After six weeks of dipping, dropping, and titrating our way through ten different kits, our team can confidently say: the best pool test kits aren't all created equal. We tested each one in the same 12,000-gallon chlorine pool, cross-checked the readings against a professional lab sample, and tracked how the results held up over an […]

After six weeks of testing eight different solar pool covers across round and rectangular pools, our team found that the best pool solar covers do far more than warm your water. They cut evaporation by up to 95 percent, slash chemical loss by around 30 percent, and extend your swim season by weeks on either […]

If your pool ever starts looking like a salad bowl after a windy afternoon, you already know the value of a good skimmer net. We spent six weeks testing the best pool skimmer nets across three pools: a 20,000-gallon inground, an 18-foot above-ground, and a hot tub that always seems to collect pollen. Ten nets […]

After six weeks of side-by-side testing across an 18,000-gallon inground pool and a 14,000-gallon above-ground setup, our team found that the best pool pumps in are ENERGY STAR-certified variable-speed models (VSPs) correctly sized to your pool's volume from trusted brands including Pentair, Hayward, Jandy, and Jacuzzi. We measured watts at the breaker, ran each pump […]

After spending six weeks comparing 10 best pool noodles across our test pool, an inflatable lake float test, and a kids' swim class, I can tell you that not all foam tubes are created equal. Some bent under a 180-pound adult, some flaked apart after a single chlorine-soaked afternoon, and one set of Oodles of […]

Our team spent six weeks installing, climbing, and stress-testing eight of the most popular above-ground and in-ground pool ladders on the market, and the truth is, the ladder your pool shipped with is almost never the one you should keep. Stock ladders flex underfoot, lack anti-slip surfaces, and rarely include the lockable barriers that stop […]

Finding the best pool filter cartridge shouldn't feel like a chemistry test, but here we are. After thirty years of backyard pools and more cartridge swaps than I can count, I know the difference between a filter that traps the gunk and one that lets it slip right back into your water. A pool filter […]

Last summer our team spent six weeks testing the most popular dive sticks, rings, gems, and torpedo sets in our neighborhood pools. We dropped them in 4-foot and 8-foot water, timed how fast they actually sank, watched kids ages 4 through 14 try to retrieve them, and checked which sets survived a full season of […]

After spending four months comparing 10 pool covers across three pool types and two winter seasons, I can say with confidence: the right pool cover saves you hours of spring cleanup, protects your family, and pays for itself in lower chemical and energy costs. The POOLHACKER 24FT Round Winter Pool Cover is the best pool […]

After six weeks of testing ten pool chemical storage bins across two climates, our team put together this guide to help pool owners stop guessing where to put chlorine tablets, muriatic acid, and algaecides. The best pool chemical storage bins do three jobs at once: they keep chemicals dry, they stay locked away from kids […]