So I sold my Beta SE skimmer and bought this new Surfer S2 (I'm on my 2nd unit because the first S2's's right propeller motor failed in less than 120hrs of run time, but at least it was before Amazon's 30 day return period was over). I also have the Aiper Scuba S1 as well which is awesome.While this Surfer S2 works very, very well when dry, as soon as it sprinkles even a little rain, I get warning messages on my phone that "one of the sensors may be blocked" and the unit just spins in tight circles forcing me to take it out of the pool. This happened to my first unit that died and now with my second unit as well and it's very frustrating.I emailed Aiper telling them my issue in hopes that they can issue a firmware update to somehow fix this as it is a pretty big issue, but I only received a reply from their AI bot which was no help at all.I will update this review when and if there is something to update.UPDATE:After the interaction with the AI bot (and before this review went live) a real person from Aiper reached out to me and we chatted back and forth over a few day span and they asked me to do several things like check the firmware, give them my order number, current shipping address and the unit's serial number which I did and in the end, they said that the unit should not be used in the rain.They also said that the algorithm is that the unit should 'self correct' itself from the spinning attitude back to normal function once it stops raining and the water dries from the sensor lenses. I have yet to give this a try as I have always removed the unit once I see the spinning but will leave it in the pool during the next rain session and see what happens.UPDATE 2: (Performance Review)The performance of this unit in the dry is simply amazing. It runs 24/7 and the lowest I've ever seen the battery is 51% and that was right before sunrise.The surface cleaning is simply on another level and the debris guard system works as advertised and nothing escapes while the unit stops, turns around and backs up. The wall edge cleaning works as described as well and from what I can tell, it will hug the wall of the pool for a complete lap about once every 3hrs.The surface of my water looks almost "polished" and it is awesome! It's nice going to bed on a windy night knowing that the little robot is on the job and whatever blows in will be picked up before my alarm goes off.The online app is pretty sparse, but it's fine and tells you how many total hours the unit has been in the pool, as well as how many hours and minutes the current clean cycle has been running. It shows air temp, battery level and unit info like firmware, serial number and ip address.Dry weather: Perfection!Rain: Not so muchUPDATE3:Aiper's customer service has reached out to me several times and has confirmed that with the help of my feedback they are working on a new firmware update that will vastly improve rainy weather performance and that update should be pushed out sometime in April 2025.I have changed my rating from 3 stars to 5 stars due to the dry weather performance, plus the incredible customer support that I have received and the quick attention to fixing the issue.

This is my 4th pool cleaner robot. The previous 3 all had their flaws. This took all those flaws and ironed them out it cleans well and the basket albeit not the biggest has a lid so doesn’t leak out leaves. The app works perfectly and so far this has made our pool much cleaner and more enjoyable to use! Worth the investment even if you already have a weekly clean as even a day or two after the pool guy comes out pool is filled with leaves and bugs etc

This is one of the best purchases for our pool in memory. Mesquite trees drop tins of needles that took me hours to net, now I wake up in morning and this thing has gulped them all up. Really a great design and it really does the job.

