Hmmm... I could be wrong, but is it possible that it's not just the dark bottom, but that some of these pools are not chlorinated? I understand there is a whole movement for non-chlorinated pools that use plants around the edge that keep the water clean.

At any rate, I think the pools look very cool and inviting.

No.

Wow!! I'd love one!

They do look cool....but then how could I see the shark swimming up before he got me? Yikes! I am afraid of murky dark water.

One of my deepest fears is being in the middle of the ocean with endless dark water below me. These pools do look luxurious, but I don't think I could handle it!

Why not?, a pool is a pool is a pool.

They're a little disconcerting at first, but the water is usually so wonderfully warm, that the feeling of unease wears off pretty quickly. But they're definitely not as pretty in the landscape as a standard pool (despite the examples above); they mostly look like big, deep, dark holes.

I certainly understand the fear of dark, murky water (it's one of my greatest fears as well) but I think the thing about a dark bottom pool, which can be observed in the final photo, is that the water itself is not dark and you can, in fact, see straight through it to the bottom. I think when in a dark bottom pool, as opposed to looking across the surface of it, the obvious presence of a floor would mitigate any fears of dark, murky, depths. My first thought actually was that they reminded me of the color of naturally occurring pools of water like one would find in mountainous retreats.

I love this! It would mean less cleaning (I grew up with a pool and vacuuming was my job...a dark liner would have hidden the dirt!) haha

I prefer a dark pool. The glare from a very pale one can be very uncomfortable.

I grew up with a pond filled with bugs and fish and water snakes, so this wouldn't bother me a bit.

Heck, with my poor pale skin, it would probably help me get less sunburn.

We painted our pool a dark turquoise once (my idea), and the color shimmered.

Definitely. The people right next door to my elementary school put one in and I used to gaze in wonder and longing through the cracks in the fence.

If I ever get a pool though I'm going with the kind @Dearmisha mentions, the ones surrounded by plants that act as natural filters. If you find some good pix of those, I'd love to see them!

LOVE @Kaete's comment about her pond & snakes and so forth! LOL!

I have friends who have a dark-bottomed salt water pool...it's HEAVENLY. No harsh chlorine, it's like swimming in the ocean. Lovely.

I understand that a dark bottomed pool is cheaper to heat as it helps absorb heat from the sun. Do you think that's true? I like the look too, just like amch.

I also know someone with a dark, salt water pool. I think they look a lot less dark in person - in the photos you see the sun's reflection on the surface, which makes the pool look less clear. In real life, you can see the bottom without any problem (at least with this one). It's fantastic in Arizona, where everything else is bright, bright blue and tan. It makes the pool seem cooler and less intense.

I think they're gorgeous, much better than the chipped stucco pits that dot the landscape here in Florida. But then again, at least with a light-colored bottom, you can see the alligators lurking in the water...

I love pools with grass going right up to the edge of it...so much nicer than acres of concrete.

I was surprised by my own negative reaction to this---I hate the idea of swimming in dark water. Apparently, even if it's a pool.

oh creeepy!

i get the heebidy jeebidies just looking at it

Reminds me of moutains lakes, deep, strange but so refreshing and unique. I like it !
j'aime ! Ca me rappelle les lacs de montagne profonds, inquiétants mais tellement uniques.

If I had a backyard pool, it would be small and dark-bottomed. Much more chic than the standard white or pale blue-bottomed pool!

If you had asked me before I saw the images, I would have said, "Sure, I'd swim in one!" The first two pictures are making me... reconsider. (The third and fourth ones, where you can see the bottom, are fine, though!)

We remodelled our small, urban backyard and decided to go with a black pool liner, rather than the more traditional blue. It was one of the best design decisions we ever made. It was the landscape designer who suggested the black liner. We were reluctant at first but decided to go ahead and trust him (after testing that, yes indeed, you can see to the bottom of a black pool, by filling a black plastic bucket with water and sticking our feet in it:) ).Style-wise its amazing, creating an integrated,natural look as opposed to sticking out like a sore thumb. And yes, it certainly cuts down on the heating bill. Large granite boulders were used as a diving rock instead of the traditional diving board. The look was completed with simple plant materials and cedar decking weathering now to gray. Highly recommend a black pool liner to anyone considering a pool install or remodel.

When I was growing up, my family had a pool and the liner was black, it was awesome! But then we got a hole in the liner that was irreparable and we had to get a new liner installed. The company we used didn't have the black option and we had to go with ho-hum blue like everyone else. It just lost that bit of pizzaz.

They do look beautiful, especially that round one. I would definitely swim in one.

I grew up in a house with a standard aqua in-ground pool. If it were up to me, I'd go dark -- royal blue at least, maybe something greener than that but still dark. A dark pool looks elegant and private -- like it's meant for someone who knows how clean his own pool is, as opposed to public pools that have to be pale and overchlorinated because god-knows-how-many specimens of god-knows-who are going to be in there and it has to be visibly sanitizable for your protection.