Betta SE vs SE Plus: Which Solar Skimmer Suits Your Pool?

Betta SE and Betta SE Plus are two solar skimmers from Betta that share most of their specs. Both float on the pool and collect what lands on the surface in a basket, both quote 30 hours on a full charge, and both sit in the Mid Tier. Betta describes the Plus as the SE with two changes: a wall adapter for days when the sun is not enough, and a shallower design for pools with shallow steps. Whether those changes matter depends on how much sun your pool gets and how shallow its edges are.

What Both Share

Betta SE and Betta SE Plus each carry a 4,400 mAh battery that a solar panel refills, and Betta lists 6 hours of solar charging for both. Each quotes 30 hours of skimming on a full charge and is rated for pools up to 60 feet long. Both catch debris in a 200-micron basket that opens from above, so you can empty it without turning the skimmer over.

Neither has an app or a cleaning schedule. Each runs on its own when it has charge, and each comes with a remote for taking over its direction, which helps when you want to steer it to the edge to empty the basket. Both come with a 1-year warranty. Like every skimmer, they clean the surface only, so the floor and walls still need a robot or a brush.

Charging When the Sun Runs Short

This is the first change. Betta SE charges from the sun alone, so a run of cloudy days or a pool in shade for much of the day can leave it short of power. Betta SE Plus charges from the sun as well and adds a wall adapter, and Betta says a full charge from the adapter takes 3.5 hours. Betta points owners to the adapter in fall and winter, when the days are shorter and the running time drops.

If your pool sits in full sun for most of the day through the swimming season, the adapter may rarely come out of the box. If trees, a fence or the house shade the water, it is the more useful of the two changes.

The panel needs some looking after too. Betta’s care steps for the SE Plus ask you to rinse chemical residue off it with a hose and wipe it with a soft, dry cloth, and never to use a pressure washer, a scraper or a brush on it.

Shallow Steps

The second change is the hull. Betta gives Betta SE Plus a shallower draft than Betta SE, so it can work over shallow steps and around more complicated pool shapes. Betta lists a minimum water depth of 3.5 inches for the Plus, while the SE needs deeper water. Betta fits the Plus with anti-stranding bars that can be adjusted for shallow stairs, and if it does get stuck, it pauses and tries again on its own.

A pool with broad, shallow entry steps is where this matters most, since that is where a skimmer that needs deeper water could run aground.

Robotic Skimmers From Our Partner Brands

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  Betta SE Plus

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  Betta SE

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Pool Size and Upkeep

Betta rates Betta SE and Betta SE Plus for pools up to 60 feet long, and it also gives the Plus a rated area of 2,400 square feet. If your pool is large or has an unusual outline, check the area rating for the SE with Betta before you buy, since one skimmer has to reach the whole surface to keep it clear. For the Plus, Betta suggests emptying the basket of Betta SE Plus every two to three days, and more often when leaves are falling. Its manual also asks you to take the skimmer out while people swim, and not to run it alongside another pool cleaner.

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose Betta SE Plus over Betta SE if your pool is shaded for part of the day, if you want to keep skimming through fall, or if it has shallow steps. It adds a wall adapter that refills the battery in 3.5 hours and a shallower draft that works in water as shallow as 3.5 inches. Those are the two changes Betta describes, and each one answers a specific kind of pool.

Choose Betta SE if your pool gets full sun through the season and has no shallow steps. It shares the Plus’s 200-micron basket, 30-hour runtime, 60-foot rating, remote and warranty, and it does the same surface job without the adapter or the shallower hull. If neither change applies to your pool, the SE covers what you need.

The table below sets the two Betta models side by side.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which one can charge from a wall outlet?

Betta SE Plus. It comes with a wall adapter that refills the battery in 3.5 hours, while Betta SE charges from its solar panel only.

Which one works in shallower water?

Betta SE Plus. Betta lists a minimum water depth of 3.5 inches for it, and Betta SE needs deeper water.

Can I schedule either one from my phone?

No. Neither has an app or a schedule, and both come with a remote for steering them.

Do they clean the pool floor?

No. Both are surface skimmers, so the floor and walls still need a robotic pool cleaner or a brush.

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