To keep your pool looking its best, it should be vacuumed at least once a week or more if you have trees on your property, and that can take hours. If you’re looking to spend more time enjoying your pool and less time working on it, consider a robot pool cleaner. At PCMag, we’ve been reviewing robotic pool cleaners for the better part of a decade, and we put every model we test through its paces in our own pools. With excellent cleaning performance, underwater remote control support, and a reasonable price, the cordless Dreame Z1 Pro is our top pick in the category, and it can save you hours of work while keeping your pool spotless. Read on for all of our top picks, including models that can skim the surface and dispense water-clarifying solution.
Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
Best Value
Dreame Z1 Pro Robotic Pool Cleaner
- Excellent cleaning performance
- Powerful suction
- Cordless
- Remote controller included
- Easy to retrieve and clean
- No water temperature readings or filter cleaning alerts
With up to 8,000GPH of suction power and five cleaning modes, the Dreame Z1 Pro is one of the most powerful robotic pool cleaners we’ve tested. It left our test pool spotless and was easy to retrieve and wash after it finished cleaning. It also offers precise underwater control, a feature missing in most cordless pool cleaners.
The Dreame Z1 Pro is designed for pools of all shapes up to 2,160 square feet in size, and it’s our top recommendation in the category. It won’t skim the surface of your pool, but it offers excellent cleaning performance, cordless operation, and underwater control for less money than most competing models.
Learn More
Dreame Z1 Pro Robotic Pool Cleaner Review
Most Advanced Robot Pool Cleaner
Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra Robotic Pool Cleaner
- Cleans pool walls, floor, waterline, and surface
- Accurate AI mapping
- Good battery life
- Dispenses clarifier
- Dual filter baskets
- Easy to remove from pool and recharge
- Expensive
- No underwater control
The Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra is expensive, but it’s also the most advanced robot pool cleaner we’ve tested. It features AI-powered pool mapping, advanced debris detection, and multiple motors and scrubbers that work to keep your entire pool clean from top to bottom. The AquaSense 2 Ultra does a stellar job of cleaning, and it couldn’t be easier to use. When it completes a work cycle, it parks itself for easy removal, and you can clean the dual-basket filter without getting your hands dirty.
If you’re looking for the ultimate in hands-off pool maintenance, this is it. In addition to your pool’s floor, walls, and waterline, it can skim the surface. As an added benefit, it dispenses clarifier to help clear up cloudy water. It doesn’t come with an underwater remote like some competing models, but when it’s floating on top of the water, you can control surface navigation using the Beatbot mobile app. The Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra is designed for in-ground and above-ground pools of up to 3,875 square feet in size with a depth of 1.3 to 9.8 feet.
Learn More
Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra Robotic Pool Cleaner Review
Best for In-Pool Charging
Wybot S2 Pro Cordless Robotic Pool Cleaner
- Cordless
- Good cleaning performance
- Multiple cleaning modes
- Fast charging
- In-pool dock
- Underwater remote control mode in app
- Pricey
- Frequently lost app connection in our tests
- Finicky auto-docking performance
The Wybot S2 Pro is the first robot pool cleaner we’ve come across that offers in-water charging via a docking station that you install on the side of your pool. It’s cordless and will return to the dock for a recharge when the battery level gets low. It offers seven different cleaning modes for scrubbing your pool’s walls, floor, and waterline. In testing, it did a fantastic job of removing large debris such as leaves and acorns, as well as sand and other fine particles.
If you want a cordless robot pool cleaner you don’t have to remember to manually charge, consider the Wybot S2 Pro. It’s meant for pools up to 3,230 square feet in size and 9.5 feet in depth. If your pool walls are not perfectly straight, or if you’d rather not attach the Wybot S2 Pro’s docking station to them, this may not be the best robotic pool cleaner for you.
Learn More
Wybot S2 Pro Cordless Robotic Pool Cleaner Review
Best Corded Robotic Pool Cleaner
Polaris Alpha IQ+
- Excellent cleaning performance
- Easy to clean out
- Supports app control
- Simple to set up and use
- Expensive
- Lacks notifications
The Polaris Alpha iQ+ is the company’s top-of-the-line wired robot pool cleaner. It’s easy to set up and clean, thoroughly scrubs your pool, and can be controlled directly with an app. In testing, the cleaner had no trouble sucking up filter sand, insects, dead worms, berries, leaves, and all other debris. In addition, its feature-rich mobile app lets you create cleaning schedules, guide the cleaner through your pool using a joystick controller, and focus on specific areas using the Spot Clean feature. It also offers water temperature readings and dirty filter alerts, insights you won’t get with some competing models.
