The best robotic pool cleaner for an above-ground pool
An above-ground pool 24 feet across, on a soft liner, with a wall you can reach over. The maker's own pool-type rating decides this page before anything else gets a say: it rules out 4 of the 13 cleaners judged here on its own.
For an above-ground pool 24 feet across, the Dolphin E10 is the unit built for this pool: Maytronics rates it for above-ground use to 30 ft, and Popular Mechanics named it Best for Above Ground Pools, saying its scrubbing is effective but gentle enough not to damage a softer liner. The Aiper Scuba SE is the cheapest of the 13 judged here and the only cordless pick, and it is on the page with both testers who ran it against it. The Dolphin Nautilus CC is the one whose maker claims the wall, rated for in-ground or above ground to 33 ft. Of 13 robotic pool cleaners judged, 5 fit this pool, 4 are excluded because their makers rate them for inground pools only, and 4 could not be judged because their makers publish no pool-length limit.
Pool type decides it first, and it decides it flatly: a unit rated inground-only is out whatever it costs and however well it tests. After that the page turns on two questions the makers do answer, whether the robot climbs the wall and whether it trails a cord over it, and then on what the named testers found when they ran these three. That last part is why the cheapest of the three is not the main pick.
Product links on this page will be affiliate links when the site goes live; they do not change which units are picked. How that works.
| Model | Pool type | Pool length, up to | Climbs walls | Scrubs the waterline | Cordless | Runtime | Weight | Warranty | Fit | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our pick | Dolphin E10 | above ground | 30 ft | no | no | no | 90 min | 14.6 lb | 2 years | Clears the published limits | $568 |
| The cheap cordless one | Aiper Scuba SE | above ground | 30 ft | no | no | yes | 90 min | not captured | not captured | Clears the published limits | $160 |
| The upgrade | Dolphin Nautilus CC | in-ground or above ground | 33 ft | yes | no | no | not captured | 14.8 lb | 1 year | Clears the published limits | $699 |
Who this is for
Read on if your pool sits above the ground, on a liner, with a wall you can lean over, and you are done pushing a vacuum hose around it. What decides this page is not suction or navigation. It is whether a maker will say in print that its robot belongs in your kind of pool: 4 of the 13 cleaners judged here are ruled out on that line alone. If your pool is sunk in the ground, read The best robotic pool cleaner for an inground pool instead. And if the ring at the waterline is the one thing you want gone, no pick here scrubs it, and the unit that fits this pool and claims that job is named further down.
Your house, in the makers’ own terms
Makers describe a pool cleaner with two limits and this page checks both. Pool type is the blunt one: the spec sheet says above ground, inground, or both, and that is the maker naming the wall its robot was built to hold on to and the liner its tracks were meant to sit on. Pool length is the other: how far the machine can work from the point it goes in. This page sizes the pool at 24 feet across, above ground; change it and the field is re-judged.
Of 13 cleaners judged, 4 are excluded outright on pool type, 4 could not be judged because their makers publish no pool-length limit, and 5 fit, none of them sitting at a limit. Three of those five are the picks below. The other two clear every limit this pool sets and are still not picks, and the competition section names them with the reason each lost.
Adjust to your house. Change the numbers and the picks are re-judged here, with the same rules and the same maker figures.
An above-ground pool 24 feet across, run against all 13 robotic pool cleaners we track: 5 clear every published limit this house turns on, 0 clear them at a limit, 4 miss one, and 4 could not be judged because the maker does not publish the limit. Every figure is from the maker’s own page or manual; nothing here was tested by us. The method.
Our pickDolphin E10
Made for above-ground pools, with the longest warranty of the three picks
$568 at Amazon, September 17, 2026above ground pool type30 ft pool length, up toclimbs walls: noscrubs the waterline: no
Maytronics rates the Dolphin E10 for above-ground pools up to 30 ft and builds it for nothing else: floor coverage, a 90 min cycle, CleverClean navigation, on a cord. Popular Mechanics made it its pick for above-ground pools, saying the scrubbing is effective but gentle enough not to damage a softer liner, and PoolBots calls it a simple, effective robot for this kind of pool. The Pool Nerd is the dissent, and a real one: its bottom line is a caution, resting on the cord and the filter together. Against that sits a 2 years warranty, the longest of the three picks.
