Aiper Surfer S2 Review

Hey guys, welcome back to the Pool Nerd. I'm Justin, your resident pool aficionado. Today, we’re diving into the Aiper Surfer S2—a solar-powered robotic skimmer that promises app control, continuous cleaning, and even a built-in chlorine tab holder.

If you've followed along with some of my other reviews, you'll know I've tested pretty much every solar skimmer on the market. From the Dolphin Skimmi to the $1000 Beatbot iSkim Ultra, I've tested and reviewed all the top skimmers out there. So, when Aiper announced the S2 with promises of better battery life, improved debris collection, and enhanced navigation, I was ready to see if it improved upon the Aiper Surfer S1.

After a few weeks of testing, I wasn’t too impressed. With a smaller filter and poor performance in my testing, I’m not sold that this is the skimmer that you should be buying – especially compared to some of the other skimmers I’ll recommend at the end of this review.

Read more on the Best Pool Skimmers of 2025 →

Aiper's Recall History

Before we get into the review, there’s something important I think you should know. Aiper has had a recall in the past that’s hard to ignore—especially when reviewing their cordless models.

Over 35,000 Aiper Seagull Pros and 22,000 Aiper Elite Pros were recalled due to fire and burn hazards. The recall was issued through the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, and you can still find the details on their official site.

There have also been multiple alleged reports online of property damage—some homeowners claim their Aiper Seagull Pro caused a fire. One story circulating shows a homeowner claiming his Las Vegas home burned down after allegedly leaving his robot to charge.

To be clear, these were cordless pool cleaner models, and not every Aiper product has had these issues. But given that history, it’s something I always keep in mind when testing any of their products.

I’m not making any claims—just relaying what’s already out there, including reports from Fox News and the CPSC.

Read more on the Aiper Recalls →

First Impressions

Right out of the box, the first thing you notice about the S2 is its size. Where the original Surfer had this sleek, almost minimalist profile, the S2 feels... chunky. It's noticeably bulkier than the S1, and honestly, not in a good way.

Side by side, you can see the difference between the two. Is it a bad thing? I don’t think it really matters, but it was one of the first things I noticed.

Don't get me wrong – the build quality is solid. That gold trim looks sharp, and the UV-resistant housing feels like it'll hold up to brutal Texas sun. But there's something about the design that just feels like a step backward. It's like they took the original and said, "You know what this needs? More plastic."

The setup process is straightforward enough – charge it up, download the app, drop it in the pool. Takes about 5 to 10 minutes total, which is pretty standard.

Chlorine Tab Holder

Let's talk about one of the S2's most baffling features – the chlorine puck holder built into the debris basket. On paper, this sounds convenient: your skimmer cleans the surface while slowly dissolving a 3-inch chlorine tablet for consistent sanitization. In practice, it's one of the worst ideas I've seen in pool equipment.

Here's the thing about trichlor tablets – they're acidic. Really acidic. We're talking about a pH around 2.8 that will eat through just about anything given enough time. Now imagine parking your new three hundred dollar cleaner directly in that acidic bath for hours or days at a time. The chlorine doesn't just stay in the little holder – it dissolves into the water inside the skimmer, creating a corrosive environment for all the internal components. I've seen enough premature failures in chlorine feeders to know this is asking for trouble.

Even if the housing holds up, there's the practical problem: when your skimmer sits motionless for extended periods (which they all do), you're creating a concentrated chlorine hot spot that can bleach pool surfaces or damage equipment. Professional pool techs spend years learning proper chlorine distribution – you don't want to hand that job over to a robot that has no idea about water chemistry. Stick to proper chlorine feeders or salt systems for sanitization, and let your skimmer focus on what it does best: collecting debris. Your equipment will last longer, and your pool chemistry will thank you.

Propeller Problem

Let’s talk propellers for a second — because size does matter here.

The S2 uses 2.5-inch propellers. That puts it right between the Dolphin Skimmi’s 3-inch blades and the Betta SE’s 2-inch ones. But despite that, it just doesn’t perform like a mid-tier unit. Why? Because of its power-to-weight ratio.

The S2 is bulkier than its predecessor, but Aiper didn’t scale the power accordingly. It ends up feeling sluggish in the water, especially compared to the Skimmi, which practically charges through surface debris.

Looking at the specs, the S2 sports 2.5-inch propellers. Now, that might not sound like much of a difference compared to other skimmers, but when you stack it up against the competition, it tells a story:

• Dolphin Skimmi: 3-inch propellers
• Aiper Surfer S2: 2.5-inch propellers
• Betta SE: 2-inch propellers

On paper, you'd think the S2 would slot nicely between the powerful Skimmi and the efficient Betta SE. In practice? Not so much.

The problem isn't just the propeller size – it's the power-to-weight ratio. The S2 is heavier and bulkier than the S1, but Aiper didn't proportionally increase the propeller power. The result is a skimmer that feels underpowered for its size, especially when compared to something like the Skimmi that muscles through the water with authority.

Real World Performance

I put the Aiper Surfer S2 to the test in the pool. Since it is the middle of the summer during the time of filming, we put some fake leaves and other leaves we gathered at the surface to see just how well it could pick up debris.

Solar Battery

Credit where it's due – the S2's continous cleaning is impressive. During our blazing Texas summer, with the solar panel getting full sun exposure, this thing ran for days without me thinking about it. Even on overcast days, it kept chugging along.

