17 Products To Help Spend Less Time Maintaining Your Pool
We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed collects a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
Since I doubt you want a repeat of last year's algae bloom debacle.
BuzzFeed Staff
Promising review: "Scummy water bugging you? I just got this gem of a product last night. Popped it into my hot tub and from the picture I attached, you can see that in just about 12 hours, this little Scumbug ate up all the oil and filth in the hot tub. The water not only looks better, but smells better too! Highly recommended!" —Mickey D.
Get a two-pack from Amazon for $14.99.
Promising review: "I wish I would’ve found it sooner! I could’ve saved a lot of money instead of going to the pool store. I use three tablets once a week and a pool float, along with three tablets of Clorox Xtra Blue and a separate float. They have been keeping my water perfect! So crystal clear, I’ve never had it looking so beautiful. I will definitely stick with this!" —Jmalocu
Get a 16-pack from Amazon for $22.87.
The kit includes a 94" telescoping aluminum pole, skimmer net, and a vacuum head with a reusable debris bag.
Promising review: "Easy to use, simple tools. Helps me clean the pool and keep it clean. The net is just the right size, lightweight, scoops up all the bugs, even the very small ones. The vacuum is super helpful to have; it works great. I've been using for two months with no issues." —Ann
Get it from Amazon for $24.49.
Promising review: "I have had several different brands of spa wands through the years and this is one of the best! I use it in between vacuums on our above ground pool. Pleased to say that unlike previous brands, this one actually sucks up the tiny pebbles that one of our dogs often kicks up in to the pool running past. Makes life easier for me!" —MissBetsy
Get it from Amazon for $83.99
Promising review: "We have had this in the pool all summer and have had no critters lost. Normally there were two or three frogs a week, but none this year. It helps all kinds of animals. My wife took this picture of a baby rabbit it saved today. We lifted it out and it hopped away. Great product." —Johnny_B
Get it from Amazon for $17.99+ (available in blue and camo).
Promising review: "I buy one every year and my pool stays clear all year. They work so well that all my friends buy them now and thank me every time I’m at their houses. This product will save you money, you’ll use half the amount of chlorine you would normally use." —LEONARD WILLIAMS
Get it from Amazon for $80.95.
Promising review: "Exactly what we needed. We have our pool in the yard and grass there was excess grass following feet into our pool. This handy tray helps eliminate those loose clippings. Great product!" —JJH
Get it from Amazon for $26.78.
Promising review: "This product works, period. Saves time in keeping your main filter cleaner and lasting longer between deep cleaning. Does NOT restrict water flow. Wished I had known about these years ago." —Mike Podjan
Get a 20-pack from Amazon for $14.99.
Promising review: "Wish we would've got this last year when we got our pool. It's saved so much time alone just from not having to skim the pool when you get in. It's very dusty around us too so that's a major plus for this cover. It does really only take one person to operate, but if you have a second set of hands I recommend using the help. It also keeps the top few inches of water VERY hot if you don't mess with your pool over a few days. Just mix up the water and it's super nice!" —sean
Get it from Amazon for $15.70.
Promising review: "We have had this for a couple of years now. It has been through storms along with direct sunlight. If you are looking for something to make taking the blankets on and off a one-man job, this is exactly what you’re looking for." —Brandon Brown
Get it from Amazon for $139.95+ (available in two sizes).
Promising review: "I love this pool cleaner. This is our third year using this pool cleaner and it still works great. It has saved us thousands of dollars in weekly pool cleaning fees and hours of our own time. We rarely have to do any manual pool cleaning since we started using our Dolphin. We have a 16x32 in-ground vinyl liner pool and our Dolphin pretty much lives in it all summer long. We have it set to run two times per week and it is perfect for us. Our pool has a lot of trees (including pine trees) around it and this does a great job getting all the leaves and pine needles out of the pool." —TNMom1975
Get it from Amazon for $899.
Promising review: "If used as directed and followed by proper pool maintenance, this product will become a staple of your routine for keeping your water sparkling. We have a 25,000-gallon mineral water pool. We love that its nonirritating, nontoxic, biodegradable formula is easy on skin and hair. Regular use helps prevent buildup of fine particulates and improves the effectiveness of filtration. Money well spent." —John
Get it from Amazon for $21.99.
Pallet Works By Steve is a small business handcrafting functional tools for your backyard and game room.
Promising review: "This Pool Skimmer Assist is a life changer! A constant stream of small debris continually floats around our pool no matter what we do. We repeatedly used our pool net while in the pool. So frustrating. Well no more! This awesome product does all the work for us so we can actually swim and enjoy our pool. Thanks so much!!!" —Dawn Villarreal
Get it from Pallet Works By Steve on Etsy for $65.
Promising review: "Super easy to use. You dip in the water for two seconds and you just have to match the colors in your strip with the box of the product. It will tell you about alkalinity, chlorine level, etc. Very easy and self-explanatory. It is very helpful to see the quality of the water. I use it for our above-ground inflatable pool. It is large and has a pump so we treat it with chemicals and I love that these strips help me see if the treatment is enough." —Debora B
Get a 50-pack from Amazon for $6.68+ (available in three styles)
Promising review: "I absolutely love this for our pool. We attached it to the side of our above-ground pool and it holds all our floaties! I was actually thinking of getting another one if we get any more floats! It's awesome and well-made, and has several small compartments on the side too (for goggles and diving things)! I am in love with it, and it makes the yard seem neater!" —kitty
Get it from Amazon for $22.49.
Promising review: "Love this inexpensive organizational tool. Tired of seeing toys etc. everywhere on the deck. We took all of our floats, noodles, toys and placed them inside this cart. LOVE IT! We highly recommend this." —Larry B
Get it from Amazon for $59.99 (available in blue and brown).
And load up on replacement filters so you're stocked for the entire season!
Promising review: "After our Summer Waves pump SFX1000 went out, I quickly found just a new motor was priced outrageously, almost the cost of the pool!! I researched and found people have been adapting this pump to their pools...it was not just exclusive to the Intex Brand. For almost half the cost and for a stronger pump, this is the way to go!! All hoses were the same size and we were able to hook it up with little effort." —B.
Get it from Amazon for $52+ (available in five sizes)
The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.
Promising review:in just about 12 hours, this little Scumbug ate up all the oil and filth in the hot tub. The water not only looks better, but smells better too!Promising review:They have been keeping my water perfect! So crystal clear, I’ve never had it looking so beautiful.Promising review:Helps me clean the pool and keep it clean. Promising review:this is one of the best!this one actually sucks up the tiny pebblesPromising review: Normally there were two or three frogs a week, but none this year. Promising review:They work so well that all my friends buy them now and thank me every time I’m at their houses.Promising review:Promising review:Saves time in keeping your main filter cleaner and lasting longer between deep cleaning.Promising review:It's saved so much time alone just from not having to skim the pool when you get in. Promising review:Promising review:This is our third year using this pool cleaner and it still works great. It has saved us thousands of dollars in weekly pool cleaning fees and hours of our own time.Promising review:Regular use helps prevent buildup of fine particulates and improves the effectiveness of filtration.Promising review:This awesome product does all the work for us so we can actually swim and enjoy our pool.Promising review: Very easy and self-explanatory. I love that these strips help me see if the treatment is enoughPromising review:It's awesome and well-made, and has several small compartments on the side too (for goggles and diving things)!it makes the yard seem neaterPromising review:Promising review: For almost half the cost and for a stronger pump, this is the way to go!!