Amazon listing verified as the bare unit at $568 on September 17, 2026; the Amazon link goes live with the site.
An above-ground pool 24 feet across:
- Pool typemade for above-ground pools maytronics.com
- Pool length, up topool length limit is 30 ft; you need 24 ft maytronics.com
Living with it
The filter is the part you handle most, and it is a reusable top-load basket rather than a bag or a cartridge, so there is nothing to reorder: Maytronics says you lift it out, unsnap the bottom and rinse it. The Pool Nerd, hard on this robot everywhere else, calls that filter genuinely easy to deal with day to day. There is no app at all, since Maytronics marks mobile support as no on its own sheet, so there is no scheduling and no remote start; you press the button on the power supply and leave it alone.
PoolBots rated the warranty and the ease of use as this robot's two strong points. Support is the soft spot: when the manual's troubleshooting table runs out of ideas it sends you to a dealer or a Maytronics Service Center rather than to a phone number or an email address. The complaint to plan around is the cord. PoolBots notes the cable has no anti-tangle swivel, and The Pool Nerd found it tangles even in a modest pool, costing that run its coverage until somebody straightens it out.
- Consumables
- Reusable top-load filter basket, no disposable bags to buymaytronics.com
- Without the app or Wi-Fi
- No app; runs entirely from the power supply's buttonmaytronics.com
- Set-up
- Power supply sits ~12 ft from pool edge; cable unwound before usebrand.maytronics.com
- Maintenance
- Clean filter basket after every cycle; deep-clean panels monthlybrand.maytronics.com
- Warranty
- 2-year warrantymaytronics.com
- Known issue
- Floor-only cleaning; no wall climbing or waterline scrubbingmaytronics.com
What independent testers found
We do not test units ourselves. These are figures and verdicts published by named testers, with the maker’s claim beside them where the tester gave it; where a tester relays owners’ reports rather than a measurement, the row says so.
| What | Finding | Tester |
|---|---|---|
| Also noted | PoolBots scored it 'Limited' for waterline cleaning, filtration, and coverage, but 'Great' for ease of use and warranty | PoolBots |
| Wall climbing | No waterline cleaning; floor-only coverage, consistent with its above-ground-pool design | PoolBots |
| Also noted | 40-foot cable with no anti-tangle swivel | PoolBots |
| Runtime | A 1.5-hour cleaning cycle, which the reviewer says means little waiting for it to finish | Popular Mechanics |
- Popular Mechanics names the Dolphin E10 its top recommendation for above-ground pools, saying its scrubbing action is effective yet gentle enough to avoid damaging softer above-ground pool liners. (Best for Above Ground Pools) Popular Mechanics
- The Pool Nerd's bottom line on the E10 is a caution rating: it cleans flat pool floors fine but the cord and filter compromises mean it delivers only a fraction of what many above-ground owners expect. The Pool Nerd
- The Pool Nerd found that even in a modest 20-30 ft in-ground pool, the E10's 40-foot cord can still tangle, which visibly hurts the coverage of that cleaning run until it's untangled. The Pool Nerd
- On the plus side, The Pool Nerd calls the E10's filter genuinely easy to deal with day to day. The Pool Nerd
- PoolBots' tagline verdict on the E10 is that it's a simple, effective robot for above-ground pools, rated 4.5 out of 5 across 85 customer reviews. PoolBots
What you give up
It cleans the floor, and that is the whole job. Maytronics marks wall climbing and waterline scrubbing alike as no on its own sheet, so algae at the waterline stays yours to brush, and PoolBots scored its waterline work and its coverage as limited. If the ring at the waterline is what you want gone, read the Dolphin Nautilus CC below first, and then the competition, because the pick that climbs still does not scrub.
Figures from maytronics.com; recall screen: no published CPSC recall names this exact model (screened 2026-09-17) (how we screen, CPSC).
