GoKawiilThis floating gadget monitors temperature, pH, and ORP (a stand-in for free chlorine), together giving you a solid picture of your pool’s disinfection capabilities. It automatically updates every 15 minutes. While many chemistry monitors require replaceable supplies (which is a costly approach) and regular battery replacements to work, Iopool’s solution is solid-state, needing no maintenance at all except for storing it out of the pool in winter months. I used mine for two full swimming seasons until it died (at which point it must be replaced)—and I like it so much I just dropped its successor into the water for the summer. —Christopher Null
Critical Sun Protection
Photograph: Kat Merck
Photograph: Kat Merck Chevron Chevron Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Solbari Ultra Wide Brim Hat $79 Solbari
Notice you tend to burn faster when you’re in the pool than hiking or performing activities on land? It’s not your imagination—water acts as a mirror, reflecting a portion of the sun’s UV rays. This means every time you’re in the water or even just hanging out nearby, your UV exposure is compounded from both direct sunlight and the water around you. A wide-brimmed hat can help protect a larger skin surface area, and this one from Solbari sports UPF 50+ nylon-and-cotton fabric as well as a brim that’s larger than typical hats of this style—5 inches in the front and 6 in the back. I tested this hat in the pool on days pushing 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and not only did I not get burned, but I also found the hat itself didn’t feel very hot, especially if I flipped the color side (it comes in navy, pink, ice blue, or green) to the cream side.
Is It Warm Enough to Go In?
My above-ground pool has a wimpy solar-exchange heater, so a pool thermometer is critical for knowing if the water is, in fact, warm enough to swim in. These TempPro models have been reliable in my tests, and I like that there's a separate display with a magnet on the back, so you don't need to use an app or even bother with a phone at all. The solar model stays charged and can transmit the temperature from about 150 feet away to my house and through its walls. (The range is supposedly 500 feet.) Note that I compared the TempPro temperature readings with those of a pricier pool thermometer and a probe thermometer—the actual temperature consistently ran a few degrees cooler than all of those readings. But this was easy to keep in mind.
For Floating Around With a Drink
When our first 90-degree-Fahrenheit day popped up on the forecast last month, I immediately started searching for an affordable floating cooler for drinks with a sun-blocking canopy, and I ended up buying this Funboy model off Amazon. It can easily handle a six-pack of cans on a raft of ice, the canopy is removable, and there's a drink holder on either side so you and your buddy can push it back and forth between your floats. The striped design with the fringe is very St. Tropez (or ’80s-era pool umbrella, depending on your age and station), and I ended up liking the vibe so much that I have since added its companion matching inflatable pool float rings, which come in 16 colors on Funboy's site or six on Amazon. I've had the rings in my pool for over a month now, in direct sun, and while I wish they had handles for easier on-and-off movement, they have held up great. The 48-inch size is big enough for most adult butts, and also comes with the requisite cupholder. However, note that the cupholder design is very small and very shallow, so you may want to stick with the more forgiving holders on the cabana bar.
Never Vacuum Again
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