Best Pool Cleaners 2020 - Buyer's Guide

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The Polaris Vac-Sweep 280 is a powerful pressure-side pool cleaner that's for all in ground pools regardless of their surface. The three wheel design has been around for a long time and is considered iconic. The vacuum is capable of cleaning both walls and floors of a pool and comes with a 31' hose. This vacuum features a sweeping tail that will move side to side to help keep the floor of the pool clean. By keeping the bottom of the pool stirred up it allows for the pool's main filter to capture any small particulate (ie dust, pollen) that might have settled to the bottom of the pool. An additional booster pump (dedicated line), which is sold separately, that's rated between 0.75 HP to 0.97 HP is recommended. The Polaris company has been in the industry for nearly 40 years so you know there's a lot of experience and knowledge going into their products.

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The Polaris Vac-Sweep 360 is a powerful pressure-side pool cleaner that's for all in ground pools regardless of their surface. It shares the same three wheel design as the 280 model has been around for a long time and is considered iconic. The vacuum is capable of cleaning both walls and floors of a pool and comes with a 31' hose. This vacuum also features the sweeping tail that will move side to side to help keep the floor of the pool clean. A main pump that's rated between 0.75 HP to 0.97 HP is recommended for supplying the cleaner with adequate pressure. Another differentiator from the 280 model is that this one has 3 venturi jets instead of 2 which means more cleaning power. The Polaris company has been in the industry for nearly 40 years so you know there's a lot of experience and knowledge going into their products.

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The Polaris Vac-Sweep 380 is a powerful pressure-side pool cleaner that's for all in ground pools regardless of their surface. It shares the same three wheel design as the 280 model has been around for a long time and is considered iconic. The vacuum is capable of cleaning both walls and floors of a pool and comes with a 31' hose. This vacuum also features the sweeping tail that will move side to side to help keep the floor of the pool clean. An additional booster pump (dedicated line), which is sold separately, that's rated between 0.75 HP to 0.97 HP is recommended. Like the 360 model this one also has 3 venturi jets which means more cleaning power. Combining the three venturi jets and the dedicated booster pump this makes the 380 one of Polaris's most powerful cleaners. The Polaris company has been in the industry for nearly 40 years so you know there's a lot of experience and knowledge going into their products.

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German engineered and American made the PoolCleaner 2X is a two wheel suction pool cleaner that's for all in ground pools regardless of their surface. Although it's rated for all pool surfaces special tires may be needed for tile, vinyl and fiberglass. The vacuum is capable of cleaning both walls and floors of a average sized pool (16' x 32') and comes with 33' of suction hose. This vacuum boasts several patented features to help it keep your pool clean. For one it has self-adjusting turbine vanes which provide maximum power at any speed of water flow and help prevent large debris from getting stuck. It also features patented tire treads to assist with wall climbing and obstacle avoidance such as main drains. Lastly it features a patented adjustable roller skirt which helps it optimize suction on uneven surfaces. Great if your pool has a uneven pebble floor. The vacuum also features 3 interchangeable throats that allow for optimized suction performance at lower flow and larger debris passage. This feature also makes it an ideal suction cleaner for use with variable speed pumps. To aid the cleaner in total pool coverage it has multiple pre-programmed internal steering sequences which cause the left wheel to reverse every 8' to 10'. The manufacturer recommends that your main pool pump be 0.5 HP or move 35 GPM of water.

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German engineered and American made the PoolCleaner 4X is a four wheel suction pool cleaner that's for all in ground pools regardless of their surface. Although it's rated for all pool surfaces special tires may be needed for tile, vinyl and fiberglass. The vacuum is capable of cleaning both walls and floors of a larger sized pool (20' x 40') and comes with 40' of suction hose. This vacuum boasts the same patents and features as the 2X version. The major difference with the 4x is that it simply has four wheels instead of just two. The two additional wheels help this model pull more vacuum hose which is a must if you have a larger than average sized pool. If you have a larger sized pool and the pool skimmer is on one end of the pool vs in the middle you're probably better off with the 4X model. The manufacturer recommends that your main pool pump be 0.5 HP or move 35 GPM of water.

