Best Robotic Pool Cleaners

Where to start? Bulk and heavy compared to other products. Filters are very fiddly to replace. The foam rollers get hyper-dried out, turning them… Read more

into flotation devices. Before the machine will sink and do its job, you need to spend quite a while first "massaging" the rollers to get them to start soaking up water. Both drive belts snapped. The cord twists around itself in normal operation *very* quickly, and is very difficult to straighten out (hint - for goodness sake, buy a cordless model of whatever brand you get). The constantly twisted cord reduces the robot's operational range and at times threatens to pull the controller into the water. The connector housing where the cord goes into the body of the controller became loose very quickly, and with all the cord twisting, it eventually severed the electric wires completely, thus rendering the machine unusable. The carrier supplied by Robotek began rusting almost immediately. The climb function can't deal with curved steps, and would often get hung up at an awkward angle. The mapping function is poor, with the machine focussing on one half of the pool and largely ignoring the other half. The device can't handle leaves from palm trees and struggled with slightly larger leaves such as those from some magnolia trees nearby. At the end of the day, any labour time the device saves you is cancelled out by the the effort of managing this device and the fact I had to finish the job properly with the traditional pool vacuum/brush. Positives: the filter bags, though painful to install, picked up fine dirt and sand well, and are machine washable.

Purchased in 2024. Has been returned 4 times. Still not working. Software indicates basket full. Reality is basket take-up clogged. Maytronics… Read more

maintain that becausemajor parts replaced have not had to rbe eplaced again, Maytronics will not provide a refund. They consider that NSW consumer law does not reply to them! In my opinion the S400 is rubbish. Now Matronics will not respond to my emails. AFTER SALES SERVICE (?) IS NON-EXISTENT

I purchased the Dolphin M700 one month ago and so far I’m very impressed - my pool is the cleanest it’s ever been. I found it relatively easy to… Read more

setup and use. Took a little while initially to establish the wifi connection, no issues since. The app is very handy to select the cleaning mode, keep track of how long there is remaining on the cleaning cycle and also to pickup the robot when complete. Cleaning the filter basket each time is a bit of a chore, however the parts seem well designed. My previous pool cleaner was a suction Pentair Rebel, which kept getting stuck in corners, not cleaning the sides and just recirculated fine particles. However the Dolphin M700 covers the whole pool and collects the smallest debris - fine particles, sand, leaves and insects no problem.

Easy purchase process, very fast delivery. Product is very simple to use and so far has been a great addition Show details

This is my first robotic pool cleaner and I purchased it on the recommendation of someone who already had one and loved it. Not sure if it is an old… Read more

model but couldn't find a new one in stock so brought an ex demo that still came with the 2 year warranty. Have used it 4 times now and I am impressed, a great little machine. My pool doesn't get overly dirty but it can get a lot of small leaves in there, due to surrounding hedges if it is windy, which is what happened this weekend. There were small leaves all over the pool so was keen to see whether the robot would get them all and am pleased to say it did. I do have a ledge along one side of the pool and although the robot does climb up it, it is not sophisticated enough to move along in a straight line and clean the whole ledge so I just sweep this first. It does climb the walls and does the first two steps of the pool but not the top one as the water is too shallow. Was a bit concerned as the model I purchased was not designed for tiles and although most of the pool is pebblecrete, I do have a few rows of tiles at the water line but it still gets up that high and cleans them. I would definitely recommend it and it sure beats cleaning the pool manually which is what I have been doing for the last 3 years.

I purchased a Dolphin X30 Brand new in a Bundaberg Store, Nov 2025. Worked OK for a while until it stopped working altogether. I took it back to the… Read more

place of purchase. I have lost track how long it has been, something like 2- 3 months waiting for it to be fixed under warranty. I can handle it failing, I can handle it taking 2 weeks. But 2 months or more and still waiting, is just too long for an item less than 12 months old, not good enough. Tim McCollum Bundaberg,.

