The SmartPool PE23 PoolEye AG/IG pool alarm is built to work on in-ground or above-ground pools, though there needs to be a flat surface adjacent to the pool like a deck.
To read our reviews and see which model came out on top, head to the best pool alarms.
SmartPool PE23 PoolEye AG/IG pool alarm: What you need to know
This pool alarm runs on 9-volt batteries, we didn’t consider a big deal until we read the instructions and realized there are 15 screws to deal with – and we hadn’t even gotten to installing it to the side of our pool yet. That step requires a drill and all the included mounting materials, so this definitely isn’t a plug-and-play device. Get ready to spend an afternoon setting it up.
To turn the alarm off, you have to touch a magnetic key to the circle marked "key" and press the button next to it, which has the extremely unhelpful label of “button.” It is also annoying that the instructions repeatedly reference a blue button when in it is in fact red. It’s particularly difficult to fumble with the key and button while the alarm sounds, as it’s the loudest one we tested, putting out 101.6 decibels. That’s essentially like standing right next to a revving motorcycle. If you don’t want to be completely and utterly blown away by the sound of your pool alarm, we recommend the slightly quieter Safety Turtle 2.0 or PoolGuard PGRM-SB Safety Buoy.
The instructions explain where best to install this alarm depending on the shape of your pool. It needs to go at either tip of an oval pool or in the corner of an L-shape pool. It is accurate in pools up to 18 x 36 feet, which is mid-range for the alarms we tested.
SmartPool PE23 PoolEye AG/IG pool alarm: Features
In our tests, the PoolEye only sounded when we had a person get into the pool. It didn’t pick up golf balls landing in the water or even a water-laden sweatshirt. It semi-passed our faux wind test because it didn’t go off until we created some serious “wind” with a leaf blower to the water.
This pool alarm comes with a remote receiver, but it only works up to 100 feet away from the pool, whereas most of the other models we tested work up to 200 feet away. To put the alarm in swim mode so it doesn't sound when you get in the water, you need to use the magnetic key and press the "button" at the same time. The alarm beeps once and the light flashes red to signify it’s in swim mode. The alarm automatically turns back on after the water sits still for five minutes. If you want to turn the alarm back on manually, just press the "button" while the water is calm.
Should you buy the SmartPool PE23 PoolEye AG/IG pool alarm?
The loudness of this pool alarm is its real strength, however, other things including the time-consuming installation and lack of detection for some movements really let this model down.
