Best Pool Alarm Systems for 2022

By: Marcus Packer - Pool Magazine

Pool alarms are a must these days if you own a swimming pool. The basic function of a pool alarm system is the detection and notification of unauthorized entry into the swimming pool area. The most reliable pool alarms and monitoring devices have multiple features that provide homeowners the peace of mind that their pool is protected and safeguarded. This is especially important if you have small children and pets in your home. Pool alarms have become a mandatory safety feature in many cities and municipalities.

Sadly, over three thousand people each year die from accidental drownings. It’s also a fact that drowning is the #1 cause of death amongst children ages 1-4. It’s an absolutely heartbreaking statistic, in part because a large percentage of these deaths are entirely preventable. Providing young children with swim lessons and installing a proper pool fence is vital in safeguarding your family around the pool. Purchasing a pool alarm system works in tandem to ensure that swimmers aren’t using the pool unknown to the homeowner.

Best Pool Alarms of 2022

A look at the highest-rated Pool Alarm systems on the market. These alarms were voted “Best of the Best” by homeowners & professionals in 2022.

Best Overall Pool Alarm

CamerEye

Best Overall Pool Alarm

Best Overall Pool AlarmCamerEye’s advanced and highly trained and adaptive deep learning artificial intelligent models will detect a person in or near the pool. Simply place the camera in your pool or spa and turn it on. The camera will send live video to the smart hub, which will then send it to your phone. Any distress or unwelcome person presence will be detected automatically, and an audio and visual alert will be sent to your smart hub, alarm, and mobile app.

When human entry into the pool area is detected, an alarm is issued to the user. Extra cameras are recommended for larger pools or areas covered by the “Smart Fence.” Up to four cameras can be supported by the CamerEye system. These are all weather cameras with infrared technology that can be monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Features: AI Powered, Camera, App

Price: $$$

Best Value Pool Alarm

Poolguard - PGRM-2

Best Value Pool Alarm

Once installed in the pool, the poolguard pool alarm cannot be turned off; it is constantly in alarm mode. When removed from the pool, the poolguard pool alarm will sound an alarm. When you’re ready to use your pool, simply take the alarm out of the pool and set it to sleep mode. When the poolguard pool alarm is installed in the pool, it will immediately wake up and do a system test.

The poolguard pool alarm comes with a 12 volt power supply and an in-house remote receiver with a range of up to 200 feet. The poolguard poolside alarm is powered by a 9-volt battery (not included) with a one-year battery life. The in-house remote receiver also indicates an audible low battery indicator at the poolside alarm. New sensor technology reduces the likelihood of false alerts caused by wind, rain, or small things entering the water, such as sticks or toys. Poolguard pool alarms have been thoroughly tested and meet ASTM standards. Poolguard should not be installed too close to the return line.

Features: Inground, Range 200 ft

Price: $$$$

Best Entry Level Alarm

Pool Patrol Alarm

Best Entry Level Pool Alarm System

The POOL PATROL Alarm is designed to provide an extra layer of protection for your family. The POOL PATROL Alarm is not a life-saving device and should not be used in place of other safety measures such as adult supervision, lifeguards, fences, gates, pool covers, locks, and other similar measures.

It’s possible that the POOL PATROL Alarm will miss progressive ingress into the pool. A transmitter and receiver are included in this model. It’s designed to notify you at the pool if there’s been an incursion, and it’ll send a signal to a receiver nearby. Pool Patrol Pool Safety devices, like as our award-winning floating Pool Alarms and access Gate Alarms, keep your family and pets safe.

Pool Patrol aspires to be the swimming pool safety expert by developing high-quality pool safety goods and serving as a one-stop shop for all things pool safety. This pool alarm meets the criteria of ASTM Protection Specification F 2208 and adds an extra layer of safety, giving parents, guardians, homeowners, facility managers, life guards, and all pool or spa owners peace of mind.

