Best robotic pool cleaners for 2025: Expert picks on big, small and cordless options (19459000)
Image : Rob Schultz/Foundry
The consequences of neglecting to clean a swimming pool are just as bad as those of scrubbing bathroom floor. In the age of robots, you can finally ditch the tedious chores of manually scrubbing your pool’s walls and floors and skimming leaves off the surface.
Buy a robotic pool cleaner to do the dirty work. (Unfortunately, we haven’t seen a robot yet that can scrub toilet bowls.).
These labor saving pool bots are available in a variety of shapes and sizes, with diverse capabilities. The most advanced models cost $2,000 or even more. Here are our top picks and a buyers guide to help you decide what you need from a robotic cleaner.
Polaris Freedom Plus: Best cordless robotic pool cleaner in the world
Pros
- Overall great cleaning quality
- Lightweight, drains water quickly
- Docks at waterline for easy retrieval
Cons
- Slightly less effective than Polaris’ corded model VRX iQ+
- Remote control is somewhat difficult to use
- Very expensive
Price When Reviewed:
$1,699.00
Best Prices Today:
$1,699
Why we like the Polaris Freedom Plus (19659023) Polaris’s premier battery-powered pool robotic wins on flexibility even if it makes small compromises in cleaning power compared to its corded, and much less convenient to operate, cousin, the PolarisVRX iQ+. This robot has a large, easily-cleanable debris basket and was very effective at removing leaves, debris, and other particles from our test pool. The bot parks itself automatically at the pool’s side for easy retrieval when it has finished its job.
Who should buy the Polaris Freedom Plus?
This is a great option for homeowners who have larger pools and want to clean them without having to touch the robot. They can also remotely control the bot to ensure that specific areas are cleaned. It comes with a charging caddy and is 20 pounds in weight, making it easy to move it from the caddy into the pool.
Read the full article
Polaris Freedom Plus review (19659026)
Beatbot Aquasense PRO – Best cordless robot pool cleaner, runner up
Pros
- Excellent underwater cleaning capabilities
- App lets you tweak cleaning operations in dozens of ways
- Outstanding battery life of 7 hours or more
Cons
- Can still get stuck on occasion
- Skimming feature isn’t overly effective
- Expensive compared to some other high-end competitors
Price When Reviewed:
$1,869.00 (after $330 discount for Amazon Prime members or if purchased direct from Beatbot with code “BeatbotProCode”)
Best Prices Today:
$2,199
Why we like Beatbot Aquasense Pro (#19659042) Like many robot vacuums the Aquasense Pro has a docking station which automatically charges the battery, eliminating the necessity to drag an electrical cord to the device at the end of each cleaning session. It cleans your pool’s walls, floor, waterline and water surface. It is very effective at vacuuming dirt and debris out of the bottom of your pool. The two-piece mesh basket it comes with traps the dirt and debris. If you choose to purchase the water-clarifying agent the robot will disperse it as it moves around sucking up leaves from the surface of the swimming pool.
Who should buy the Beatbot Aquasense Pro?
Pool Owners looking for the ultimate flexibility and programmability in cleaning should give the Aquasense a good look. This machine has nine motors that help it navigate around your pool with efficiency and focus. It has four preset cleaning modes, including floor only, floor, wall and waterline, floor, wall and waterline, surface, and eco mode, which cleans the floor of the pool every other day, until its battery runs out. You can also create custom cleaning mode for the floor, wall, and surface to give you more than 20 ways to keep your swimming pool clean. Read our full article
Wybot S2 – Best cordless robotic cleaner for large pool
Pros
- Outstanding coverage
- Endlessly configurable via mobile app
- Reasonably lightweight for easy maneuverability
Cons
- Haphazard navigation
- History of cleaning operations seems broken
- App is rough around the edges
Price When Reviewed:
$999 .99
Best Prices Today:
$899.99
Why we like the Wybot
With a 7800mAh battery and the ability to clean pools up to 3,230 sq. ft., the Wybot can scrub any pool within a few hours. Do not be fooled by its idiosyncratic way of navigating. It may look like it is wandering aimlessly, but it will cover every inch of your pool, including the walls, floor, and waterline. Its ability to clean and sanitize is just as good, thanks to the large basket with two filters. The second filter is perfect for capturing fine-grained dirt.
Who should buy the Wybot
? If you’ve been maintaining your large swimming pool in the old-fashioned way, the Wybot will save you a lot of time. The large battery will keep the pool clean and ready to use. Be prepared to deal with some quirks. It seems that the app could have been polished a bit more before its release, but this software should be relatively simple to update. This robotic pool cleaner is excellent in every way. Polaris Freedom Plus is better, but it is also more expensive.
