8 Best Pool Alarms in 2023 – Reviews & Top Picks

Pools can be a fun way to relax in the summer heat and they offer a great gathering place for fun times and sunshine. But they can also be dangerous for pets and children that haven’t yet learned how to swim. To ensure their safety, pool alarm systems have been created that will alert anyone in the vicinity if an accident should occur.

But these systems come in many forms and they’re not all created equally. Some mount on entryways, others involve wristbands for the children, and some just float on the water to detect disturbances. They all have merits and flaws and we set out to see which ones were the best.

The following eight reviews will compare what we learned through our testing to hopefully make the choice easier for you as well. You can’t put a price on protecting your loved ones, but you can put a price on a pool alarm.

A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2023

Rating	Image	Product	Details
Best Overall		Pool Patrol PA-30 Pool Alarm	Adjustable alarm sensitivity Very loud Connects to alarm inside of the house	CHECK PRICE
Best Value		Techko S187D Safe Pool Alarm	Installs on gates, doors, windows, and other entryways Adult bypass button Very loud 110dB alarm siren	CHECK PRICE
Premium Choice		Lifebuoy Pool Alarm System	Programmed through Bluetooth smartphone app Swim mode lets you swim and automatically reactivates alarm Can be used when the pool is covered	CHECK PRICE
		Poolguard PGRM-2 In-Ground Pool Alarm	In-house receiver with 200’ range Pool cleaners don’t trigger it 85dB at 10’	CHECK PRICE
		Poolguard DAPT-2 Water Hazard Pool Door Alarm	Affordable protection Extremely loud alarm	CHECK PRICE

The 8 Best Pool Alarms

1. Pool Patrol PA-30 Pool Alarm – Best Overall

Perfect for above-ground and in-ground pools, the Pool Patrol PA-30 Pool Alarm was our pick for the best pool alarm overall out of all the models we tested. We found it to be very reliable, and it was packed with important features that were often missing on competitors. For instance, the Pool Patrol alarm has adjustable sensitivity that lets you dial it in so that only real splashes set it off. Other alarms without this feature often were sounding off at the wind or leaves falling into the water, which gets annoying very quickly.

One important trait of any good pool alarm is that you must be able to hear it wherever you are on the premises. The PA-30 wirelessly connects to an alarm box inside the house that will go off when the alarm does. On top of this, the alarm itself is very loud. Between the two of them, there’s almost no chance that you’ll miss it when the alarm sounds. But you will have to go inside to reset the inside alarm since there’s no way to do so from outside. When it comes to pool safety, it’s pretty hard to beat the Pool Patrol PA-30, which is why it’s our top recommendation.

2. Techko S187D Safe Pool Alarm – Best Value

If you’re looking for the best pool alarm for the money, then you may find it in the affordably priced Techko S187D Safe Pool Alarm. Rather than floating in your pool and alerting you to disturbances in the water, the Techko alarm mounts on your entryways and alerts you when someone goes outside. This gives you plenty of time to reach them before they make it all the way to the pool. It installs on gates, doors, windows, or any other entryways to your pool area. When a child opens the door, a very loud alarm siren will go off and alert everyone in the vicinity. At 110dB in volume, it’s sure to be heard through the entire home.

Our biggest complaint about the Techko Safe Pool Alarm is that there’s no way to turn it off. If you want to leave a door open, you’ll have to deal with the screeching alarm. There’s no way to shut it off for social gatherings when people will be continually passing through the door. There is a bypass button that adults can use to walk through without sounding the alarm, but you must push it each time you’re using the door.

3. Lifebuoy Pool Alarm System – Premium Choice

When it comes to safety, reliability is key. Luckily, the Lifebuoy Pool Alarm System is a reliable device that offers some great features to keep your little ones safe. For example, this is one of the only alarms that works when a pool is covered. Most alarms won’t function with a cover over the pool, but the Lifebuoy will still work just fine, ensuring that your loved ones are always protected. The swim mode on this alarm automatically reactivates after you swim so that you never have to remember to turn it back on. It’s easy to forget to reactivate it after taking a dip, but with the Lifebuoy, you won’t have to.

More than just safe and reliable, the Lifebuoy also offers unparalleled convenience. It’s programmed through a Bluetooth app that you can download to your smartphone. You can use it to check on the alarm, adjust the sensitivity, or even change the alert. Keep in mind, all of that convenience and protection isn’t cheap, and this is one of the more expensive units we tested. But can you really put a price on peace of mind? We don’t think so.

4. Poolguard PGRM-2 In-Ground Pool Alarm

Built for in-ground pools, The Poolguard PGRM-2 pool alarm is a permanently installed device that will alert you to any disturbances in the pool water. It’s meant to detect intrusions that are similarly sized to a one-year-old child. This means that slight disturbances such as wind, leaves falling in the water, or even pool cleaners won’t trigger this alarm. We were able to let our pool cleaner run during the day without any issues. But when the alarm goes off from a splash in the water, you won’t miss it. The alarm is 85dB at a distance of 10 feet. But to make sure you can’t sleep through it, an in-house receiver with a range of 200 feet will also sound off if a splash is detected.