RX-Tank Tracks failed within 3 years....not great!! I ordered new tracks from the www.kreepykrauly.com.au website for $88 for 2 pieces of rubber… Read more

(seems way over the top, but anyway.....), plus $17.50 postage (again seems expensive for 2 pieces of rubber - maybe Express Post??..............then heard nothing!? Called their number on their website 1800 777255 and they have no idea about my order?? They kept asking me for my company name - I said no, not a company, a private individual who has placed an order on your website and received a confirmation email, and have since heard nothing? Order number #18802. This is not a great customer experience, what am I supposed to do?? Very frustrating experience.

Average at best. It feels the same as very early vacuuming robots—it works, but not very well. There's nothing smart or sophisticated about it, aside… Read more

from the very high price tag for what this robot is. The app is just for viewing, really, as its functions are limited to setting the cleaning time and choosing whether to clean the walls or not. You can do all of that from robot panel as well. When the robot is underwater, it doesn’t connect, making it useless. I would only recommend it if you have a large pool (ideally square for the robot convenience is not the smartest robot) with lots of debris sinking to the bottom, so you need constant vacuuming. You still have to take it out for charging quite often, which isn't the most convenient thing to do—it really defeats the purpose for me, at least. Update: The robot is dead after a year. I'm currently waiting for Medimac's warranty will see what happens.

Update: The warranty process was very smooth, which was a huge relief after the frustration of dealing with a faulty product. I’ve been upgraded to a current model, and it is much better—many of the previous issues have been addressed and rectified. It’s great to see a company not only standing behind its product but also making an effort to improve it. In a nutshell, the replacement is smaller, lighter, and more powerful. The improved cleaning patterns are making a real difference. My only criticism is that the warranty does not reset; it remains tied to the original purchase date. I believe every product should last for at least a full warranty period, and if a replacement is required, the warranty should start over from the date of replacement.

Had this cleaner for approx a month now, very impressed with it. it certainly isnt as easy to use as some other models like the dolphin 600 series (I… Read more

demoed it), however several features of the Robo Plus make it the better purchase. In my isntance I have many leaves that enter the pool such as mango, frangipani and palm tree seeds, the large inlets on the robot allow them to be sucked up with ease and without blocking like the other brands. The suction power is incredible which helps move surface debris to the skimmer of my old pool that doesnt skim well.

The bag takes effort to wash but that is fine due to its high capacity. I always run the 20 micron due to the fine sand and dust that frequents my pool.

Downsides: The control interface isnt the easiest to use, I can get it to do the clean I want but the manual control I havent figured out yet. The remote that is supplied has a very short range in my experience. After a short time the area near the foam rollers was getting scuffed from my fibreglass pool so i fitted the supplied rubber bumpers that are recommended for cobble pools. The unit is heavy especially when removing it full of water, but its fine for me. The robot is getting scuffed on the top from when the the bag needs to be removed already, but its only superficial.

Overall I would recommed this product so far. Will update this in a year or so. The waterline scrubbing is excellent and i dont have to brush it off now. I thought not having a cable swivel could be an issue but its not if you roll the cable out properly.

I have been using the RX-1 since 2018. It is pretty hardy and works well on our quartz surface pool. The rubber on the edges has worn off and Im not… Read more

sure if you can get spares - but I glue some bicycle tire tube pieces there bcos if I dont it seems to get stuck in one place.

Recently the yellow Impeller broke- I have ordered a replacement and hopefully can get it working again.

Very easy to use and I dont have any issues with this product.

If you own a swim spa and you’re tired of dealing with tangled cords, bulky pool robots, or manual vacuuming, the Zodiac Spabot promises something… Read more

refreshingly simple:

Drop it in. Walk away. Come back to a clean spa in 60 minutes.

After running it in our standard swim spa — and comparing it to our previous Dolphin robotic cleaner — here’s what I found.

What It Is

The Zodiac Spabot is a cordless, battery-powered robotic cleaner designed specifically for spas and swim spas — not swimming pools.