Read the full review
Wybot S2 review
Aiper Seagull Pro: Best cordless robotic cleaner for large pools
Pros
- Epic performance
- 3-hour battery life ensures no surface is left untouched
- Doesn’t need to be disassembled for cleaning
Cons
- Can get stuck on obstacles
- Cleaning out the filter basket is a bit messy
- Very expensive
Price When Reviewed:
$899.99 MSRP
Why we like the Aiper Seagull Pro (#19659077) This is one of our favorite robotic pool cleaners. If you can find it at a great price, such as the $500 price Aiper was offering at the time this article was written, then it’s the best deal in its class. It performed well in our tests. It picked up leaves and other debris, and scrubbed the floor and walls to remove algae growth.
Who should buy the Aiper Seagull Pro?
This robotic pool cleaner will save you time and money if you can’t find it on sale.
Read the full review
Aiper Seagull Pro review
Aiper Seagull SE: Best robotic pool cleaner for smaller swimming pools
Pros
- Very easy to use
- Lightweight, sleek, and fast
- Reasonably effective at cleaning considering the price
Cons
- Failed to park itself near the wall at end of its cycle
- Struggles with larger leaves
- Requires significant regular maintenance
Price When Reviewed:
$249.99
Best Prices Today:
$179.99
Why we like Aiper Seagull SE (19659096) If your pool is small, Aiper’s entry-level bot should be able to clean debris from it. The 8-pound device can be easily maneuvered and will zoom around the pool for 90 minutes before its batteries die. It’s not very feature-rich, aside from the on/off switch. But it’s an excellent and affordable option if you only need to occasionally collect leaves.
Aiper SeagullSE
is a great entry-level pool robot for those with smaller pools, up to 850 square feet. If you have a limited budget, you can try using one in a large pool. However, its battery will require multiple charging cycles.
Click here to read our full article
Aiper Seagull SE Review
Polaris VRX IQ+ – Best corded robot pool cleaner
Pros
- Best performance of any pool cleaning robot we’ve tested to date
- Optimizes run time based on pool size
- Lift system lets you retrieve the robot on demand without a pole
Cons
- Very expensive
- Wrangling power cable requires some extra effort
- A bit of an eyesore even when not in use
Price When Reviewed:
$1,649.00 ($100 rebate available via Visa Rewards Card through Sept. 2, 2024)
Best Prices Today:
$1,649
Leslie’s Poolmart, Inc.
$1649
Why we like the Polaris VRX IQ+
Polaris VRX IQ+ is different from other robotic pool cleaners that we have tested because of its 70-foot insulated cord that connects to the control panel out-of the-water. The cord can be a hassle, and it’s not attractive at all whether the robot is on or not. But this bot cleaned our swimming pool better than any other we’ve tested.
Who should buy the Polaris iQ+?
if you’re looking for a robotic pool cleaner that is effective, and you have a place where you can store it and its bulky cart when not in use or and you don’t mind wrestling its power cord every time you set it up to clean-and again after it has done its job, the Polaris iQ+ will be hard to beat. Choose one of our battery powered recommendations instead if those chores are a turn off.
Read the full article
Polaris VRX IQ+ Review
Other robotic pool cleaners that we’ve tested.
Apart from the Ofuzzi, we’ve evaluated a number of other robot pool cleansers, but it’s been either a love or hat relationship up to now. Check out these other products if none of our top choices ticks all your boxes. You may find something we missed.
Aiper Scuba S1 (19459224) : We were disappointed by the performance of Aiper’s budget-priced entry.
Hydrus Roker plus: Don’t get tempted by the low price of this robot pool cleaner. It was a poor cleaner, the battery life was too short, and the debris that it picked up was difficult to remove.
Inse Y10 pool vacuum robot: According to the manufacturer, this small robot is intended for pools of up to 1,100 square foot. It’s among the least expensive bots we’ve ever tested, but there is a difference between cheap and inexpensive.
Ofuzzi Cyber1200 Pro: This robot will not clean your pool walls, but it did an excellent job vacuuming up debris and leaves from the bottom of our swimming pool. It’s also reasonably priced.
Seauto Shark: This robotic cleaner is excellent at picking up dirt from the bottom of your pool, but it missed some key areas in our tests.
How I test pool cleansers
To test robotic pool cleaners, I use two methods: First, I do real-world tests, allowing debris to accumulate for a few weeks, and then I drop the robot in the water to see how well it performs. This is not scientific, and it depends on the season for falling leaves. So I devised another test using 100 silk craft leaves. These I scatter over the pool before starting a standard cleaning cycle. It is easy to compare the cleaning abilities of different robots by measuring the amount of leaves that are left behind.
TechHive does not have any robot pool cleaners tested in an above-ground swimming pool.
Why you should trust my word
: I’ve owned my pool since 2022 and have been around swimming pools and home swimming pools most of my adult life. I maintain the pool almost every day. The pool is used daily. I have tested many cleaning devices, including the old-school Polaris cleaners powered by water and some more modern robots. The pool is L-shaped and measures 12 by 36 feet. It has a depth of 4 to 7 feet. A small leg protrudes out at the shallow end adding another 6 by 6-foot area.
