Best Pool Cleaner Robot Under $500

When choosing a robotic pool cleaner, you may have noticed the majority of them are in the $1,000+ range.  There are some less expensive ones, and depending on your needs, they may work great for you. In this article we will review the best pool cleaner robot under $500 and give you some pointers as to what you should factor in when making your choice.

Will A Pool Cleaner Under $500 Fit Your Pool?

First, the most important factor to consider is the type of pool you will be cleaning.  If you are cleaning an above ground pool, or a nearly flat bottomed inground pool, best pool cleaner robot under $500 applies to you.  Luckily above ground pool vacuums are much less expensive than inground pool vacuums with any complexity in their designs.

#1 Best Pool Cleaner Robot Under $500

First up, the Aiper Seagull SE.  This is one of the best pool cleaner robot under $500 on the market today.  However, this robot will only work if you have a flat bottom or nearly flat bottomed pool. 

If you have excessive wrinkles in your liner, or you have bumps from a poorly prepared base for your pool, you may have some problems with this cleaner.  Needless to say, this cleaner will not climb walls like some of the more expensive cleaners out there.  

However, you might find yourself surprised at what it can do.  First off, the Aiper Seagull SE is cordless.  This means you will need to retrieve the cleaner when it stops working.  There is an ingenious program built into the cleaner which forces the cleaner to the edge of the pool when the battery is low.  This makes retrieval a cinch.  Aiper also includes a retrieval hook for you to use on your pole so you don’t have to dive into the pool after the cleaner to get it out.  

The battery will take 2-3 hours to fully charge, and will clean for between 60 and 90 minutes before needing a charge.  This is enough time for most above ground pools, and many inground pools.  Knowing this limitation however, is good when choosing whether or not you want to go with a cordless robot under $500.

#2 Best Pool Cleaner Robot Under $500

The next cleaner we reviewed was the Ofuzzi Cyber.  This cleaner is also cordless. It’s designed for use on flat bottomed above ground pools or gently sloping floors at most.  However, the wheeled design of this cleaner will do slightly better than the Aiper Seagull SE when it comes to dealing with wrinkles in your liner.  This cleaner will also operate for slightly longer than the Aiper Seagull SE at each charge. It features an impressive 2 hour run time.  

There are some fun aspects to the Ofuzzi Cyber, like the sticker set that comes with it so you can decorate it yourself.  Ultimately, the Aiper Seagull SE looks more futuristic and technologically advanced, but both cleaners will get the job done on a small pool.

Best Pool Cleaner Robot Under $600 (Better Than The $500)

Though there are numerous cleaners available in this price range, they have a limited track record.  We find it hard to recommend best pool cleaner robot under $500 beyond the two mentioned above.

If you’re willing to spend a little more on your cleaner, the obvious choice in our minds is the Dolphin E10.  This cleaner is engineered by the progenitors of the robotic pool cleaner. 

Although it can’t make the list of best pool cleaner robot under $500, it comes pretty darn close.  One of the benefits of the Dolphin E10 is it has a cord. This may seem like an advantage to have a cordless cleaner. Although, in reality a cord makes it much easier to get the cleaner out of the pool. 

You also don’t have to worry about the battery deteriorating. This is a concern with a cordless robotic pool cleaner over time.  This cleaner will not climb the walls and clean the tile line like some of the other Dolphin robotic cleaners on the market. However it does do well with gently sloping inground pools as well as above ground pools.  Also, this cleaner will be the best option if your pool floor is uneven and your liner is excessively wrinkled.

Best Pool Cleaner Robot Under $500 Summary

A short amount of research can leave pool owners worried about robotic pool cleaner costs. However, unless you have an intricate pool design, you don’t have to spend $1,000. Both the Aiper and Ofuzzi mentioned in this article are good cleaners under $500. If you really want to splurge for the best inexpensive cleaner, it will be closer to $600. That cleaner of course is the Dolphin E10.