10 Best Robotic Pool Cleaners (2018)
These are the top ten robotic pool cleaners in the market – according to our research and other independent, owner-verified robotic pool cleaner reviews.
How to use the table below:
- Our #1 picks are marked with a green circle
. - Cleaners for above ground and in-ground pools are noted.
- Rotate your phone for best viewing.
| CLEANER | PRICE | RATING | POOL TYPE | WARR. | HOSE | CLEAN CYCLE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Under $500 | ||||||
Aquabot Pool Rover Jr. |  $272.99 |  | Above Ground | 1 year | 41 ft | 1 hr |
AquaBot Pura 4X |  Out of stock | | Above Ground & In-Ground | 2 year | 40 ft | 2 hrs |
Hayward Ultra XL  |  $398.99 | | In-Ground | 1 year | 40 ft | 4 hrs |
$500-$1,000 | ||||||
Dolphin Triton |  Check on Amazon |  | In-Ground | 2 year | 60 ft | 3 hrs |
Dolphin Nautilus |  $649.99 | | In-Ground | 1 year | 60 ft | 3 hrs |
Maytronics DX3 Dolphin |  $901.52 | | In-Ground | 2 year | 60 ft | 3 hrs |
Hayward TigerShark QC |  $1,050.10 | | In-Ground | 3 year | 55 ft | 3 hrs |
Over $1,000 | ||||||
Polaris 9550 |  $1,139.90 | * large capacity filter | In-Ground | 2 year | 50 ft | 3 hrs |
Dolphin Premiere |  $1,097.00 | | In-Ground | 3 year | 51 ft | 3 hrs |
Pentair Prowler 830 |  $1,025.00 | | In-Ground | 2 year | 60 ft | 3 hrs |
How We Rate Them
We use the 4 criteria below to assign our ratings. Our final star rating is the unweighted average of these four scores.
Value: for the price, how does this pool cleaner compare with its competitors in terms of features, cleaning ability and maintenance costs?
Wall Cleaning: how well does this pool cleaner clean hard-to-reach vertical surfaces?
Energy Efficiency: how much does it cost to run the pool cleaner each month?
Floor Cleaning: how well does this robotic cleaner pick up all sizes of debris – including fine particles like sand and grit?
Best Robotic Pool Cleaners for An Inground Pool
Dolphin Triton Plus
Dolphin Nautilus PLUS
Polaris 9450/9550 Sport
Maytronics DX3 Dolphin
Hayward SharkVAC XL with Caddy
Robotic pool cleaners are an especially good choice for cleaning an inground pool.
Older pump-driven pool cleaners often cannot reach the custom-molded steps, raised sitting platforms and irregular features that many inground pools have. This means you’re left to brush and clean those sections yourself.
The units above do this – and more.
>> Learn more about the Top 5 Inground Robotic Pool Cleaners >>
Best Robotic Pool Cleaners for an Above Ground Pool
These are the best robot pool cleaners for cleaning an above ground pool:
>>Learn more about the Best Robotic Pool Cleaners for Above-Ground Pools >>
Have you reviewed the Aquabot Elite? Can you share your findings
We are reviewing it right now, actually. The review should be posted within the next week or so.
Here’s our review of the New Aquabot Elite:
https://roboticpoolcleanerscompared.com/robotic-cleaners-for-in-ground-pools/aquabot-elite-robotic-pool-cleaner-review/
I have a salt water pool and I am constantly battling black algae. I am trying to decide between the Dolphin Triton Plus and the Polaris 9450 Sport. Can you recommend one over the other? I am most concerned with the ability to clean the algae and climb/clean the walls. Thanks!
They both scrub algae well. But the Triton Plus performs better on stairs and walls than the Polaris.
New to this ….have a pool next to a flamboyant tree….. so small leaves are constantly on the water surface and of course some leaves will sink and majority stick to side walls……now I know that these robotic pool cleaners clean the bottom and side walls but not sure of the surface leaves which float on top ……how does that get cleaned. And what do u recommend for my outdoor pool above ground…….20 feet length x 7 feet wide……with 5 corner steps…..please advise….thanks
To remove surface leaves, you need a pool surface skimmer.
The only robotic pool skimmer I know of is the Solar Breeze NX, which is solar powered (no cables – yay). But it’s expensive, at $700-800. Make sure you get the NX, it’s been updated for 2016.
For your leaf-infested above ground pool, I’d recommend the Aquabot Pura 4X. It’s a proven above ground cleaner that is known for its ability to climb walls.
I have an old fully tiled pool with square corners floor to wall, is there a robotic cleaner capable of climbing this type of tiled pool and can it operate under a solar blanket.
Cheers,
Terry
Terry,
Given the usual uneven surface of an older tile-sided pool, I’d recommend buying a pool cleaner that relies on water jets to press the cleaner against the wall during vertical climbs, instead of units that rely on suction/vacuum pressure, sticky belts or wheels.
A great new cleaner that fits this profile is the latest Dolphin Triton Plus w/ Powerstream: https://roboticpoolcleanerscompared.com/robotic-cleaners-for-in-ground-pools/dolphin-triton-plus-with-powerstream-review/
The Dolphin Quantum also uses power jets to stay in place: https://roboticpoolcleanerscompared.com/robotic-pool-cleaner-reviews/dolphin-quantum-review/
Hope this helps!