Who created this article?
Christopher Null has been a technology journalist for over 25 years. He is a multi-award winning journalist who writes about and reviews consumer and business tech. He is also a regular contributor to Wired Magazine, This Old House Magazine, and AAA’s Via Magazine.
How to choose a robot pool cleaner
As is the case with most tech products these days, the features and capabilities of pool cleaning robots increase as their prices rise. Here’s a partial listing of features to look for. They are sorted by price, starting with the least expensive models, which should have the most common features.
Battery life/square footage (#19659135) These specs are related: the larger the battery the more area that the robot can cover. I have found that most manufacturers exaggerate the number of square feet that their robots can cover with a single charge. Look for a model which promises to cover at least twice as much space as your pool.
Mobile app support
Robotic pool cleaners that cost more than $1,000 include Wi-Fi connectivity, and mobile app support. These features allow you to monitor battery life, the robot’s cleaning modes, and–at minimum–map out your pool visually. These features may not always work as intended, but they can be useful to receive a push notification if your robot gets stuck.
Remote control
Some robots come with a remote control that allows you to “drive” it toward debris or have it abort the cleaning cycle.
Self-parking
Some robots will park themselves at the bottom of a pool after they finish running. This makes it easier to retrieve them with a pole. (A hook attachment is included). This feature is hit or miss with the cheaper models. The more advanced ones will float to the surface. Then, you can easily pull them out by hand. No tools required.
Surface-cleaning capability
Beatbot
Want a robot that can skim leaves that haven’t yet sunk to the floor? Look for a model with a skimming feature–although note that these won’t provide perfect coverage due to the tendency of leaves to migrate while the robot is in motion.
Wall-cleaning capability
Christopher Null/Foundry
I didn’t think I needed this feature until I tried it out: Who gets debris on the walls of the pool? Well, you do, more than likely. Wall-cleaning robots can physically scrub off algae that you’d otherwise need to do manually, with a brush—an that’s a terribly painful, back-breaking task. The best models use spinning treads, while cheaper robots rely on just suction power.
Questions and answers about robotic pool cleaners.
Which is the best robotic cleaner? What is the best robotic pool cleaner?
Polaris VRXhas proven to be the most reliable and efficient pool cleaner that we have tested. It is fast, thorough, and simple to use. Its reliability is largely due to the fact that it’s corded and therefore free from the limitations of batteries. Polaris Freedom Plus is the best cordless robotic cleaner. It is slightly less efficient than its VRX-iQ sibling, but it still cleans well, has many features, and does not require a bulky power cord.
2.
How do robotic pool cleaners operate? Robotic pool cleaners work in a similar way to robot vacuum cleaners. However, their navigational technology differs considerably. Simple cleaners use water jets that move in wide arcs and reverse when they hit an obstruction. They also suction debris through a port at the bottom of the robot.
Advanced cleaners use multiple mechanical motors and sensor to move the robot in a more organized cleaning routine. They move back and forth like a person driving a lawnmower. Models that clean the side of a swimming pool can also climb its walls. These models have spinning brushes that are more effective in scooping up sand and dirt.
3.
How do you control the robotic pool cleaners? You don’t. Robotic pool cleaners can be “set and forget”, though some models are more sophisticated and can be programmed to clean only the floor, only the walls, or both floor and wall. If you want to stop it mid-run you can grab the robot with a pole and turn it manually or use a remote control, if provided.
Mobile apps will not work when the robot is inside a pool. The water and concrete tends to block the wireless signals.
4.
How effective are robotic cleaners?
You might be disappointed with the results of a robot cleaner, which will run for a maximum of 3 hours. I’ve never had a cleaning session where there was no debris left, but the models above do a good job. They can remove 80 to 95 percent depending on how dirty it was when you started.
Advanced robotic pool cleaners with treads do a remarkable job of cleaning up fine dirt and algae. They are much better than hose cleaners which need to be removed from the pool to swim. They are also nearly as effective as a person with a brush. It is worth investing in a more expensive, but more advanced unit just for this capability.
5.
What maintenance is required for robotic pool cleaners?
Not much. After each run, you will need to empty the debris baskets. You may need to use a brush for the filter screen. You should also dry off the robots. After a few charging hours, the robot will be ready to go. Pool robots, being electronic devices, are susceptible to malfunctioning over time. This is especially true since they spend a lot of time underwater. Always store your robot out of direct sunlight to prevent UV rays from destroying its plastic components. Batteries will naturally lose capacity with time. None of the robots I’ve seen allow you to replace them.
6.
Do there exist robotic pool cleaners that can clean above-ground pools as well? There are many robotic pool cleaners that can clean both in-ground and above-ground swimming pools. These pools have different surfaces and lack a smooth surface for the robot to navigate.
While some pool-cleaning robotics can clean both types of pools (and more), don’t assume that the one you are considering can. The manufacturer’s product specification should specify which type of pool the robot was designed to clean.