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The AquaNaut 200 by Hayward may look strangely similar to The Pool Cleaner 2X by Poolvergnuegen. This is because Hayward acquired Poolvergnuegen in 2013 allowing the two companies to share technology patents and design features. If you compare the cleaner specifications they appear to be identical but we'll provide them again here for convenience. The AquaNaut 200 is a two wheel suction pool cleaner that's for all in ground pools regardless of their surface. Although it's rated for all pool surfaces special tires may be needed for tile, vinyl and fiberglass. The vacuum is capable of cleaning both walls and floors of a average sized pool (16' x 32') and comes with 33' of suction hose. This vacuum boasts several patented features to help it keep your pool clean. For one it has self-adjusting turbine vanes, dubbed V-Flex, which provide maximum power at any speed of water flow and help prevent large debris from getting stuck. It also features patented tire treads to assist with wall climbing and obstacle avoidance such as main drains. Lastly it features a patented adjustable roller skirt which helps it optimize suction on uneven surfaces. Great if your pool has a uneven pebble floor. The vacuum also features 3 interchangeable throats that allow for optimized suction performance at lower flow and larger debris passage. This feature also makes it an ideal suction cleaner for use with variable speed pumps. To aid the cleaner in total pool coverage it has multiple pre-programmed internal steering sequences which cause the left wheel to reverse every 8' to 10'. The manufacturer recommends that your main pool pump be 0.5 HP or move 35 GPM of water.

Perhaps one difference from The Pool Cleaner 2X is that the AquaNaut's durable design is backed by Hayward's network of reliable service centers. If/when you need service or a repair it might be easier to find a Hayward service center. Hayward has been in the pool industry for a long time, over 80-years, so you know there's a lot of experience and knowledge going into their products.

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The AquaNaut 400 by Hayward may look strangely similar to The Pool Cleaner 4X by Poolvergnuegen. This is because Hayward acquired Poolvergnuegen in 2013 allowing the two companies to share technology patents and design features. If you compare the cleaner specifications they appear to be identical except for a slight difference in drive/turn sequences. The AquaNaut 400 is a four wheel suction pool cleaner that's for all in ground pools regardless of their surface. Although it's rated for all pool surfaces special tires may be needed for tile, vinyl and fiberglass. The vacuum is capable of cleaning both walls and floors of a larger sized pool (20' x 40') and comes with 40' of suction hose. This vacuum boasts several patented features to help it keep your pool clean. For one it has self-adjusting turbine vanes, dubbed V-Flex, which provide maximum power at any speed of water flow and help prevent large debris from getting stuck. It also features patented tire treads to assist with wall climbing and obstacle avoidance such as main drains. Lastly it features a patented adjustable roller skirt which helps it optimize suction on uneven surfaces. Great if your pool has a uneven pebble floor. The vacuum also features 3 interchangeable throats that allow for optimized suction performance at lower flow and larger debris passage. This feature also makes it an ideal suction cleaner for use with variable speed pumps. To aid the cleaner in total pool coverage it has multiple pre-programmed internal steering sequences which cause the left wheel to reverse every 11' to 14'. The manufacturer recommends that your main pool pump be 0.5 HP or move 35 GPM of water.

Perhaps one difference from The Pool Cleaner 4X is that the AquaNaut's durable design is backed by Hayward's network of reliable service centers. If/when you need service or a repair it might be easier to find a Hayward service center. Hayward has been in the pool industry for a long time, over 80-years, so you know there's a lot of experience and knowledge going into their products.

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The Navigator Pro is a powerful suction pool cleaner is for gunite or vinyl pools. Be careful if you purchase this model because there are two variations. The 925ADC is specifically for gunite pools and the 925ADV is for vinyl pools. The vacuum is capable of cleaning both walls and floors although the cleaner may have a hard time climbing walls in certain conditions. The cleaner is for pools up to 20' x 40' and comes with a 40' hose.

One unique design characteristic to this cleaner is that it doesn't use wheels or tracks to generate motion. It has two rockers on either side of the cleaner that rock back and forth basically taking smalls steps one after another. This cleaner features a unique turbine-drive system for smooth, silent operation. The cleaner also features two side wings and a skirt to help maintain suction with the floor. To ensure full pool coverage the cleaner includes SmartDrive preprogrammed steering patterns that offer the best in intelligent, complete pool coverage. Hayward has been in the pool industry for a long time, over 80-years, so you know there's a lot of experience and knowledge going into their products.

