Yes, Ryobi Does Make A Pool Vacuum (And Here's How Much It Costs)

Anyone who has ever owned a private swimming pool knows how annoying and exhausting caring for it can be. Even putting aside the obvious chores like changing out the chemicals and skimming leaves off the surface, there's always some miscellaneous clumps of sand, dirt, or debris accumulating on the floor or sides. Trying to clean it with a simple brush just moves the gunk around rather than capturing it, while an automated skimmer can get tangled or caught on the edges.

If you prefer to handle these kinds of chores manually, Ryobi has a potential solution: the 18V ONE+ Pool Vacuum. As the name implies, it's a small, handheld vacuum cleaner, though unlike some of Ryobi's other vacuum products, this one is designed specifically for use in a water-submerged environment, i.e. in a pool. A vacuum you can use to manually clean the bottom and sides of your pool is definitely convenient, especially if you don't feel like waiting for the auto-skimmer to do it, and can use any battery pack in the Ryobi ONE+ framework. The ONE+ Pool Vacuum is available on Ryobi's website for $149.00. It's also available in a bundle with a ONE+ 2.0 Ah battery pack and charger for $179.00. There is a listing for both the standalone tool and its charger bundle on Home Depot's website for the same prices, though at the time of writing, they are marked out of stock.

User response to the Ryobi pool vac is mildly muted, as there are only a total of 13 reviews on its Home Depot page, 8 of which come from the Ryobi website. That said, the available reviews are generally very positive, with the device's score sitting at a 4.7 out of 5. Users say that the vac is effective at capturing various pool contaminants like dirt and fine sand, as well as the occasional pest like worms. One user notes that heavier debris like large leaves are a little harder to pick up but can be captured with sustained suction and emptying the debris container.

In a video review, John Miller of Tools in Action went into a little more detail on the pool vac, saying that given its size and suction power, it does its best work in a smaller setting like a hot tub or ornamental pond. It can work in a larger pool, but it might take a little more physical exertion on the user's part. He liked the inclusion of a metal mount on the device's rear, which allows it to plug into a traditional pool skimming pole. Miller adds that the device is somewhat heavy, a notion echoed by its lone negative review at Home Depot, though he clarifies that once it's in the water, the weight doesn't matter as much.