The Best Pool Cleaner for Intex Pools: How Beatbot Changed My Backyard Life

True confession: When I first bought my Intex above-ground pool, it was as though I was purchasing summer-in-a-box. It was affordable, very simple to install and just the right size for the back yard of our small home — and soon the focal point of every weekend. But within weeks, the magic faded. I started spending more time trying to fend off gunk than just enjoying the thing. The bottom was always filled with leaves, dust and God knows what else. I experimented with a couple of inexpensive pool vacuums and hose attachments you hook to your garden hose (including the old net-and-hope method). Nothing stuck. It wasn’t until I met Beatbot — the AquaSense 2 series — that my Intex pool got the treatment it was so sorely lacking, and I got my weekends back.

Here’s the thing about Intex pools: they’re great, but they’re not built like in-ground pools. They’re lighter, shallower, and have softer walls. That’s part of their charm — but also why so many regular pool cleaners struggle with them. I went through two robots that either couldn’t climb the sides, got stuck on the floor, or just sat there like sad little turtles. One even tipped over and never righted itself. It was like watching a sitcom, but with more frustration.

The truth is, most robotic pool cleaners aren’t made with Intex pools in mind. They’re designed for deeper, rigid pools with perfectly flat floors. That’s why I was skeptical when someone in an online forum mentioned Beatbot. I assumed it was another overhyped gadget. Still, after a long Saturday of manually vacuuming while getting a sunburn on one shoulder, I gave in and placed an order.

The first time I watched the Beatbot AquaSense 2 lower into the water, I was cautiously optimistic. It looked smart — moved with purpose. Unlike other bots I’d tried, this one didn’t waste time zigzagging like it was lost. It started mapping the pool, sensing where debris had gathered, and moved confidently even along the flexible vinyl surface of my Intex.

What really surprised me was how well it handled the curves and slopes that usually tripped up other cleaners. My previous machines either stalled at the edge or couldn’t handle the transition between floor and wall. Beatbot didn’t flinch. And since the Intex pool isn't that deep, wall coverage mattered. No one wants algae breeding in those corners.

It also didn’t tangle. I didn’t have to babysit it. I didn’t have to rescue it with a pole. I just pressed a button and went back to sipping lemonade on the patio while it did its job quietly, thoroughly, and — I daresay — elegantly.

After a couple of weeks, I started to notice something else: I wasn’t scrubbing anymore. At all. The fine dust that usually settled on the pool bottom (and that no vacuum ever seemed to pick up) had vanished. The water stayed clear longer, even after a backyard BBQ where my nephew cannonballed in with a fistful of mulch.

It wasn’t just about appearances, though. With less manual cleaning, I used fewer chemicals. The water stayed balanced longer. I didn’t have to shock it as often. Beatbot wasn’t just cleaning debris — it was maintaining a healthier environment overall. That part surprised me. I had underestimated what a “smart” pool cleaner could really do.

What really won me over — and why I’ve told half my neighbors about this thing — is how well it adapts to smaller pools. Most pool tech feels like it’s made for people with hotel-sized pools and in-ground installations that cost more than my car. But Beatbot? It gets it. It respects the Intex lifestyle: practical, fun, low-maintenance. It brings pro-level cleaning to backyard setups without making you feel like you need a degree in pool engineering.

Plus, the design is just… cool. It’s sleek, modern, kind of sci-fi. Friends have actually asked, “What is that thing?” when they see it working. There’s something satisfying about watching a silent, intelligent machine just glide through the water while you relax. It feels like the future, but one you can afford.

Nowadays, I don’t even think about pool cleaning. I think about pool using. I get to be the person who wakes up, stretches, grabs a coffee, and walks out to a perfectly clear pool without having lifted a finger. I’ve gone from pool cleaner to pool enjoyer.

Sometimes I still look back at photos from that first summer — the ones where I’m elbow-deep in murky water trying to suck up dirt with a garden hose. It almost makes me laugh. I didn’t realize back then that owning a pool didn’t have to mean working for your pool. It just meant finding the right partner to help.

And for Intex pools? That partner is Beatbot. No question.

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