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The Zodiac MX6 is an ultra-efficient, low-flow, suction pool cleaner for inground and aboveground pools with just about any surface. The vacuum is capable of cleaning walls, floors and the waterline. The cleaner is for pools up to 16' x 30' and comes with a 32' hose. To ensure full pool coverage the cleaner includes X-Drive Navigation which is bi-directional and includes waterline coverage. It also incorporates articulating turbine blades to provide ultra-efficient operation, even on low-flow pumps. You can even use it on 2-speed or variable speed pumps. Another unique design characteristic of this cleaner is that it uses tracks to maximize surface friction when climbing walls. Zodiac is the parent company of Polaris whom has been in the industry for nearly 40 years so you know there's a lot of experience and knowledge going into their products.

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The Dolphin Nautilus is a plug and play, easy to use, robotic pool cleaner that's ideal for inground pools. Its single button control makes it easy to use. The cleaner is intended for pools up to 50' and comes with a 60' power cable which supplies the vacuum with its power. The vacuum is capable of cleaning walls and floors. To ensure full pool coverage teh cleaner includes CleverClean Technology which scans your pool and uses advanced algorithms to efficiently clean your pool. Most vacuums just utilize a random pattern to clean with. To aid in the cleaning process the vacuum has dual scrubbing brushes for twice the cleaning power. Everything that the vacuum picks up makes its way to the onboard bottom-load cartridge filters. The filters are capable of capturing large and fine debris. A cleaning cycle runs for about 3 hours which should be enough time to clean most pools. Maytronics pioneered the field of robotic pool cleaners more than 30 years ago so you know a lot of knowledge and experience goes into their products.

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The Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus is a plug and play, easy to use, robotic pool cleaner that's ideal for inground pools. Its simple interface makes it easy to use. The cleaner is intended for pools up to 50' and comes with a 60' power cable which supplies the vacuum with its power. The vacuum is capable of cleaning walls and floors. To ensure full pool coverage teh cleaner includes CleverClean Technology which scans your pool and uses advanced algorithms to efficiently clean your pool. Most vacuums just utilize a random pattern to clean with. To aid in the cleaning process the vacuum has dual scrubbing brushes for twice the cleaning power. Everything that the vacuum picks up makes its way to the onboard top-load cartridge filters. The filters are capable of capturing large and fine debris. A cleaning cycle runs for about 2 hours which should be enough time to clean most pools. This unit also features a weekly scheduler to automatically clean for you: every day, every other day or every 3rd day. Maytronics pioneered the field of robotic pool cleaners more than 30 years ago so you know a lot of knowledge and experience goes into their products.

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The Dolphin Triton PS is a plug and play, easy to use, robotic pool cleaner that's ideal for inground pools. Its simple interface makes it easy to use. The cleaner is intended for pools up to 50' and comes with a 60' power cable which supplies the vacuum with its power. The vacuum is capable of cleaning walls, floors and waterline. This cleaner has PowerStream technology which can push water streams in many directions and relies on an advanced microprocessor that logically decides which water streams to engage to help clean your pool thoroughly. To aid in the cleaning process the vacuum has dual scrubbing brushes for twice the cleaning power. The front brush spins at double the rate for extra scrubbing power. Everything that the vacuum picks up makes its way to the onboard top-load filter basket. The filter basket is capable of capturing large and fine debris. A cleaning cycle runs for about 2 hours which should be enough time to clean most pools. This unit also features a weekly scheduler to automatically clean for you: every day, every other day or every 3rd day. Maytronics pioneered the field of robotic pool cleaners more than 30 years ago so you know a lot of knowledge and experience goes into their products.

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The Dolphin Triton PS Plus has nearly identical specs to the Dolphin Triton PS but we'll provide a full review here anyway and highlight the differences. The Dolphin Triton PS Plus is a plug and play, easy to use, robotic pool cleaner that's ideal for inground pools. Its simple interface makes it easy to use. The cleaner is intended for pools up to 50' and comes with a 60' power cable which supplies the vacuum with its power. The vacuum is capable of cleaning walls, floors and waterline. This cleaner has PowerStream technology which can push water streams in many directions and relies on an advanced microprocessor that logically decides which water streams to engage to help clean your pool thoroughly. To aid in the cleaning process the vacuum has dual scrubbing brushes for twice the cleaning power. The front brush spins at double the rate for extra scrubbing power. Everything that the vacuum picks up makes its way to the onboard top-load filter basket. The filter basket is capable of capturing large and fine debris. A full cleaning cycle runs for about 2 hours which should be enough time to clean most pools. You can also run a 1 hour cleaning cycle when just a little cleaning is needed. This unit also features a weekly scheduler to automatically clean for you: every day, every other day or every 3rd day. Another feature in this model is support for the MyDolphin app (iPhone 4 with iOS 6 (and above), and Android 4.4 (and above)) which is an easy-to-use app for controlling your Dolphin robotic pool cleaner remotely using Bluetooth. You can activate cleaning programs and the weekly timer, navigate manually and more. Maytronics pioneered the field of robotic pool cleaners more than 30 years ago so you know a lot of knowledge and experience goes into their products.

