This "Roomba" for Your Pool Is a Game Changer for Homeowners Everywhere

"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."

For anyone who grew up with a pool or has a pool, you know cleaning it is by no means easy. Whether you hire someone to deep clean it seasonally or you prefer to budget and do it yourself, it'll eat up a lot of your time. Thus, when I heard about the Beatbot AquaSense Pro, a pool cleaning robot that seemingly makes the job easier, I had to check it out. The only issue? I don't have a pool as I live in New York City. As I asked around for testers, luckily our editorial director's brother-in-law, Andy Newby, has a pool and was happy to try out the pool robot cleaner for House Beautiful.

According to Newby, the pool came with the house he purchased in 2022 and it's over 40 years old as the house was built in 1983. "The pool was likely refinished in early 2000s with an all-tile finish," he adds. As for cleaning said pool, it was certainly a chore. "I used to use a plug robotic sweeper to clean the pool, which meant keeping a long cord from the house to the robot’s controller for electricity. Then another long cord from the controller itself to the robotic pool sweeper. This was a very clunky setup," he explains. After testing the BeatBot, he said it allowed him to "be completely wire free."

Ahead, Newby shares with me in detail what it was like to use the robotic pool cleaner. He'll walk us through the whole process, from delivery to setup to the user experience. Newby even described watching the gadget swim around as a "delightful" experience (and we have a video to prove this).

[table-of-contents] stripped

Delivery and Setup

"The delivery process for the pool sweeper was seamless, with the package arriving via DHL without any issues. The product was professionally and securely packed in a sturdy box that was easy to open. The contents had a high-tech feel, and all parts were well-organized and protected.

Setting up the pool sweeper was relatively simple, although the instructions on the pamphlet/quick start guide were a bit difficult to read due to the light-colored font against dark backgrounds. The included app was helpful in guiding me through the configuration process, but it could have provided more information about assembling the docking station and whether the battery needed to be charged before use. Overall, the setup took about 10 minutes, with most of that time spent figuring out how to attach the feet to the docking station and properly position the sweeper for charging."

User Experience

"I tested the robotic sweeper to compare its performance to my existing pool cleaner, the Maytronics Dolphin S200, which requires a long extension cord and an external controller that cannot get wet. The self-contained, battery-powered design of this new sweeper eliminates the need for cumbersome wires and controllers.

Once fully charged and connected to the app, I placed the sweeper into the pool. You basically just plop it gently in the pool wherever you want and watch it go, it slowly dives on its own and balances on its own, very neat technology. Note: you do not need to connect the gadget to the app as it has convenient buttons for each cleaning mode setting you want to use on the sweeper itself. Technically, you only use the app to check battery and history of cleaning, firmware updates, etc.

It was impressive to watch it use its ultrasonic sensors to determine the pool's boundaries and begin cleaning. In "Pro Mode," the sweeper's ability to swim across the surface and collect floating debris was a standout feature, as I typically rely on a traditional net for this task. The compartment's roughly 6" x 12" x 3". It says you should empty the compartment before placing on the charger, but sometimes I don’t and it’s totally fine. The sweeper cleaned my large 50,000-gallon pool for 4.5 hours on a single charge before the battery reached 12 percent. It will stay afloat on the surface near a wall when it wants to be charged, so you can easily pick it up.

The unit recharged to full capacity in under five hours. The eco-friendly setting, which cleans the pool floor once every two days, reduces the need for frequent charging. You can leave the gadget in the pool when it's charged and you're not using it.

The included clarifying agent is designed to help clean the pool, but I was hesitant to use it without knowing how it might affect my pool's chemical balance. In the future, I would like to see a functionality on the sweeper where sensors can detect the pool's chemical composition and dispense the appropriate chemicals accordingly.

To remove the sweeper from the pool, I picked it up by the handle and let the water flow out of it for five seconds. It was a tad heavy at first but not that laborious. I was unsure about the proper charging procedure, as the quick setup guide did not provide clear instructions on whether to charge the unit while it was still wet or if I should dry it first. I allowed the excess water to drip off before placing it on the docking station, which worked fine."

Beatbot AquaSense Pros and Cons

Is the Beatbot AquaSense Pro Worth It?

"I highly recommend this product, particularly for pool owners without a cover or those looking to upgrade from an outdated robotic cleaner. Watching the sweeper intelligently navigate the pool and swim across the surface was a delightful experience. The battery lasts for several hours, and it can even be setup to clean for two hours once every other day for several days without needing a charge.

What I also like is that it is smart enough to navigate to a nearby pool wall and stay floating when low on battery. This enables me to easily take the sweeper out of the pool and place it on the charger with ease. I still have someone regularly maintain the pool but the Beatbot AquaSense Pro has replaced my Maytronics Dolphin S200 sweeper and is way more high tech and easier to use."

Follow House Beautiful on Instagram and TikTok.

You Might Also Like

• 15 Home Bar Gifts Every Cocktail Enthusiast Will Appreciate

• 32 Low Light Indoor Plants That Can Survive in the Darkest Corners of Your Home

• These Are the 50 Best Paint Colors for Your Living Room