The 9 Best Pool Thermometers

Editor's Notes

December 08, 2020:

We removed the Thermometer World Floating due to durability issues and the Cali-Home RF-705 due to a design flaw where the settings buttons were concealed behind screws, making it easy to put the cover on incorrectly and cause a leak. The Newkiton NK-01B was removed due to availability concerns.

Since many of our selections float on top of the water, we decided to add the Pentair Tube, a sinking model. This means you have to pull it up to read the temperature, but you'll get a more accurate reading, since the sun can sometimes warm the surface of the water, hiding a colder layer underneath. This also makes it a good choice for ponds and lakes, in addition to pools.

Also new to the list, the Ambient Weather WS-14 allows you to check the temperature from up to 100 feet away on a digital console that gets a new reading from the sensor every 60 seconds. The sensor also has a screen so that you can check the temperature from the poolside, and it's powered by a solar panel with a battery backup.

The Rise8 Studios Pooltanic has an amusing design that's sure to be a hit at a party, especially if your friends are history buffs or film fans. The two-piece set features a Titanic-shaped chlorine dispenser and an iceberg-shaped thermometer. The Atie Floater also doubles as a chlorine dispenser, though this one does it all in one unit.

October 30, 2019:

Among the many challenges that come with pool ownership, somewhere between balancing chemicals and alkalinity and managing evaporation and vacuuming, is the unfavorable task of maintaining temperature. Sometimes it’s simple – if you live somewhere with a consistent climate, rarely take the cover off your pool and run top-of-the-line equipment, but other times it can be a hassle – namely when your situation is something close to antithesis of the scenario I just described. Whatever your case is, it never hurts to know exactly what the temperature is in your water before you jump in. To accomplish that, you’re going to need to get yourself a pool thermometer.

A few things to look for while shopping the category:

Power Source: While analog models like the Soulmate Secret SSFT1 and the Milliard Polar Bear dodge this consideration altogether, users who want the convenience of a digital readout will need to invest in options that are either battery or solar powered. Solar-powered options like the Game 14030-BB, avoid the nuisance and expense associated with changing batteries, but they still have a dependency on sunlight that might be limiting. One way through this dilemma is to consider a hybrid option like the Thermometer World Floating Max Min, which is solar powered, but has a battery-backup function.

Connectivity: While traditional options in this category exclusively display measurements through their integral readouts, walking down to the pool to check the temperature can be a pain (and you’ll likely need to make sure you tether your thermometer to a handrail or ladder to make sure it doesn’t float away). Modern models have methods to forego these inconveniences, like the Cali-Home RF-705 – which transmits its temperature reading back to its base station every three minutes, and the Newkiton NK-01B – which can be connected to an app via Bluetooth, allowing users to monitor up to 100 sensors throughout their home and yard, simultaneously.

Units of Measurement: It seems like displaying measurements in both Celsius and Fahrenheit is a somewhat-standard feature in this category, but it certainly doesn’t hurt to double check. Also, users who are looking for a digital readout and would like the option of displaying either unit of measurement should consider an option like the Game 14030-BB, which can easily toggle between the two with the push of the button. Other options are much less convenient in this respect, such as the Cali-Home RF-705, that requires users remove five screws from the unit just to access the appropriate switch.

And, one last thought: If you haven’t already tried a laser-based option like the Etekcity 1022, you should seriously consider giving it a try. Not only are they great for pools, but also barbecues and greenhouses. In fact, the biggest complaint I have with mine is that I keep misplacing it because I use it for so many different things.

Happy swimming!