Electric Pool Cleaners: Plug-In and Battery-Powered Pool Vacuums
An electric pool cleaner brings its own power. A plug-in Dolphin runs from a low-voltage supply on the deck; a cordless Dolphin runs from a battery. Either way, your pool pump, skimmer and filter stay out of it, and the robot cleans for a few cents an hour.
Suction and pressure cleaners have no motor of their own: your pool pump does the work and they ride along. An electric pool cleaner is a robot with its own motors, pump and filter, powered either through a cable from a low-voltage power supply or from a built-in lithium battery. That independence is why it can scrub walls, climb to the waterline, map the pool and filter down to 2 microns while your main pump is off.
What to look for in an electric pool vacuum
Decide between plug-in and battery first: plug-in robots run on a schedule all season with stronger motors and finer filters, battery robots remove the cable but need a charge between cycles. Then check the power supply has a weekly timer, the motors move enough water for your pool size, and the filter is fine enough for your debris.
- Low-voltage DC power supply with a weekly timer (plug-in)
- Or a lithium-ion battery with inductive charging (cordless)
- Motors rated for your pool: 33 ft or 50 ft
- Its own filter: MaxBin™, Multi-Media™ or NanoFilters™
- 2 to 3-year warranty from an authorized Dolphin dealer
The best electric pool cleaners
Three plug-in flagships and the cordless Liberty 200, ranked. All four ship free with a 30-day trial.
Dolphin Quantum
Our best seller: XXL MaxBin™ with NanoFilters™ in the box, HyperBrush™ scrubbing, waterline cleaning and a weekly timer, for pools up to 50 ft.
- Floor + Walls + Waterline
- XXL MaxBin™ + NanoFilters™
- 2 years warranty
Ships free from our warehouse
Dolphin Premier
Floor, walls and waterline on pools up to 50 ft, swappable Multi-Media™ filtration with NanoFilters™ and an oversized leaf bag, dual active brushes and a 3-year warranty.
- Floor + Walls + Waterline
- MultiMedia™ + NanoFilters™
- 3 years warranty
Ships free from our warehouse
Dolphin Cayman
Floor and wall scrubbing with 2× faster HyperBrush™, the MaxBin™ filter and a weekly timer, for in-ground or above-ground pools up to 33 ft.
- Floor + Walls
- MaxBin™
- 2 years warranty
Ships free from our warehouse
Dolphin Liberty 200
Dolphin’s first cordless robot: a built-in lithium-ion battery, Magnetic-Connect inductive charging, floor and walls on pools up to 50 ft and a 2-year warranty.
- Floor + Walls
- Top-load basket
- 2 years warranty
Ships free from our warehouse
Three ways to power a pool cleaner
Both electric options leave your pool pump out of it. The plug-in robot runs longest and filters finest; the battery robot drops the cable.
| Feature | Plug-in robot | Battery robot | Pump-driven cleaner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power source | Low-voltage power supply on the deck | Built-in lithium-ion battery | Your pool pump (plus a booster, for pressure-side) |
| Runtime | Unlimited, on a weekly timer | One 1.5 hr cycle to a week of cycles per charge | As long as the pump runs |
| Cost per cycle | About 10¢ on a Cayman | Pennies to recharge | Hours of pump time |
| Coverage | Floor, walls and waterline (ProLine™) | Floor and walls (Liberty); steps and waterline (EON) | Floor, some walls |
| Filtration | Own bin, NanoFilters™ to 2 microns | Own top-load basket | Your pool filter |
| Warranty | 2 to 3 years | 2 years (Liberty) | Varies |
| From | $659 | $999 | — |
| Shop | Shop Plug-In Robots | Shop Battery Robots |
Where the power goes
Household power stays on the deck.
The power supply plugs into a GFCI outlet and converts household power to low-voltage DC before anything reaches the cable. On the Quantum, Premier and Cayman it also carries the weekly timer, so the supply is the robot’s brain as much as its battery.
Corded robotic pool cleaners ›
Dual 24-volt motors, 4,000+ gallons an hour.
