Help me choose
Pool robot buying guide
Compare Robotic Pool Cleaners
Choose any two of 100 pool cleaners for a detailed head-to-head, or put three current models into the quick chart. Start with pool fit, cleaning coverage, filtration, and the ownership details you will notice every week.
- 100 cleaners
- 6 brands
- 4,950 detailed matchups
Reviewed by Brian Williamson, Pool Express product specialist
Choose any three current models
Robotic pool cleaner comparison chart
Switch any column to compare current Dolphin, CLEAR, Aquabot, BWT, Blue Helix, and Polaris robots. The chart updates instantly without sending you to another page.
Choose any model above; on smaller screens, scroll sideways for all three
| Compare | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Best forThe quickest way to narrow the choices | Leaves, fine debris, and complete inground-pool cleaning | Ultra-fine debris and app-controlled full-pool cleaning | Smaller pools that need floor and wall cleaning |
| Starting price | $1,999 | $1,749 | $1,079 |
| Pool type | Inground | Inground | Inground, Above-ground |
| Maximum pool length | Up to 50 ft | Up to 50 ft | Up to 40 ft |
| Cleaning coverageFloor, walls, and waterline | Floor, Walls, Waterline | Floor, Walls, Waterline | Floor, Walls |
| Included filtration | Standard filters, NanoFilters, Oversized leaf bag, Multi-Media | UltraFilter | MaxBin |
| Power and cable | 60 ft cable with anti-tangle swivel | 59 ft cable with anti-tangle swivel | 50 ft cable |
| Automatic scheduling | Weekly schedule | Weekly schedule | Weekly schedule |
| Smartphone app | Power-supply controls | App control | Power-supply controls |
| Navigation | SmartNav 2.0 | Intelligent navigation (C9 microprocessor) | SmartNav 2.0 |
| Active brushes | 2 active brushes | 2 active brushes | 1 active brush |
| Robot weight | 20.3 lb | 27.6 lb | 14.6 lb |
| Manufacturer warranty | 3 years | 3 years | 2 years |
How to narrow the chart
Start with the cleaning problem, not the product line
A longer feature list does not make a robot a better fit. Decide which surfaces must be cleaned, what debris fills the pool, and how much lifting or scheduling you want to live with. Those answers naturally narrow the chart to one of these three paths.
When debris changes through the season
Premier is the useful benchmark when spring pollen, summer dust and fall leaves all reach the same pool. Sigma gives up Premier’s leaf bag in exchange for stronger movement and phone control.
- Why Premier: switch among NanoFilters, standard panels and an oversized leaf bag
- Why Sigma: triple motors, four brushes, gyroscope navigation and app control
- The trade-off: both are 35 lb robots built for complete inground-pool coverage
When water clarity is the hard part
CLEAR makes the most sense when ordinary baskets leave silt or pollen behind. Clear S focuses on 1-micron UltraFilter cleaning; Clear UV adds UV-C treatment to the same basic cleaning job.
- Why Clear S: the lower-cost route to UltraFilters, app control and waterline cleaning
- Why Clear UV: supplemental UV-C for algae-prone or heavily used pools
- The trade-off: UV-C supports filtration and chemistry; it does not replace either one
When simpler is the better fit
Cayman and Escape keep the easy-rinse MaxBin and active scrubbing in light 14.2–14.6 lb bodies, then divide the job by coverage and pool size.
- Why Cayman: floor and wall cleaning with weekly scheduling for pools up to 40 ft
- Why Escape: a quick 1.5-hour floor cycle for pools up to 30 ft
- Shared strengths: lightweight handling, MaxBin filtration and active scrubbing
One decision at a time
Start with these close matchups
These comparisons isolate the trade-offs most likely to change which current robot you buy.
Clear UV vs Clear S
Pool Express pick: Clear UV
Dolphin Quantum vs Clear S
Pool Express pick: Dolphin Quantum
Dolphin Premier vs Dolphin Sigma
Pool Express pick: Dolphin Premier
Dolphin Premier vs Dolphin Quantum
Pool Express pick: Dolphin Quantum
Dolphin Sigma vs Dolphin Quantum
Pool Express pick: Dolphin Quantum
Dolphin Cayman vs Dolphin Escape
Pool Express pick: Dolphin Cayman
4,950 head-to-heads
Compare any two pool cleaners
Choose two models to open their full comparison. Every eligible floor-cleaning robot in our product data has a page against every other one.
No cleaner matches that search. Try a shorter model or brand name.
How we compare
A recommendation starts with fit, not feature count
Residential recommendations come from ProLine, CLEAR, and Max-Series. Commercial comparisons use Dolphin Wave because a backyard robot cannot replace a facility-sized cleaner.
- Pool fit firstPool type, length, and floor, wall, or waterline coverage must match the job.
- Debris nextFine filters, large leaf capacity, and UV-C are weighed against the debris problem.
- Ownership mattersScheduling, app control, cable swivel, weight, and warranty affect every cleaning cycle.
- Unknown stays unknownA missing specification gets a dash, never a red X or a made-up advantage.
Need a second opinion?
Tell us about your pool and debris
A Pool Pro can narrow the chart to the two models that fit your pool size, surface, and usual cleanup.