This is our curated 'Best Of' across pool cleaners — one winner from each major category we reviewed this year: cordless robotic, in-ground premium, above-ground, and budget. Picks from DREAME, MOVA, AIPER and Garvee each topped their respective shortlists for very different reasons.
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Overview The DREAME Z1 Pro is a flagship cordless robotic pool cleaner with 8000 GPH of suction and a 180–300 min runtime depending on mode. Wall climbing and smart navigation cover floor, walls and waterline in a single cycle.
The 8000 GPH suction is what won this one the cordless category – it is among the strongest figures we logged across the shortlist, and it shows on heavy leaf and silt loads where weaker cordless units stall or push debris around. Combined with up to 5 hours of runtime, it can cover larger residential pools without a mid-cycle dock.
Smart navigation handles wall climbing and waterline scrubbing without the chaotic random-bounce patterns of cheaper cordless rivals. Trade-offs at this tier are weight when lifting it out wet, and the price – it is the upper end of consumer cordless, just below the in-ground premium bracket.
Pros
8000 GPH suction – top of the cordless category
180–300 min runtime covers large residential pools
Wall climbing plus waterline coverage
Smart navigation instead of random bounce
App control with mode selection
Cons
Heavy to lift out when fully loaded
Premium cordless pricing
Overkill for small above-ground pools
Best for Owners of mid-to-large residential pools who want the strongest cordless suction and longest runtime without stepping up to a $2k in-ground unit.
Overview The MOVA Rover X10 is a $2499 cordless robotic cleaner built for in-ground pools, with a 7-in-1 cleaning system and AI path mapping. It handles floor, walls, waterline, scrubbing and fine debris in one programmed route.
This is the pick that beat out Aiper's Scuba V3 and Scuba S3 in the in-ground shortlist – mostly because of the 7-in-1 cleaning stack and the AI path planning, which lays out a deterministic route instead of a probabilistic one. On 40+ foot in-ground pools, that means fewer missed strips and a measurably shorter total cycle.
The catch is price – $2499 is firmly in premium territory and only makes sense if you have a large or complex in-ground pool that actually exercises the 7-in-1 features. For a simple rectangular pool, you are paying for capability you will not use.
Pros
7-in-1 cleaning – floor, walls, waterline, scrub, fine debris
AI path mapping for deterministic coverage
Strong performance on large in-ground pools
Cordless – no tangling on complex shapes
Beat Aiper S3/V3 in head-to-head coverage
Cons
$2499 – premium-tier pricing
Overkill for small or simple pools
Heavy unit, two-handed retrieval
Best for Large or irregularly shaped in-ground pools where AI path planning and multi-mode scrubbing genuinely earn the premium price.
Overview The 2026 Upgrade Aiper Scuba S1 is a cordless robotic cleaner tuned for above-ground pools, with app control and a weekly cleaning plan. Light enough for one-handed retrieval and shaped for vinyl liners.
It won the above-ground category against iGarden's 4-in-1 and the Pooloob PF1 budget pick because of one practical detail – the weekly cleaning plan in the app actually runs the unit on a schedule, instead of needing manual launches like most above-ground robots. For owners who treat their pool as low-maintenance, that is the difference between a clean pool and a forgotten one.
It is gentle on vinyl liners, light to lift, and the 2026 hardware revision improved waterline coverage which was the weak spot of earlier S1 units. The trade-off is price – at $579 it is more expensive than the budget above-ground options, and it skips full wall climbing on taller in-ground walls.
Pros
Weekly cleaning plan via app – set and forget
Lightweight, easy one-handed retrieval
Gentle on vinyl liners
2026 revision fixes earlier waterline issues
Tuned shape for above-ground geometry
Cons
Pricier than entry above-ground options
Not designed for tall in-ground walls
Filter basket fills fast in leafy seasons
Best for Above-ground pool owners who want scheduled, hands-off cleaning with a unit sized and weighted for liner pools.
Overview The Garvee cordless robotic pool vacuum lands at $139.99 with a 130-minute runtime, covering small-to-mid pools on a single charge. Self-parking and a removable basket keep maintenance simple.
This was the standout in the budget shortlist – the EUHOME and ROBOKLEEN units cost more without delivering meaningfully better cleaning on small pools, and Garvee runs a year-round 11% deal that pushes the effective price below $125. At that level you are paying handheld money for an autonomous robot.
It will not climb walls, the navigation is random-pattern rather than mapped, and the suction is modest – none of which matters on a sub-25-foot pool that gets weekly use. Push it to a large in-ground pool and the limits show quickly, which is exactly why this is a budget pick, not an overall pick.
Pros
$139.99 – cheapest credible robot on the shortlist
Year-round 11% offer brings it under $125
130-min runtime covers small pools easily
Self-parking for easy retrieval
Simple removable filter basket
Cons
No wall climbing
Random-pattern navigation
Modest suction – not for heavy debris loads
Best for First-time robot buyers with small pools who want hands-off cleaning without committing $400+ to a flagship cordless.