Key characteristics:

• Fully cordless • 60-minute autonomous cleaning cycle • Designed for floors, seats, and lower walls • Self-contained filtration canister • No hoses, no external pump required

It’s positioned as a convenience cleaner for spa owners who want automated maintenance without the complexity of traditional pool robots.

Build Quality & Design

This feels engineered — not adapted from pool equipment.

The casing is solid and well sealed, with a sturdy integrated carry handle. The wheels are stable and the brushes feel durable and purpose-built for textured spa surfaces.

The most important design advantage?

No cord.

Our previous Dolphin robotic cleaner performed well, but the cord frequently tangled and, over time, began to perish from exposure to the elements — meaning an expensive replacement cable was inevitable. Managing the cord every clean became frustrating.

The Spabot removes that entire problem.

Design highlights:

• Compact footprint ideal for swim spas • Integrated lift handle • Easy-access filter lid • Balanced underwater movement

It feels purpose-built for spa environments rather than a scaled-down pool robot.

Performance – Real World Testing

On Paper:

• 60-minute cycle • Autonomous navigation • Floor and lower wall cleaning • Water detection sensor (activates when submerged)

In Reality (Standard Swim Spa)

Submerge it, release the trapped air bubbles as instructed, and it activates confidently.

In our swim spa:

• It navigated methodically and consistently • It made clearly visible cleaning passes • It handled fine debris and sediment well • It climbed lower wall sections effectively • It floated to the surface at cycle completion

Unlike our previous corded cleaner, there was no cable drag influencing movement. It moved freely and predictably.

The 60-minute cycle felt perfectly matched to the spa size — not rushed and not excessive.

Noise is minimal and operation is unobtrusive.

Battery & Charging

Charging is straightforward:

• Standard 100–240V charger • One full cycle per charge • Must dry fully before reconnecting to power

Battery life aligns closely with the advertised 60-minute run time. In a standard swim spa, that duration feels appropriate and effective.

This is a cycle-based maintenance tool — not a continuous-duty cleaner.

Ease of Use

This is where the Spabot genuinely excels.

Start process: 1. Turn on. 2. Submerge. 3. Release bubbles. 4. Let go.

That’s it.

No hose setup. No external power supply. No cord management.

When finished, it floats to the surface for easy retrieval.

Filter cleaning is simple: • Release latch • Remove canister • Rinse • Reattach

Maintenance is intuitive and low-effort.

Cleaning Effectiveness in a Standard Swim Spa

This is where I was most impressed.

In our swim spa:

• It removed settled sediment effectively • It reduced manual brushing • It noticeably improved clarity • It maintained a clean appearance between deeper cleans

It won’t replace proper filtration or water chemistry management, but as part of a regular maintenance routine, it delivers real, visible results.

For a standard swim spa, the coverage and cycle time feel well balanced.

What could be improved.

(To stay balanced)

• No app control or cycle customization • No spot-clean mode • Not designed for large leaf debris • Must dry before charging

That said, these are trade-offs that keep the system simple and cordless.

Value Assessment

You’re paying for:

• Cordless simplicity • Zero hose or cable management • Drop-and-walk-away cleaning • Reduced manual vacuuming • Freedom from expensive replacement cables

After dealing with a perishing Dolphin cord and ongoing tangles, the convenience factor alone adds significant value.

For swim spa owners, this feels intelligently priced for the problem it solves.

Verdict

Buy it if:

• You own a swim spa or spa • You’re tired of corded robotic cleaners • You want simple, repeatable maintenance • You value compact, purpose-built design • Great price

Skip it if:

• You want pool-level robotic power • Your spa regularly accumulates large debris • You want smart app integration

Final Rating (Standard Swim Spa Context)

Build Quality: 8.5/10 Ease of Use: 9.5/10 Cleaning Effectiveness: 8.5/10 Convenience Factor: 9.5/10 Value: 8.5/10

Overall: 8.5/10 — A Smart, Cordless Upgrade for Swim Spa Owners

We sourced our Zodiac Spabot through LJ and Kirrily at Heater & Spa Parts, and the experience made the purchase even better. They’re knowledgeable, attentive and genuinely invested in helping customers choose the right equipment for their specific spa setup. Having a supplier who understands not just the product, but the broader spa system and maintenance requirements, adds real confidence to ownership. Even their resident dachshund, Chip, contributes to the welcoming experience.

