Wondering which type of swimming pool safety equipment is right for you? Gate alarms for swimming pools are often used as a safety barrier to protect young one’s from entering an unsupervised pool area. While this piece of pool safety equipment can be used as a sole barrier to a backyard swimming pool, more often than not it’s used as an additional layer of safety protection.

According to the National Safety Council, while drowning deaths peak among one and two year old’s, drownings continue to be the second leading cause of preventable death through age 15.

Can Gate Alarms be Used on Any Pool Gate?

Gate alarms can be used on any type of gate that surrounds a pool area. This means there’s no need to worry about installing a new gate in order to benefit from this popular pool safety barrier. Once an alarm is installed on a pool gate, it’s always on and ready to go. The battery life of a gate alarm is about one year, which is a long amount of time to support an alarm. When the battery begins to finally lose power, the alarm will audibly alert those in charge that the battery needs to soon be changed, making this pool barrier one that works around the clock.

How do Pool Gate Alarms Work?

Pool gate alarms are installed in gates that lead to backyard swimming pools. Gate alarms designed for protecting pool areas work by sounding an alarm loud enough for parents to hear, alerting them that someone has opened a gate that leads to a pool. Newer technologies now allow for more choices, as some alarm devices are silent meaning only parents know when an alarm has been triggered, which is often sent as a text to alert them that a gate has indeed been somehow disturbed.

The alarm will sound immediately, and lasts for a certain amount of time, i.e. 7 seconds. Because different pool alarms will produce various levels of sound, it’s essential for pool owners to choose an alarm they will hear when in a certain location. For example, if a pool area is 20 feet away from a house and the alarm used offers 85 decibels at 10 feet, the alarm won’t be as loud as it would if the pool was located closer to the house. To give an idea of how loud 85 decibels are, motorcycles engines run at about 95 decibels.

This first line of defense to backyard swimming pool safety allows parents an early warning that can save lives, as this type of alarm allows parents the time to get to the pool area before something unfortunate can happen. All pool gate alarm systems should be installed by a professional installer to ensure it’s installed properly.

How to Install a Gate Alarm

Gate alarms are attached directly to a pool gate with a goal of keeping unwanted people out of a swimming pool area when no one is available to supervise. Since all alarms need to be installed exactly according to their instructions in order for them to work properly, it’s important to know that some alarms are easier to install than others, as some require electricity and/or an internet connection. 

This is why many parents who choose to buy one or more gate alarms to protect unwanted entry into their swimming pool area will decide to have a professional perform the installation process.

Best Swimming Pool Alarms for 2020

Choosing an alarm that’s easy to use is important. If an alarm is too difficult to use, it’s likely it won’t be used, which defeats the entire purpose of having a gate alarm installed. It’s also important to choose an alarm that’s loud enough to alert those who need to be alerted. While remotes aren’t necessary, choosing an alarm that comes with a remote allows the alarm to be turned off without having to physically go to the gate.

Choosing a high-quality pool gate alarm is necessary to ensure its reliability. This makes it essential for anyone who’s looking for a new pool gate alarm to carefully look at all of the options available, and then read the reviews and ratings associated with each option. Some of the best pool gate alarms are the newest alarms, as they are made using the latest technologies.

Below are some of the best swimming pool alarms to protect swimming pool areas from unauthorized access, along with a few reasons that make them a best choice. 

Poolguard GAPT-2 Outdoor Pool Gate Alarm

• Sounds an alarm when a gate is opened or not closed properly
• Alarm produces a sound of 85 decibels 
• Adult pass through feature helps prevent unwanted false alarms
• Battery Operated, Beeps when batteries begin to run low on power
• Comes with a 1 year warranty

SmartPool YG18 YardGard Programmable Gate/Door/Window Alarm

• Triggers an alarm when someone opens the gate 
• Alarm produces an impressive 120 decibels 
• Versatile, as it can be attached to windows and doors, too
• Battery Operated, Beeps when batteries begin to run low on power
• Enter Code to Bypass alarm
• Comes with a 1 year warranty

Techko S187D Safe Pool Alarm

• Has 2 sets of sensors that trigger an alarm when a gate is opened or doesn’t close within a certain amount of specified time
• Alarm produces a sound of 85 decibels 
• Child Safety Certified
• Water resistant, weather resistant 
• Comes with a 1 year warranty

Techko S189A Ultra Slim Pool Safety and Entry Alarm

• This certified pool alarm includes 2 magnetic sensors to trigger a sound when a gate is left opened, making it ideal for pool areas that have 2 gates
• Alarm produces a sound of 85 decibels 
• Includes a remote bypass button for ease of use
• Comes with a 1 year warranty

HENDUN Outdoor Waterproof Door Alarm with Remote Keypad

• Magnetically triggered alarm when a gate is opened
• Remote allows wireless control up to 49 feet
• Alarm is very loud at 140 decibels 
• 4 sound modes – immediate, delayed, doorbell, and a 30-second alarm time
• Waterproof, weather resistant 
• Battery Operated
• Comes with a 1 year warranty

Is a Pool Gate Alarm the Right Choice For You?

Pool gate alarms provide an excellent layer of protection that helps to prevent unauthorized access to a swimming pool. It’s essential for anyone who’s in charge of pool safety to be sure that they have secured any and all access points to a pool, as pool barriers help prevent avoidable child drownings. Because a gate alarm is one of the more popular types of barriers chosen nowadays, it’s worth the time to learn more about this particular barrier so you can decide if this safety barrier option is the right choice for you.