I have a confession to make. I really, really don’t mind skimming my pool. I just like being in it and around it, and will basically make any excuse to spend more time there, even if it’s work.
So when I had the opportunity to test out the BeatBot iSkim, I was actually kind of nervous. Why do I need a $499 robot ($369 on sale at Amazon) to do something that takes just 20 to 30 minutes at a clip with a $20 net, especially if I’m not going to be able to pretend I’m “working” on the pool?
The BeatBot iSkim promises less emptying and more pool time, as it continuously keeps your pool clean from debris while constantly staying charged via a solar panel. So I wanted to give it a fair shake. And now I don’t want to give it back.
Super easy setup
The blue robot looks friendly enough. The BeatBot iSkim is on the bulky side at 21.1 x 20.1 x 8.9 inches, but it’s a fairly light 15 pounds. And setting it up couldn’t be easier. I took it out of the box, loaded up the app and was ready to go in a few minutes.
Out of the box my iSkim had a battery capacity of 58% but the large solar panel on top allows the robot to keep juiced up all the time. I just dropped the iSkim into my pool with two hands and pressed the power button, and then it started moving around picking up blades of grass, leaves and bugs.
How well does it clean?
One of the best things about the BeatBot iSkim is that it comes with a large 9L basket. That’s enough space for plenty of debris. After 4 days there was still plenty of room but I washed out the basket anyway. And the basket is easy to remove too. You just push down on a latch, and pull out the handle.
My only complaint is that you need to make sure the pool is free of other items for the best results. The BeatBot does have built-in obstacle avoidance, but that didn’t stop it from trying to swallow my floating pool thermometer. The mouth of the robot (aka the inlet) is pretty wide.
The BeatBot iSkim fully cleaned the surface of my pool in under an hour, but it can take up to 2 hours to clean larger pools.
Solar charging and app
After just a couple of hours in direct sunlight the iSkim was already at 98% battery capacity, and a full charge of the 10,000 mAh battery gives you up to 28 hours of cleaning power. So even if you don’t have sunlight for a couple of days you’ll still be able to robo-skim your pool.
I also like that the iSkim is smart enough to automatically seek sunlight in your pool if there’s parts of it that get more sun versus shade. If for some reason you need to charge via an outlet you can use a 64.4W adapter, but that’s sold separately for $59.
You can easily track the charging status in the BeatBot app, which has some other neat functions. You can press the Park button at any time to have the iSkim come to the side of the pool, and there’s even a remote function that lets you send the robot in a particular direction.
If you just feel like showing off, you can press the accelerate button and have the iSkim go faster for no particular reason, and you can steer the robot using directional arrows. I had fun putting a drink on the robot and delivering it to someone on a raft.
Bottom line
The BeatBot iSkim might seem like overkill, especially if you already have a robot vacuum for your pool. But the way that I see it is that having something like iSkim means I don’t have to drag out my robot vacuum (which is heavier and wired) nearly as often. And that’s because less debris will get to the bottom of my pool over time.
So while I initially scoffed at the iSkim as solving a first-world problem, I’m now a fan of the robot. It’s a bit pricey, but it’s super easy to use, an effective cleaning tool, and you basically never need to charge it. Now I’m going to have to find other excuses to work on my pool.