The cheap cordless oneAiper Scuba SE
Cheapest cordless floor cleaner, rejected by both testers who ran it
$160 at Amazon, September 17, 2026above ground pool type30 ft pool length, up toclimbs walls: noscrubs the waterline: no
Aiper rates the Scuba SE for above-ground pools to 30 ft, it is cordless, and at $160 it is the cheapest of the 13 judged here by a wide margin. That is the whole of its case. Both testers who ran it came away unhappy: PoolBots titles its review a disappointing pool cleaner, concluding it falls short on battery life, cleaning power, navigation, build quality and charging, while The Pool Nerd's verdict is that it proves more trouble than it is worth and you should look at other brands. Buy it only if no cord is a hard requirement and the price is the other one.
Amazon listing verified as the bare unit at $160 on September 17, 2026; the Amazon link goes live with the site.
An above-ground pool 24 feet across:
- Pool typemade for above-ground pools aiper.com
- Pool length, up topool length limit is 30 ft; you need 24 ft aiper.com
Living with it
Day to day it is a single button: you put it in the water, it starts, and Aiper describes no app and no pairing step. Debris collects in a built-in filter box you lift out and clean, and before you pull the robot from the pool it purges most of the water it carries, which is what makes Aiper's case for cutting the cord, that it is lighter and easier to store, hold up at the moment you lift it. What Aiper never publishes is how much there is to lift: no weight appears on its page, while Maytronics prints 14.6 lb for the main pick and 14.8 lb for the upgrade.
The rest is what the testers ran into. The Pool Nerd found it needs a hand often enough that it does not cover the pool on its own, calls it Aiper's bare-bones model built without an active scrubbing brush, and found it manages small debris but struggles once leaves or bugs are in the water. Aiper's warranty table covers it for a shorter term than the main pick carries, filed under a different model name, and the company will take an undamaged unit back for a full refund inside the first month. Given the tester record, that return window is worth knowing before the first run.
- Consumables
- 2-liter filter box for collected debrisaiper.com
- Without the app or Wi-Fi
- One-button start, no app step describedaiper.com
- Set-up
- Cordless; no power cord to manageaiper.com
- Warranty
- 12-month warranty (listed as Scuba 800)aiper.com
- Known issue
- Above-ground, floor-only coverage per spec sheetaiper.com
What owners and long-term reviewers report, from public threads and published reviews; not our own testing.
- The Pool Nerd's overall verdict on the Scuba SE is "Pool Nerd Disapproved," concluding it's more trouble than it's worth.thepoolnerd.com
- The Pool Nerd ranks the Scuba SE #7 overall in its Aiper buying guide, near the bottom of the lineup it tested.thepoolnerd.com
- The Pool Nerd measured real-world battery life at only about 50-60 minutes, well short of Aiper's advertised 90 minutes.thepoolnerd.com
- The Pool Nerd found the Scuba SE frequently gets stuck and needs manual intervention, so it doesn't finish covering the whole pool on its own.thepoolnerd.com
What independent testers found
We do not test units ourselves. These are figures and verdicts published by named testers, with the maker’s claim beside them where the tester gave it; where a tester relays owners’ reports rather than a measurement, the row says so.
| What | Finding | Tester |
|---|---|---|
| Runtime | 50-60 minutes of real-world battery life observed (maker: 90 minutes) | The Pool Nerd |
| Charge time | Over three hours to fully recharge | The Pool Nerd |
| Also noted | Couldn't reliably capture small particles; struggled with algae and sand during testing | The Pool Nerd |
| Filter capacity | Flat pad filtration, not a basket-style filter | The Pool Nerd |
| Wall climbing | Floor-only; no wall or waterline cleaning capability | The Pool Nerd |
| Runtime | Lasted only about 60-70 minutes on a full charge (which itself took ~4-5 hours), short of the advertised runtime (maker: about 90 minutes) | PoolBots |
| Wall climbing | Lost traction moving from deep end to shallow end and repeatedly slid back down, requiring manual intervention | PoolBots |
| Filter capacity | Basic filtration system failed to capture finer particles like sand, silt, and small insects | PoolBots |
| Also noted | Navigation moved in a seemingly random pattern, bouncing off walls | PoolBots |
- The Pool Nerd's overall verdict is that the Scuba SE proves more trouble than it's worth and recommends looking at other brands instead. (Pool Nerd Disapproved) The Pool Nerd
- PoolBots' conclusion is that the Scuba SE falls short on battery life, cleaning power, navigation, build quality, and charging convenience, making it a less-than-ideal choice for most pool owners. (A Disappointing Pool Cleaner) PoolBots
- The Pool Nerd ranks the Scuba SE #7 overall in its full Aiper lineup buying guide, near the bottom of the models it tested. The Pool Nerd
- The Pool Nerd's bottom-line recommendation is to look at other brands rather than buy the Scuba SE. The Pool Nerd
What you give up
Nearly everything except the price and the absent cord. Aiper's own sheet limits it to the pool floor, so there is no wall or waterline work of any kind, and The Pool Nerd ranks it near the bottom of the Aiper models it has tested in that company's own lineup guide. The Dolphin E10 costs a good deal more and trails a cable over the wall, and both testers who ran the two rate it the better robot.
