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Clean my pool

A good pool robot is the closest thing to a drop-in robot you can buy: charge or plug it in, put it in the water, and it scrubs while you do something else. Three decisions matter — cord or battery, waterline or not, and who's going to lift it out.

Match a robot to my pool

Cordless or corded?

Cordless robots have no cable to tangle and nothing to plug in by the pool. The tradeoff is a battery that loses capacity over years, a run time limit per charge, and a wet robot you lift out to charge.

Corded robots run from a power supply beside the pool. They never need charging and have no battery to replace, but you manage a floating cable and need a GFCI-protected outlet nearby.

Full comparison

The question nobody asks: who lifts it?

The Beatbot AquaSense 2 weighs 23.08 lb dry, and a robot coming out of the water carries extra weight until it drains. For some buyers — especially older owners — that lift is the deal-breaker. Options: a caddy, a retrieval hook, a robot with a self-emptying station (still needs occasional handling), or your pool service retrieving it on visits.

Chemistry still matters. No robot on this page balances your water. The AquaSense X's clarifier is optional and, bought every quarter at $143.98, adds about $576 a year. We count it as a running cost, not a feature.

The three systems we checked

FeatureBeatbot AquaSense 2Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus with Wi-FiBeatbot AquaSense X
Price$799 (sale; Beatbot lists $1,298 as the regular price)$799 (sale; was $849)$3,999 (sale; list $4,250)
3-year cost (est.)≈ $949≈ $919≈ $4,179
SetupReady to buyReady to buyGuided setup
Biggest limitSkim floating debris off the surfaceClean the waterlineReplace chemical balancing
Warranty3 years1 yearSee Beatbot's terms
AvailabilityOn sale nowOn sale nowOn sale now

Prices checked October 10, 2026. 3-year cost = price + fees + required add-ons + our labeled upkeep estimate.

On sale now Ready to buy

Beatbot AquaSense 2

A cordless robot that scrubs the floor, walls and waterline of most residential pools, with no cord to tangle and no surface skimming.

$799 (sale; Beatbot lists $1,298 as the regular price)

3-year cost ≈ $949

What it does
  • Cleans floor, walls and waterline; does not skim the surface
  • Up to 4 hours of floor cleaning per charge (about 4 hours to recharge)
  • Rated for in-ground and above-ground pools up to about 3,230 sq ft, 0.5 to 3 m deep
  • 2 L filter basket, 150 micron
  • Weighs 23.08 lb dry, heavier when full of water
  • 3-year replacement warranty and 30-day money-back period (Beatbot's terms)
What it can't do
  • Skim floating debris off the surface
  • Balance your water chemistry
  • Empty itself — you rinse the basket after runs
What else you need
  • Required Your existing pool chemistry routine — $0. No robot replaces testing and balancing water.
  • Optional Beatbot cover (optional) — $49.99. Keeps the robot out of the sun between runs.

Setup: About 20 minutes: charge, drop in, pair the app if you want scheduling.

On sale now Ready to buy

Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus with Wi-Fi

A corded robot for in-ground pools: it never needs charging, but it does not clean the waterline.

$799 (sale; was $849)

3-year cost ≈ $919 Plus a gfci-protected outdoor outlet within reach of the power supply (price varies).

What it does
  • Corded: power comes from a supply near the pool, so runtime is never limited by a battery
  • Cleans floor and walls; no waterline cleaning listed
  • In-ground pools up to 40 ft
  • Top-load fine filter (70 micron per Maytronics)
  • About 20.8 lb; 1-year warranty
  • Caddy is not included
What it can't do
  • Clean the waterline
  • Run without a nearby outlet
  • Skim the surface
What else you need
  • Required A GFCI-protected outdoor outlet within reach of the power supply — price varies. Most pool equipment areas have one; cost varies if not.
  • Optional Caddy cart (optional) — price varies. Not included; Maytronics price not verified.

Setup: About 15 minutes: plug the power supply in near the pool, drop the robot in.

Independent criticism: Weak wall climbing, struggles with large debris, fiddly filters. (Poolbots review, July 2026)

On sale now Guided setup

Beatbot AquaSense X

Beatbot's top system: a robot plus a station that empties and rinses its 22 L basket for you. Impressive, and priced like it.

$3,999 (sale; list $4,250)

3-year cost ≈ $4,179 Plus space and power for the astrorinse station (price varies).

What it does
  • Self-emptying AstroRinse station with a 22 L debris basket (150 micron)
  • Cleans surface, walls, floor, waterline and shallow platforms (35 cm and up)
  • Saltwater pools up to 5,000 ppm
  • Ships to the continental US only
  • Optional AquaRefine clarifier packs: $143.98 per quarterly bundle at the checked sale price
What it can't do
  • Replace chemical balancing
  • Justify its price for small, clean pools
What else you need
  • Required Space and power for the AstroRinse station — price varies. Plan placement before ordering.
  • Optional AquaRefine clarifier bundle (optional, quarterly) — $143.98. If you buy it every quarter, that is about $576 a year — treat it as a running cost, not a feature.

Setup: Plan an afternoon: place the AstroRinse station, charge, map the first runs.

Recalls and safety history

Battery-powered pool robots have had safety recalls. In August 2023 the CPSC announced a recall of about 22,000 Aiper Elite Pro (GS100) cordless pool robots in the US: if the charger was plugged in without its adapter, or directly into the robot, the battery could overheat. The remedy was a free replacement robot. CPSC notice.

That's a past recall on a specific model, not a verdict on the brand today. It is a reason to always use the charger exactly as the manual says, and to check cpsc.gov/Recalls before buying any battery robot.

Why there's no Aiper on this list yet

Aiper makes popular cordless robots, but we couldn't read Aiper's own US store on October 10, 2026, and retailer listings showed conflicting prices and stock. We'll add Aiper models once we can confirm prices from the source.

Discontinued

The Beatbot AquaSense 2 Pro is marked "no longer available" on Beatbot's site. If you see it discounted elsewhere, check warranty terms before buying old stock.

When to buy

Demand peaks in spring and summer. Off-season buying can mean better prices; if you buy a cordless robot in fall, store it charged, dry and out of freezing temperatures until opening day.

How we chose these

Listed for sale on the manufacturer's US site on October 10, 2026, with specs from the manufacturer's page. We haven't tested these robots ourselves. Methodology.

Last checked . See what changed.