Verdict
A handy maintenance tool, the Aiper Surfer S2’s big battery and solar power combine to give serious runtime; in the right conditions, you should barely have to charge it manually. This pool cleaner is quite sedate and the small(ish) bin means it’s not ideal for larger jobs, but once the pool has been thoroughly cleaned once, the Surfer S2 keeps on moving, maintaining a high level of cleanliness.
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Good value
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Can operate with little manual interference
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Long run time
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Bin is quite small
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Quite slow
Key Features
Introduction
The Aiper Surfer S2 is a revamped and updated version of the older S1 pool skimmer. With triple the battery power (self-charged via the solar panel on top), this new model can run near constantly, keeping your pool free of debris.
Its smaller basket and slow speed do mean that it can struggle with some larger debris, but once you’re using it more in maintenance mode, constantly moving around, it proves a simple way to keep your pool in top condition.
Design and Features
- Solar panels for charging
- Remote control via app
Solidly built, the Aiper Surfer S2 is quite a chunky pool skimmer and larger than its predecessor. But it’s easy to move around thanks to the big grab handle at the back, so I found it easy to remove the skimmer from the pool and drop it back in.
There’s a covered charging port for bringing the 56.16Wh battery up to full charge, with Aiper saying that a full battery can last for up to 35 hours.
While the solar panel on top should handle most of your needs, manual charging is handy if you’ve had the Aiper Surfer S2 in storage for a while or you’ve had lots of cloudy days in a row and need to top up the battery.
You’ll also need the robot out of the pool to remove the 4-litre debris basket (1-litre smaller than on the previous model), and clean it out with a garden hose. There’s a 150μm filter in this basket, so the skimmer can capture the smallest particles.
At the rear are the dual propellers, used to push the Aiper Surfer S2 around your pool for cleaning. There’s also an impeller designed to increase suction power and pull more debris into the basket.
There’s a button on top to start the Aiper Surfer S2 doing its work, so you can just drop it in the pool and let it go about its job. You might need to use the provided pool noodle to cover your skimmer inlet to prevent the Aiper Surfer S2 from getting stuck.
It makes sense to have the Aiper Surfer S2 connected to the app via Wi-Fi. Provided your coverage extends outside, the pool skimmer will stay in contact with the app.
I could set schedules and even remotely control the skimmer; that may not sound that useful, but I used it to push a pool float from the middle of the pool to the edge to retrieve it.
Performance
- A little slow
- The bin can fill quickly
- Could work with virtually no manual interventions
I set the Aiper Surfer S2 to work on the test pool in our testing lab in Florida. Even on a rare cloudy day, the Aiper Surfer S2 managed over 18 hours of run time, with 43% battery charge left. Provided you get enough sunshine, there’s a good chance that the combination of large battery (up to 35 hours or runtime, according to Aiper) and solar panels would mean that the pool skimmer could keep going without any manual intervention required.
If the battery is running low, the Aiper Surfer S2 can move itself to find sunlight in a partially-obscured pool.
That’s actually quite important for performance and debris collection. Moving around quite slowly and with a relatively small bin, the Aiper Surfer S2 could struggle with larger debris, such as during the first clean of the year.
In fact, I’d suggest grabbing a net and getting the worst of the mess out of the pool first, and then using the Aiper Surfer S2 as a top-up skimmer, running regular maintenance. Used like this, the Aiper Surfer S2 managed to keep our pool in excellent condition, with the bin holding some larger leaves alongside a good collection of smaller particles on top.
If you do have a pool by a tree that drops a lot of leaves, something with a bigger bin and a bit more power to move around might make more sense.
Navigation is generally good, with the Aiper Surfer S2 moving around and covering all of our pool well. It doesn’t detect pool lips, so there’s a potential that it could get scratched over time; the design and layout of your pool make all of the difference.
Should you buy it?
You want a maintenance skimmer that just keeps running
A large solar panel keeps the Aiper Surfer S2 running in sunny conditions, letting it constantly maintain your pool.
You need to deal with bigger bits of debris
For larger leaf drops throughout the season, a more powerful skimmer with a larger bin may make more sense.
Final Thoughts
Well-priced and simple to use, the Aiper Surfer S2 should be able to keep skimming in sunny conditions with practically no input. Its small bin and relatively sedate speeds make this skimmer better for general maintenance, rather than big debris clearing, so anyone with a pool that constantly fills with leaves may want to look elsewhere.
How We Test
We test every pool cleaner we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
- Used as our main pool cleaner
- Tested in an outdoor pool
- Used with real debris
FAQs
If there’s enough sunshine, the solar panel on top should keep the battery topped up. After several cloudy days or when removing the cleaner from storage, you may need to charge via the provided adaptor.
Test Data
Full Specs
| Aiper Surfer S2 Review | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | – |
| Product Description | Pool skimmer |
| Size (Dimensions) | 16.3 x 21.3 x 7.9 INCHES |
| Weight | 12.6 LB |
| Release Date | 2025 |
| First Reviewed Date | 08/04/2026 |
| Model Number | Aiper Surfer S2 |
| Networking | Wi-Fi |