Figures from aiper.com; recall screen: no published CPSC recall names this exact model (screened 2026-09-17) (how we screen, CPSC).
The upgradeDolphin Nautilus CC
The upgrade: climbs the wall, rated for both pool types
$699 at Amazon, September 17, 2026in-ground or above ground pool type33 ft pool length, up toclimbs wallsscrubs the waterline: no
The Dolphin Nautilus CC is the only pick whose maker claims the wall. Maytronics rates it for in-ground or above ground up to 33 ft, states complete floor and wall coverage, and drives it with CleverClean navigation from a corded power supply. Popular Mechanics chose it as its pick for smaller pools, the cheaper version of the CC Plus that keeps the wall cleaning but drops the app and the scheduling. The testers are split: PoolBots calls it a decent cleaner for the price if you are not set on full wall cleaning, while The Pool Nerd disapproves of it outright and says there are better robots for the money.
Amazon listing verified as the bare unit at $699 on September 17, 2026; the Amazon link goes live with the site.
An above-ground pool 24 feet across:
- Pool typemade for in-ground and above-ground pools maytronics.com
- Pool length, up topool length limit is 33 ft; you need 24 ft maytronics.com
Living with it
Wall climbing is the reason to buy it and the thing to keep expectations honest about. The Pool Nerd watched it drive up the wall, lose suction near the top, drop back down and move along to try again elsewhere, and PoolBots describes the result as the floor and the lower wall rather than the whole of it. Maytronics marks waterline scrubbing as no itself, and its own troubleshooting table admits the robot can fail to climb at all when the surface carries algae or the chemistry is off, which is why the water limits in the manual belong to setting it up rather than to the fine print.
Control is one on/off button, since Maytronics lists mobile support as no, and The Pool Nerd calls the missing weekly timer the biggest cut in the base model. The manual is firm that the basket should not be left to dry before it is rinsed, because dried debris is harder to get out, and the ultra-fine panels come as a replacement pack the cited facts price. The warranty is 1 year, half what the main pick carries, and The Pool Nerd notes it was cut from the longer term older CC units had. Both testers flag a cord with no anti-tangle swivel, which coils on itself within weeks of use.
- Consumables
- Rinse filter after every cycle; deep-clean monthlybrand.maytronics.com
- What consumables cost
- Replacement filter panels (4-pk): $45.49maytronics.com
- Set-up
- Chlorine <4ppm, pH 7.0-7.8, 43-95°F, salt <5000ppmbrand.maytronics.com
- Maintenance
- Don't let the filter basket dry out before rinsingbrand.maytronics.com
- Warranty
- 1-year manufacturer warrantymaytronics.com
- Known issue
- Maker admits it may not climb walls if algae/pH is offbrand.maytronics.com
What owners and long-term reviewers report, from public threads and published reviews; not our own testing.