(update at end)I love this floating pool skimmer. I have a large in-ground pool that is not screened in and big backyard that is constantly throwing leaves, pine-needles, and pollen and other debris into my pool. Yes, my pool already has a built-in skimmer, so I almost dismissed this as over-kill, but I'm glad I didn't. There are several advantages to having this thing skimming across the pool.First, it helps remove alot of the debris before it makes it into the main skimmer. That prevents the skimmer from getting over-clogged and makes cleaning out the main skimmer easy. It also prevents debris from finding it's way back to the pump.One of the biggest advantages I have is that now I can run my pool pump even when the water level dips below the main skimmer. I just switch to pulling water from just the drain and then let the Surfer skim the top of the water. Then I can wait until actual rain fills my pool, not my metered water.Pros:Solar-powered: The surfer has been running for days (and nights) without needing to manually re-charged. The solar panels charge it well enough to keep it going.Large collection basket: The basket holds quite a bit and collects everything from leaves to even pollen bits. Basket is easy to empty and clean.Wi-fi and bluetooth controls: When I want to pull the Surfer out of the pool, I can just pull up the app and manually control the surfer to bring it to the edge of the pool for retrieval. The wi-fi connection also allows you to monitor the battery levels.Cleans well. After running for a few hours, the Surfer was able to remove all the debris on the surface of my pool.Cons:A little bit noisy. The propellers and debris collection fins in the front of the device pitter-patter on the water surface and we can hear this at night when the windows are open. Sounds like a small animal treading water.The coping on my pool deck scratches the plastic casing of the surfer badly. I wish there were extendable pieces (like the ones on the bottom) on the sides that kept the Surfer from scraping the edge of the decking. The built-in sensors do a fairly good job on sensing the edges and backing off, but it still finds itself running along and hitting the edges.Suggestions for future firmware: It would be nice if I could schedule in the app when the surfer actually runs.Overall great pool skimming robot. Build quality is nice and cleaning is efficient and thorough.UPDATE:After using this robot in my pool for a couple of weeks, one propeller motor or gearbox is making a horrible grinding noise. If I drive it manually, it's quiet if I only run one side, but going straight or turning to the other side makes a horrible noise. The grinding sound even occurs with unit off and manually turning the propeller blade. There's nothing in the basket or blades, the sounds seems to be coming directly from the inside the cleaner behind the propeller. It's so loud, I've had to stop using it for the most part. Disappointing for a fairly new product.

Works so good. Minimal charging needed. Top of my pool is always clean with this running all week.

great product. works well

We used a competitors product for years and were PRETTY happy with it - save for one flaw. Our pool is rounded/amorphous so the skimmer robots will at certain points back up, turn, and keep cleaning.When the competitor did this it would spit out anything it had collected that was still floating inside of it. This resulted in areas we had to vacuum constantly as the competitor would deposit all manner of things.The Aiper? It has a flap, just like a skimmer door, that keeps the small floaters contained when it's maneuvering. Genius, 10/10 product design.It's also convenient to able to control it from my phone, but I don't use that function much. More I just check in occasionally with the battery percentage.

Put my new Surfer in the pool after fully charging g and setting it up per instructions… and it will only run backward until it hits a wall… and just stays there. Looks like a return and buy another Betta.

The AIPER Surfer S2 arrived in a well-packaged box, and I was immediately impressed by its sleek, futuristic design. The solar panel on top is a standout feature, emphasizing its eco-friendly appeal. The build quality feels sturdy, and the compact size makes it easy to handle. Setup was straightforward, with clear instructions and minimal assembly required.Setting up the AIPER Surfer S2 was a breeze. Simply charge it via USB for the first use, place it in the pool, and let the solar panel do the rest. The app guides you through the initial setup and pairing process.Once in the water, the skimmer gets to work immediately. It moves quietly and efficiently, covering the entire pool surface without missing spots. The smart navigation system ensures it avoids obstacles, and the app provides real-time updates on cleaning progress.Emptying the debris basket is quick and easy. The basket is large enough to hold a significant amount of debris, reducing the frequency of cleaning.The skimmer is made from high-quality, UV-resistant materials that withstand prolonged exposure to sunlight and pool chemicals. After weeks of use, it shows no signs of wear or damage. The solar panel remains efficient, and the internal battery holds a charge well. Minor Drawbacks:1. While the solar panel is a great feature, it’s less effective on cloudy or rainy days, requiring more frequent USB charging.2. The skimmer doesn’t handle debris at the bottom of the pool, so you’ll still need a separate pool vacuum for thorough cleaning.3. Occasionally, the app loses connection with the skimmer, requiring a restart toThe AIPER Surfer S2 Solar Pool Skimmer is a fantastic investment for pool owners who want to keep their water clean with minimal effort. Its solar-powered operation, smart navigation, and app support make it a standout choice for modern, eco-conscious households. While it’s not without its flaws (solar dependency and surface-only cleaning), its efficiency and convenience more than make up for them.Skip If:- You need a skimmer that also cleans the bottom of the pool.- You live in an area with limited sunlight and prefer a non-solar option.Pro Tip: Use the skimmer in conjunction with a pool vacuum for a spotless pool from top to bottom. Schedule cleaning sessions via the app to ensure your pool is always ready for a swim!

