Betta~$390
Betta SE Plus
Surface skimmer · 30 h skimming
- Pool fit
- Skims all day; no pool-size limit
- Filtration
- 200 µm · sand, grit and leaves
- Retrieval
- Floats; lifted by hand
- Solar + adapter
- 30 h runtime
- 200 µm basket
Cleans: Surface
Surface skimmer~$370Betta
Betta SE
Solar only: the Betta SE charges in five to six hours of direct sun and then skims for 30 hours or more, including through a cloudy day. Twin salt- and chlorine-tolerant motors pull debris into a 200-micron basket, and adjustable bumper rods keep it off shallow steps.
Approx. price
~$370
snapshot, not a live price
Skims all day; no pool-size limit
Floats; lifted by hand
30 h skimming
Best for: Sunny yards where a skimmer should never need plugging in
Specifications
- Approx. price
- ~$370
- Type
- Surface skimmer
- Power
- Solar, with battery
- Cleans
- Surface
- Charge time
- 6 h
- Finest filter
- 200 µm
- Filtration tier
- Sand, grit and leaves
- Filter
- 200 µm fine-mesh basket
- Warranty
- 1 year
- Cost per swim season
- $370 floor
A specification not listed here is one Betta does not publish for this model. It is left blank rather than estimated or borrowed from a sibling.
Features
- Solar charging only
- 30+ hours per charge
- 200 µm fine-mesh basket
- Salt- and chlorine-tolerant motors
- Wireless remote and bumper rods
What it does well
- No charging to remember in a sunny climate
- 30+ hours on a charge, longer than the iSkim's 28
- 200 µm basket catches pollen as well as leaves
- Motors rated for salt and high chlorine
What it gives up
- No adapter — a run of cloudy days stops it
- One year of cover, where the $340 Surfer S2 gets two
- Remote only, no app, while the $300 F1 has one
The two lists above come from the maker’s own specifications and this site’s arithmetic on them, not from owner reports. Where owner discussion has been read it appears in its own section below, so the two are never mistaken for each other.
What owners say
Few robots draw as much owner affection as the Betta: it gets named, it gets defended in house-sale disputes, and it gets credited with ending daily skimming. The SE is the solar-only model most of them mean.
In use it does one thing — floats around the surface catching leaves, seeds, pollen and hair before they sink — and does it continuously, including through cloudy spells. The recurring frustrations are mechanical and predictable: it wedges itself into the skimmer mouth, it tangles with corded floor robots and pressure-cleaner hoses, and its basket becomes a shelter for spiders and frogs.
Pools under trees get far more from it than open pools in windless yards, where owners who empty it rarely see much in it. It pairs well with a cordless floor robot; with a corded one, plan on weighting the floats or running them at different times.
What owners like
- It genuinely runs around the clock. Owners describe it cruising through overcast days and rain, and one with an unshaded pool said the solar panel meant it had never needed a wall charge at all.
- Leaf-heavy yards are where it earns its keep: owners under oaks and pines report going from half an hour of netting before every swim to not skimming all season, with the pool staying clear between cleaner runs.
- It catches small stuff as well as leaves — tree seeds, pollen films and dog hair all come up in owners' accounts.
- Parts support is straightforward. One owner whose nephew dropped it and snapped a side wheel had it running again with a replacement wheel set from the company and a screwdriver.
- Waterfalls and rain on top of it do not stop it; owners have watched it drive through a water feature and keep going.
Common complaints
- It gets stuck in the skimmer mouth. The company's fix is a pool noodle wedged in the skimmer opening, which several owners dislike; a printable longer-leg bumper is the workaround others use.
- It snags on corded robots. Owners running a corded Dolphin, Polaris or a pressure cleaner's hose alongside it report the Betta catching on the cable or floats, so the two cannot run at the same time without weights on the floats or a cordless floor robot.
- Spiders and frogs shelter inside the basket and the handle recess, which is exactly where your hand goes to lift it out.
- Under heavy leaf fall the basket fills fast — one owner under pines empties it twice a day in spring.
Questions owners ask about the Betta SE
Can the Betta SE run at the same time as a corded robot?
Often not without help. Owners with corded Dolphins, Polaris robots and pressure cleaners report the skimmer catching on the cable or hose floats. Weighting the floats, running the two at different times, or moving to a cordless floor robot are the fixes owners describe.
Why does it keep getting stuck in my skimmer?
The skimmer mouth is the right size to trap it. The maker suggests a pool noodle in the skimmer opening; owners also print longer bumper legs so it turns away before it can wedge itself in.
Does it need charging from the wall?
Rarely in a sunny yard. Owners with full sun say it runs on solar alone for months; shaded pools and long cloudy stretches are when a wall charge becomes necessary, which is what the SE Plus's adapter is for.
Is it worth it if I already have a floor robot?
Owners with trees say yes, because it catches debris before it sinks and the floor robot then runs less often. Owners with open, windless pools report emptying it and finding little.
Others in the same part of the catalog
Aiper~$340
Aiper Surfer S2
Surface skimmer · 35 h skimming
- Pool fit
- Skims all day; no pool-size limit
- Filtration
- 150 µm · sand, grit and leaves
- Retrieval
- Floats; lifted by hand
- 150 µm basket
- 35 h runtime
- $340
Cleans: Surface
Beatbot~$429
Beatbot iSkim
Surface skimmer · 28 h skimming
- Pool fit
- Skims all day; no pool-size limit
- Filtration
- 550 µm · leaves and bugs only
- Retrieval
- Floats; lifted by hand
- 28 h without sun
- 9 L basket
- 3-year warranty
Cleans: Surface