- The base CC's 50-foot cord has no anti-tangle swivel, so testers found it coils up on itself within weeks of regular use.thepoolnerd.com
- It climbs walls but loses suction near the top and falls back down rather than scrubbing across the waterline.thepoolnerd.com
- Its standard mesh filter basket lets fine sand, silt, and pollen blow back into the pool even as it captures larger debris like leaves.thepoolnerd.com
- There's no weekly timer or scheduling of any kind: just a single on/off button on the power supply.thepoolnerd.com
- It can't scrub laterally along the tile line at all, only reaching the waterline before dropping back down.thepoolnerd.com
What independent testers found
We do not test units ourselves. These are figures and verdicts published by named testers, with the maker’s claim beside them where the tester gave it; where a tester relays owners’ reports rather than a measurement, the row says so.
| What | Finding | Tester |
|---|---|---|
| Runtime | About 2 hours per cleaning cycle, then it shuts off on its own | The Pool Nerd |
| Wall climbing | Climbs the wall but loses suction near the top, falls back down, and moves over to try again elsewhere | The Pool Nerd |
| Also noted | Picks up large debris like oak leaves fine, but the standard mesh filter basket blows fine sand, silt, and pollen back into the water | The Pool Nerd |
| Also noted | The 50-foot power cord has no anti-tangle swivel and coils up on itself within a few weeks of use | The Pool Nerd |
| Wall climbing | Cleans pool floors and the lower part of the walls but does not clean the full wall or reach the waterline | PoolBots |
| Also noted | Comes with a 50-foot rubber cable but no anti-tangle swivel | PoolBots |
| Also noted | CleverClean navigation route wasn't especially intuitive and lingered in the deep end longer than necessary | PoolBots |
| Filter capacity | Only one filter media choice (standard basket); Dolphin sells an ultra-fine filter separately at extra cost | PoolBots |
| Also noted | Weighs 14.8 lb with a 40-foot cord, per Popular Mechanics' measured specs | Popular Mechanics |
- The Pool Nerd's overall verdict is 'Pool Nerd Disapproved': they conclude there are better robots for the money, citing no weekly timer, no NanoFilters, a fragile impeller-pivot system, and a warranty cut to 1 year from 2 on older CC units. (Pool Nerd Disapproved) The Pool Nerd
- Popular Mechanics names the Nautilus CC its pick for smaller pools, describing it as a more budget-friendly version of the CC Plus that keeps wall cleaning but drops the app and scheduling features. (Best for Small Pools) Popular Mechanics
- The Pool Nerd stops short of calling it a bad robot outright, noting it still out-cleans any cordless cleaner under $1,000 even though it lacks the timer and filter upgrades of pricier Dolphin models. The Pool Nerd
- PoolBots calls the Nautilus CC a decent cleaner for the price for buyers who don't need full wall cleaning, but flags the short 1-year warranty. PoolBots
What you give up
A higher price, a shorter warranty and a cord, for a wall cleaned only partway up. It is also the pick Maytronics publishes least about: no cable length and no cycle time appear on its own pages. And if scrubbing the waterline is what you are after, no pick here does it; the unit that fits this pool and claims that job is in the competition below.
Figures from maytronics.com; recall screen: no published CPSC recall names this exact model (screened 2026-09-17) (how we screen, CPSC).
The first month
With either corded pick, the first month is mostly filter routine. The cycle ends on its own, and Maytronics asks for the basket to be rinsed after every run rather than when it looks full, with a deeper clean of the ultra-fine panels inside it about once a month. Both manuals are clear that nobody should be in the pool while the robot is working.
With the cordless pick, the first weeks are about learning how far one charge really goes and how often the robot needs a hand. The Pool Nerd found it gets stuck often enough that it does not finish the pool on its own, and PoolBots watched it lose traction on the way up to the shallow end and slide back down until somebody moved it. Expect to be poolside while it runs, and the charger occupied longer than the cleaning took.
Setting it up
Maytronics is specific about where the power supply goes, and the cited facts under the main pick carry its measurement. What it comes to at the poolside is dry ground along one long side, set back from the edge, with the cable fully unwound before the robot goes in. The warning attached matters as much: keep the power supply clear of standing water.
Before the Dolphin Nautilus CC's first run, check the water rather than the robot. Maytronics sets the chlorine, pH, salt and temperature ranges the pool has to be inside, and its own troubleshooting table ties a failed wall climb to chemistry being out or algae on the wall.
