Automatic Pool Cleaners: Why a Robot Is the Most Automatic of All
Suction and pressure cleaners are automatic only while your pump runs. A robotic Dolphin cleans on its own schedule with its own pump and filter, scrubs the walls and waterline, and costs a few cents an hour. Here is how the three types compare, and which robots we recommend.
“Automatic pool cleaner” covers three very different machines. A suction-side cleaner plugs into your skimmer and is dragged around by the pool pump. A pressure-side cleaner is pushed by a return line, usually with a booster pump. A robotic pool cleaner is an independent electric robot with its own motors, pump and filter. Only the robot is automatic in the sense people mean: set a schedule, and it cleans the whole pool without you or your pump.
What to look for in an automatic pool cleaner
The question is how much of the job the cleaner does by itself. A robot with a weekly timer or app scheduling starts on its own, maps the pool so it covers everything once, climbs the walls and waterline, and keeps the dirt in its own filter instead of sending it to yours. Everything else is a vacuum that still needs you to run the pump and clean the filter.
- Starts itself: weekly timer or app scheduling
- Independent of the pool pump and filter
- Smart navigation that covers the whole pool, not random bouncing
- Walls and waterline, not just the floor
- Its own fine filter: MaxBin™ or NanoFilters™
The best automatic pool cleaners
All robotic, all Dolphin, ranked for how little they need from you. Each ships free with a 30-day trial.
Dolphin Quantum
A weekly timer in the power supply, SmartNav 2.0™ mapping and the XXL MaxBin™ with NanoFilters™: set it in spring and it cleans floor, walls and waterline until you close the pool.
- Floor + Walls + Waterline
- XXL MaxBin™ + NanoFilters™
- 2 years warranty
Ships free from our warehouse
Dolphin Premier
Weekly timer, commercial-grade motors, dual active brushes and swappable Multi-Media™ filtration, with a 3-year warranty. The one we recommend first for in-ground pools.
- Floor + Walls + Waterline
- MultiMedia™ + NanoFilters™
- 3 years warranty
Ships free from our warehouse
Dolphin Sigma
Schedule, choose modes and steer from the myDolphin™ Plus app; a gyroscope maps the pool and cleans in systematic rows. Triple motors and a 3-year warranty.
- Floor + Walls + Waterline
- NanoFilters™
- 3 years warranty
Ships free from our warehouse
Dolphin Cayman
Weekly timer, wall climbing, HyperBrush™ and MaxBin™ filtration for in-ground or above-ground pools up to 33 ft.
- Floor + Walls
- MaxBin™
- 2 years warranty
Ships free from our warehouse
Dolphin Escape
SmartNav™ mapping, MaxBin™ and HyperBrush™ scrubbing for above-ground and small in-ground pools. Press start and lift it out by the handle.
- Floor only
- MaxBin™
- 2 years warranty
Ships free from our warehouse
How the three automatic cleaners compare
The robot is the only one that brings its own pump and filter and runs on its own schedule.
| Feature | Robotic cleaner | Suction-side cleaner | Pressure-side cleaner |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it moves | Its own motors and tracks; no connection to the pool | Your pool pump pulls it along a hose from the skimmer | A booster pump pushes it along a hose from a return |
| Where the dirt goes | Into the robot’s own filter, down to 2 microns with NanoFilters™ | Into your pump basket and pool filter | Into a mesh bag on top of the cleaner |
| Walls and waterline | Climbs walls and scrubs the waterline (ProLine™) | Floor and lower walls at best | Floor and some walls |
| Running cost | About 5¢ an hour on a Max-Series™ robot | Runs your main pump for hours | Runs the main pump plus a booster pump |
| Setup | Plug in, drop in, press start | Hoses, skimmer adapter, flow adjustment | Dedicated return line and booster pump |
| Scheduling | Weekly timer or app | Tied to the pump timer | Tied to the booster timer |
| Shop | Shop Robotic Cleaners | Read the Buyer’s Guide |
What makes a Dolphin truly automatic
Set it once in spring.
The power supply on the Quantum, Premier and Cayman has a built-in weekly timer: every day, every other day or once a week, no app and no Wi-Fi. Many owners set it in April and do not touch it again until closing. The Weekly Timer power supply upgrade adds the same scheduling to compatible models.
