Pool liners are the most important part of the function of an above-ground pool; without it, the many seams in the walls, frame and ground will seep water through constantly.
All pool liners are made of a type of vinyl, which is a durable surface to keep your pool water-tight. You can purchase either a recycled or a virgin vinyl for your pool. Recycled vinyl will be thinner and stretch more easily, which can be problematic and make the liner more at risk for rips or punctures in the liner. Virgin vinyl is naturally made with thicker sheeting which will more easily resist the tears and stretching that may happen, thus lasting longer in most cases than recycled vinyl.
Your liner won’t be one gigantic piece of vinyl, though that would be nice; it will have seams throughout it to fit the shape and size of your pool. The seams can be either traditional, which are similar to how clothing is made, two pieces sewn together. The potential for these seams to burst or start leaking water is higher than with lapped seams. Lapped seams overlap at the edges, which will be less likely to leak even under the massive pressure from all of the water in the pool.
Along with the seams and the type of vinyl, liners can also be of different construction for attaching to your pool.
 Overlap liners will overlap the top rim of the wall and have to be clamped down. These are often the most affordable. You may not be able to find many colors or patterns in this type of liner though. These are the easiest to install, only requiring basic items which will come with your pool. However, if you want to replace an overlap liner in the future, it can be very challenging to do so.
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 J-hook liners are called that because of the way that they are mounted and hang on the top of your pool wall via a J-shaped adapter. They are not as cheap as overlap liners, but are easier to remove and replace should you need to do so. J-hook liners also come in a wider variety of patterns and colors than overlap liners.
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 Unibead liners are known as the top of the lines available, mainly because they include the largest variety of selection, are easily installed and often include J-hook connections as well. The reason that these are the most pricey is because they are incredibly easy to remove and replace, requiring no deconstructing of your pool wall to do so.
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