If you’ve seen any of my videos on robotic pool cleaners, you already know—I’m not a fan of cordless models. The constant charging, the limited runtime… it’s just a headache. And because they’re underwater, you can’t even throw a solar panel on them to help out.

Luckily this isn’t a robotic pool cleaner – but a robotic skimmer. And here’s where the Aiper Surfer S2 actually makes sense. Since it’s skimming the surface, and not submerged vacuuming up the floor, being cordless is actually a plus. You don’t need the extra power that comes from a corded connection, as it is just skimming the surface. No cable to get tangled, no setup hassle—just drop it in and let it do its thing.

The solar charging system works as advertised. It charges while it cleans. Just like the other top cleaners in the market, Aiper gets this part right.

Debris Collection

But here's where the S2 falls apart – literally. Those smaller propellers just don't have the oomph to handle serious debris. I watched leaves consistently slip past the collection area or, worse, get pushed underwater only to pop back up once the skimmer moved on.

The mesh filter itself is fine – it will catch most of what you want it to catch. But if the debris never makes it to the filter basket because the propellers can't create enough suction, what's the point?

I ran side-by-side tests with my Dolphin Skimmi, and the difference was night and day. Where the Skimmi would aggressively pull in a pile of oak leaves, the S2 would sort of... nudge them around. Sometimes they'd get collected, sometimes they wouldn't. That's not the kind of power you want.

App Integration

The Aiper app deserves credit for being responsive and reliable. Pairing takes about 30 seconds, connection strength is solid, and the manual steering actually works when you need to target debris.

I paired it once, played with the remote control feature for about five minutes, and then pretty much forgot about it. Which is fine – I don't need my pool skimmer to be a RC boat.

The other nice part of the app is the retrieval function. You can press a button and it swims right back up to you. Not needed, but it’s a nice touch I really liked using.

Vs The Competition

After testing the S2, one question kept popping up: why would you buy this when better options exist at similar price points?

Dolphin Skimmi: Premium Performance

If you want a higher level of performance and don't mind paying a little more for it, the Dolphin Skimmi is in a different league. Those 3-inch propellers create serious suction, and the paddle wheel design handles large debris that would choke other skimmers.

The Skimmi's smartphone app is more sophisticated, the build quality reflects decades of pool equipment expertise, and the cleaning performance justifies the premium pricing. During side-by-side testing, the Skimmi consistently outperformed the S2 in every meaningful category.

Yes, it costs $200 more than the S2. But when you factor in the superior performance and Maytronics' reputation for durability, that premium starts to make sense.

Read my review on the Dolphin Skimmi →

Betta SE: Another Smart Choice

The Betta SE is one of the other top skimmers I’d recommend. It is around the same price tag as well. The cleaning performance is noticeably better, the design is more elegant, and the top-loading basket makes maintenance actually pleasant instead of awkward.

More importantly, Betta's track record for reliability is just better. While Aiper has been dealing with some quality control issues across their product line, Betta's skimmers just work, day after day, month after month.

The Betta SE's 2-inch propellers might be smaller than the S2's, but they're better optimized for the unit's size and weight. The result is more effective debris collection despite the smaller hardware.

Read my review on the Betta SE →

Basket Design

One of my biggest frustrations with the S2 is the debris basket situation. Aiper actually made the basket smaller than the S1 – dropping from 5 liters to 4 liters. During fall leaf season, this becomes a real problem.

It dropped from 9 inches in the S1 to the 8 inches in the S2.

With the S1's 5-liter basket, I could go several days between emptying in moderate debris conditions. The S2's 4-liter basket seems to fill up faster. That's not an improvement – it's a step backward.

Where It Works

To be fair, the S2 isn't useless. For pools with light debris loads – think pollen, small insects, and the occasional leaf – it works. The solar charging really does provide real convenience, and when it's working properly, it reduces the amount of manual skimming you'll need.

But at $299, you're paying a lot for it to be worse than its competition.

Innovation Gap

What's most frustrating about the S2 is how little genuine innovation it has. The improvements over the S1 are largely incremental – better battery life, minor app updates, cosmetic changes. Meanwhile, competitors have pushed forward with more sophisticated sensors, better debris handling, and more robust construction.

The addition of a chlorine puck holder in the basket feels particularly gimmicky. Who wants their expensive electronic device soaking in acidic chlorine water? It's the kind of feature that looks good in marketing materials but makes no sense in real-world use.

Final Verdict

It’s Pool Nerd Disapproved.

After three weeks of testing in our pool, the Aiper Surfer S2 earns a C+ on the Pool Nerd scale. It's not great, but it’s not bad. And at $299, "not particularly good" isn't good enough.

The solar charging system works well, the app is functional, and the build quality is acceptable. But the lackluster performance, reduced basket capacity, and concerning reliability reports across their other products make this a hard product to recommend.

Here's what I'd buy instead:

For most pool owners, the Betta SE is amuch better value. The cleaning performance is superior, the design is more thoughtful, and the company's track record for reliability is simply better.

If you want premium performance and don't mind paying for it, the Dolphin Skimmi is worth the extra investment. The difference in cleaning is substantial. It's a big upgrade over both the Betta SE and Aiper Surfer S2.

When you're investing in pool maintenance equipment, you deserve something that actually makes your life easier.

Would I buy it again? Honestly, no. There are better options at similar price points.

As always, if you wanna keep nerding out over your pool, head on over to my deals page at ThePoolNerd.com/deals where I post the best deals on pool skimmers and other top pool equipment. And if you found this review helpful, make sure to subscribe for more real-world pool equipment testing.

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