Robotic Pool Cleaners with a Weekly Timer

Robots clean best when they run often. A daily or alternate-day cycle removes pollen, dust and leaves before they stain or feed algae, and the filter never packs solid because each cycle handles a day's debris rather than a week's. In practice, robots without a timer get run when the pool looks dirty, which is exactly the wrong time; robots with a timer run before it ever does.

Dolphin's weekly timer lives in the power supply: choose daily, every two days or every three days, and the robot starts at the time you first set it. App-enabled models let you set the schedule from your phone instead. Leave the robot in the pool between cycles if you like, or lift it out when the weather turns; a timer and an anti-tangle swivel are the combination that lets you forget about it. The Premier adds a Media-Alert light that tells you when the filter needs a rinse.