Published on January 4th, 2019 | by Roger Corbinetti
1Aquabot Pura 5X Review
Ratings
Summary: The Aquabot Pura 5X is a great-cleaning, super-affordable and simple robotic pool cleaner. Best for cleaning larger debris like leaves and twigs. Avoid if sand or silt is your biggest problem.
4.2
Great, inexpensive choice. But don't buy it online.
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NOTE: in 2020, Aquabot closed its doors and stopped making robotic pool cleaners.
The following article represents our latest review of their product before the company shut down.
To see other top-rated pool cleaners, check out the following guides on this site:
- Best Robotic Pool Cleaners
- Best Robotic Pool Cleaners for Above Ground Pools
- Best Robotic Pool Cleaners for In-Ground Pools
Price:
- For in-ground and above-ground pools of any shape or surface – up to 50 feet
- Non-marring wheels prevent damage to the pool surface.
- Cleans cove, floor and part of the wall.
- Ultra-fine 2 micron filter system
- Excellent for picking up large and small debris
- Not so great at filtering silt and sand
- NOTE: warranty is void if purchased online.
Summary
The Aquabot Pura 5X Robotic Pool Cleaner does not bring anything groundbreaking into the market.
There is no new technology or slick modern design.
Despite this, the unit mostly delivers on the promises of its maker: it cleans well enough – and with great energy efficiency.
This model’s design simplicity makes it easy to handle and operate. `
Designed for both in-ground and above-ground pools, the Pura 5X makes a few improvements from its predecessors.
The 5X comes with increased power, dual scrubbing brushes, better maneuverability through the water and a longer cord.
Despite the added features, the price remains around the $400 range – the same as its predecessor, the excellent Pura 4X.
Cleaning Ability
The Pura 5X relies on Hydro-Robotic technology to move around the pool. This proprietary technology uses water jet propulsion to push the unit along the walls and floor, as opposed to motorized wheels.
With this uniquely powerful form of propulsion, the Pura X5 is able to navigate in particularly challenging areas, like walls. It also helps in reducing energy consumption and results in increased durability of various parts of the unit.
Another piece of technology that aids greatly in navigation is the NeverStuck system. This system is implemented in the wheels, allowing the robotic cleaner to maneuver through the pool without getting stuck.
The wheels hold an excellent grip on the surface of the pool and can move easily across trouble spots such as the drain and the walls.
Many robotic pool cleaners rely solely on a vacuum action to remove debris from the pool’s surface. The Aquabot Pura 5X goes beyond vacuuming to ensure the best cleaning job.
The Pura X5 comes with dual scrubbing brushes that work together to get all the dirt and debris off the floor and walls. Even for pools getting their first cleaning of the season, the brushes do a great job of removing stubborn layers of dirt from the pool.
To rid all the debris from the water, the cleaner is equipped with a fine 2-micron filter bag.
This is fine enough to capture everything from leaves and large twigs to small debris, but not quite good enough for the smallest grit and grime.
As a bonus, there is an extra filter bag included with the unit. The top loading bag filter is easy to access and clean once it gets full.
Overall, the Pura 5X scores a 4 out of 5 in regards to cleaning ability.
While it does not use any special technology, it does a fine job – and for about $400!
Features We Like
1. Hydro-Robotic technology
The Aquabot Pura 5X uses water jet propulsion to move forward in a pool, rather than depending on motorized wheels. Aquabot calls this, “Hydro-Robotic” technology.
Hyro-Robotic propulsion definitely gives the Pura 5X an edge in maneuverability, allowing it to navigate any pool shape with relative ease and efficiency as well as tackling vertical climbs.
It also reduces the number of mechanical components that can fail, and keeps cost down.
2. NeverStuck technology
The wheels of the Pura 5X are designed to have a strong grip on the pool surface, regardless of how slippery it is.
Many robotic pool cleaners can get stuck in one spot or turn over on their backs as they try to maneuver around certain spots.
The Pura 5X’s use of NeverStuck technology avoids these issues – it also gives the cleaner uninterrupted navigation around the pool, even in tricky areas like the drain and corners.
The combined effect of the NeverStuck system and the Hydro-Robotic technology ensures that this doesn’t happen as often.
3. Programmable timer
You can set the Pura 5X to clean for either one or two hours at a time, depending on how dirty your pool is.
Unfortunately, there is no weekly scheduler, meaning you cannot set the unit to automatically clean on certain days when you are not around.
That said, you can connect an external timer if you need more timing flexibility.
4. Dual scrubbing system
The two brushes affixed onto this robotic cleaner scrub-off everything stuck to the floor and walls.
This provides a more thorough cleaning than cleaners that rely on suction power only.
Video Demonstration
Pros
- Affordable. The Aquabot Pura 5X costs around $400. As robotic pool cleaners go, this is REALLY affordable.
- Easy to operate. The Pura 5X is a simple device. It comes out of the box ready to use. Just plug in the power and you are good to go. Maintenance is easy, too.
- Compatibility with external timers, allowing you more flexibility in programming.
Cons
- No weekly programmable timer. The Pura 5X does not allow pool owners to program which days of the week the unit cleans the pool automatically. For most robotic pool cleaners, this is a basic feature.
- Not great with silt, sand and grime. Some owners complain that the unit has trouble filtering small debris. While it performs well in picking up leaves and other large particles, it does a bit poorly when it comes to dust, silt and sand.
- Not as durable. Most users say the unit wears out very quickly, barely lasting one year. If you buy it, get ready to replace it soon or buy new parts.
Specifications
- For in-ground and above-ground pools of any shape or surface
- Maximum pool length of 50 feet
- 80 gallon per minute flow & filtration rate
- Top-loading filter bag
- Two scrubbing brushes
- 1 and 2 hour timer setting options
- Compatible with external timers
- 2-Year Warranty
- 30 lbs
Conclusion
The Aquabot Pura 5X is a simple, compact robotic pool cleaner that does the job – without a lot of extra features.
But its simplicity doesn’t hamper its cleaning capability.
It may not be the best choice for cleaning pools that suffer from silt, sand and grime. But no matter what surface type or shape of pool you own, the Pura 5X is an excellent, affordable choice.
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