First off, well packaged. Nice and neat all around and very simple. Main unit and two additional boxes, one for the charger and one for the instruction booklet.The unit itself looks and feels well built. No rattles or sharp edges, definetly some thought went into it. The side rollers are freewheeling with very little play in them, which is good because it doesn't look lke they would be easy to service if they get clogged with dirt. Propulsion fans have clear and open pathways and good clearance around the blades so again shouldn't get clogged and even if they do it would be easy to clear out plus they can be removed it really tangled. Nice size debris bin and easy to remove and clean. The instructions provide details on how to service/clean the bin and impeller. If you have stairs or similar area where the water is a bit more shallow and the unit may run aground, it has legs that you can set to prevent it from going into those areas.I really appreciate the fact that it has a solar charging capability. After a good initial charge up by plug this thing will keep doing what it needs to do as long as the sun keeps shining.The app is nice bit of a pain to set up because I don't have good signal where the pool is for wifi so had to play around with the BT. The fact that it is through Google Play ie verified is great.Overall I think this is a great skimmer to help keep your pool clean. There are other units out there for full pool cleaning and such but if you don't need it then this will work just fine for you. I enjoy the pool with my dogs so I do not use any chemicals in my pool, but some other users have identified an issue with finding chlorine pucks that fit into the basket. I have never had to use them so I don't know what to tell you on this. If you already have a chemical regiment and don't need to use it then no worries but if you are looking for something to fit I would suggest just bringing the basket into a pool place. They should be able to sort it out for you.

The thing I loved the most about this skimmer was it's mapping abilities.I watched it do an entire cycle on its first round, due to having issues with other robotic skimmers I have tried. This one just totted along, doing its job, and it hit every square foot of my pool with out fail.It was really simple getting this set up through the app, and getting a mapping figured out. The robotic mapping was great as was the object detection. When doing my second run I would place my hand skimmer net in the pool in it's path to see how it reacted.Each time it would remap by itself around and continue doing the job.For battery life I have a 10x20' pool and I could get the entire pool done on its battery life with juice left over to spare.Job wise/performance wise, I have no complaints. I did not miss anything nor did it miss anything major. The surface of my pool liked just as good as if I cleaned it by hand.It does move at a bit of a slow rate so for sure something you want to get done well before you decide to open your pool up for the day.All in all I have no complaints, it performed well, the mapping system was very impressive, it avoided objects with ease, it was able to complete a full clean off one battery life, and it collected a lot.

We have an indoor pool which is open to the sun via glass windows. Our pool collects a lot of dust / debris on the surface when it isn't used. This pool vacuum works extremely well and keeps our pool looking pristine at all times. At first I was about the claims, but it has been working full throttle for the last couple of weeks. It even manages to pick up some of our kids floating toys which aren't small. It works around the clock as long as it has sun exposure. That being said, we had a few days with minimal sunlight and it stopped working after about a day and a half. Not a huge deal for us, but that might be important to others. Overall very happy with this pool vac from Aiper.

I'm really looking forward to using this AIPER Surfer S2 Solar Pool Skimmer with APP Support when we open our inground pool for the summer...giving 5 stars review for now simply because the product itself looks and feels great quality and seems well built...there is always stuff floating on the water in the pool which has to be scooped out with a net...I love the idea of just letting this skimmer float around using the sun's power to keep the pool clean on top while the robot vacuum we have takes care of the floor of the pool...counting the days until summer and I will update as to how this so far seemingly awesome machine works...