If you prefer a corded robot pool cleaner, it doesn’t get better than the Polaris Alpha iQ+. A 70-foot rubberized cable connects the cleaner to an included caddy/control box that plugs into the wall for uninterrupted power. The cable uses a swivel mechanism that keeps it from becoming twisted, and the robot’s debris canister can be emptied and cleaned with very little effort. Designed for in-ground pools up to 60 feet in length, it offers several cleaning modes to tackle your pool’s floor, walls, and waterline.
Learn More
Polaris Alpha IQ+ Review
Best for Ease of Use
Polaris Freedom Plus Cordless Robotic Pool Cleaner
- Outstanding cleaning performance
- In-water remote control
- Cordless operation
- Very easy to set up and use
- Expensive
- Lacks dirty canister alerts
- No water temperature readings
The Polaris Freedom Plus is cordless, so all you have to do is juice it up on the convenient charging caddy, set a cleaning mode using your phone or the onboard controls, and drop it in the pool. After completing a cleaning cycle, the robot will be waiting for you at the side of the pool—it just doesn’t get any easier than that. It lacks water temperature readings and dirty canister notifications, but it offers the convenience of underwater control. In our testing, the Freedom Plus did a fantastic job of cleaning the pool floor, walls, and waterline, sucking up all manner of debris, including acorns, leaves, and sand from the filter.
If you want an easy-to-use robot pool cleaner, this is one of our top picks in the category. It doesn’t need to be tethered to a base by the pool and can work on its own, or you can steer it manually using a light-based remote. The Freedom Plus cleaner is designed for in-ground pools up to 50 feet long and up to 13 feet deep.
Learn More
Polaris Freedom Plus Cordless Robotic Pool Cleaner Review
Best for Water Clarification
Beatbot AquaSense Pro
- Good cleaning performance
- Cordless
- Dual-layer filter basket
- Built-in Wi-Fi
- Long battery life
- Dispenses clarifying solution
- Easy to use and remove from pool
- Expensive
- No remote steering
The Beatbot AquaSense Pro is an easy-to-use cordless robot that can clean your pool’s bottom, walls, waterline, and surface. In testing, it did a great job of thoroughly scrubbing all areas of the pool, worked fast, and its companion app accurately tracked its cleaning cycles. It lacks underwater remote steering support, but as an extra perk, it can dispense water-clarifying solution to keep your pool spotless.
If you want a robot pool cleaner that can dispense water-clarifying solution and skim the surface in addition to scrubbing the bottom, walls, and waterline, the AquaSense Pro is a top pick. It has fewer motors, scrubbers, and navigation sensors than the Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra, but it still does a terrific job of keeping your entire pool clean, for $1,000 less. The AquaSense Pro is designed for in-ground and above-ground pools with a depth of up to 9.8 feet.
Learn More
Beatbot AquaSense Pro Review
Get Our Best Stories!
All the Latest Tech, Tested by Our Experts
By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up!
Your subscription has been confirmed. Keep an eye on your inbox!
Buying Guide: The Best Robotic Pool Cleaners for 2025
Robotic Pool Cleaners vs. Pressure Cleaners
Robot pool cleaners are available for every kind of pool, and many are specifically designed for certain types, so it’s important to check the specs before you buy. For example, you don’t want to buy a cleaner designed for above-ground pools if you have an in-ground one, and vice versa. When it comes to in-ground pools, make sure you choose a cleaner built to handle your pool’s construction material. Some cleaners are ideal for granite or plaster pools, while others are specifically made for ones with vinyl liners. Additionally, verify that the cleaner can handle the size and volume of your pool.
The two most popular types of automatic pool cleaners are robotic cleaners and pressure cleaners. We only test robotic pool cleaners because they offer more smart features than those in the latter category and are simpler to set up and use. Both types do a good job of keeping your pool clean, but pressure washers rely on your pool’s filter pump (or, in some cases, an additional booster pump) to provide power, whereas robotic cleaners use electricity. Pressure washers don’t require any electrical power and, as such, lack Bluetooth and Wi-Fi radios for connecting to a companion app.
