By Henri Pera
I’ve been building pools long enough to know that most “innovations” are just marketing nonsense. But every once in a while, something comes along that makes me think, “Okay, this is actually going to make people’s lives better.”
Here are three things coming in 2026 that I’m genuinely excited about — not because they’re cool tech, but because they solve problems I watch people deal with every single day.
1. Your Pool Finally Talks to Your House
You know that moment when you’re trying to heat up your pool before people come over, and the app just… won’t work? You’re clicking buttons, restarting your phone, maybe yelling at it a little. Meanwhile, your guests are showing up in six hours and the water’s still freezing.
That’s about to stop being a thing.
The new pool systems integrate with whatever smart home setup you already have. You know how you tell Alexa to turn off the living room lights? Same thing with your pool. “Hey Google, warm up the pool.” Done. No special app, no manual, no calling me in a panic.
But here’s the part that actually matters: these systems can tell when something’s about to break. Your pump starts making a weird noise? The system catches it and sends you a heads-up before it dies. You’re not canceling a pool party because your equipment failed overnight.
I’ve seen one of these in a friend’s house last month. Her pool basically runs itself now. Chemicals balanced automatically. Temperature adjusted based on weather forecasts. She told me she hasn’t thought about her pool maintenance in three weeks.
That’s the kind of innovation that changes things.
2. Building Pools That Don't Trash the Planet (And Look Better Doing It)
Okay, I’m going to admit something: five years ago, when people asked about eco-friendly pools, I’d secretly think they all looked terrible.
Not anymore.
The sustainable materials we’re getting now? They’re gorgeous. I’m talking about tiles made from recycled glass that catch the light in ways regular tiles can’t. Stone sourced locally that gives you that Florida vibe without shipping it from halfway across the world.
One client just put in a natural filtration system — uses plants instead of dumping chemicals in the water. His kids swim in it every day, and he’s not worried about their skin turning into sandpaper from chlorine.
Plus — and this surprised me — the financing options are better. There are green building incentives and special programs now that weren’t around before. You’re not paying extra to do the right thing; sometimes it actually costs less.
I don’t know, maybe I’m getting soft as I age, but I like the idea of building something that my kids’ generation isn’t going to have to fix.
3. Actually Seeing Your Pool Before We Build It
This one’s still new, but it’s going to be everywhere soon, and when you try it, you’ll understand why.
We had a client once — nice couple, first pool. We showed them the 3D designs on the
computer. They loved it. Signed off on everything. Then during construction, the wife looks at where we’re putting the waterfall and goes, “Wait, I thought it would be over there.”
We spent an hour figuring out what happened. She’d pictured it differently in her head from the drawings.
Now imagine putting on a VR headset and walking through your backyard before we dig
anything. You can stand on your deck and look at the pool. Check the view from your kitchen window. See if the spa blocks your sunset. Move things around until it feels right.
I watched a demonstration last month where they showed something everyone missed — the tanning ledge would’ve been in shade most of the afternoon because of a tree. That allows designs to be quickly adjusted and potentially saves weeks of construction headaches.
It’s like test-driving a car before you buy it, except it’s your entire backyard.
Why I Actually Care About This Stuff
Look, I build pools for a living. I’ve seen every trend come and go. Most of them are garbage dressed up in fancy marketing.
But these three? They’re not about making pools fancier. They’re about making pool ownership less of a headache.
You shouldn’t need to be a chemist to keep your water clear. You shouldn’t feel guilty about the environmental impact. And you definitely shouldn’t spend six months and $100k on something
that doesn’t look like what you imagined.
These innovations fix that. Not perfectly, not for everyone, but better than what we’ve had.
That’s worth getting excited about.