and out of the pool safely.
Ficore® composite construction: solid, warm and durable
The Princess 360 is manufactured from Ficore® composite, the material used across the Active Birth Pools range.
Ficore® gives the pool its solid, substantial feel.
It allows the pool to be formed as a smooth, strong, one-piece structure with flowing curves, rounded edges and integrated support features.
Ficore® is strong, rigid, warm to the touch, durable, repairable and resistant to the cleaning and disinfection processes used in maternity environments.
It can also be moulded into smooth, seamless, one-piece forms with fewer joints, crevices and dirt traps than pools assembled from multiple parts.
Ficore® has a greater adhesive factor and is less slippery and more slip resistant than fibreglass or acrylic.
No wet clinical surface should be treated as slip-proof, but the material choice contributes to a warmer, more tactile and more reassuring user experience.
Built for hygiene, inspection and water safety
The Princess 360 has been designed for maternity environments where cleaning, inspection, infection prevention and water safety are essential.
The Water Column helps by keeping plumbing fittings away from the pool shell and off the main working rim.
This reduces unnecessary penetrations, projections and dirt traps around the pool edge and creates a cleaner, simpler arrangement for the maternity room.
NICE guidance states that baths and birthing pools should be kept clean using a protocol agreed with the local microbiology department or infection-control guidance and, for birthing pools, in accordance with the manufacturer’s guidelines.
Active Birth Pools are hospital-grade sanitary ware products designed specifically for maternity environments, with reference to sanitary-ware and healthcare-estates guidance including BS EN 14516 / EN 14516, CEN/TR 17221 and HBN 00-10 Part C.
Practical for midwives
A good hospital birth pool must work for midwives as well as mothers.
The Princess 360 supports midwifery care by combining compact room use with 360° access around the pool.
The Water Column helps keep the rim clear, while the rounded pool form gives midwives the ability to sit close, rest their arms on the rim and reduce unnecessary bending and reaching.
This is especially important in smaller rooms, where poor layout can quickly make care more difficult.
The Princess 360 gives maternity teams a freestanding option without the room demands of a larger pool.
There is also space under the rim for midwives to get close to the mother in comfort, improving observation, communication and support during labour and birth.
Multi-Colour LED lighting and Bluetooth® sound
The Princess 360 can be supplied with integral multi-colour LED lighting and Bluetooth® sound, allowing mothers to personalise the ambience of the room.
The technical specification lists a 9-light, 11-colour LED chromotherapy system with white, light blue, dark blue, purple, magenta, red, pink, orange, yellow, light green and dark green options.
These features help soften the clinical feel of the room and support a calmer, more personalised birth environment.
A compact pool with a robust hospital feel
The Princess 360 Water Birth Pool with Water Column is best understood as a compact professional pool, not a small domestic-style option.
It is substantial where it needs to be: in its rim, material, internal supports, water depth, hygiene design and midwife access.
At the same time, it remains compact enough for maternity rooms where space is limited.
For hospitals, birth centres and midwife-led units, this combination is the key benefit.
The Princess 360 brings the practicality of a smaller footprint together with the confidence, comfort and durability expected from a purpose-designed hospital water birth pool.
Download Princess II Data Sheet