Features: Incursion Detection

Price: $$

Best Above Ground Pool Alarm

Pool Eye Alarm

Best Above Ground Pool Alarm

PoolEye is the trusted brand you need to provide you and your family piece of mind when it comes to pool safety, thanks to its line of inexpensive, precise alarms. Our subsurface wave detection alarms have been rigorously tested, sensing items as light as 15 pounds while avoiding situations that might generate false alarms, such as wind and rain. PoolEye alarms, which feature the most accurate pool incursion technology on the market, will keep you prepared and equipped.

The PoolEye Pool Alarm is a battery-operated device that is simple to set up. It quickly installs under the top ledge of steel wall pools, with all hardware provided. You may also tailor your experience with the adjustable sensitivity switch. The water motion sensor uses subsurface wave detection, which means it won’t detect movement caused by rain or wind, resulting in fewer false alarms. When an object as light as 15 lb is identified, the alarm goes off.

Features: Wave Detection

Price: $

Best Pool Gate Alarm

YardGuard Gate Alarm

Best Pool Gate Alarm

If you have a fence surrounding your pool or yard, you’ve already taken a big step in the right direction. However, as children grow older, they are able to open the gates on their own. A YardGard® pool gate alarm delivers a signal whenever the gate is opened, allowing you to better prevent children from wandering into an unsupervised pool area and potentially drowning.

This battery-operated gate safety alarm is a cost-efficient yet effective system that emits a 120-decibel alert if someone opens the gate or door unexpectedly. Unless you activate the one-touch adult bypass, which generates a handy seven-second delay for approved access, the alert will sound automatically and without delay.

The YardGard YG03 gate alarm is a cost-efficient and effective warning device that informs you when someone enters your garden without permission. It’s an effective layer of defense against unaccompanied children wandering into your pool area. YardGard complies with or surpasses all state and local barrier intrusion alarm regulations. For wooden and metal gates and doors, as well as sliding glass windows, mounting hardware is included.

Features: 120 Decibel Gate Alarm

Price: $

Best Sliding Door Alarm

Techko Safe Pool

Best Sliding Door Alarm

One great sliding door alarm that detects entry into the pool the patio area is the Techko S187D Safe Pool Alarm. Any home with a pool, but especially those with children or pets, needs a reliable and easy-to-use pool alarm. This device, when combined with a proper pool fence, can help keep your family, friends, and guests safes.

Meets UL 2017 standards for Child Pool Safety Law

Includes extra set of sensors and bypass reset button for use on both sliding glass doors and screen doors

Water and weather resistant High Output 110-115 dB, 6-Tone Alarm. “Always On” Alarm Protection Low battery LED display

Features: For Glass & Screen Doors

Price: $

Best Value Alarm Under $100

Poolwatch Pool Alarm

Best Value Alarm Under $100

The new Poolwatch pool alarm system is compatible with both above-ground and in-ground pools, giving you a cost-effective and hassle-free pool security option.

The Poolwatch is packed with proprietary features to make your swimming environment safer for your family, guests, and pets.

A combination of innovative and sophisticated algorithms and high-tech sensors will detect a young child entering the pool while avoiding false alerts produced by wind, rain, floating debris, or robotic cleaners.

Features: Inground & Above Ground

Price: $

Best Outdoor Motion Sensor

Guardline

Best Outdoor Motion Sensor

With the Guardline wireless motion sensor is waterproof perimeter alarm system, you can feel safe around your home. It detects heat and motion both during the day and at night, making it a reliable security system.

Simple to install and does not require the services of an expensive professional technician. The Guardline motion sensor alarm is ideal for the outdoors. This simple plug-and-play device takes only a few minutes to set up.

Features: Wireless Motion Sensor

Price: $

Best Value Alarm for Kids & Pets

SpaLabs Pool Alarm

Best Value Alarm For Kids & Pets

SpaLabs Pool Alarm – Universal Pool Safety Alarm for Above Ground and Inground Swimming Pools ensures the safety of pets and children. Has a distance range of 200 feet that will sound a loud pulsating siren alert when something enters the pool.

