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.
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
| Spec | Why it decides the outcome | Example of a published figure |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage area per cycle | A 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 rating | Decides whether the water looks clean afterwards or just leaf-free | Wybot publishes a 10 micron ultra-fine filter behind a 180 micron primary on the C2 |
| Runtime | Only 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 capacity | The 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
- Best robotic pool cleaners - seven models compared on published specs
- Are robotic pool cleaners worth it - the honest cost case
- What they cost to run - the arithmetic nobody else publishes
- Dolphin vs Polaris - two established brands, different philosophies
- Dolphin pool cleaners - the range, and which model is which
- Wybot pool cleaners - the brand that publishes the most specs
- Polaris pool cleaners - pressure-side heritage and the cordless present
- Robot vs manual vacuum - when the cheap option is right
- By pool type - above ground, vinyl, fiberglass and inground
- How long they last - and what fails first
- Aiper pool cleaners - the range, and which specs are actually published
- Beatbot pool cleaners - the range that publishes suction, battery and coverage
- Aiper vs Dolphin - cordless against the corded standard
- Best above-ground pool vacuum - your pump rules half of them out
- Aiper Scuba S1 review - 270 minutes, and the figure it does not publish
- Aiper Scuba V3 review - a 3 micron filter layer, and the two numbers Aiper does not publish
- Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus review - corded, and why that is a feature
- Polaris Vac-Sweep 280 review - the booster pump decides it, and the 360 that needs none
- Best suction-side pool cleaners - low-flow pumps, hose reach, and which ones state the waterline
Every page in this section
Best robotic cleaner
Best Robotic Pool Cleaners
Corded and cordless robots compared on coverage per cycle, micron rating and runtime, with the sizing rule that decides it.
Top pick
Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus Wi-Fi Robotic Pool Vacuum
In-ground pools up to 50 ft
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Are Robotic Pool Cleaners Worth It?
The payback case, worked from hours saved and electricity used, plus the two situations where a robot is the wrong purchase.
Top pick
Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus Wi-Fi Robotic Pool Vacuum
In-ground pools up to 50 ft
#ad · how this is funded · price as of October 19, 2026
What a Robotic Pool Cleaner Costs to Run
Electricity per cycle and per season, computed from published power draw, plus the consumables that cost more than the power does.
Top pick
Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus Wi-Fi Robotic Pool Vacuum
In-ground pools up to 50 ft
#ad · how this is funded · price as of October 19, 2026
Dolphin vs Polaris
Dolphin's robot-only range against Polaris's pressure-side heritage and cordless present, and which suits your plumbing.
Top pick
Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus Wi-Fi Robotic Pool Vacuum
In-ground pools up to 50 ft
#ad · how this is funded · price as of October 19, 2026
Best corded range
Dolphin Pool Cleaners
The Nautilus range decoded: what each price step buys, and the model built specifically for above-ground pools.
Top pick
Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus Wi-Fi Robotic Pool Vacuum
In-ground pools up to 50 ft
#ad · how this is funded · price as of October 19, 2026
Best published specs
Wybot Pool Cleaners
The A1, B1, C1, C2, S2 and S3 compared on the figures Wybot publishes and most competitors do not.
Top pick
Wybot C2 Cordless Pool Vacuum for In-ground Pools
Finest published filtration
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Best for long pools
Polaris Pool Cleaners
Pressure-side, suction-side and cordless robots, and the booster-pump question that decides which is genuinely cheap.
Top pick
Polaris Freedom Plus Cordless Robotic Pool Cleaner
In-ground pools up to 50 ft, cordless
#ad · how this is funded · price as of October 19, 2026
Robot vs Manual Pool Vacuum
Manual, suction-side, pressure-side and robotic compared on cost, filter load and what each one actually cleans.
Top pick
POOLWHALE Pool Vacuum Head and 36 ft Hose Kit
The complete manual kit
Choosing a Robot by Pool Type
Above-ground, vinyl, fiberglass and gunite each change which robot specs matter and which are irrelevant.
Top pick
Dolphin Nautilus AG Robotic Pool Vacuum, above ground
Above-ground pools
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How Long Do Robotic Pool Cleaners Last?
