“The Aiper Surfer S2 is the best value for the price on the market today”
- Great value
- Very durable
- Solar Charging
- Slow
- Grey color only
Having tested several robotic pool cleaners over the past couple years, one thing has become abundantly clear: the top-of-the-line models simply don’t do everything well, despite high prices and many promises. And one of those promises I have been disappointed with is their ability to skim on the surface of the pool to clean debris. Maybe the cleaners are too heavy to move nimbly across the surface of the pool, or maybe there just isn’t enough battery life left at the end of a cleaning cycle to properly clean the surface. Who knows. So what’s the option? Use your gold ole fashion pool net, or buy a dedicated skimmer, like the Aiper Surfer S2. Having just finished my Aiper Scuba X1Pro Max review, I was excited to see how their dedicated skimmer could perform.
Features and price of the Aiper Surfer S2
Priced consistently under the $399.99 suggested retail price tag, the Aiper Surfer S2 touts a number of cool features that I found appealing. I primarily like the fact that the company claims continuous operation 24/7 thanks to the large integrated battery and the solar panels. It does have a chlorine dispenser which some people might like, but that wasn’t necessary for my pool. If you live in the desert, you will like the ultra-fine filter which should help with dust that might sit on the water surface of your pool. Measuring 16.3″L x 7.9″W x 21.3″H with a weight of 12.6 Lbs., the design of the Surfer S2 is super basic. There is a wide mouth on the front that uses a turning wheel to suck in debris, two propellers in the rear to help propel the unit around the pool, a solar panel on top and adjustable strands (think fold out legs) underneath that help the Surfer S2 from getting stuck on the stairs.
How does the Aiper Surfer S2 compare to competitors?
Below is a chart that I put together showing how the Aiper Surfer S2 compares to other robotic pool skimmers. Personally, I feel like Aiper and BeatBot are the closest to direct competition out there. Both of their product lines have similar features and always seem to be trying to one-up each other on each generation’s products. In this case, the Beatbot iSkim Ultra comes in around $1499.00 compared to the Surfer S2’s $399 price tag. And to be fair, the iSkim Ultra has a lot more technology compared to the Surfer S2: 20 sensors instead of two, brushes added to the unit to help with better collection and a larger filter basket. But it is overkill for most pools.
When compared to the previous generation Aiper S1, the S2 almost triples the runtime, doesn’t have the battery drain issues that the S1 experienced, has advanced navigation and DebrisGaurd, and some other minor improvements.
Testing the Aiper Surfer S2 in the real world
I found the Aiper Surfer S2 incredibly easy to top set up and use. Just pair the S2 with your phone and plug in your Wi-Fi network information and it showed up in the Aiper app alongside the Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max that I also have at home (you can read my Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max review). Simply swipe left or right to pivot between the units. With the Aiper app, you can use it to manually control the S2 if you want it to skim a particular part of the pool or to simply direct it back to you for retrieval. You can also set a schedule so it can clean on certain days and times.
For me, I just left the Surfer S2 on around the clock some days and removed it from the pool when the pool was in use. In my tests, I lost close to 20-25% of the battery if I let the S2 run overnight. During the daytime in sunlight, the S2 battery stayed steady without dropping or increased in battery life as the unit charged itself off the panels. I drained the battery to 10% and was able to recharge the battery 100% in under two hours using the solar panels. From the AC charger plugged into the wall, I was able to fully charge the S2 to 100% in under 30 minutes.
The Aiper Surfer S2 did a stellar job collecting large debris like leaves (have a number of trees that get close to hanging over the pool) in addition to smaller debris like pollen. One of the kids using the pull even shredded part of a blue pool noodle, and the Surfer S2 was able to pick up the smaller foam chunks floating just beneath the surface.
What’s the warranty of the Surfer S2?
Over the course of three weeks, the Surfer S2 was put in and out of the pool countless times by me and the kids. The kids would yank it out of the pool and drop it onto the pool deck repeatedly. There are scratches on the unit, but everything still works otherwise. Aiper backs the Surfer S2 with a two-year warranty which is on-par with the Beatbot iSkim Ultra. For comparison, the Betta SE Plus, Dolphin Skimmi have 1-year warranties, and the Aiper Surfer S1 has an 18-month warranty.
Should you buy it?
The Aiper Surfer S2 is one of those products that just works. It’s relatively low maintenance, handles the job well, and can take a beating. Can you clean the surface of your pool quicker with a net? Absolutely. Is it nice to have a robot skimmer that is constantly cleaning your pool, so you don’t have to use that net? That’s the point – lazy people prevail! In comparison, the Beatbot iSkim Ultra has a lot more features, but will cost you three times the price – and it still has the same warranty as the Surfer S2. The Aiper Surfer S2 is the best value for the price on the market today, and the added bonus is that you should be able to find it at a discount if you look hard enough.
