Every review
18 products compared, ordered by what they are for rather than by who made them or what they cost.
10 200 l/h, 400 W, 20 l tank, 60–65 dB(A)/m
The only filter system on this shelf that publishes a noise level with a distance — 60 to 65 dB(A) at one metre — alongside 10 200 l/h from a 400 W pump and 800 g of filter balls.
Best for: A system sited near a terrace, where the decibel figure is the deciding one
6 056 l/h pump, 4 920 l/h through-flow, 38.5 cm tank, 36 kg sand
The listing that states its media requirement in full — 36 kg of #20 quartz sand or 1 000 g of filter balls, neither included — alongside two flow figures, a 38.5 cm tank and both hoses in the box.
Best for: A first sand system, where knowing exactly what else to order is worth more than a headline flow
9 000 l/h, 7.5 m head, 250 W, 7-way, 32/38 adapter
A 250 W system publishing both ends of its curve — 9 000 l/h and a maximum head of 7.5 m — with a seven-position valve, a pressure gauge, IPX5 and adapters for both hose sizes.
Best for: A mid-sized pool where knowing the head before ordering matters
2 700 l/h flow, 16 l tank, balls supplied, TÜV certified
The smallest and cheapest system here, with a transparent lid so the bed can be watched, a set of filter balls in the box, and a TÜV Rheinland certificate quoted with its ID number.
Best for: A small pool or a spa where the bed being visible matters more than the flow
10 200 l/h, 8.5 m head, 400 W, 25 l tank, IPX5
A 400 W system publishing both flow and head, with a 25-litre tank, IPX5 protection, a 1.9 m mains lead, and an operating note telling you to fill the whole circuit before switching on.
Best for: A 35 000-litre pool where the head figure decides whether the siting works
3 500 l/h water flow, 2 000 l/h system flow, 4-way valve, RCD
The listing that names the distinction this whole site is built around: water flow 3 500 l/h, system flow 2 000 l/h — what the pump moves and what actually passes the filter, published side by side.
Best for: An Intex pool from the published compatibility list, where the fittings are already to hand
3 900 l/h circulation, 4 500 l/h pump, 200 W, not self-priming
A filter-ball system publishing two flow figures and two limits nobody else states: a maximum water temperature of 35 °C, a salt tolerance of 5 g/l — and that the pump is not self-priming.
Best for: A salt pool up to 19 000 litres where the system can sit below the water line
13 200 l/h, 12 m head, 30 kg tank, 1–24 h timer
The largest system here: 13 200 l/h against 12 m of head, a tank taking up to 30 kg of sand, a timer adjustable from one to twenty-four hours, and self-priming operation.
Best for: A 40 000-litre pool where the system is expected to run on a schedule and be left alone
450 mm tank, 151.4 l/min (40 GPM), 7-way, drain plug
The only system here that publishes its tank diameter — 450 mm — with flow given in litres per minute and in US gallons per minute, and a drain plug for winter.
Best for: Somebody sizing a bed by area rather than by headline flow
Floor, wall, waterline; 270 min eco; 11 sensors; 3 µm included
A three-zone robot with eleven sensors and a published path algorithm, a dual-layer filter whose 3 µm element is included rather than optional, and five cleaning modes with over-the-air updates.
Best for: A shaped pool where systematic coverage is worth more than raw suction
Floor, wall, waterline; 5 h floor; 25 700 LPH; 5 l
A three-zone robot that brushes the waterline for eight seconds at a time, publishes 25 700 LPH of suction and a 5-litre basket, and parks itself at the waterline for ten minutes so it can be lifted out without fishing.
Best for: A pool with a visible waterline mark and enough surface to justify the runtime
Floor, wall, waterline; 2 h; 18 927 LPH; IP68 to 3 m
A three-zone tracked robot that publishes what it climbs in degrees and centimetres — 30° slopes and 3 cm obstacles — with IP68 to a stated three metres and a 4-litre basket.
Best for: A pool with steps, a drain cover or a change of level that defeats a simpler machine
Floor, 90 min, 180 µm + 40 PPI foam, 3 kg
A floor robot with a two-stage filter — a 180 µm mesh backed by a 40 PPI foam — a transparent housing so the basket can be read without opening it, and a published weight of 3 kg.
Best for: A pool under trees, where the second filter stage and the visible basket both earn their place
Floor and wall, top-access basket, flat-floor pools to 10 m
A Maytronics floor-and-wall robot built around servicing: the filter basket lifts out from the top, the body drains quickly for lifting, and the handles are where a wet machine is actually held.
Best for: Somebody replacing a robot and choosing on servicing rather than on specification
Floor, 75 min, IPX8 to 3 m, 4–35 °C stated
A floor robot that publishes what almost nothing else here does: an operating temperature range, a maximum depth, an IP rating and the suction in litres per minute — alongside a runtime that is the shortest on the shelf.
Best for: A smaller pool where the depth rating and the surface list answer a specific question
Floor only, 120 min, 180 µm, 2.2 l basket
The cheapest robot on this shelf and the most explicit about its limits: floors only, flat floors only, and the maker states in writing that it is not for curved floor-to-wall transitions.
Best for: A flat-floored above-ground pool where the walls are brushed by hand
7-in-1, 6 h, laser mapping, 5 l with 180 µm and 3 µm
The most heavily equipped robot on this shelf: a laser distance sensor building a 3D map underwater, four turbine motors, six hours of runtime from a 15 000 mAh battery, and a two-layer 5-litre filter.
Best for: A large or complicated pool where mapped coverage genuinely saves passes
Floor, 90 min, 180 µm, app and remote, 2.5 l
A floor robot with three motors and both app and remote control at the cheap end of the shelf, with a 2.5-litre basket and automatic docking at the pool edge.
Best for: A floor-only pool where being able to send the robot to a particular corner is worth something
