Credit:
Reviewed / Timothy Renzi
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Credit:
Reviewed / Timothy Renzi
Reviewed's mission is to help you buy the best stuff and get the most out of what you already own. Our team of product experts thoroughly vet every product we recommend to help you cut through the clutter and find what you need.
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We love the Nautilus for its app control, strong suction, and great traction on floors and walls; we just wish it wouldn't get stuck on steps. Read More
The Aiper Seagull is available at a pretty attractive price, and it’s totally cordless. However, it does come with some compromises. Read More
This innovative solar-powered pool skimmer quietly and efficiently removes leaves and pollen from the water's surface. Read More
This self-propelled robotic cleaner will make pool owners happy with its 60-foot hose length, single-button operation, and multiple filter options. Read More
This cordless robot vacuum from WYBOT is a simple, inexpensive alternative to some of the pricier cleaners out there. Read More
If you have a swimming pool in your backyard, you already know how much upkeep it requires. From skimmers to pool vacuums, you've likely got a shed full of stuff to keep your backyard waters clear. Over the last few years, leading pool care brands have developed a smart way to help out—_literally_. Enter: robotic pool cleaners.
The best robotic pool cleaners repurpose some of the skills that make robot vacuums so popular for your swimming pool. More and more pool owners are coming around to this marriage of convenience and smart tech.
Pool cleaner robots like the Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus Wi-Fi (available at Amazon) make it easy to clean in-ground pools, traversing the water surface, floors, and walls with a set of rubber treads. A built-in filtration system collects dirt, debris, algae, and even leaves, so cleaning your pool will never be the same. With the added benefit of Wi-Fi, this Nautilus can be activated remotely or put on a cleaning schedule for optimal ease in keeping a clean pool.
If you have an above-ground pool, the Aiper Seagull SE (available at Aiper) is an economical and effective choice, and if you're just looking for surface skimming, try Beatbot's iSkim Ultra (available at Amazon).
The Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus Wi-Fi is a smart, easy to use, and hard-working robotic pool cleaner.
The Beatbot iSkim Ultra swims across our tester's pool collecting debris.
Wall-climbing capabilities
Optional remote control
3 filtration options
Pretty expensive
User-friendly
Easy to clean
Extra affordable
No wall climbing
Wall-climbing capabilities
Extra affordable
Limited compatibility
Simple, convenient cleaning
Extra affordable
No wall climbing
Pool cleaning robots scour your pool's surfaces, vacuuming up and filtering contaminants like algae, plant matter, and bugs. Some robot pool vacuums climb the walls of your pool as well. Many cleaning robots use a water-proof power cord, while others clean cordlessly, powered by an internal battery. Algae removal is one of the most essential duties of a pool vacuum robot. Robotic pool cleaners are designed to remove algae, bacteria, plant matter, insect bodies, and more.
As a general rule, don’t always leave your robotic pool cleaner in the pool. Products differ, and it’s a good idea to consult the manual for the pool cleaner robot you select, but most robots are designed to be in your pool while working—not indefinitely. We recommend removing the robot pool cleaner after it finishes, drying it off, and storing it in a dry place from the sun.
Many robotic pool cleaners go up walls, but not all. Often, budget pool cleaners like the Aiper Cordless Robotic Pool Cleaner are designed to redirect when they encounter a wall. These can still do an excellent job of removing plant matter from the bottom of the pool, even if they don’t clean all pool surfaces. They often cost much less than wall-climbing robots.
Robotic pool cleaners make swimming pool maintenance a breeze. These devices automate the challenging task of cleaning the hard-to-reach depths of your pool. Many pool cleaner robots climb the walls of your pool. Whether vacuuming away leaf matter or cleaning up bacteria or algae, robotic pool cleaners do the work that you’d previously have had to pay a pool maintenance team to do—or take the time to do yourself.
We wanted our list of pool cleaner robots to reflect the best the market (and current technology) has to offer, so we spent hours researching robot pool cleaners of all sorts, pouring over specs and reviews, before assessing them using our expertise garnered from years of testing robot vacuums, pool gear, and other consumer tech. We also tested out a few popular models in actual pools for some real-world experience.
Alex Kane was a former senior editor at USA Today’s Reviewed and the author of the Boss Fight Books volume on Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. He has written for Fangoria, PC Gamer, Polygon, Rolling Stone, StarWars.com, and Variety. He lives in west-central Illinois.
Freelance Editor, Kitchen & Appliances. Danielle has a B.S. from Syracuse University and a AAS in Culinary Arts from Newbury College. Previously, Danielle was a Test Cook and Associate Editor at America's Test Kitchen, as well as a freelance recipe developer and food writer. She’s the mom of two boys and loves making pizza on Friday nights.
Gabriel Morgan
Staff Writer, Home
Gabriel Morgan is a staff writer on Reviewed's home team, where he covers consumer education topics such as earthquake preparedness, radon in the home, and concerns about health and wellness in product design. He also writes product reviews and how-to articles on appliances, smart home technology, and goods for the home.
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