Smart Monitors
Is a Smart Pool Water Monitor Worth It?
A clear-eyed cost and reliability comparison between floating smart sensors and simple manual testing paired with a tracking app, so you can decide without the sales pitch.
Manual vs. Automated Pool Water Testing: Pros and Cons of Each
A balanced, no-pitch comparison of manual water testing (strips and liquid kits) against automated smart sensors, covering cost, accuracy, effort, and reliability so you can pick the method that fits how you actually maintain your pool.
How to Test Pool Water Without a Smart Monitor
You don't need a floating sensor to know what's in your water. Here's how test strips and liquid kits, paired with a consistent logging habit, cover the same ground.
A Brief History of Smart Pool Monitors (and Why So Many Have Shut Down)
Automated pool sensors keep promising to test your water for you, and several have already shut down. Here's the business pattern behind those closures, and what to check before you buy one.
The Best Pool Water Test Kits: Strips vs. Liquid
A cost-and-accuracy comparison of test strips, liquid drop kits, and digital photometers for pool owners testing water by hand, including what each method typically costs over a season and when upgrading is actually worth it.
pHin Is Discontinued: What Are the Alternatives?
A calm rundown of what pHin's shutdown means for the sensor sitting in your pool, and the realistic options for testing and tracking your water going forward.
Sutro Shut Down: What Pool Owners Should Do Now
Sutro's floating sensor and app were discontinued in 2025, leaving owners without automated readings. Here's what actually happened and a calm, step-by-step way to get your pool back on a routine.
What Happens to Your Data When a Smart Pool Device Is Discontinued?
Smart pool sensors depend on a company's servers staying online. Here's what typically happens to your readings, history, and hardware when that backend goes away, and how to protect yourself before it does.