It can be extremely difficult to keep a pool crystal clear. Dead insects, leaves and other types of debris get into the pool daily, and these contaminants must be removed completely. And that’s where a good skimmer comes in handy. Manual and automatic skimmers can remove all of the debris quickly, efficiently, and with very little fuss.

As handy as these tools are, however, it’s still important for the pool owner to do their due diligence. Not all skimmers are equal in quality, so the consumer should consider each one on its own merits. To help with that task, we’ve found ten of the best pool skimmers around, so consumers can buy one with confidence.

Best Pool Skimmers

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10U.S Pool Supply Professional Skimmer

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This pool skimmer might look like many of the other skimmers currently available, but when a pool owner looks closer they’ll see that it’s quite different from other leaf nets. This model has a net that’s 11×12-inches in size and is 6-inches deep. It also comes with a 12-inch aluminum pool pole, so it provides a total reach of 24-inches. That allows pool owners to clean out their pool without having to excessively bend while doing so. Its net is made from quality nylon that allows it to hold up well to daily use, too. And all of these features make it a tool that’s very much worth checking out.

9Bestway Above-Ground Swimming Pool Skimmer

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This quality pool skimmer is designed to be used with 15-foot and larger above ground pools that have a filter pump that can pump a minimum of 800 gallons-per-hour. This product can be easily mounted to the pool water and using the pump will skim the water automatically to remove debris. When it is full, it’s easy to empty, so the pool owner can go back to their daily life. This pump isn’t just designed to effectively filter contaminants from pool water but is also designed to last for many years to come. That makes it a great tool for pool owners to use to keep their pools nice and clean.

8Aura Hand Skimmer

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Although this pool skimmer doesn’t have the reach of comparable models, it’s lightweight and compact size makes it a handy tool for any pool owner to own. This quality net is made from nylon and impact-resistant plastic, so its extremely durable and is designed to provide years of service. This skimmer is approximately 2-feet long and is easy to hold onto while skimming. It’s also easy to empty, so the pool owner can spend more time enjoying their pool and less time cleaning it out. All of these features make this pool skimmer an affordable and high-quality addition to any consumer’s arsenal of pool tools.

7Intex Above Ground Deluxe Automatic Skimmer

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Why should Intex filter pump owners mess around with hand-held skimmers when it can all be handled by automatic pool skimmer like this model? The Intex Deluxe Surface Skimmer is designed to be fitted onto an Intex filter pump that has a minimum flow rate of 800 gallons-per-minute. This product is easy to mount on a metal or easy-set pool and even comes with adjustable brackets to make installation easier. A great feature that’s found on this skimmer is its strainer basket, which can be easily removed so that it can be cleaned out quickly.

6Swimline HydroTools Pool & Spa Skimmer

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Shipped with a 12-inch aluminum handle that’s durable and is designed to hold up to years of use, this pool skimmer will quickly become a very well-loved tool by just about any pool owner. The net portion of this tool is made from impact-resistant plastic and is strung with a fine nylon mesh that does a great job removing particles from pool water. And since it’s light enough to float, it can be left in a hot tub while a person is using it to skim out containments as they enjoy it. All of these features make it a handy pool tool for anyone who wants to use it.

5Rongbo Heavy-Duty Deep-Bag Pool Rake

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Sometimes it can be a pain to use a shallow leaf skimmer. Those pool skimmers often need to be dumped out over and over again, which is time-consuming and not a whole lot of fun. Fortunately, this pool skimmer solves that problem because it’s nice and deep, so it can hold up a whole lot of leaves on one pass before it needs to be emptied again. It’s made with a quality nylon mesh and impact-resistant plastic that holds up well to frequent use and is lightweight. It doesn’t come with a pool pole, but it’s easy enough to fit it to a 1.12-inch skimmer pole for immediate use.

4Evob Nylon Above Ground Pool Skimmer

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This quality skimmer is made from lightweight plastic and is resistant to both shattering and pool chemicals. It’s made using high-quality nylon that’s fine enough to skim most contaminants from pools, ponds, and spas. Although it doesn’t come with a pool, it’s designed to be easily mounted on a standard telescoping pool pole so the consumer can use it on a pole they already own. That makes this net an ideal solution for anyone needing to replace a worn-out pool net. And since it’s 11.5-inches long with a 9.5-inches wide tip and a 10.4-inches wide base, it can pick up more leaves at one time.

3ATIE Fine Mesh Leaf Skimmer

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Even though this leaf skimmer doesn’t come with a pole, it should be quite easy for a pool owner to equip it to a standard 1-1/4-inch skimmer pole. Once that’s done, this high-quality net can then be pressed into service cleaning out a pool, pond, hot tub, or spa. This product is durable, and yet very lightweight, and is made with a nylon netting strung across a shatterproof plastic frame. It’s fine enough to get most small particulates but isn’t so fine that it easily becomes clogged with extremely small particles. All things considered, this is a high-quality net that should provide the consumer with many swimming seasons of service.

2Intex Leaf Skimmer For Pools

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Although this skimmer doesn’t come with a net, it’s pretty easy to fit it to a compatible 1/16th-inch telescoping aluminum pole. This skimmer is durable and resistant to pool chemicals and salts, so it can be used in both freshwater and saltwater pools. Another feature that’s worth mentioning about this pool net is that it’s designed in a way that makes it easy to be used for debris collection. And since its net is fine enough to remove even small debris particles, it can be used quite effectively and is an inexpensive solution for anyone who needs to clean out their pool or pond.