Robots with a weekly timer ›
Start it from anywhere.
Wi-Fi Dolphins, the Sigma and the Explorer E30 to E70, connect to the myDolphin™ Plus app for remote starts, schedules, cleaning modes and manual steering. The cordless EON schedules through the Maytronics One app and sends a notification when the cycle ends.
Robots with Wi-Fi ›
Maps the pool, covers it once.
SmartNav™ scans the pool and plans overlapping lanes instead of bouncing off the walls, so a full-size pool is covered in one cycle. The Sigma’s gyroscope tracks its position for the most systematic coverage in the lineup.
Robots with a gyroscope ›
A few cents an hour, not a pump cycle.
A suction or pressure cleaner is only as cheap as the pump that drives it, and a booster pump adds more. A Max-Series™ Dolphin draws so little that a two-hour Cayman cycle costs about 10 cents of electricity, and your pool filter stays clean because the robot keeps the dirt in its own bin.
Electric pool cleaners ›Every automatic pool cleaner we recommend
Grouped by family. ProLine™ and Max-Series™ robots ship free from our warehouse; the cordless EON pair and the Liberty 300 are sold through Amazon.
Dolphin ProLine™ & Max-Series™ Compare the ProLine™ → Compare the Max-Series™ →
Dolphin Premier
The only Dolphin with swappable MultiMedia™ filtration.
- Floor + Walls + Waterline
- MultiMedia™ + NanoFilters™
- 3 years warranty
Ships free from our warehouse
Dolphin Quantum
App-connected floor-to-waterline cleaning with an XXL MaxBin™ and NanoFilters™.
- Floor + Walls + Waterline
- XXL MaxBin™ + NanoFilters™
- 2 years warranty
Ships free from our warehouse
Dolphin Sigma
The most advanced Dolphin ever, with a gyroscope and app control.
- Floor + Walls + Waterline
- NanoFilters™
- 3 years warranty
Ships free from our warehouse
Dolphin Cayman
The best-value Max-Series™ performer with a weekly timer, for in-ground or above-ground pools.
- Floor + Walls
- MaxBin™
- 2 years warranty
Ships free from our warehouse
Dolphin Escape
The entry Max-Series™ robot for above-ground and small in-ground pools.
- Floor only
- MaxBin™
- 2 years warranty
Ships free from our warehouse
Dolphin Explorer™ Compare the Explorer lineup →
Dolphin Explorer E20
Wall climbing on a budget in the Explorer™ line.
- Floor + Walls
- Top-load cartridge
- 2 years warranty
Ships free from our warehouse
Dolphin Explorer E30
Entry Wi-Fi with myDolphin™ Plus app control.
- Floor + Walls + Waterline
- Multi-layer cartridge
- 2 years warranty
Ships free from our warehouse
Dolphin Explorer E50
Wi-Fi cleaning with waterline coverage for larger pools.
- Floor + Walls + Waterline
- Dual-layer cartridge
- 2 years warranty
Ships free from our warehouse
Dolphin Explorer E70
A larger-pool Explorer™ that includes a caddy.
- Floor + Walls + Waterline
- Dual-layer cartridge
- 2 years warranty
Ships free from our warehouse
Cordless Dolphins: Liberty & EON Compare the Liberty lineup → Compare the EON lineup →
Dolphin Liberty 200
Dolphin’s first cordless robot: charge it, drop it in, press start.
- Floor + Walls
- Top-load basket
- 2 years warranty
Ships free from our warehouse
Dolphin Liberty 300
Up to a week of cycles per charge, an Eco mode and Click-Up™ pickup.
- Floor + Walls
- Top-load basket
- 2 years warranty
Sold through Amazon
Dolphin Nautilus EON 100
Cordless with Wi-Fi: cleans steps, ledges, corners and the waterline.
- Floor + Walls + Waterline + Steps
- Top-load fine basket
- 1 year warranty
Sold through Amazon
Dolphin Nautilus EON 120D
Up to 4.5 hours per charge, five modes and a self-cleaning backwash filter.
