Choose a robotic pool cleaner: pool size, cleaning zones, cable or battery

Measure the pool, then read the claim in its own units

Measure the longest length of your pool and work out the floor area, then compare each with what the maker states for the exact product number. Makers do not use one measure. Hayward states pools up to 50 ft for the R130, Beatbot states a recommended pool-bottom area of 3,230 sq ft for the AquaSense 2 with no length, and Aiper states both, 66 ft and 2150 sq ft for the Scuba X1 and 100 ft and 3230 sq ft for the Scuba X1 Pro Max. A length claim and an area claim cannot be converted into each other without your pool's shape, and neither is a measured coverage result.

The same robot can also carry different numbers on the maker's own pages. Maytronics lists the Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus with Wi-Fi at 40 ft on its 99996409-PCI page and up to 50 ft on its CCP-WIFI-FILT bundle listing, and its global page for product number 99996406-PCI lists 12 m, a different filter kit and a 2.5-year warranty instead of 1 year. This catalogue records one exact US product number and keeps such conflicts visible; when your pool sits near a limit, ask the maker which figure applies to the unit you are buying.

Decide which surfaces it must clean

Floor, walls, waterline and water surface are separate claims. The Nautilus CC Plus with Wi-Fi lists floor and walls with waterline scrubbing marked No. The Hayward R130, Beatbot AquaSense 2 and Aiper Scuba X1 list floor, walls and waterline, and the Scuba X1 Pro Max adds the water surface and elevated platforms. Wall climbing on its own is not waterline cleaning, and a sibling model in the same family often adds or drops a zone, as the R110 does against the R130.

Pool type is also a stated claim. Hayward lists the R130 for in-ground and above-ground pools with an operating depth of 0.4 to 5 m, and Beatbot's FAQ on the AquaSense 2 page says its robots handle both pool types. Maytronics classifies the US 99996409-PCI for in-ground pools, and Aiper's tables give in-ground as the pool type for both Scuba models. Pool surface lists, such as vinyl, fiberglass, concrete or tile, are part of the same claim.

Choose a cable or a battery

A corded robot runs from a power supply on the deck through a floating cable. Check the cable length against the distance from where the power supply may sit to the far end of the pool, and look for a swivel, which the maker lists to reduce twisting. Hayward's R130 drawing shows a 60 ft cord and its sell sheet lists a swivel; Maytronics lists a swivel for the CC Plus but publishes no cable length on the pages read. Follow the maker's electrical requirements: the R130 manual requires an outlet protected by a ground fault interrupter and places the power supply at least 12 ft from the pool edge and out of standing water. This guide gives no electrical advice beyond those instructions.

A cordless robot trades the cable for charging and retrieval. Run times are stated per mode and are not comparable across modes: Beatbot states up to 4 hours of floor cleaning on a 10,000 mAh battery with about 4 hours to charge, Aiper states up to 180 minutes for the Scuba X1, and Aiper's own pages give different floor and skimming figures for the X1 Pro Max. Aiper publishes no battery capacity for either Scuba model. Treat an unpublished capacity as unknown rather than working it out from run time, and remember that surface-skimming hours are far longer than floor-cleaning hours.

Check filtration and emptying

Most robots collect debris in a top-loading basket or filter canister that you empty after each cycle. Published details vary: Aiper lists a 5 L top-load basket and a MicroMesh ultra-fine filter rated to about 3 µm, Beatbot a 2 L basket with a 150 µm filter, Hayward an extra-large basket with fine and four ultra-fine panels and no micron figure, and Maytronics an Ultra-Fine Filter Kit with no basket volume or micron figure. Micron ratings are maker claims measured in different ways, and a very fine filter can clog sooner when leaves are heavy, which is why several makers supply a coarse and a fine option.

Separate the app from the accessories it needs

Scheduling ranges from a weekly timer on the power supply, as on the R130, which its FAQ says has no Bluetooth, to Wi-Fi app control on the CC Plus and app mode switching on the AquaSense 2. Wireless signals generally do not reach a submerged robot, so some makers sell a floating relay: Aiper's underwater control depends on HydroComm Pro, listed as a separate pre-order and not part of either Scuba package. Record the required Wi-Fi band when the maker states it; none of the pages read for these packages states one.

Confirm the exact package

Match the product number or SKU before paying. Caddies, covers, extra filter sets, skimmer bundles and handheld-vacuum bundles are different offers: Maytronics sells the CC Plus with Wi-Fi with a caddy or with a caddy and cover under separate bundle numbers, Aiper lists its caddy as optional, Hayward's manual shows the caddy kit as optional, and Beatbot's box image shows the robot, charge dock, hook and guides without a caddy. Where a page shows accessories beside the robot without calling them a box list, as Aiper's X1 Pro Max page does, keep that doubt open and confirm with the seller.

Plan for warranty terms and wear parts

Warranty terms depend on the product number, the sales channel and the seller. Hayward's 2026 Open Line terms give 1 year parts only for W3 SKUs bought from authorized sellers, while its 2024 R130 sell sheet states 2 years parts; Beatbot states 3 years of full replacement for the AquaSense 2; Aiper states 3 years for the X1 Pro Max and 2 years for the X1. Filters, brushes and tracks are commonly treated as wear parts, as Hayward's FAQ states, so budget for replacements and read the maker's warranty document rather than the headline term.