On to my second machine in a month – Purchased the GT560 in Nov 24. It worked well first time I used it, and I was really pleased with the power and wall cleaning. However I tried to use… Read more

it 3 days later, and it wouldn’t work -lots of error messages, basically the machine wasn’t getting power to it from the control box. It turned out the swivel was faulty, you could see a burn mark on the swivel when I tried to run the GT560 again for a warranty video. Madimack after sales service team were good to deal with and I got a new GT560 sent out to me around 10 days later. Next one has worked twice, so fingers crossed it keeps working. Interestingly this one came with a warning attached to the swivel about avoiding knocks to it etc. I really love the power of this robot, does an excellent job on the walls. I think Madimack no longer make this model or any corded robots, they only seem to now do cordless. I’m not sure if this is their strategy or they’ve had a lot of problems with the GT560 and needed to phase it out. "

Don't go near these products or this company/ My Scuba S! failed while under warranty and was repaired. It failed again ( same problem ) just after… Read more

warranty and Aiper basically said "bad luck, it's out of warranty" I have heard of many people heaving the same problem with Aiper products . There after sales service is appalling

Never buy Baracuda brands – Constantly stopping have clean it and now flashing red light Not worth the money. These companies with no support should be band. Total rip off. Tech came and fixed it few weeks later and it is working ever since Show details

This is the second tiger shark we have purchased, after a positive first experience. Unfortunately the electrical unit kept shorting out (issue… Read more

confirmed not from our end) and as requested by Hayward, we sent it back under warranty. It’s now been over 6 weeks and many more phone calls, where return calls have been promised but never actually happened. They still have the unit and have not provided any return calls or updates or any communication at all. It is incredibly poor warranty management, terrible customer service and some product issues, so we do not recommend at all any more. Steer clear.

Got this 'top of the Zodiac range' cleaner with our pool installation in Dec 2022. When working the cleaner does a great job. When the cleaner was 2… Read more

years and 10 months old it stopped working with a communication error. Being out of warranty the cable was replaced at a cost of $800. Now 12 months later it has failed again and I have been informed that a new motor is required, at a cost if $1000!! I have written it off and I am purchasing a new robotic cleaner, NOT a Zodiac. For a product which originally cost approx $2500 I would have expected much better longevity. I would not recommend Zodiac robotic pool cleaners.

$1000 for less than 2 months use – Not good so far. purchased in September. less than 2 months ago and it has stopped. i have asked for assistance so we will see what happens. if good… Read more

outcome I will let you all know.

Zodiac were very quick to respond and the cleaner was replaced today. I think Zodiac need to be commended on their customer care. also Best pool supplies were excellent. well done

Great Pool cleaner that does the job – Scrubs the waterline, climbs the steps and ledge. Leaves the pool immaculate. Easy to clean. I have a 7x4 Concrete pool and I opted for the wonder brush. Bought for $999 on a boxing day special Show details

Avoid Zodiac/Fluidra robot cleaners at all costs! $3k cleaner and stopped working after 10 months. The worst part is dealing with their warranty and… Read more

service team which has taken 3 months! The website wouldn't work to upload my invoice to register for warranty back in August, all requests were ignored, then called and had Danielle tell me that I need 12 months of water tests to get a technician to come out and look at it?!? When I said I use a local little old man who still does invoices on pen and paper she said "maybe get a new guy then." Eventually the manager agreed to book someone in and he was a great guy and the fault was actually the charging unit. Its now been a month waiting for a new charging unit and keep telling me its on back order. When I call, text, email you get ignored or they don't respond.

This is the first time I've ever written a negative review. This product is not even worth the $799 I paid back on 12/12/22 from Best Pool Supplies… Read more

in Yatala. I've already had it repaired once for whatever the fault was to clean my 23,000 litre pool and now the 4 LED lights just keep coming on saying revert back to 2 LED lights under Troubleshooting in Section 5.1. What can I say - I won't be buying another one after lasting 3 yrs? Give me a break...