What wears out and when, why the battery is the real lifespan limit, and the maintenance that genuinely extends it.
Top pick
Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus Wi-Fi Robotic Pool Vacuum
In-ground pools up to 50 ft
#ad · how this is funded · price as of October 19, 2026
Finest published filtration
Aiper Pool Cleaners
Scuba S1, S3, V3, Seagull SE and the EcoSurfer skimmer, compared on what Aiper actually publishes for each.
Top pick
Aiper Scuba V3 AI Vision Cordless Robotic Pool Cleaner
The finest published filtration
Best above-ground pool vacuum
Best Above-Ground Pool Vacuum
Battery vacuums, Intex's own automatic cleaners and the robots rated for above-ground pools, compared on the one figure that rules most of them in or out.
Top pick
Aiper Seagull SE Cordless Robotic Pool Vacuum
Above-ground pools
Aiper Scuba S1 Review
Aiper's mid-range cordless robot read off its own published figures: 270 minutes in Eco, 180 in the full modes, a 3 micron filter layer, four cleaning zones and no coverage rating.
Top pick
Aiper Scuba S1 Robotic Pool Cleaner
Longest published runtime
Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus Review
Dolphin's best-known robot judged on what Maytronics publishes: a 50 ft length rating, a 2-hour cycle, ultra-fine filter panels and Wi-Fi - and CC vs CC Plus in one table.
Top pick
Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus Wi-Fi Robotic Pool Vacuum
In-ground pools up to 50 ft
#ad · how this is funded · price as of October 19, 2026
Polaris Vac-Sweep 280 Review
The Polaris 280 read off its own listing: two venturi jets, a 2.25 in inlet, a 31 ft hose - and a separate booster pump, which is the specification that decides everything else.
Top pick
Polaris Vac-Sweep 280 Pressure-Side Cleaner
Pools already plumbed for a booster pump
#ad · how this is funded · price as of October 19, 2026
Best suction-side cleaner
Best Suction-Side Pool Cleaners
Eight suction-side cleaners from Hayward, Zodiac, Polaris and Pentair read off their own listings - low-flow pump claims, hose reach, and which ones state walls and the waterline.
Top pick
Hayward AquaNaut 400 Suction Pool Cleaner, 4 Wheel
Steps, waterline and variable-speed pumps
#ad · how this is funded · price as of October 19, 2026
Best published battery specs
Beatbot Pool Cleaners
The Sora and AquaSense ranges compared on published suction, battery, runtime and coverage - and which model's listing states nothing at all.
Top pick
Beatbot Sora 70 AI Navigation Pool Vacuum Robot
Surface debris and floor in one machine
$1,499.00 · 20% off
#ad · how this is funded · price as of October 19, 2026
Aiper vs Dolphin
Cordless Aiper against corded Dolphin on the specs each publishes - filtration, runtime, coverage and what happens when the battery is done.
Top pick
Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus Wi-Fi Robotic Pool Vacuum
In-ground pools up to 50 ft
#ad · how this is funded · price as of October 19, 2026
Aiper Scuba V3 Review
The Scuba V3 read off its own listing: a 3 micron filter layer, an AI debris camera, waterline parking and a wireless dock - with no published runtime or coverage area.
Top pick
Aiper Scuba V3 AI Vision Cordless Robotic Pool Cleaner
The finest published filtration
Questions people actually ask
What should I look for in a robotic pool cleaner?
Are robotic pool cleaners better than suction cleaners?
How do I know what size robot my pool needs?
Do robotic pool cleaners clean the waterline?
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.
- WYBOT C2 - maker's product page, 180 minute runtime, up to 2,152 sq ft per cycle, 10 micron ultra-fine plus 180 micron primary filtration
- WYBOT B1 - maker's product page, rated for pools up to 1,150 sq ft with 120 minutes of runtime and 180 micron filtration
- WYBOT S2 - maker's product page, up to 210 minutes of runtime and coverage up to 3,230 sq ft
- WYBOT S3 - maker's product page, 3D mapping navigation, auto-docking and a 10 L self-emptying debris bin
- Skim & Soak methodology - the constants, formulas and worked examples behind every dose on this site
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.