Here’s our 2023 review of the Instapark Betta solar powered robotic pool skimmer. Read it before you make your buying decision.

The Betta Instapark does a bangup job at cleaning one and only one part of your pool: the water’s surface. It comes from the creative minds over at Instapark, one of the premier names in garden, lawn, and pool accessories.

Instapark Betta does a great job at cleaning the water surface

• Automatic Pool Cleaners
• Pool Skimmers
• Instapark Betta

Features

• 100% solar powered-saves you tons of money on electricity;
• Larger-than-average debris basket sucks up unsightly debris;
• Effective at stopping gunk from sinking to the bottom;
• Innovative ultrasonic sensors prevent collisions;
• Whisper-quiet operation won’t disturb neighbors;
• Manufactured from high-quality, UV-resistant material.

Who’s It For

It’s easy to maintain a crystal-clear pool with the Betta

Say you’re looking for an automatic pool cleaner without the annoying hassles of long cords and cables. In that case, the Betta is the pool cleaner for you. You should seriously consider buying this device if you get lots of debris in your pool and you’re tired of spending hours each week cleaning up all the crap with a pole and net.

That’s the old-fashioned way of doing things. With the Betta, you’ll be able to sit back and relax with an umbrella drink in your hand as it does all the work for you. Never has it been such a cinch to maintain a crystal-clear pool than with the Betta.

It’s so much fun to watch too it as it traverses one end of the pool to another.

Pros

Exceptional at Removing Debris

The brushless motor propels the Instapark Betta automatic robotic pool cleaner forward at a constant rate, using its built-in sensors to detect surface pollutants. Drop the Betta in your pool once or twice a day, and within one hour, the Betta will remove all the unsightly debris that floats on the top of your pool, such as dead bugs, dust, and pollen.

All the aqueous scum you have floating around gets efficiently sucked into the debris basket, where you don’t have to look at it anymore. For the Betta, large objects like leaves and twigs are just as easy to scoop up as pollen, dust, and other contaminants.

Tiny insects floating in the water have a nasty tendency to get caught in swimmers’ hair—particularly if it’s long. This extraordinary skimmer gets rid of disgusting bugs before they have a chance to get stuck in your tresses. The Betta comes with advanced ultrasonic sensors that prevent it from running into obstacles. When it’s approximately a foot from a wall, it turns to avoid colliding with it.

Solar-powered

This ingenious unit derives 100% of its power from the sun. This is terrific news because there’s no need to pay for electricity when sunlight can do the trick. A powerful lithium-ion battery provides energy to power it at night. If it gets enough sun, it’ll even run all night into the wee hours of the morning.

If the Betta runs out of juice, it just waits until the sun gives it enough charge to continue. No power cords mean the Betta automatic robotic pool cleaner can roam free without any long cables that also take up precious storage space.

Remote Control Functionality

The Betta comes with easy-to-use wireless remote-control functionality. Use the remote to operate the machine manually or program it to work automatically. Whatever you decide, there’s no need to push more than a button or two on the user-friendly remote. That’s a level of convenience not every automatic pool cleaner offers.

Easy-to-clean Large Debris Basket

A top handle basket design allows you to empty the large-capacity debris basket without having to remove the unit from the water. In addition, the basket’s weave-like design prevents debris from getting dumped back into the pool inadvertently.

Cleaning the Instapark Betta automatic robotic pool cleaner is as easy as popping out the basket. Simply remove all the yucky stuff from the basket and rinse before returning it to the device. The brushless motor pops off for easy cleaning.

One-Year Warranty

The Instapark Betta automatic robotic pool cleaner comes with a one-year limited warranty. This warranty begins on the purchase date, is good for one full year, and covers defects in the manufacturing process. In some instances, it covers parts and replacements. Damage from saltwater pools will void the warranty.

Other Features

The brushless underwater motor is what drives the thruster forward. This is different from traditional reduction gears, which break down much more quickly. The body is manufactured from high-quality, UV-resistant material.

This means it’s practically impervious to the ravages of solar damage. It navigates around irregularly shaped pools surprisingly well.

Cons

Some users report that after a few months, the motor turning the paddle wheel suddenly starts to make a godawful clunking sound. This means you’ll have to either service or replace it. The unit is prone to getting caught on cleaner hoses that float on top of the water. Sometimes the Betta extricates itself, and other times you’ll have to give it a helping hand.

It’s unable to get close enough to the pool’s edge to pick up debris floating in this area. If you ask me, the manufacturer needs to go back to the drawing board to fine-tune the obstacle sensors. This would allow the unit to get closer to capture more of the small stuff that tends to cluster around pool perimeters.

Betta is unable to get close enough to the pool’s edge

Unfortunately, it tends to get stuck on beach entries. So, if you have this style of pool, the Betta probably isn’t the cleaner for you. Cleaning the basket can be occasionally troublesome because sometimes stuff wants to stick in the corners. This cleaner isn’t for saltwater pools as the salt can damage internal components.

Final Verdict

Because the Instapark Betta Pool Skimmer does such a fantastic job of removing floating debris, I heartily recommend it to everyone wanting to make pool cleaning an easier, more effortless experience. If you want to see how we rated other skimmers, check out our top-rated pool skimmer ratings.

Author

Our pool maintenance expert, Luke Reed, earned his BS in Civil Engineering from Georgia Tech in 1998. Since then, he’s worked in a variety of industries, including design and construction of luxury swimming pools.

Luke Reed

Pool Maintenance Expert