BeatBot iSkim Ultra Robot Pool Skimmer Review

About the Beatbot iSkim Ultra

• Charging: Solar panel and magnetic charging port
• Connectivity: WiFi and Bluetooth connection
• Filter Basket Capacity: 9L
• Continuous Runtime: Non-stop with sunlight, 24 hours without

The Beatbot iSkim Ultra is a robotic pool skimmer that offers efficient debris removal, exceptional battery life, and a built-in water clarification system. It’s ideal for pools that are prone to frequent debris accumulation, and thanks to the precision sensors, it can easily clean oddly shaped pools.

The Beatbot iSkim Ultra can be used on both in-ground and above-ground pools.

How we tested

Our swimming pool is positioned underneath a messy ficus tree, so when the cover is open, we’re constantly battling leaves and seed pods dropping into the spa and the shallow end. Los Angeles’ windy weather means that there’s also often a fine layer of pollen resting on the pool water, too.

To test the Beatbot iSkim, I opened the cover well in advance of the testing runs to ensure that the pool did end up with plenty of debris that needed to be removed. Then, I simply placed the pool skimming robot in the water and let it do its thing.

Once the iSkim had finished a few cleaning sessions, I opened the filter basket to see how much plant life and other debris it had picked up.

What we like

Setup is easy

There’s nothing more annoying than being excited to test out a new smart home device only to be stymied by an overly complicated setup process.

The Beatbot iSkim was simple and easy to set up and went from unboxing to skimming our pool in less than 10 minutes. You do need a good Wi-Fi connection and you have to download the Beatbot App, but the iSkim seamlessly connected via Bluetooth within minutes.

It has a solar-powered battery

As someone who is constantly in search of the correct charging cord for every device in my house, I can’t tell you how thrilling it is that the iSkim is solar-powered. If the sun is out, the Beatbot will charge while it cleans so you never have to worry about it running out of power before it finishes skimming the entire pool.

If you’re worried you don’t have enough sunshine to keep the Beatbot powered, don’t fret: it also has a magnetic wireless charging option so you can keep it powered up no matter the weather. It takes about five hours to get a full battery charge.

Operation is quiet

There’s nothing more annoying than having an afternoon by the pool disrupted by loud pool equipment. The Beatbot iSkim stealthily travels across the length and width of the pool without making much sound other than some mild splashing when it bumps up against the wall.

It’s durable

The minute I took the Beatbot iSkim Ultra out of the box, I was impressed with the build quality and how durable it seemed. It weighs almost 17 pounds, so this is not a flimsy gadget.

There’s always a concern that any gadget that spends most of its life in the water will degrade quickly, but the brushes and the wheels both feel sturdy and like they won’t end up falling apart before pool season ends.

It offers hands-off skimming

If you’ve ever tried to manually skim a pool with a traditional pool skimmer, you know how annoying—and often ineffective—the method can be. Plus, the long pole is unwieldy, and the whole thing is hard to store. I have been known to curse out the pool skimmer because it constantly falls over from where it’s propped against the garage wall and hits me in the head!

The Beatbot iSkim makes skimming the pool painless. All you have to do is put it in the pool, push the button on your app, and let the little robot cruise the pool while you relax.

What we don’t like

The clarification system needs, well, clarity

The top advertised feature of the Beatbot iSkim is that it has a clarification system that “automatically and evenly dispenses an eco-friendly natural clarifier made from recycled crab shells.”

That sounds good, but there was no information in any of the Beatbot materials that indicated whether the clarification solution was fine to use in all types of pools (we have an ozone pool), or whether it could interact with pool chemicals in some adverse way.

Since we have a pool maintenance person who comes and monitors the chemical balance of our pool each week, I was hesitant to use the clarification solution on the chance that it could cause problems. I wish that the Beatbot iSkim materials had more in-depth information about the clarification system and the types of pools that it’s best used for.

It’s an investment

The Beatbot iSkim Ultra costs just under $1,500, which is what we would call an investment. Since we have a weekly pool service, as well as an electric pool cover that keeps most debris out of our pool, the iSkim isn’t a pool cleaning tool we would prioritize spending money on.

That being said, if you own a pool that doesn’t have a cover and you’re managing pool maintenance yourself, the iSkim Ultra is a huge time saver.

Warranty

The Beatbot iSkim comes with a two-year, whole-machine warranty.

What owners are saying about the Beatbot iSkim Ultra

User comments are relegated to the Beatbot and Amazon product pages, partially because the robotic pool skimmer is fairly new to the market and partly because it’s so popular that it frequently sells out.

• BeatBot.com: On the iSkim Ultra’s product page, it gets an average 4.81/5 stars. User Susan O. says, “It's like a mini James Bond for your backyard oasis! This thing is smart, connects to my Wi-Fi like a charm, and I can control it right from my phone. Solar-powered? That's some eco-friendly, future-tech stuff! And let me tell you, the filter basket is huge—no more frequent emptying like with my old cleaner.”
• Amazon: Over on Amazon, where it has a 4.30/5 star rating, user drsuna says, “This is a life saver. I have had this robot for about 6 months now, and I never have to charge it. This fall, I haven't had to scoop the leaves from my pool yet. One thing about this robot is that the inlet is pitching a bit too high just at the water level, so it just pushes the debris around. I put a little stone on top to push it down a bit, and now it works great.”

Should you buy the Beatbot iSkim Ultra?

Yes, if …

If your swimming pool doesn’t have a cover and you are always battling leaves and other debris on the water's surface, the Beatbot iSkim Ultra (available at Beatbot) is an excellent investment. It’s easy to use, an effective skimmer, and it can even clarify the water with just the touch of a button. Plus, we like that it’s solar-powered for hands-off charging.

But, if you don’t get much debris on your pool, and your pool is only open for a couple of months per year, your return may not be worth the investment.