A modern guide to reclaiming your pool (and your sanity) with techy, splashy, brilliant pool gadgets.
Before (after the tornado)
Back in October, a tornado ripped through our Florida neighborhood, and my pool cage—my poor, sweet, protective pool cage—took one look at the wind and decided it wanted to swim in my pool and float through the neighborhood. Not only did it vanish, but it left behind an apocalyptic pool scene that made me seriously consider turning the whole thing into a skateboard park.
Branches. Dirt. Cushions. Chairs. Algae that looked like it was developing a personality. And yes, even a few goodies that belonged to our neighbors—thank you, Cathy, for the oddly heavy garden gnome. I still don’t know where it came from, or why it looks like it’s judging me, but that’s a story for another day.
As I stood staring into what used to be my sparkling blue pool and what was now more of a swampy lounge for my neighbor’s debris, I realized I had two options:
Hire the pool boy (again) and spend a fortune, or
Join the future and fire the pool boy once and for all. Note: My ex-pool boy would only show up when he felt like it, so he was getting fired, swamp or no swamp.
I actually chose BOTH options. I hired him to clean up this awful mess and get the pool back to what it was before the storm. But after that was a whole different story.
Why Fire the Pool Boy?
First off, I have nothing personal against my previous pool guy. He was nice enough. Wore sunglasses even when it rained, would knock on the door to say hi (really just to make sure that my dog wouldn’t attack him if she was outside) and call me Sunshine (not sure if that was flattering or passive-aggressive), and when he did show up, it always seemed to be just after I’d cleaned the pool myself.
But let’s be real, technology has evolved. And when you live in Florida, your pool is practically a member of the family. If you had a cousin who constantly needed cleaning, balancing, testing, and occasionally rescuing from algae infestations, that would be your pool.
Enter: the new generation of smart pool gadgets. These products don’t just take the hassle out of pool maintenance; they practically make it fun. I said practically. Thanks to the brands in this article that sent me these pool products, I might never have had the guts to fire him.
So, grab a lemonade (or something stronger if you prefer), toss the gnome back into your neighbor’s yard, and let’s talk about how to fire your pool boy and get a sparkling clean pool without lifting more than a manicured finger.
1. Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra – AKA The Robot Pool Whisperer
Let’s start with the big one. The crown jewel. The gadget that made me feel like I had hired R2-D2 for pool duty.
The Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra is what happens when NASA engineers decide to tackle pool cleaning. This isn’t your grandma’s pool vacuum (no offense, grandma). This is a sleek, futuristic, self-driving, wall-scaling, dirt-devouring beast, and I love nothing more than watching it do its work. With a built in camera to detect dirt and debris (as well as stairs, etc.).
Why I love it:
- It climbs walls. Yes, like Spider-Man. No more green rings halfway up the pool walls or mysterious slime patches. It even goes up my pool steps as it cleans.
- It maps your pool. Using onboard AI, it actually learns your pool’s shape and size to clean more efficiently than the pool guy who always looked half asleep.
- Dual brushes + quad motors = zero grime. I watched it devour a small oak branch like it was a hors d’oeuvre (I live in Florida, but have 2 very large Live Oaks in my yard)
- It skims the surface. OK, I wasn’t expecting this at ALL (I’ve had robotic skimmers before), but watching it catch those leaves BEFORE then drop to the bottom…OMG.
- It clarifies the water. You simply pop in a cartridge, and the ClearWater technology leaves you with sparkling clear water (each cartridge cleans up to 99,000 gallons, so it lasts a while)!
Honestly, watching it do its thing is mesmerizing. It’s like the Roomba of the pool world—if your Roomba could swim, climb, scrub, and tell your mobile phone when it was done and ready to be recharged. When the battery is low, it simply docks itself, parking at the side/top of the pool for easy reach and notifies you.
Goodbye, pool boy. Hello, Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra. Now, what should I name it?
