Best automatic pool cleaner: the robot swimming pool vacuums worth buying

• e-mail

Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission - learn more

Owning a swimming pool should be a thing of pleasure, relaxing in the cooling water on the long summer days, listening to the splashes and laughter of kids playing, but as any pool owner can tell you, what’s a lot less fun? Keeping the thing looking pristine and clean - and this is where pool robots, or automatic pool cleaners can come in.

Whether it's leaves blowing in from nearby trees, sand from a swimsuit that took a recent trip to the beach or the bugs that couldn’t resist taking a dip themselves, there is often plenty to remove from your pool and dragging out the vacuum and hose feels like more work than it’s worth.

Automatic pool cleaners or pool robots can be a convenient solution, requiring a lot less setup and no supervision as they go about the actual cleaning, but with a range of options at very different price points available which is best for you?

• Prestige Pick: Beatbot Aquasense 2 Ultra (use code BEATBOT100 for $100 off)
• Best all-rounder: Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max at Aiper
• Best value pool robot: Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus Wi-Fi at Amazon
• Best budget cordless pool robot: Aiper Scuba S1 Pro at Aiper
• Best set-and-forget pool cleaner: Wybot S2 Solar at Wybot

How we test

We test pool robots in everyday use over a period of at least two weeks (and often a lot longer) to see what each is like to live with. We test how easy each is to setup, use and clean, how well it cleans and how it compares with other products at different price points.

In addition to everyday use, we put each product through a series of repeatable tests to ensure each is given a fair chance and we have comparable results so you know our opinion is unbiased and a true representation of the performance you can expect.

These tests involve tracking the progress of each robot around our test pool, how well it picks up fine particles and larger debris such as stones and leaves. Wall, waterline and surface cleaning are also assessed where a robot provides these modes.

Why trust us

Tim has been testing consumer products since 2008, applying a rigorous review process to create honest reviews that reflect real-world performance. With pool products, our aim is to help you not only find the best products in each category, but also the hidden gems and great-value options that can compete with the most expensive.

1. Prestige pick: Beatbot Aquasense 2 Ultra

Read our full review of the Beatbot Aquasense 2 Ultra

2. Best all-rounder: Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max at Aiper

 Read our full review of the Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max

3. Best value pool robot: Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus Wi-Fi at Amazon

Read of full review of the Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus Wi-Fi.

4. Best budget cordless pool robot: Aiper Scuba S1 Pro at Aiper

 Read our full review of the Aiper Scuba S1 Pro

5. Best set-and-forget pool robot: Wybot S2 Solar

 Read our full review of the Wybot S2 Solar

Our verdict

Picking the right pool cleaner for you will depend a lot on not only on the type of pool you have but also what you want from a robotic cleaner. If you want an all signing, all dancing model that can skim as well as it can scrub floors the Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max is a good choice and, as long as its software issues are behind it, is an easy to use option. If you're after a dependable an refined model the Beatbot Aquasense 2 Ultra is outstanding but pricey.

For smaller and simply shaped pools you can probably get equally good performance from either the Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus Wi-Fi (corded) or Aiper Scuba S1 Pro (cordless). On the other hand if you want a robot you can setup and forget about until it needs emptying the Wybot S2 Solar needs the least attention.

Also consider

The Polaris Freedom is a good quality pool robot, although it struggles to stand out in the field either because other cleaners have more functionality or are considerably cheaper. We could find little fault in our tests, but robots half the price managed to provide similar cleaning performance and the Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max adds surface skimming for a similar price.

It was probably the best looking robot of the models we tested - and seeing the material swirling around the filter basket thanks to the transparent lid was satisfying - but ultimately it felt a bit too expensive for what it is.

FAQs

Which is better, suction or robotic pool cleaners? 

Both have their advantages, a manual suction cleaner allows you to focus on the parts of the pool you feel most need cleaning but you have to do the work yourself, set up the hose and put it away afterwards. Robotic cleaners on the other hand usually involve less cleaning up and you can do something else while it works, but you won't be able to direct where it cleans outside of choosing the cleaning pattern.

How many years do pool robots last? 

With the right maintenance, storage and care pool robots generally will last for around 5-7 years although this can vary a lot not only between brands and models but even individual products. All the models on our list come with a manufacturer's warranty of at least two years.

What are the disadvantages of robotic pool cleaners? 

In general, robotic cleaners use a two-dimensional pattern of movement to ensure they clean as much of the pool as they can. This can be problematic for some shapes of pool, especially pools with floors that have dramatic drops or slopes such as hopper bottom pools. This sloping can lead to robots drifting off the 2D pattern they are programmed to follow, leaving some parts of the pool untouched and others cleaned multiple times. High end robots include mapping functionality to combat this, but certain shapes will still be hard to navigate and so you won't get the same total coverage as you would with fastidious use of a manual pool vacuum. You may also get problem spots such as the vertices, or where sloping parts of the pool meet, and the shape of the robot makes it hard for the vacuum opening to reach - this can be combated by brushing out these sections with a pool brush to areas the robot is more likely to be able to reach.

How often should I run my pool robot? 

There's no one rule for all users and every pool, with both environment and usage playing a role. If your pool is getting daily use you may want to run a clean everyday, but if you're just maintaining cleanliness between uses a couple of times a week should be fine. It is often worth adding a clean after a storm or particularly windy weather to get any debris that will have blown in, as well as running a clean before any pool parties to have it looking its best before guests arrive.