Robot pool cleaners, on the other hand, are self-contained and work independently of your pool’s pump. They use motorized wheels or rollers and rubber brushes to traverse the pool floor and scrub the walls and waterline, picking up debris along the way. They collect debris in an onboard filter canister and return clean filtered water to the pool.
What to Look for in a Robot Pool Cleaner
Smart robot pool cleaners typically consist of the actual robot, a head unit that controls everything, and a long waterproof data cord that connects the robot to the head unit. The head unit lets you program the cleaner to run at specific times of the day and days of the week, plus it usually offers multiple cleaning options, such as floor and walls or floor, walls, and waterline. A cleaner that scrubs the waterline can greatly reduce or eliminate the time it takes to brush your pool’s sides. Some cleaners come with a caddy that holds the head unit and stores the robot and data cord, but in some cases, you have to pay extra for this option. Either way, a caddy makes it much easier to move and store the cleaner, which can weigh anywhere from 10 to 25 pounds.
Polaris Freedom Plus app (Credit: Polaris/PCMag)
The best smart pool cleaners are equipped with Bluetooth or Wi-Fi radios. A Wi-Fi radio connects the robot to your home network and lets you control the device from anywhere through a mobile app, while Bluetooth enables local control. Look for a model with an app that lets you stop and start the cleaner, steer it to dirty areas for quick spot cleaning, change cleaning modes, and create cleaning schedules.
One of the most important features of any pool cleaner is the debris canister. Some models come with a canister that uses a cloth filter to catch debris, while others use a fine mesh screen for filtering. Cloth filters capture fine particles, but you have to remove the cloth and clean it, which can be messy. Mesh canisters are easier to clean because you can simply spray them down with a hose. Keep in mind that the cleaner not only picks up dirt and leaves but also any dead bugs and funky debris that come to rest at the bottom of your pool. Look for a cleaner with an easy-to-remove canister that you can empty and clean without touching any of the nasty stuff inside.
Advanced cleaners integrate mapping technology that allows them to learn your pool’s dimensions and contours to calculate a precise custom cleaning cycle, a button that sends the cleaner to the side of the pool and expels excess water for easy removal, and water temperature reporting.
Are Robot Pool Cleaners Worth It?
Robotic pool cleaners aren’t cheap, and, as always, you should expect to pay more for premium features. You can get a no-frills robot that cleans the floor of 28-to-32-foot pools for around $500, but don’t expect Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or a mobile app at this price; you likely also have to pay extra for a caddy with these models. Midrange robotic cleaners that scrub the walls and waterline cost around $800 and likely include Wi-Fi and a mobile app. If you want a top-of-the-line robot with all the bells and whistles, prepare to pay $1,300 or more.
The Best Smart Pool Water Monitors
It is important to keep your pool free of debris, but you also need to balance the water chemistry correctly for it to be safe for swimming. The two most important readings are your sanitizer (free chlorine) and pH (acidity) levels. In most cases, the pool water should have a free chlorine level between 2 and 4ppm and a pH level between 7.2 and 7.8 (on a scale of 0-14). If your pH level is too low, it can lead to cloudy water and result in itchy skin and burning eyes. If it’s too high, it can cause skin and eye irritation as well as damage to plumbing components. Moreover, a balanced pH is necessary for the sanitizer to do its job effectively.
Recommended by Our Editors
There are several ways to check your water’s chemistry, including test strips, drops, and bringing a sample to your local pool supply store for analysis. You can also find digital measurement devices that tell you all you need to know about your water, but they tend to be expensive.
If you would prefer not to physically test the water with a kit and don’t have time to wait in line at the pool store, consider a smart water monitor with Bluetooth or Wi-Fi that takes daily measurements and sends the results to your phone. Most can measure your pool’s pH and sanitizer levels, while some also determine hardness (calcium), TDS (total dissolved solids), and alkalinity levels. A few monitors advise you as to how much of each chemical you need to balance your pool water and offer online shopping links for pool chemicals via a mobile app.
The Crystal Water Monitor is expensive at $499, but it provides spot-on measurements of your pool or hot tub’s water chemistry and tells you how to keep the levels balanced. Sutro’s Smart Pool Water Monitor ($499) is another strong option for keeping your pool or spa water safe and clear, but it has an expensive subscription plan, priced at $29 per month.
The Best Robot Pool Cleaner Deals This Week*
*Deals are selected by our commerce team
