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Skimming your pool takes time – and is not fun!
Even if your existing pool cleaner works great, you’ll need to skim your pool to get rid of floating bugs and leaves.
This is especially true if your pool is near large trees (like mine) or you live in a windy area where yard debris often finds it way into your pool.
Worse, most pump-driven pool skimmers do not do a complete job, so keeping your pool’s surface clean is a job you either have to pay someone to do – or do it yourself.
But what if you could buy a solar-powered Roomba for your pool? A pool-skimmer that doesn’t charge a dime, gets its energy from the sun and works around the clock?
This is exactly what the Solar Breeze NX2 robotic pool skimmer is.
The sun-powered Solar Breeze roams the surface of your pool skimming bugs, dust, hair, leaves and other debris floating on the water into its debris filter.
It captures the debris before it sinks to the bottom, where it will make your pool dirtier and will be harder to get rid of.
The NX2 is the latest updated model from Solar Breeze, released in 2018. Some improvements made over the previous model include better batteries for longer run times and less drag as it moves through the water.
As a result, the latest NX2 model runs far longer – well into the night if needed.
But how well does it clean?
Keep reading for my full review of the Solar Breeze NX2.
NOTE: this is just a pool surface skimmer, it doesn’t clean the floor or walls. I recommend buying a robotic pool cleaner to handle those chores. See my robotic pool cleaner buying guide for top recommendations.
Cleaning Ability
The NX2’s cleaning mechanism is ridiculously simple.
It just moves across the surface of your pool, propelled by a single motor. As the surface water passes through it, a mesh filter captures debris.
But it works brilliantly.
It is able to keep any pool surface clean even in windy conditions or where there are a lot of trees nearby.
A nice result of automating your pool skimming is that your pool cleaner / pump won’t need to work nearly as much. In fact, you can reduce usage of your pool pump by up to two thirds. This consumes less energy and leaves more money for you.
The Solar Breeze robotic pool skimmer also ensures your pool is cleaner and healthier, because it comes with an integrated chlorine tray.
Just place a few tablets in the tray and the Solar-Breeze will treat your water for you, ensuring that treated water is distributed evenly across the pool.
The Solar-Breeze is thorough, too – it reaches every corner of the pool intelligently avoiding obstacles and rescuing itself if it gets stuck.
The best part is that it will work all day and into the night. It’s a round-the-clock pool bot!
When the debris tray fills, it’s easy to pull it out for cleaning.
Features We Like
1. Free Power, Forever
Once you buy a Solar-Breeze, you’ll never have to pay another dime to run it. It is fitted with a solar panel for use during the day and a rechargeable battery to power it at night.
In the 2018 model, they improved the solar panels to produce a higher power output. Even on cloudy days, the cleaner will still work several hours into the night.
2. 24/7 Cleaning
During the day, the Solar-Breeze generates five times the power it needs. The excess is stored in the rechargeable lithium-ion battery. At night, the cleaner uses the battery to keep running.
Many users claim it will run for as long as 9 hours if the day was sunny. On cloudy days, it will run fewer hours at night but gets back to work as soon as the sun comes up in the morning.
This 24/7 cleaning duty keeps your pool surface pristine all the time. And it stops debris and leaves from reaching the floor, which keeps the quality of your pool’s water better, for longer.
3. Hardy UV-Resistant Materials
The Solar-Breeze is build with materials that are resistant to the elements. They are UV-resistant, ensuring they’ll last long without disintegrating.
The company has also enhanced the seals around sensitive electronics, making the NX2 completely waterproof. You can leave it to clean in the rain without any problem.
You can also safely use it in a pool with a waterfall.
4. Easy to Use Debris Capture
The debris tray stores a lot of debris before you need to empty it. When it’s full, you just need to pull it out for cleaning and then lock it securely back into place.
5. Chlorine Tray
An integrated chlorine tray lets you treat the water as the NX2 clears the debris from the pool.
One advantage of using the NX2 for treatment is that it spreads the chlorine slowly, and more evenly throughout the pool.
This ensures your entire pool remains clean and healthy.
6. Intelligent Navigation
The 2018 Solar-Breeze NX2 comes with updated navigational software that allows the skimmer to avoid obstructions. If it gets stuck, it can reverse and rescue itself.
7. Improved Motor System
Another area they improved was the motor. It’s not only more powerful it’s also quieter, more reliable and longer lasting.
Pros
• Free solar power
• Easy to use
• Keeps water clean 24/7
• Integrated chlorine tray
• Weather-proof
Cons
• Only cleans the surface of the water; you’ll still need to scrub the floor and walls or buy a robotic pool cleaner.
• Sometimes gets stuck on vacuum hoses. But it can rescue itself.
Specs
• Dry weight: 14 lbs
• Dimensions: 26” x 23” x 9”
• For all types of pools
Conclusion
The SolarBreeze is a must-have robotic pool skimmer/cleaner for pool owners who hate skimming leaves.
It costs nothing to run, reduces the load on your existing pool pump and improves the health and quality of your pool’s water.