1U.S Pool Supply Economy Leaf Skimmer Net

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This pool leaf skimmer net is a standard piece of equipment that any pool owner can use. The net is approximately 12×10-inches in size and it’s fine enough to skim out some fine particles, but not extremely small particles. This netting is made out of mesh nylon and is designed to hold up to the rigors that a pool net needs to withstand. It’s resistant to UV light, chlorine and even saltwater, so it should provide the user with many years of use. This netting is attached to a pole that’s 3-feet long when it’s unextended, which is a size that’s big enough for most people who need to clean out their pool, pond or spa.

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A Guide To Buying The Best Pool Skimmers

Pool skimmers are simple tools, so few people pay them much mind, but these tools are still vitally important to keep a pool in good condition. Since it’s so important, we would say that people should probably put away their preconceptions about them and spend a little bit of time trying to find the best one possible. To help our readers towards that goal, we’ve written this guide. A guide that we hope is comprehensive and will be easy for all of our readers to relate to. With that being said, let’s get this guide started and find out what makes one pool skimmer different from another one.

A Quick Definition For Pool Skimmers

This section might seem like an unnecessary addition to this guide, but we would say otherwise. We feel that it’s important for all of us to get our definitions in order before we continue because some people seem to have a narrow idea of what a skimmer should be. To some people, a skimmer is nothing more than a glorified leaf net on a pole, and while that’s the case some of the times, it’s not the case all of the time. There are plenty of different skimmer variations being made nowadays. Okay, so what’s the definition of a pool skimmer? A pool skimmer is a device that can be used to remove debris from a pool. Yes, that can be a net, but that can also be a lot of other things as well.

The Benefits Of Using A Pool Skimmer

There is one more thing that we would like to talk about before we get into some of the things that consumers might want to consider when choosing one of these tools. So let’s not beat around the bush, but instead give you reasons why every pool owner needs to own a pool skimmer of some sort.

  • They are helpful in preventing algae
  • They take the burden off of the pool’s filter system.
  • They keep the pool’s filter running efficiently

Choosing The Best Pool Skimmer

Okay, now that we’ve defined our terms, it’s time to go ahead and talk about some of the options that pool owners have when they’re choosing a new skimmer. Below are some things that pool owners are going to want to think about before they purchase a new skimmer for their pool.

Let’s Begin With The Different Skimmer Types

As we said earlier, there are a variety of different skimmers available and we think that this variety might be a surprise to some people. Even though that’s the case though, trust us, the following items are pool skimmers and something that consumers should think about before buying.

The Manual Pool Skimmer (AKA Leaf Net)

Okay, we’re going to ease people into the different types of pool skimmers, so we’re going to begin our discussion by talking about the most familiar pool skimmer available: the leaf net. This is a pole with a net on the end of it. The main advantage to these skimmers is that they are simple, they don’t require a power source and they don’t have a lot of moving parts. However, they do require the consumer to use good ole’ fashioned elbow grease to get the job done.

Built-In Skimmers

If you look at your pool right now, you’ll probably notice that it already has a built-in skimmer. Some pools even have more than one skimmer. These skimmers connect directly to the pool’s plumbing and are usually made up of a lid and basket. These filters strain out the materials that would otherwise get sucked into the filter and might clog it up.

Automatic Skimmers

Another type of skimmer that a person might want to consider is automatic skimmers. These models attach to the pool’s filtration system. Some of these models are stationary and clip onto the side of the pool—catching whatever comes through it passively, and others have paddles that allow it to skim the surface of the pool taking out debris as it moves.

Robotic Skimmers

Robotic skimmers are a type of skimmer that’s become increasingly popular lately. These models aren’t attached to the pool’s filtration system, so they’re not tethered to a central location. Instead, they’re powered either by solar power or by rechargeable batteries that move paddles. This allows them to move independently on top of the water—skimming along the way.

Features To Consider

Okay, now that we know the various pool skimmer types available, it’s time to turn our attention to some of the other details the pool owner is going to want to think about before they buy a new one. Let’s briefly cover each of the points that need to be considered, so that by the end of this process you’ll know exactly what you’re looking for in a swimming pool skimmer.

How Easy Is It Installed?

One of the first things that the consumer is going to want to think about is how easy the skimmer is to install. Although this isn’t a consideration for manual skimmers, it is an important factor for automatic or robotic skimmers. No one wants to spend more time than necessary installing a skimmer for their pool.

How Durable Is It?

Durability is another important consideration. Some skimmers seem to be designed to last a long time, while others don’t seem like they’re going to last more than a week or two. Even though it can be hard to determine the durability of a skimmer from an online listing, looking at professional or user skimmer reviews can help the pool owner weed out the bad skimmers from the good.

How Much Does It Cost?

Another important consideration is the cost of the skimmer. No one wants to spend more than they have to in order to keep their pool clean, so this might be one of the most important considerations for most people. Pool owners looking for an inexpensive skimmer might want to choose a manual pool skimmer, while a pool owner who doesn’t mind spending a little bit of money might want to choose an automatic or robotic pool skimmer.