Buying it right
Names are the trap. Maytronics sells the main pick's SKU as the Dolphin Explorer E10, while the plain Dolphin E10 name survives mostly on retailer listings for the same model number, and the maker's own page shows no list price. The Aiper Scuba SE is no longer sold from Aiper's storefront, where its product URL now redirects to a series listing, and Aiper's warranty table uses a different name. The Nautilus CC line adds Plus and Supreme versions with the app and the scheduling. Match the model number on the box to the maker's page before comparing prices.
Dolphin E10
- The listing we verified: “Dolphin (2026 Model) E10 Automatic Robotic Pool Vacuum Cleaner, Active Scrubber Brush, Top Load Filters Access, Ideal for Above-Ground Pools up to 30 FT in Length”, $568 when checked. Brand and full model name in the listing's own title; no bundle, variant or accessory marker.
- “Dolphin (2026 Model) Nautilus AG Automatic Robotic Pool Vacuum Cleaner, Active Scrubber Brush, Top Load Filters Access, Ideal for Above-Ground Pools up to 33 FT in Length”, $568: a different model that a search for this one returns.
Aiper Scuba SE
- The listing we verified: “(2024 NEW) AIPER Scuba SE Cordless Robot Pool Vacuum for Above Ground Pool”, $160 when checked. Brand and full model name in the listing's own title; no bundle, variant or accessory marker.
- “(Renewed) AIPER Scuba SE Cordless Pool Cleaner with 90-Min Runtime, Smart Self-Parking, Lightweight, Pool Vacuum for Above Ground Flat Pools up to 860 Sq.ft, Dark Gray”, $79: Refurbished or used listing.
- “12.6V Quick Charger for AIPER Robotic Pool Cleaner Compatible with AIPER Scuba SE Robotic Pool Cleaner Charger Adapter”, $21: An accessory or part listing ('compatible with'), not the unit.
- “AIPER Scuba 2025 Cordless Pool Cleaner, Upgrade 95-Min Runtime, 1450GPH Strong Suction, Pool Vacuum for Above-Ground Pools up to 860 Sq.ft, Black”, $130: a different model that a search for this one returns.
Dolphin Nautilus CC
- The listing we verified: “Dolphin Nautilus CC Automatic Robotic Pool Vacuum Cleaner, Wall Climbing Scrubber Brush, Top Load Filter Access, Ideal for Above/In-Ground Pools up to 33 FT in Length”, $699 when checked. Brand and full model name in the listing's own title; the listing's SKU 99996113-US differs from the maker's 99996113-USB (an edition of the same model, by the maker's own numbering).
- “Dolphin Automatic Robotic Pool Vacuum Cleaner, Wall Climbing Scrubber Brush, Smart Navigation, Ideal for In-Ground Pools up to 40FT in Length - Nautilus CC Plus”, $829: Listing is the 'CC PLUS' variant, a different product from the 'Nautilus CC' in our record.
- “Dolphin Nautilus CC Robotic Pool Vacuum Cleaner up to 33 FT - Easy Transport Bundle with Caddy”, $798: a bundle, not the bare unit; the extra hardware is in the price.
- “Dolphin Nautilus CC Supreme Wi-Fi Automatic Robotic Pool Vacuum Cleaner, Dual Drive, Waterline Scrubber Brush, Top Load Filter, Ideal for In-Ground Pools up to 50 FT”, $1,449: Listing is the 'CC SUPREME' variant, a different product from the 'Nautilus CC' in our record.
- “Dolphin Nautilus CC Pro Wi-Fi Automatic Robotic Pool Vacuum Cleaner, Wall Climbing, Waterline Scrubber Brush, Ideal for In-Ground Pools up to 50 FT in Length”, $999: Listing is the 'CC PRO' variant, a different product from the 'Nautilus CC' in our record.
What this page can’t promise
Nothing on this page was tested by us. The measurements and the verdicts come from named testers, Popular Mechanics, PoolBots and The Pool Nerd, and the build links each one under the pick it belongs to, so you can read the source yourself.
The record is uneven, and the page leaves the gaps showing rather than filling them: where a maker prints no figure we say so, and among these picks that happens more than once. Where a tester's measurement and a maker's claim disagree, as they do on the cordless pick's battery, both stay on the page and the tester is named.
This page reads what the makers publish, not your pool, and a both-pools rating says nothing about how a robot grips a soft liner, how tall your wall stands, or how much of what settles on your floor is too fine for any of the three picks to hold.
