SunnyWhale's FinWhale Named One of TIME's Best Inventions of 2026

Recognized in the Household category, FinWhale brings intelligent chlorine dosing to backyard pools, helping owners spend less time on maintenance and more time enjoying the water.

Las Vegas, NEVADA, Oct. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SunnyWhale™ announced that its FinWhale™ Smart Chlorine Dispenser was named one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2026 in the Household category. The prestigious recognition marks a major milestone for the startup and its mission to make pool ownership simpler through intelligent, automated care.

SunnyWhale FinWhale Smart Chlorine Dispenser being placed in a residential pool.

A first-of-its-kind device, FinWhale operates independently of the pool’s filtration system, with no plumbing or professional installation required. Designed for DIY setup, owners load standard 3-inch trichlor tablets, power on the device and place it in the pool. By combining water monitoring and responsive chlorine dosing together in this standalone format, SunnyWhale is introducing a new category of pool care designed to make automation more accessible to homeowners.

“People buy a pool for the moments it makes possible—afternoons with the kids, weekends with friends and a place to unwind. Keeping up with chlorine shouldn’t take away from that,” said Iris Chen, co-founder of SunnyWhale. “We built FinWhale to bring smarter chlorine management to pool owners without the complexity of installing a traditional automation system. Being recognized by TIME is an extraordinary honor for our team and a meaningful milestone in delivering on our promise: Less Maintenance. More Moments.”

FinWhale goes beyond the familiar $10 floating dispenser and standalone water quality monitors. Conventional floaters release chlorine over time through manually adjusted openings without knowing what the pool needs, while monitoring-only devices report water conditions but leave chemical dosing to the owner. FinWhale combines both functions: it monitors changing water conditions and automatically dispenses chlorine when needed.

A different path to automated chlorination

For homeowners considering a salt chlorination system, FinWhale offers an alternative. Rather than generating chlorine from salt through a plumbed-in electrolytic cell, it uses an internal pump to deliver chlorinated water from tablets when its proprietary algorithm determines chlorine is needed. There is no professional installation required, no salt-system conversion and no expensive salt cell to replace.

A typical salt chlorinator operates at a preset output unless paired with costly chemistry-based automation. FinWhale brings sensing and responsive dosing together in one device, adjusting chlorine delivery as measured conditions change. That means it can respond when a heat wave, storm or busy swimming weekend changes the pool’s chlorine needs.

Smart sensing. Responsive dosing. Simple setup.

FinWhale brings together features designed to reduce the daily work of chlorine management:

• Water checks every 20 minutes: A direct-contact electrochemical sensor measures pH, oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) and temperature — 72 checks a day. A proprietary algorithm analyzes those readings to calculate chlorine levels and determine dosing.
• Automated chlorine delivery: An internal pump dissolves tablets to add only the necessary amount of chlorine into the pool when needed. When readings indicate no additional chlorine is required, the device stops dispensing — reducing tablet consumption.
• Remote visibility: The SunnyWhale app provides water readings, trends and alerts, helping owners and pool service professionals keep track of changing conditions. An Instant Check feature allows users to request an on-demand reading anytime.
• Solar power with backup charging: An integrated solar panel and built-in battery power the device, with backup charging available when needed.
• Capacity for six standard tablets: FinWhale holds up to six 3-inch trichlor tablets, avoiding proprietary chemical cartridges or replacement salt cells.
• Continued operation during Wi-Fi interruptions: The device keeps sensing and dosing if its Wi-Fi connection drops, stores the data and syncs when connectivity returns.
• A child-safety lock: A locking lid helps restrict access to the tablet compartment.
• No app subscription: Owners can access the app’s features without a recurring subscription fee.

FinWhale is designed for residential chlorine pools up to 25,000 gallons per unit. It automates chlorine dosing and monitors pH, while pH adjustment and other water chemistry tasks remain part of regular pool care. Its modular 3-in-1 sensor is designed for annual replacement.

For pool service professionals, the same technology provides visibility and responsive chlorine management between scheduled visits, supporting their work throughout the week.

Recognition in TIME’s Household category marks a significant achievement for SunnyWhale as it brings its first product to market. It also advances the company’s vision of making pool care easier through technology that delivers on a simple promise: Less Maintenance. More Moments.

For more information about FinWhale, visit https://sunnywhale.net. View TIME’s recognition: https://time.com/collection/best-inventions/2026/sunnywhale-finwhale/

About SunnyWhale

SunnyWhale™ is a pool technology startup developing intelligent solutions that simplify pool care. Its first product, the FinWhale™ Smart Chlorine Dispenser, combines water monitoring, responsive chlorine dosing and app connectivity in a floating, solar-powered device that requires no plumbing or professional installation. Guided by its brand promise, “Less Maintenance. More Moments.,” SunnyWhale develops technology for pool owners and the professionals who maintain their pools. Learn more at https://sunnywhale.net.

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A video accompanying this announcement is available here: https://youtube.com/watch?v=FJt06M4dnak