Depending on which state you live in, you may be required by law to have a pool alarm. While this may not apply to you, you may want to consider a pool alarm so that you have the reassurance that intruders cannot access your pool without you being alerted. When it comes to practicalities, the best pool alarms work by sounding an alarm whenever the pool levels rise, a sign that someone or something has entered the water. They’re loud enough so that you can hear them throughout your home so you can feel secure even with the pool out of sight. Depending on the design, you either install the alarm at the side of the pool or allow it to float in the water. If you’re concerned about the safety of children in your pool, you may want to consider a wearable pool alarm. This is essentially a bracelet that your child wears when in the pool. It sounds the alarm when submerged so is a good choice if you’re worried about pool safety. You’ll be pleased to know that you can turn these off so you don’t have the nuisance of a false alarm when you’re already watching the kids. Looking to get more use of your pool in the cooler months? You may want to check out our guide to the best pool heaters (opens in new tab). If cleaning your pool always falls to the bottom of your to-do list, help is at hand with the best pool cleaners (opens in new tab).
1. Poolguard Safety Buoy: Best pool alarm overall
The Safety Buoy lives up to its name – it floats on the surface of the water and sounds an alarm when the water is disturbed. It’s shaped like a traffic cone too, which to us screams safety. You can attach it to the side of your pool with a string if you don’t want it floating out of reach. In our tests, the Safety Buoy received a B- for object detection because while it picked up the sweatshirt we threw into the pool and a human getting into the water, it didn’t register any of the golf balls we tossed in. Turning the alarm off once it sounds is a little more complicated than simply pressing a button. You have to touch the side of the buoy with the included magnetic key and hold it there for two or three seconds before the alarm will stop beeping. It put out 97.7 decibels of sound in our tests, making it the quietest alarm we reviewed. That being said, it’s still incredibly loud. The buoy requires a 9-volt battery, which is easy to install and is supposed to last roughly one year, depending on how often the alarm sounds. This pool alarm is lightweight, fairly easy to assemble and use, and comes at a reasonable price to top it off.
Read our PoolGuard PGRM-SB Safety Buoy review (opens in new tab)
2. Safety Turtle 2.0: Best pool alarm for kids
This pool alarm is unique because rather than installing it or floating it on the surface of your pool, you wear it as a bracelet. The alarm is an adorable, little, green turtle bracelet, so it’s perfect for young children or even pets, as it’s easy to affix to a dog collar. When submerged, the bracelet sends a signal to a remote receiver you can install up to 200 feet away from the pool, and the alarm sounds instantly. The bracelet requires a plastic key to take it off, so there’s no way a pet or kid can remove it and slip into the water unnoticed. It doesn’t keep intruders out of your pool, but the Safety Turtle is great if you’re mainly worried about pool safety. It earned an A+ in our object detection test because it went off every single time we submerged the device, but never when we flicked a few drops of water at it. If your kiddo likes to wash their hands up to their elbows, you might experience the occasional false alarm though. The receiver puts out 98.7 decibels of sound, and while that makes it the second-quietest pool alarm we tested, it’s still incredibly loud. For comparison, that’s about 10 decibels short of a rock band in concert. The alarm on/off button on the receiver is also easy to use so you won’t be deafened by the sound of the alarm. The Safety Turtle is elegant in its simplicity and a great way to make sure your kids and pets are safe around the pool this summer.
Read our Safety Turtle 2.0 Child Immersion Pool/Water Alarm Kit review (opens in new tab)
3. Pool Patrol PA-30: Best pool alarm for large pools
The Pool Patrol PA-30 is very well designed, making it easy to change the alarm sensitivity. While some in-ground pool alarms require you install an extra plastic plate if you hear too many false alarms, the Pool Patrol PA-30 has a base you simply rotate to the left or to the right. This rotating base is also used to turn the alarm off when it sounds, which is quicker and easier than using an alarm that requires a key. The Pool Patrol PA-30 floats on the surface of the water, and it uses one 9-volt battery, which is easy to install under the rotating base. Along with being very well designed, this alarm earned an A+ in our wind simulation tests and our object detection tests. It also works in pools up to 20 x 40 feet, the largest pool size of the alarms we tested.
Read our Pool Patrol PA-30 review (opens in new tab)
4. SmartPool PE23 PoolEye AG/IG: Loudest pool alarm
You’ll know if the SmartPool PE23 PoolEye AG/IG pool alarm goes off – registering at 101.6 decibels in our tests, it’s louder than a garbage disposal, a blender or a diesel truck passing you a mere 50 feet away. While the unit is cumbersome to put together, you shouldn’t have to do it very often because the batteries are slated to last one year before you have to change them. Since it’s a submerged pool alarm, it works best on in-ground pools, as you need to install it on a level surface with the neck submerged under water. It works by detecting changes in water pressure and then sounding the alarm – loudly – when someone or something gets into your pool. This alarm works in pools up to 18 x 36 feet, and with its loud alarm, you can be sure your family is safe.
Read our SmartPool PE23 PoolEye AG/IG review (opens in new tab)
Do I need a pool alarm?
In certain US states, the law requires you to have safety features like pool alarms in place so it’s worth checking out if this applies to you. Sometimes these regulations stipulate what type of pool alarm you need. California, for example, requires anyone with a new residential pool to install at least two drowning prevention features such as a pool alarm and a gate lock. Regardless of where you live, installing an alarm can protect you from lawsuits and give you peace of mind. You may be thinking it’s not relevant to you if you’re in a safe neighborhood and don’t have children. Don’t overlook that there’s always the possibility of someone else’s children accessing your pool without your knowledge. With a pool alarm, this is not something you need to worry about. The best pool alarms are designed to prevent accidents before they happen. This extra precaution means things are not left to chance and you can put your mind at rest.
How much do the best pool alarms cost?
The best pool alarms are designed to give you peace of mind about your family’s safety, though this doesn’t necessarily come cheap. Out of the eight pool alarms we tested, all but one of the devices came in at over $100 and the average cost was $183. The good news though is that these devices offer good value in terms of battery life - you can expect them to last a year before you have to change them. While the initial outlay may seem expensive, the best pool alarms reassure you about your family’s safety, a priceless consideration.