Max-Series™ robots pair two 24-volt motors, one to drive and one to pump, and still draw so little that a two-hour cycle costs about 10 cents. ProLine™ robots step up to commercial-grade motors from the Dolphin Wave lineup, filtering over 75 gallons a minute; the Sigma runs three of them.
Dual motors explained ›
Or carry the power with you.
The cordless Liberty keeps its lithium-ion battery inside the robot and charges through a Magnetic-Connect inductive pad with no exposed pins. A full charge takes up to about 6 hours; the Liberty 200 runs a 1.5-hour cycle per charge and the Liberty 300 runs for up to a week of cycles.
Cordless robotic pool cleaners ›
The dirt never reaches your pool filter.
Because an electric cleaner pumps for itself, the debris ends up in the robot: a MaxBin™ you empty in seconds, or Multi-Media™ on the Premier with NanoFilters™ down to 2 microns. Your pool filter runs cleaner, backwashes less and lasts longer.
Robots with NanoFilters™ ›Every electric pool cleaner we recommend
Plug-in robots first, grouped by family, then the cordless Liberty and EON. ProLine™, Max-Series™, Explorer™ and the Liberty 200 ship free from our warehouse.
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 much electricity does a robotic pool cleaner use?
Very little. Dolphin rates the Max-Series™ at about 5 cents an hour to run, so a two-hour Cayman cycle costs roughly 10 cents and three cycles a week comes to a few dollars a season. Compare that with running a 1.5 HP pool pump for the same hours to drive a suction cleaner, or adding a booster pump for a pressure cleaner. Because the robot filters the water itself, the main pump can run less too.
Are electric pool cleaners safe?
Yes, when used as designed. A plug-in Dolphin never carries household voltage into the water: the power supply converts it to low-voltage DC on the deck and plugs into a GFCI-protected outlet, and the manual specifies how far from the water to place it. A cordless Dolphin has no cable at all. In both cases, do not swim while the robot is running, and lift it out by the handle rather than the cable.
Electric vs suction vs pressure pool cleaners
Suction cleaners are cheap to buy but cost pump time, clog your filter and clean the floor only. Pressure cleaners cover more but need a booster pump and a dedicated line. An electric robot costs more up front and then almost nothing to run, cleans walls and the waterline, and takes the load off your filter. Our automatic pool cleaner comparison lays the three out side by side.
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
Automatic Pool Cleaners
Robotic vs suction vs pressure
Weekly timers and app control
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
Lowest Price Guarantee
Buy direct from our 10,000+ unit warehouse at unbeatable prices, with price match.
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.
Electric Pool Cleaners: frequently asked questions
Are electric pool cleaners safe?
Yes. Plug-in Dolphins run on low-voltage DC from a power supply that sits on the deck and plugs into a GFCI outlet; household voltage never enters the water. Cordless Dolphins run on a sealed battery. Do not swim while the robot is running and lift it out by the handle.
How much does it cost to run an electric pool vacuum?
About 5 cents an hour on a Dolphin Max-Series robot, so a two-hour cycle costs roughly 10 cents. A season of three cycles a week comes to a few dollars of electricity.
Does an electric pool cleaner need a pump or a hose?
No. It has its own motors, pump and filter and connects to nothing in the pool. A plug-in robot needs a GFCI outlet within reach of its power supply; a cordless robot needs only a charge.
Can I use an electric pool vacuum in an above-ground pool?
Yes. The Dolphin Escape and Cayman are rated for above-ground pools up to 33 ft, and the cordless Liberty 200 cleans in-ground and above-ground pools up to 50 ft.
Electric or suction pool cleaner: which is better?
Electric, for anything beyond a small, clean pool. A suction cleaner runs only while your pump does, clogs your filter and skips the walls. An electric robot cleans floor, walls and waterline on its own schedule, filters to 2 microns and costs pennies to run.
Can I leave a pool robot in the pool?
You can leave a corded Dolphin in the water between cycles, but Maytronics recommends removing it when it is not cleaning to extend the life of the cable, brushes and seals and to keep it out of chemical shock treatments. Cordless robots come out to charge anyway; most owners lift them by the handle after each cycle.
Related pages and buying guides
Power the clean, not the pump
Compare every Dolphin side by side, or ask a specialist whether plug-in or battery fits your deck.