With this being the first summer with our third baby, I have been thrown back into super vigilant mode when it comes to pool safety. While summer is coming to a close, we’ve still got quite a few weeks of hot swim weather left (and an upcoming warm weather trip this winter), so in addition to my own hyper attentiveness, it’s nice to know that I have safety backup with a poolside essential called iSwimband.
We have covered other swim safety products in the past, like the SEAL System and the Wahooo Swim Monitor, the latter of which happens to be made by the same company. While the Wahooo is meant more for use in lakes and community pools, iSwimband perfect for home use.
The kit comes with one sensor that can be placed in either the headstrap for swimmers or a wristband for non-swimmers, like my toddler. Perfect since the chances of her keeping a headband on are slim to none. The soft rubber material is as comfy and unintrusive as pair of goggles. (You can even attach goggles to the band itself to make it a two-in-one wearable.)
Using Bluetooth technology, the sensor detects when it’s submerged in water and immediately dispatches a very very loud alert (sounds like a fire alarm) on your iOS device through the companion iSwimband app. The screen also turns bright red, so there’s no mistaking that the sensor has gotten wet and it’s time to spring into action.
You can set varying times of submersion for the sensors, which is helpful especially when you don’t need to be alerted of immediate submersion for your more experienced swimmers who may just be having an underwater tea party or working on their back flips. The sensor that you set for your toddler has a much shorter window of time, and within about three seconds, triggers the alert.
The Bluetooth range is 100 feet, which I suspect is more for older kids; it seems awfully far away when it comes to watching toddlers by the pool. However what’s nice is that you can program up to eight swimmers in one app, so if you have a bunch of younger kids to keep track of, you can set a profile for each one in a single app.
As for comfort, after the initial curiosity of what’s-this-thing-on-my-wrist, my baby didn’t even notice it after a few minutes and happily splashed away at her water table. Perfect, because there’s no use in investing in one if your kid won’t keep it on in the first place.
iSwimband can be purchased directly from the website for $79.99 (it includes one sensor and two straps). A two-pack can be purchased for $129.99.
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