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The Polaris F9350 Sport is a powerful 2 wheel drive robotic pool cleaner that's for all in ground pools regardless of their surface. The vacuum has two cleaning modes floors or floors/walls/waterline. The cleaner is intended for pools up to 50' and it comes equiped with a 60' power cable which supplies the vacuum with its power. In addition to its vortex vacuum it features a front-facing pleated brush to scrub pool surfaces. It also features a rear water propulsion system which allows the cleaner to reach debris under stairs and in tight corners. The cleaner relies on built-in ActiveMotion Sensor technology which helps it sense its position. The sensor technology measures forces to determine the cleaners 3-dimensional position for maximum cleaning action and pool navigation. All of the debris that gets picked up by the vacuum is sent to a large capacity filter canister which can easily be accessed from the top of the cleaner. There are two cleaning cycles to select from 1.5 hours and 2.5 hours depending on the size of your pool and how dirty it is. With the push of a button you can engage the Easy Lify System which causes the pool cleaner to drive to a wall and surface for cleaning or removal. The cleaner also includes a heavy gauge, powder-coated alloy caddy for storage and transport. The Polaris company has been in the industry for nearly 40 years so you know there's a lot of experience and knowledge going into their products.

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The Polaris F9450 Sport is a powerful 4 wheel drive robotic pool cleaner that's for all in ground pools regardless of their surface. The vacuum has two cleaning modes floors or floors/walls/waterline. The cleaner is intended for pools up to 50' and it comes equiped with a 60' power cable which supplies the vacuum with its power. In addition to its vortex vacuum it features a front-facing pleated brush to scrub pool surfaces. It also features a rear water propulsion system which allows the cleaner to reach debris under stairs and in tight corners. The cleaner relies on built-in ActiveMotion Sensor technology which helps it sense its position. The sensor technology measures forces to determine the cleaners 3-dimensional position for maximum cleaning action and pool navigation. All of the debris that gets picked up by the vacuum is sent to a large capacity filter canister which can easily be accessed from the top of the cleaner. The cleaner features a 7-day programmable cleaning cycle that lets you schedule your cleanings. With the push of a button you can engage the Easy Lify System which causes the pool cleaner to drive to a wall and surface for cleaning or removal. The cleaner also includes a heavy gauge, powder-coated alloy caddy for storage and transport. The Polaris company has been in the industry for nearly 40 years so you know there's a lot of experience and knowledge going into their products.

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The Polaris F9550 Sport is a powerful 4 wheel drive robotic pool cleaner that's for all in ground pools regardless of their surface. The vacuum has three cleaning modes floors, floors/walls/waterline, waterline only. The cleaner is intended for pools up to 60' and it comes equiped with a 70' power cable which supplies the vacuum with its power. In addition to its vortex vacuum it features a front-facing solid-blade brush to scrub pool surfaces. It also features a rear water propulsion system which allows the cleaner to reach debris under stairs and in tight corners. The cleaner relies on built-in ActiveMotion Sensor technology which helps it sense its position. The sensor technology measures forces to determine the cleaners 3-dimensional position for maximum cleaning action and pool navigation. All of the debris that gets picked up by the vacuum is sent to a large capacity filter canister which can easily be accessed from the top of the cleaner. The cleaner features a 7-day programmable cleaning cycle that lets you schedule your cleanings. If all of that isn't enough for you this cleaner also features a motion sensing remote control. Simply tilt the remote in the direction you want to go and the cleaner will follow your lead. With the push of a button you can engage the Easy Lify System which causes the pool cleaner to drive to a wall and surface for cleaning or removal. The cleaner also includes a heavy gauge, powder-coated alloy caddy for storage and transport. The Polaris company has been in the industry for nearly 40 years so you know there's a lot of experience and knowledge going into their products.