The competition
Every pool robot we track was judged against the same house. The verdict column names the maker limit that decided it.
Two cleaners clear every limit this pool sets and are still not picks. The Dolphin Explorer E50 is the one that would settle the waterline: PoolBots calls it a strong all-rounder that climbs walls and waterlines well, on standard filters rather than Dolphin's NanoFilters. It loses on price, as the dearest of the 5 that fit, close to three times the main pick. The Aiper Scuba S1 is the cheaper wall climber, and The Pool Nerd's budget pick among Aiper's cleaners as the cheapest in that lineup that climbs at all. It loses on its test record: The Pool Nerd rates it Disapproved, and PoolBots does not recommend it for serious pool owners.
Every unit, judged (13)
| Model | Pool type | Pool length, up to | Climbs walls | Scrubs the waterline | Cordless | Runtime | Weight | Warranty | Price | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aiper Scuba S1 | in-ground or above ground | 50 ft | yes | yes | yes | 180 min | not captured | 2 years | $450 list $500 | Clears the published limits |
| Aiper Scuba SE | above ground | 30 ft | no | no | yes | 90 min | not captured | not captured | $160 | Clears the published limits |
| Dolphin E10 | above ground | 30 ft | no | no | no | 90 min | 14.6 lb | 2 years | $568 | Clears the published limits |
| Dolphin Explorer E50 | in-ground or above ground | 50 ft | yes | yes | no | 120 min | 19.2 lb | 2 years | $1,629 | Clears the published limits |
| Dolphin Nautilus CC | in-ground or above ground | 33 ft | yes | no | no | not captured | 14.8 lb | 1 year | $699 | Clears the published limits |
| Beatbot AquaSense 2 | in-ground or above ground | not captured | yes | yes | yes | 240 min | 23.1 lb | 3 years | $1,298 | Maker does not publish the limit the maker does not publish a pool length limit |
| Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra | in-ground or above ground | not captured | yes | yes | yes | 600 min | 29.1 lb | 3 years | $2,699 | Maker does not publish the limit the maker does not publish a pool length limit |
| Wybot C1 | in-ground or above ground | not captured | yes | yes | yes | 150 min | 17.6 lb | 2 years | $400 list $570 | Maker does not publish the limit the maker does not publish a pool length limit |
| Wybot S2 | not captured | not captured | yes | yes | yes | 210 min | not captured | not captured | $1,000 | Maker does not publish the limit the maker does not say which pool types it is for |
| Aiper Scuba S1 Pro | in-ground | 66 ft | not captured | yes | yes | 180 min | not captured | not captured | $1,200 list | Misses a published limit made for inground pools only aiper.com |
| Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus | in-ground | 40 ft | yes | no | no | 120 min | 20.8 lb | 1 year | $749 list $849 | Misses a published limit made for inground pools only maytronics.com |
| Dolphin Nautilus CC Supreme | in-ground | 50 ft | yes | yes | no | 150 min | 24.6 lb | 1 year | $1,449 | Misses a published limit made for inground pools only maytronics.com |
| Dolphin Sigma | in-ground | 50 ft | yes | yes | not captured | 150 min | 24.6 lb | 3 years | $2,999 list | Misses a published limit made for inground pools only maytronics.com |
What misses a limit (4), and what could not be judged (4)
- Pool type (4). Dolphin Nautilus CC Supreme (made for inground pools only maytronics.com); Dolphin Sigma (made for inground pools only maytronics.com); Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus (made for inground pools only maytronics.com); Aiper Scuba S1 Pro (made for inground pools only aiper.com).
- Could not be judged (4). The maker does not publish the limit this house turns on: Wybot C1; Wybot S2; Beatbot AquaSense 2; Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra.
Questions people ask
Can I use an inground robot in an above-ground pool?
Only if its maker rates it for both. Of the 13 cleaners judged here, 4 are excluded for exactly this reason, because their makers print inground only. A further 4 could not be judged at all, because their makers publish no pool-length limit, and of those only the Wybot S2 never states a pool type either. The Dolphin Nautilus CC is the pick that carries both ratings, listed by Maytronics for in-ground or above ground.