2. Card on Guard – Because Chlorine is So Last Season
Now that the pool is actually clean, it is time to balance the chemicals. But, honestly, I hated having so many chemicals dumped in my pool every week (not quite as much as I hate a green pool – but there had to be a happy medium). There’s something very wrong about dumping in chlorine like I was seasoning a stew. Not an ideal situation at ALL.
This is where Card on Guard comes in. It’s not solar-powered. It’s smarter! This deceptively simple little product goes right into your pool and quietly, magically (using the power of UV Light from the sun) helps reduce how much chlorine you need. Yes, you read that right.
Why it’s genius:
- Less chlorine = softer skin and fewer complaints from guests about “smelling like a bleach wipe.”
- Natural Bacteria Control: Using a process called photolysis, which breaks down molecules using sunlight.
- Creates a Healthier Pool Environment: By naturally suppressing bacteria, it lets you reduce your use of harsh chemical sanitizers.
- It lasts 1 year (of use – so if you only use your pool 4 months a year, it will last 3 years), and you don’t have to do anything except put it in the pool about 3 feet from the skimmer. Seriously, that’s it.
After a month of using Card on Guard, my pool still sparkled like a bottle of Perrier, and my bathing suit faded a lot less. The water smells clean, not like chemicals with less chlorine, and my skin isn’t drying out like it usually does every summer. Plus, it’s saving me money, since I don’t have to buy as many chemicals.
I didn’t think I could love a card more than my AMEX, but here we are with a new card. The only difference is that Card on Guard isn’t in my wallet.
3. Crystal Water Monitor – Your Pool’s Personal Lab Tech
Last but definitely not least, there’s the Crystal Water Monitor. Think of this little guy as your pool’s very own smartwatch—only instead of counting steps, it’s counting everything that could possibly go wrong with your water chemistry.
This little genius constantly measures:
- pH levels
- Chlorine or bromine
- Alkalinity
- Water temperature
- And more
Then it syncs to your phone and gives you real-time updates like, “Your chlorine is a little low,” or “Time to add a pinch of pH reducer.” It’s basically a mini-pool maintenance company with a PhD.
Why I won’t shut up about it:
- It Saves Money by avoiding over-treatment.
- Keeps your pool safe and tells me exactly what I need to add with PRECISE instructions
- I know WHEN to add unlike the every Monday check and add, it checks my water 1000 times a week, and I get alerts only when I need to add something. So, I’m never over-treating my pool.
- It gives me product options from the pool store to Walmart, it shows me not only what I need to add, but the brands and NAMES (because we all know that I get confused about the difference in some of these pool chemical products).
The best part? Crystal Water Monitor alerts me before things go wrong. Not after. That’s right—no more surprises like slimy stairs or cloudy water right before guests arrive.
So, Is It Time to Fire Your Pool Boy?
After
Only you can answer that. But if you’re tired of scheduling cleanings, stocking up on jugs of mystery chemicals, and wondering if your pool is safe enough to swim in (or if it might swallow you whole), then yes, it might be time to thank your pool boy for his service and upgrade to a new era.
With the Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra doing the dirty work, Card on Guard keeping the water soft and safe, and Crystal Water Monitor alerting you to chemical imbalances before they become full-blown problems, you’re looking at total pool peace.
And let’s not forget the most important part: you can now sip your wine poolside without being interrupted by the sound of vacuum hoses, chlorine fumes, or a pool boy named Chad asking if you’ve seen his net.
Final Thoughts From Poolside
Rebuilding after a storm is never easy. But turning my disaster of a pool into a gleaming backyard retreat again—without hiring someone or spending hours hunched over with test kits and hoses—has been nothing short of revolutionary.
Now my pool is cleaner, safer, and smarter than ever. And me? I’ve officially retired from emergency skimming duty.
If you’re ready to fire your pool boy and let the robots and smart gadgets take over (and honestly, who isn’t?), this trio is the ticket to stress-free summer days, all-season sparkle, and never hearing the phrase “Oops, I forgot to add chlorine” again.
So go ahead. Fire the pool boy. He’ll understand. Probably.
And Janet? Come get your gnome.
Tools You Need to Dive In:
Pool life has entered the 21st century. It’s time to float along with it.
