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Skim&Soak

Robotic Cleaners & Vacuums

Robotic Cleaners & Vacuums

Four published numbers decide whether a robot suits your pool. Everything else in the marketing is a feature list.

By Scooter M.Last reviewed September 2, 2026How we work the numbers out
A robotic pool cleaner working on the floor of a swimming pool

We have not tested any of these

The strongest sites in this category lead with test fleets - forty units, seventy units, purpose-built test tanks. We have none of that, and we are not going to imply otherwise.

What we do instead is read what the manufacturers publish, compare it like for like, and do the arithmetic they leave out - specifically the cost to run, which not one of the sites we surveyed publishes. That is a real gap, it is checkable, and it needs no lab. See how much robotic pool cleaners cost to run.

The four numbers

The published specs that decide a robot, in order of importance
SpecWhy it decides the outcomeExample of a published figure
Coverage area per cycleA robot rated below your pool's area stops partway through. This is the sizing number.Wybot publishes 2,152 sq ft for the C2 and 3,230 sq ft for the S2
Filtration micron ratingDecides whether the water looks clean afterwards or just leaf-freeWybot publishes a 10 micron ultra-fine filter behind a 180 micron primary on the C2
RuntimeOnly meaningful alongside coverage. Long runtime with poor navigation is wasted.Wybot publishes 180 min for the C2, 120 min for the B1, 210 min for the S2
Debris capacityThe one that decides whether it survives autumn. A full bin stops collecting.Wybot publishes a 10 L bin on the self-emptying S3

Corded or cordless

Corded robots have no runtime limit and no battery to degrade. Cordless robots have no cable to tangle and no outlet to find. That is the entire trade, and neither side wins outright.

The thing worth knowing is that on a cordless unit the battery is the wear part. Every cordless robot will need a battery before it needs anything else, and battery availability three years from now is a genuine consideration when you are choosing between an established brand and a new one.

What a robot does that your filter does not

  • **It scrubs.** Suction removes what is loose; brushes remove the biofilm that is not, which is what your filter can never reach.
  • **It cleans the waterline.** The oily scum line forms exactly there, and no floor-only cleaner touches it.
  • **It filters independently.** A robot with its own filter takes debris out of the water without loading your sand or cartridge.
  • **It circulates.** Several thousand gallons per hour of additional movement, which helps distribute chemistry into corners the returns miss.

Everything in this section

Every page in this section

Questions people actually ask

What should I look for in a robotic pool cleaner?
Four published numbers: coverage area per cycle against your pool's area, filtration micron rating, runtime, and debris capacity. Mode counts, app features and marketing names come after those four, not before.
Are robotic pool cleaners better than suction cleaners?
They filter independently rather than sending debris through your pump and filter, and most of them scrub the waterline, which suction cleaners do not. A suction cleaner is cheaper and uses equipment you already own, at the cost of loading your filter with everything it picks up.
How do I know what size robot my pool needs?
Compare the maker's published coverage area per cycle against your pool's surface area including the walls. Wybot, for example, rates the B1 for pools up to 1,150 sq ft and the S2 up to 3,230 sq ft. A robot rated below your pool does not clean it slowly - it stops.
Do robotic pool cleaners clean the waterline?
The better ones do, and it is the feature most often dropped from cheaper models. The oily scum line forms at the waterline, so a floor-only cleaner leaves the most visible dirt in the pool untouched.

Sources

Every figure on this page traces to one of these. Where a number could not be sourced, the page says so rather than estimating.

Why there is nothing to buy here: This is the section's front door. The ranked picks with prices sit on the roundup and the brand pages below, one click away, each with its own top pick and buy CTA.