Contrary to all the negative reviews, I have had the Rebel 2 for some 6-7 years and it has never missed a beat. I check the easy to reach internal… Read more

gears and cams for any debris once a month and then it just does its thing!

I run it daily for 7 hours and I wind back the suction to the minimum necessary to do the whole small-gravel pool.

Previously had the Rebel 1 that was truly dreadful. Bought the super expensive repair kit for it but that didn’t last more than a couple of months.

Thing is all these cleaners live in a very hostile environment being salt/chlorine water 24/7, run for long periods of time and if you get 5 trouble free years out of them you’re doing pretty well!

Unfortunately I have to report that I am thoroughly disappointed by this pool cleaner. I purchased one of the more expensive ones based on the pool… Read more

shop's recommendation. It came with 2 years warranty. The first repair was required after approximately 12 months when the land power unit irreparably failed and needed a complete replacement. The second failure occurred just before its warranty expired and was the robot itself, it needed extensive repair/replacement to all its parts (control panel, motor, tracks etc). Now, another 6 months on, it has another complete failure. Given it is out of warranty, likely the cost of the repair will be cost prohibitive. Also, given its track record, it is likely to fail again soon after. Please do not buy this unit. It appears to be made of low quality components (all plastic bleached and started cracking after only a year, now at 2.5 years old it looks like it will disintegrate if you look at it a bit strong) that not only look aged quickly but fail quickly too.

Buyer Beware: Serious Quality and Customer Service Issues with Barracuda/Zodiac Robotic Cleaners and anything to do with the associated myfluidra… Read more

brand. ​ ​I am writing this review to warn potential customers about critical issues with product longevity and customer support. ​1. Consistent Failure Just After Warranty Expiration ​I have now owned two top of the range robotic pool cleaners from this brand, and both have failed shortly after the warranty period expired. ​My most recent unit, the Barracuda Adventura, has stopped working entirely, displaying the flashing 'i' light error. After troubleshooting, the core issue appears to be an internal failure. When I contacted the company for assistance, they immediately quoted their policy, stated the cleaner was out of warranty, and offered absolutely zero support or repair options. ​This pattern strongly suggests a serious quality control issue where the product is designed to fail shortly after the coverage ends. ​2. Absolutely zero customer service and no care factor ​The response from the customer service person (both via email and phone) was cold, unhelpful, and purely transactional. Despite clearly explaining that this was my second unit to fail in the same manner and asking for genuine troubleshooting help or discounted repair, I was met with boilerplate responses quoting policy, terms and conditions, almost robot like reading from a list bullet point responses. ​There was no attempt to understand the history of the product, offer a pathway to a resolution, or even show basic customer care. This lack of support for a premium-priced piece of equipment is unacceptable. They simply do not stand behind their product or value repeat customers. ​ ​​You are better off buying a cheaper, no-name brand with similar features, as the level of support you will receive from this company is effectively zero anyway. Lesson learnt, i'll never purchase another product from MyFluidra,Barracuda,Zodiac Pool Systems again.

Complete piece of junk Do not waste your money on this company. Robot was ok at first, never great but at least worked. Then started to fall apart,… Read more

doing wheelies, won’t map pool, battery won’t hold a charge, won’t power on the list goes on. Tge robot was purchased before our pool was fully installed, a delay in the build meant robot wasn’t even used until Feb 2025 and gas issues from the get go. Sent back four times under warranty, each time weeks without a robot. We don’t get heaps of dirt as we use pool cover when pool isn’t in use to keep heat in, so not even like robot was over worked! Just a few days after warranty over Aiper says they are unwilling to resolve . We are now lodging claim with NSW fair trading as this machine is not fit for purpose. Take my advice, believe the negative reviews , they are 100% correct and this company is terrible!! Just spend a bit extra and get a quality machine instead, Aiper isn’t worth the countless repairs, time and money wasted.

