robotic pool cleaner recommendations under $500

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MattB

New member
Im done with my suction side cleaner. The thing gets stuck on the main drain every other day and I have to go out and untangle it. Plus it doesnt do the walls at all.

Looking to upgrade to a robotic cleaner but dont want to spend a fortune. Budget is around $500 give or take. Pool is 15x30 inground with a vinyl liner.

Ive been looking at the Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus and the Polaris neo. Anyone have experience with either? Or something else in that price range thats worth looking at?

Mainly care about it actually cleaning the floor and walls without me babysitting it. Dont need wifi or app control or any of that fancy stuff.
 
The Nautilus CC Plus is probably the best bang for your buck in that range. Ive recommended it to dozens of customers and the feedback is overwhelmingly positive. It does floor and walls, has a good filter basket thats easy to clean, and its been reliable in my experience.

The Polaris neo is decent too but Ive seen more returns on those. The wall climbing isnt quite as good and the cord seems to tangle more.

One thing to watch with vinyl liners, make sure whatever you get has non marking wheels or tracks. Some of the cheaper ones can leave scuff marks on vinyl.
 
Following this because Im in the same boat. My creepy crawly thing drives me insane. It just goes in circles in the deep end and ignores everything else lol. Ive been eyeing the Dolphin E10 too, its a little cheaper but Im not sure how it compares to the CC Plus.
 
got a dolphin nautilus cc plus last spring for around 450 and its been great. does the walls and waterline which a lot of the cheaper ones skip. only complaint is the filter basket is kinda small so if you have a lot of debris you gotta empty it mid cycle sometimes. still way better than my old suction side cleaner though.
 
What shape is your pool and whats the surface? That matters a lot for which robot will work best. For under 500 the Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus is hard to beat, it does floors and walls and the top load filter basket is way easier to clean than the bottom ones. If you have a simpler pool shape the Wybot Osprey 700 is also solid and usually around 350. I would stay away from the super cheap ones under 200, they tend to get stuck or just dont have the suction to handle anything serious.
 
I went with the Dolphin Nautilus CC last spring for around $450 and it has been solid. Cleans the floor and lower walls, easy to empty and clean the filter basket. For under 500 it is probably your best bet, just do not expect the same wall-to-wall waterline coverage you would get from the higher end models. For most homeowner pools it does the job well.
 
I have a dolphin e10 and its been solid for two years now. Does the floor only, no wall climbing, but for the price point its hard to beat. My buddy has the nautilus CC plus and he likes it but he paid a little more. Main thing is just make sure whatever you get has good filtration and easy to clean filter baskets. Some of the cheaper ones clog up fast if you have any leaves.
 
I got a Dolphin E10 last year for around 400 and its been solid. Nothing fancy, no wifi or app control, it just drives around the bottom and does its thing. For under 500 you're not gonna get wall climbing but honestly the floor is where 90% of the dirt ends up anyway. My pool is about 15k gallons in ground and it covers the whole bottom in about 2 hours. The filter on it is easy to clean, just pop it out and hose it off. Only complaint is it occasionally gets stuck in the deep end corner but I just pull it out and drop it somewhere else.
 
The Dolphin E10 and Nautilus CC both usually land under $500 and are solid for the money. Had the Nautilus for two seasons, did fine on a standard rectangle. The E10 seems to handle wall climbing a bit better from what I've read but I haven't used one personally.

At this price range the main things to look at: how easy is the filter basket to clean (you'll be doing it a lot), and whether replacement parts are actually available. Also check amazon reviews specific to your pool size and shape - some of these struggle with freeform pools or deep ends. Generally good value though if you pick the right one for your setup.
 
I got the dolphin escape last year for about $450 and its been solid. Cleans the floor and part of the walls, doesnt do the waterline though. For under 500 youre not gonna get one that scrubs the waterline unless you find a good sale on an older model nautilus.

The one thing ill say is make sure whatever you get has a top loading filter basket not a bottom one. Makes cleaning it out so much easier, trust me on that one.
 
For under 500 the Dolphin E10 is probably the best bang for the buck right now. Its dead simple, no app or wifi nonsense, just drop it in and let it go. Cleans the floor only though so if you want wall climbing youre looking at the Nautilus CC Plus which sometimes goes on sale around that price point.

I service about 30 pools a week and the Dolphins are the most reliable robots ive seen. The Polaris ones break down more in my experience but some people swear by them so take that with a grain of salt.
 
ended up going with the dolphin E10 after reading through this thread and some reviews. Only had it for about 3 weeks but so far so good. It does the floor and the cove where the wall meets the floor which is where most of the dirt ends up in my pool anyway. Biggest thing I noticed is the filter basket fills up faster than I expected so I clean it after every run. Not a big deal just something to keep in mind. For the price I think its a solid choice if you dont need wall climbing
 
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