iGarden Swim Jet X Pro 10 Review: Infinity Pool

The second part of its equipment is a large battery with a few controls on board. Three different batteries are available, each offering more juice and more power than the last. I received a high-end battery, which means the X Pro 10, which weighs 26 pounds by itself and is rated for a maximum of 60 amp-hours (Ah) of energy. This provides a maximum of 10 hours of operation time—even on the device’s slowest operating system. (Two lower-end models are available with 30 Ah and 15 Ah capacities, respectively; note that these also have lower GPM capacities as well as shorter run times.)

Photo: Chris Null

Photo: Chris Null

The two parts are connected via a thick cable; when not in use, this rotates around the handle of the jet unit for storage. The only other notable feature is the inclusion of a metal lanyard on the jet unit, designed to be wrapped around a pool ladder or other surface anchor to prevent the jet from falling into the water (and taking the battery with you). To be honest, I doubt most pools have a proper anchor. I wasn’t able to use the tether and, for what it’s worth, I never had to worry about the jet slipping and falling.

Apart from charging the device (which can take seven hours), the actual installation required is to adjust the height of the jet in the water. iGarden suggests one of two settings: If the top of the jet is 2 to 4 inches under water, it is currently smooth and stable, perfect for lap swimming. Alternatively, you can place it on the edge of the jet or above the waterline, which creates a strong but gentle spray – perfect for playtime. The height is adjusted by a small system of knobs and buttons that are attached to the movable frame at the back of the device; the design is complicated but in the end it works well enough.

Dial-a-Swim

In operation, Swim Jet is simple – your main idea is to be at the power level you want to run the device. Four power levels are available via a button on top of the power pack, including a turbo mode that runs the jet at its maximum speed – but only for five minutes. The final model, coded “PF” on the display of the battery pack, is designed to simulate open water, cycling at different speeds to evoke currents and sea flow. The only real option is a timer that shuts off the jets after 15 to 90 minutes. (In the iGarden app, which runs over a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network, the same options are available but are much easier to choose from.)

I did a lot of testing with the Swim Jet in an underwater swimming pool rather than a surface exercise, mostly because it’s easier to calculate how it works that way. Also, my wife is a lap swimmer, which gave me a great bee to know how useful the Swim Jet was for water sports.

I quickly found that power level 3 was the sweet spot for creating good resistance for strong swimming, although more relaxed swimmers can get away with power level 2. In the water, you quickly discover how the current level drops too far from the jet. In the empty area, near the wall, the water is too strong to swim in place, but on the other side of the pool, which is 30 meters away, the flow is not visible. At 5 to 10 feet, you are in a sweet spot, able to swim now while staying close to the same spot. This can get a bit tiring after a while, so eventually my wife decided to swim, let the force push her against the far wall, then swim back and forth against the current until she reached stasis.

Although the device can produce 10 hours in its low mode, it soon becomes clear that the most powerful (and profitable) modes chew up a lot of battery life. At level 3, the system ran for only two hours in my testing, and the higher power has a much longer lifespan.

As for fitness, it is recommended. Swimming against the current is a difficult task, and you can quickly see if you are moving according to the position of your body in the pool. I brainstormed with my wife about how this compares to real leg swimming, and in her estimation, a full-body workout with the Swim Jet was about 80 percent of a full-body workout. However, the Swim Jet workout was easy. The difference, he said, was that in the pool you’re not just swimming fast, you’re moving your body through the air, pulling it through the water. With Swim Jet, you don’t have to walk any distance, which makes things easier. Yes, you can always swim for a long time, at a higher altitude, or near the jet if you want to close the gap.