Robotic Pool Cleaners

How to read this table

Every value in the table above is the manufacturer's own published figure, copied from the maker's product page, spec sheet or manual. Where a maker does not state a figure, the cell reads Not published rather than carrying an estimate, a retailer's guess or a number lifted from a similar model in the same range. That gap is information: a brand that publishes rated coverage, flow rate and cycle times is telling you more about its machine than one that publishes a headline suction claim and nothing else.

A few cells read N/A instead. That means the figure cannot exist for that unit rather than being unpublished — cable length on a cordless model, or battery runtime on a mains-powered corded one. Sorting a numeric column moves every model without a published figure to the bottom, so a short list at the top of a sort is a list of makers who publish, not a ranking of quality.

What actually decides which pool cleaner fits

Start with the pool, not the robot. The maker states the pool types a unit is rated for and, usually, a maximum pool length; if your pool is longer than that figure, no amount of suction compensates. Rated cleaning coverage is the second gate, because it describes the area the maker expects one cycle to cover.

Then decide corded or cordless. A corded unit runs from mains power for as long as you let it, but the cable has to reach and it tangles on complex shapes. A cordless unit has a battery runtime and a charge time, and those two figures together set how much pool you can clean in an afternoon. Runtime is quoted at the maker's own chosen mode, so compare it alongside the cycle options rather than on its own.

Filtration is where published detail thins out fastest. Filter medium and basket capacity tell you how often you will rinse it; micron ratings, where a maker publishes one, indicate whether fine silt and pollen are captured or passed through. Wall climbing and waterline cleaning are separate published claims — a unit can climb walls without being rated to scrub the tile line where sunscreen leaves a band.

Finally, note what the spec sheet does not cover. Noise, real-world durability and how long spare brushes stay available are not published figures, and this database does not invent them. Nor do we test units, so nothing here reflects hands-on use.

Battery safety and recalls in this category

Cordless pool robots carry lithium-ion packs, and two recalls have been issued in this category on battery fire and burn grounds. Neither affects any model listed here, and we record a verification date against every unit so you can see when that was last checked rather than taking it on trust.