Relatively happy with the purchase. Have a rectangle-shaped pool with seating up one end in each corner. It climbs the walls and makes its way onto… Read more

the seats. The only issue is fine dust & sand. The 150micron basket is very average for this price point and struggles to pick this up. Ideally, it should manage particles less than 100 microns with ease. Overall, I still need to use the pool broom to suck up the finer debris. Hy-Chlor offers upgraded fine filter pads (50 microns) at an additional cost. The catch is that they only work effectively when the machine is running in ground-only mode.

Over $1,800 spent – 6 failures across 2 machines, company disregards Australian Consumer Law I purchased two premium pool cleaning units from Aiper:… Read more

the Scuba S1 Pro robotic cleaner and the Surfer S1 solar skimmer, investing over $1,800 in total. My experience has revealed serious reliability flaws and an after-sales support team that attempts to override Australian Consumer Law (ACL) with internal corporate policies.

Both units have now suffered three separate hardware breakdowns each. Experiencing three failures on two separate machines indicates severe systemic defects rather than routine wear and tear.

Scuba S1 Pro: Despite three complete failures (1-Water Ingress; 2-Water Ingress; 3-Unresponsive button), Aiper refused a statutory replacement or refund, asserting in writing that replacements are barred outside an arbitrary 30-day delivery window and claiming that repeat failures do not constitute a "major failure" as long as the machine is physically repairable. I was forced to submit the unit for a third repair strictly under protest.

Surfer S1: Despite three complete failures (1-Melted Solar Panel; 2-Stuck in Alarm Mode; 3-No longer charging via solar), Aiper outright refused any complimentary remedy, stating that because the 1-year manufacturer warranty had expired, no free service could be offered. Their only proposals were paid options: paid trade-in credits, discounted repurchases, or paying out of pocket for a refurbished unit.

Under Section 54 and Section 260 of the ACL, statutory guarantees of durability and acceptable quality outlast express warranties, and consumers are not required to endure endless repair cycles for recurring defects. A company cannot contract out of these rights.

Because Aiper continues to refuse a zero-cost remedy for the Surfer S1 and mischaracterises statutory consumer guarantees, I have formally escalated this dispute: 1. Lodged with Consumer Protection Western Australia (DEMIRS) for official conciliation. 2. Reported to the ACCC regarding potential misleading representations concerning consumer guarantee rights under Section 29(1)(m) of the ACL.

Prospective buyers should be aware: while these devices sound great on paper, long-term durability is severely lacking, and you can expect significant pushback when trying to enforce your legal warranty rights.

purchased Aiper Surfer S1 December 2024. failed May 2025 needed new motor. not used until late November 2025 until February 2026. Therefore, not many… Read more

hours brought out of storage after fully charging won't work propellors are freely operating by hand. Aiper not interested will not buy any of these products again.

Although it works without any assistance but cleaning quality is poor. I need to use it atleast 3 times a week and still have to manual clean the pool. Don’t even pick the leaves and small twigs. Overall a poor product with high price tag. Show details

Failed twice and then drama with the warranty. Had to push them to make good on their product. Shame I had to do that to but in the end they repaired… Read more

it at their cost. More than most would do. So, 4 stars for doing the right thing, 1 star off given it fails so often

Dolphin cleaner not worth money spent – Brought this unit from Clark rubber Cannington just over 3 years ago after trialling the unit instore. Worked great for the first year. After that… Read more

needed to reset clean start for every use and it would only go for an hour then needed restart again. Cleaned basket at every stop but no change. After 3 year with 6 months no use for winter no communication from controller and stopped working completely. Took to store for repair and told motor seized and all internal parts need replacing. $1000 to fix. Would not waste that money again on an overpriced cleaner that only just lasts through warranty period. Main debris type was sand and small leaves which the cleaner handled well for first year or so then after that took about 3 cycles to remove what was done in one. Cord tied itself in knots and had to untangle so cleaner could reach other end of pool. Would not recommend this cleaner to anyone thinking of purchasing.