- Floor + Walls + Waterline + Steps
- DebrisLock™ backwash
- 1 year warranty
Sold through Amazon
How to use an automatic pool cleaner
With a robotic Dolphin the routine is four steps. Place the power supply back from the water on a GFCI outlet (or charge the battery, if cordless). Drop the robot in and let it sink; the cable floats. Press start, or let the weekly timer do it. When the cycle ends, lift the robot out by the handle, pull the bin, rinse it with a hose and slide it back. No hoses to prime, no vacuum plate, no backwashing afterwards.
Automatic pool cleaner vs robotic pool cleaner
Every robotic cleaner is automatic, but not every automatic cleaner is robotic. Suction and pressure cleaners move only while the pump runs, follow a random path, skip the waterline and send everything they pick up into your pool filter. A robotic cleaner is a self-contained appliance with its own pump, filter, brushes and navigation. If you are shopping for an automatic pool vacuum, the robot is the one that actually removes the chore. See our guides for above-ground pools and in-ground pools.
Shop robotic pool cleaners by type
Corded or cordless, Dolphin-only or the whole field: every category page sells the same robots with the comparison that fits the question.
Pool Robots
Every robot pool cleaner we sell
Corded and cordless, from $659
Pool Vacuum Robots
Robotic pool vacuums, no hose
MaxBin™ and NanoFilters™
Cordless Robotic Pool Cleaners
Liberty 200 & 300, EON 100 & 120D
No cable, pools up to 50 ft
Corded Robotic Pool Cleaners
ProLine™, Max-Series™, Explorer™
Unlimited runtime, weekly timers
Electric Pool Cleaners
Plug-in and battery pool vacuums
Low-voltage, about 5¢ an hour
Dolphin Pool Robots
Every Dolphin by Maytronics
Authorized retailer, full warranty
Cordless Dolphin Pool Robots
Liberty 200 & 300, EON 100 & 120D
Dolphin’s battery robots
Corded Dolphin Pool Robots
Premier, Quantum, Sigma, Cayman, Escape, Explorer
Weekly timers, NanoFilters™, 3-yr warranty
Every Dolphin we sell
Nautilus, Wave, open box & more
The full shop
The smartest place to buy your Dolphin
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Fast Free Shipping
Ships free from our warehouse, usually within one business day.
30-Day Returns & Warranty
Simple 30-day returns, plus a full 1–3 year manufacturer warranty on every robot.
1-on-1 Support
Talk to an in-house Dolphin expert before and after you buy.
Automatic Pool Cleaners: frequently asked questions
What is the best automatic pool cleaner?
A robotic cleaner with a weekly timer. We recommend the Dolphin Quantum for most in-ground pools: a built-in weekly timer, SmartNav 2.0 mapping, the XXL MaxBin with NanoFilters and floor, wall and waterline coverage on pools up to 50 ft. The Premier adds a 3-year warranty, the Sigma adds app control.
What is an automatic pool cleaner?
Any cleaner that moves around the pool without you pushing it: suction-side cleaners driven by the pool pump, pressure-side cleaners driven by a return line, and robotic cleaners driven by their own motors. Only the robot has its own filter and its own schedule.
Do automatic pool cleaners work on above-ground pools?
Robotic ones do. The Dolphin Escape and Cayman are rated for above-ground pools up to 33 ft and clean the floor (and walls, on the Cayman) without any connection to the pool's plumbing.
Do I need a booster pump for an automatic pool cleaner?
Only for a pressure-side cleaner. A robotic cleaner needs no booster pump, no dedicated return line and no skimmer connection. It plugs into a low-voltage power supply on the deck.
How long should an automatic pool cleaner run?
A Dolphin cycle runs 1.5 to 3 hours depending on the model and covers the whole pool once. Two or three cycles a week on the weekly timer keeps most pools clean in season.
Will a pool robot pick up algae?
A robot with active brushes and fine filtration scrubs algae off the floor and walls and traps it in the filter. It will not fix the water chemistry that let algae grow, so pair it with proper sanitizer levels. For dead algae after a treatment, NanoFilters™ or ultra-fine media capture the fine particles a standard cartridge lets through.
Can you run a pool robot while shocking the pool?
No. Wait until chlorine levels return to normal (about 1 to 4 ppm) before running any robot. High chlorine attacks the plastics, seals and brushes. The same goes for the hours right after adding acid or algaecide.
Related pages and buying guides
The pool cleans itself from here
Compare every Dolphin side by side, or ask a specialist which timer or app setup fits your pool.