A great value alarm for inground and above-ground pools. Simply attach it to the edge of your swimming pool. This is a portable, self-contained, and lightweight motion sensor monitoring system that is ideal for protecting kids and pets.

Features: Wireless Motion Senso

Price: $$

Best Portable Alarm

Wave DDS

Best Portable Alarm

To help protect your family, Wave Drowning Detecting Systems employ the world’s most advanced drowning detection technology.

WAVE is much more than a pool alarm; it employs ultralight wearables to assess whether a swimmer or non-swimmer is at danger of drowning. If Wave DDS detects something, it will promptly tell rescuers so that they may act before circumstances worsen.

Every day, Wave protects thousands of swimmers in schools, YMCAs, community centers, Boys & Girls Clubs, and other locations.

Features: Wearable Devices

Price: $$$

Honorable Mention: Pool Motion Sensor

Pool Eye Alarm

Honorable Mention Pool Motion Sensor

The PoolEye pool alarm can be an important part of any pool safety plan. PoolEye provides you and your family piece of mind when it comes to pool safety, thanks to its line of inexpensive, precise alarms.

Their underwater wave detection alarms have been rigorously tested, sensing items as light as 15 pounds while avoiding situations that might generate false alarms, such as wind and rain. Emits a loud 85 dB siren to alert rescuers when objects or people enter the swimming pool.

Features: Immersion Alarm

Price: $

Honorable Mention Pool Gate Alarm

Poolguard Gate Alarm

Honorable Mention Pool Gate Alarm

Poolguard gate alarms can be installed on any pool gate, outside door, or screen. If a child opens the gate, the alarm sounds in 7 seconds, even if they close the gate. Under all conditions, the alarm is always on and always resets itself.

The alarm will prevent someone from mistakenly leaving your gate open for children to pass through. The poolguard gate alarm has an adult pass through option, which allows adults to enter the gate without the alarm sounding.

Features: Gates/Doors & Screens

Price: $

Types of Pool Alarms

The finest pool alarm for a home is determined by local legislation as well as desired safety features and requirements. Pool alarms are often combined to provide a fail-safe safety strategy in many homes. Choose from a variety of pool alarms, including conventional, entry, and gate alarms.

A surface wave detection sensor detects when the water is disturbed in a pool entry alarm, which detects when someone or something enters the pool. Alarms for pool entry float in the water or are attached to the pool’s edge. Floating pool entry alarms are temporary and must be lifted into and out of the pool each time they are utilized.

Some poolside alarms have a sensor arm that extends into the water to detect water movement and are installed on the pool’s edge. They might be either permanent or temporary. Some must be hauled out of the water to disable the alarm, while others include a “swim mode” that pauses the alarm when someone is in the pool.

New smart technology pool alarms use Artificial Intelligence and IOT technology to allow users to create a perimeter around the pool area. These type of alarms incorporate infrared motion detection, and alert when triggered by a person or a pet.

Buying a Pool Alarm

When buying a pool alarm, make sure it can be heard from as far away as feasible. That implies the alarm must be loud enough to be heard even if the pool is a long distance away from the house or facing everyday obstacles like bushes and trees. That being said, it shouldn’t be so loud that it becomes a nuisance.

You should also think about local noise ordinance laws, because you don’t want a pool alarm that is so loud that it disturbs the neighbors and gets you fined. Installing the best alarm for your swimming pool can go a long way toward ensuring the safety of your family.

Because safety is the most important factor, we chose the best products available from well-known manufacturers that specialize in pool safety. We also sought out alarms with a simple design because a pool alarm is only beneficial if it is used on a regular basis. Sensor sensitivity and siren volume were both explored as adjustable features when evaluating which pool alarms were best for the given category we rated them on.