If you want to take a swim, you’re going to have to grab the little magnetic key out to turn this device off. But when you put it back in, there’s no way to stop the alarm from sounding, you’ll just have to listen to it for a moment. This is one of the more expensive pool alarms we’ve tested, so keep in mind that it’s a bit of an investment.

5. Poolguard DAPT-2 Water Hazard Pool Door Alarm

If you want to prevent a problem before your little ones even reach the water, then installing the Poolguard DAPT-2 Water Hazard Pool Door Alarm on your entryways is an option to consider. Even if your child closes the door behind them after going through, the Poolguard alarm will go off in seven seconds to alert you. It would seem to be more sensible for the alarm to go off immediately, but this feature is meant to allow you to enter from the outside and still be able to push the bypass button on the inside.

The alarm is sufficiently loud to alert anyone in the vicinity so that you won’t miss it. It’s also very affordable, especially when compared to some of the other pool alarm systems we’ve seen. But one of our complaints about the DAPT-2 is that it was continually causing false alarms. You also can’t turn this device off, so if you have company over and you’re using your backyard with people continually entering and exiting, this alarm will start to get annoying very quickly.

6. Blue Wave NA4212 Poolwatch Pool Alarm System

The Blue Wave Poolwatch Pool Alarm System will detect when any object that weighs 18 pounds or more enters the water. It wirelessly connects to a remote receiver that will sound when the alarm is activated. It has a 100-foot range, so you should be able to use it throughout your home and still be alerted to any disturbances in the pool. It does require permanent mounting though, so it’s more suitable for in-ground pools. You’ll need to drill into the side of your pool to install it with screws.

The alarm itself is powered by six D-size batteries. You’ll need to check on them regularly to ensure they’re not dead. Likewise, the receiver is powered by a 9V battery that you’ll also need to keep tabs on. Unfortunately, once installed, there’s no way to turn off the Blue Wave alarm system. There’s also no way to adjust the sensitivity of this device. This means that you’ll be hearing your alarm go off in the middle of the night as well as every time you want to take a swim. For the price, we think there are much better options available.

7. Safety Turtle ST500-2 Pool/Water Alarm Kit

Featuring turtle-shaped wristbands that your kids will love to wear, the Safety Turtle ST500-2 Pool/Water Alarm Kit is designed specifically to keep kids safe around water. Unlike many of the other pool alarm systems we’ve tested, this kit doesn’t have any door alarms or floating pool buoys to sense water disturbances. Instead, your child wears a wristband that detects water and alerts the alarm when it gets wet. If your child falls into the water, the wristband will set off the alarm. The alarm is wireless and will work within a range of 200 feet. This makes it super easy to install since all you do is plug it in within 200 feet of your pool and you’re up and running.

This is one of the most expensive pool alarm systems we’ve seen, so expect to shell out quite a bit for the festive turtle bands. But it only works with anyone wearing the bands, so anytime your child doesn’t have the wristband on the alarm won’t keep them safe. Unfortunately, the wristbands aren’t very durable. In fact, one of ours broke in the first week. Luckily, two are included with the kit.

8. SmartPool Pool Eye Universal Swimming Pool Alarm

Featuring advanced immersion technology to detect when anything 15 pounds or more enters the water, the SmartPool Universal Swimming Pool Alarm is a very expensive way to improve your pool safety. It works on above-ground or in-ground pools, so you can use it with almost any pool that you’re likely to have. The included wireless receiver has a range of 100 feet so you can keep it in your home and you’ll never miss it when the alarm sounds. The base unit gets installed poolside and is battery-powered.

We were disappointed at the lack of a sensitivity adjustment on the SmartPool swimming pool alarm. This alarm is very sensitive and we got loads of false alarms with it. Every twig and leaf that fell into the pool seemed to set it off, and moderate to heavy winds were also an issue. For the high price this device sells for, we think you’d be better served by something like the LifeBuoy pool alarm system that was much more reliable and offered better adjustability.

Conclusion

If you have a pool, then safety must become a top priority. When you have children as well, the need for precautions becomes a pressing issue. Luckily, many alarm systems are available to ensure that if your child or pet should happen to have an accident in or around the pool, you’ll be alerted. We compared some of the most popular and best of these systems in our eight reviews above, but to make sure they’re fresh in your mind, we’re going to summarize our top three recommendations once more. Our pick for the best pool alarm was the Pool Patrol PA-30. It was very loud, connects to an alarm inside of the house, and allows you to adjust the sensitivity to get the perfect settings.

For the best pool alarm for the value, we suggest checking out the Techko S187D Safe Pool Alarm. It’s affordably priced, can be installed on any type of entryway, features an adult bypass button, and it’s loud enough to be heard from a distance. Finally, the Lifebuoy Pool Alarm System was our premium choice recommendation. It can be programmed through the Bluetooth smartphone app, has great adjustability, and even works when the pool is covered.