Do I need wall climbing on a liner pool?
For a clean floor, no: the Dolphin E10 and the Aiper Scuba SE clean the floor only, and their makers say so. At the waterline, climbing is not scrubbing, and none of the three picks claims that job. The Dolphin Nautilus CC climbs, and both testers who ran it describe a partial result, the floor and the lower wall rather than the whole of it, so treat it as help with the wall rather than an end to brushing.
Can the cord run over the wall of an above-ground pool?
Yes. Maytronics' own setup instruction for the main pick puts the power supply on dry ground along one long side, back from the edge, with the cable over the wall and fully unwound before the robot goes in. The part to plan for is the cable itself: on both Dolphins the testers report no anti-tangle swivel, and both found the cord tangling or coiling with use, which costs a run its coverage rather than just looking untidy.
Is the cordless runtime as long as Aiper says?
Not by either measurement on record. Aiper publishes 90 min of battery life and a 180 min charge. The Pool Nerd measured closer to an hour of real running and calls the recharge impractical for a cleaning run that short, and PoolBots got a little more than that, from a charge that took considerably longer than Aiper's figure. On a pool this size, plan on more than one session, with the charger occupied in between.
Will any of these pick up fine sand and silt?
Not reliably, and that is the shared weakness of the three picks. PoolBots scored the Dolphin E10's filtration as limited. The Aiper Scuba SE filters through a flat pad rather than a basket, and both testers found it left sand, silt and small insects in the water. The Dolphin Nautilus CC's standard mesh basket blows fine sand, silt and pollen straight back into the pool by The Pool Nerd's account, and PoolBots notes the ultra-fine basket that would catch it costs extra.
How do I store it over the winter?
Maytronics publishes the same routine for both of its units: drain the water out of the robot, clean the filter basket and the panels properly, coil the cable without kinks, and keep it out of direct sun, rain and frost, inside the temperature range the manual states. The Aiper Scuba SE handles the draining itself, purging most of the water it holds in seconds before you lift it out. Maytronics' warning against letting a basket dry with debris still in it matters most at the end of a season.
Other houses we judged
- Half acre, no wireThe best robot lawn mower for a half acre with no perimeter wire
A half-acre lawn, one continuous piece, a slope you notice when you push a mower up it, and no wire you are willing to bury. Every robot mower we track, judged against that yard from the limits its own maker publishes.
- Small yardThe best robot lawn mower for a small yard
A small suburban lawn, a gentle grade, and a couple of beds to steer around. Almost every robot mower we track clears a yard this size, so the question stops being which one is big enough and starts being which one is worth what it costs.
- Inground poolThe best robotic pool cleaner for an inground pool
An inground pool of ordinary size, with walls that need scrubbing as much as the floor does. Every robotic cleaner we track, judged against it on the pool length and wall climbing the makers publish, and then on what independent testers found when they ran the machines.
- ComparedDolphin Nautilus CC Plus vs. Aiper Scuba S1 vs. Wybot
Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus, Nautilus CC, Aiper Scuba S1 and two Wybots on the makers' own figures, then judged against one inground pool with walls.
- Three catsThe best automatic litter box for multiple cats
3 cats, one of them big and one of them small, and one box that has to serve all of them. Two published limits decide it: the number of cats the maker rates the box for, and the weight range its sensors were built around.
- Pet hair, hard floorsThe best robot vacuum for pet hair on hard floors
A shedding dog or two cats, hard floors through most of the house, low thresholds between the rooms, and a wish that the bin emptied itself. Every robot vacuum we track, judged against that house from the limits its maker publishes rather than from a lab's dust-pickup score.
- GuideMeasure before you buy
Every home robot is sold against a limit, and every maker calls that limit something different on its spec page. Here is how to get your own numbers first.
- GuideApps, subscriptions and what stops working offline
Every one of these machines still moves without the internet. What you lose is the map, the schedule, the history and, on some of them, the reason you paid extra.
- GuideRecalls and battery safety for home robots
Five recalls cover every robotic pool cleaner, mower, vacuum and litter box sold in the United States since 2020, and every one of them was about heat.
Dolphin E10Our pick
Full specs