Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max Robot Pool Vacuum Review

About the Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max

• Weight: 24.25 pounds
• Pool type: Above-ground and in-ground, made of materials including concrete, fiberglass, vinyl, tiles, and fresh or salt water
• Pool shape: All
• Pool size: Up to 3,230 square feet
• Continuous runtime: 5 hours of floor cleaning, 10 hours of skimming

The Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max is a robotic pool cleaner that connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth and has 24 built-in ultrasonic sensors as well as proprietary navigation technology to precisely map your pool to provide a thorough cleaning of the bottom, sides, walls, and waterline.

Users have eight cleaning modes to choose from, including Hero Mode and Eco Mode, and the Scuba X1 Pro Max can clean pools up to 3,230 square feet on a single battery charge.

The Aiper HydroComm Pro is a smart pool monitor and underwater communication device that keeps the robot “live,” meaning you can communicate with it in real time and connect to the app uninterrupted. It also acts as a water quality tester.

How we tested

I left my pool cover open for a few hours to allow the pool to collect leaves, grass, and dust. I initially tried to test the Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max right after I unboxed it (yes, I get excited about new pool robots), but because the battery wasn’t fully charged, I had connection issues.

Once the Aiper’s battery was at 100%—and it held a connection with my phone—I set it loose in the pool, and let it do its thing for 24 hours.

What we like

It cleans my steps and baja shelf

One of the first areas the Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max cleaned was my pool steps and baja shelf, which has not been the case with other pool robots I tested. The Scuba X1 Pro Max quickly and easily cruised up each of the pool stairs, cleaned them, and then vacuumed the dirt off the flat shelf.

The app is fantastic

I have to say that the companion Aiper app is fantastic. It’s super user-friendly and incredibly easy to navigate.

Both the Scuba X1 Pro Max and the HydroComm Pro connected in seconds, and the app clearly displays the current status of each device, as well as the current weather forecast for my location.

The caddy makes it easy to transport

I threw out my back carrying the BeatBot pool cleaning robot around my yard, so I was thrilled to discover that you can buy the Aiper with an optional, $299 caddy that you can use to push it around.

As with any pool cleaning robot, the Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max is heavy—it weighs about 25 pounds—but the caddy made it so much easier to transport back and forth from the pool to the outlet where I had the charging base plugged in.

The caddy easily clips onto the Aiper’s charging base—it reminds me a little bit of a wheelie suitcase—and then you tip it back and roll it across the yard. My back was so thankful that I didn’t have to carry the Aiper back and forth!

The HydroComm Pro keeps you connected

While the HydroComm Pro is an extra expense, I appreciate its ability to keep the Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max connected underwater and provide updates on the robot's activity.

It doesn’t have real-time tracking of where the Aiper is inside the pool—it’s just an animation of a robot cleaning a pool—but it is nice to be able to see when it’s in progress and when it’s done, even if you’re not near your swimming pool.

Plus, the HydroComm has probes installed that test your pool’s water quality, and it generates an easy-to-read report via the app. It even offers recommendations for how to fix issues that it identifies.

Aiper offers a bundle of accessories and a vacuum at a lower cost than competing robot pool vacuums

I was surprised that the whole kit ‘n kaboodle of the robotic pool cleaner, the HydroComm Pro, and the caddy costs less than some other popular pool robots. For the Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max, plus the HydroComm, plus the caddy, you’ll spend less than $3,000. This feels like a pretty good deal, considering the HydroComm offers numerous helpful features, and the Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max itself is durable. However, the old adage "you get what you pay for" holds true here, as the cleaning performance of the Aiper is not as thorough as with other robots.

What we don’t like

The cleaning performance is just OK

Overall, I wasn't thrilled with the cleaning performance of the Aiper, mainly because I was never able to get it to finish a full cleaning cycle without it randomly stopping and resurfacing. When it did clean, it did a good job of clearing dirt and debris from all surfaces of the pool, but I got frustrated that it never finished the job. Having a pool that's only partially clean seems rather pointless.

It can be finicky

Every time I tested the Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max before connecting it to the HydroComm, I had a tough time getting it to start cleaning. I would get a “device is disconnected” message, and it would sink to the bottom of the pool.

The problem is that you have to push the “play” button on the app to get the Aiper to start, but you can’t push play until the device is in the water. However, the robot is so heavy that it would sink before it could register that I’d hit play. It was frustrating.

I finally managed to hold the Aiper halfway in the water with one hand, push the button on the app, and then wait until I saw it start moving before letting it go.

It takes forever to resurface

If you want to stop your Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max before it’s finished the cleaning cycle, you can recall it to the surface—but only if you have the HydroComm; otherwise, you’re stuck waiting until it’s finished and returns to the top of the pool to dock.

Whenever I tried recalling the Scuba X1 Pro Max, it took an eternity—around 20 minutes. It kept climbing up the wall, hitting against the lip of the pool, and then submerging itself again, over and over and over.

By the time the robot finally resurfaced, it felt pointless to have recalled it—it probably would’ve finished its cleaning routine.

It would randomly stop during cleaning

One of the more annoying things about the Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max is that it would randomly float to the surface and stop in the middle of a cleaning cycle, never resuming to finish the job.

This happened several times, despite the battery being at 70% and the filter basket not being clogged. The Aiper app showed that the robot was still in the middle of the cleaning cycle, but it was definitely not doing anything other than sunbathing.

Warranty

The Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max has a three-year, full machine replacement warranty.

What owners are saying about the Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max

Not surprisingly, people have a lot of varied opinions about pool robots. Overall, most people prefer the Dolphin over other brands.

• Reddit /pools: Over at Reddit’s pools board, several commenters had connection issues with the Aiper and also experienced it floating off the floor and not finishing a cleaning.

The most common relevant complaints are connectivity issues, though most users found that the addition of the HydroComm helped.

Should you buy the Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max?

Maybe, but only if you purchase the HydroComm, too

As a real-life pool owner, I would not personally shell out for the Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max (available at Aiper) on its own. The connectivity issues were too frustrating. However, when paired with the HydroComm, the experience improves significantly.

Not only does it help reduce connection problems, but it also provides real-time monitoring of your pool’s chemical levels. If you’re handling pool maintenance yourself without a professional service, the HydroComm makes managing pH, ORP, and TDS levels far easier and more efficient.

Read more about Aiper and pools on Reviewed

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