Whatever your budget or pool type, there is probably an automatic pool cleaner out there that can clean your swimming pool without costing you a fortune.
Automatic pool cleaners can cost anywhere from about 100 dollars for the cheapest pool vacuum, to more than 1000 dollars for the best robotic pool cleaner. The most inexpensive automatic pool cleaners are usually low-budget suction-side pool vacuum cleaners. Next, a pressure-side pool cleaner will cost a little more, and you will have to buy a booster pump to provide extra water pressure. Robotic pool cleaners are going to cost you an arm and a leg, seeing as they are more complex products with their own power supply units, power cords, internal motors and filter bags. In particular, the most expensive robotic pool cleaner models are Wi-Fi enabled and can be programmed or controlled with a smartphone app.
How much does a suction-side pool vacuum cleaner cost?
The price range of suction pool cleaners is usually between 100 and 500 dollars. For the most part, an automatic pool vacuum cleaner is the most affordable choice for cleaning a residential inground or above ground swimming pool. You can buy a pool vacuum cleaner from a trusted brand such as Pentair, or buy the cheapest version from brand names such as XtremepowerUS.
There is a significant price difference between a genuine Kreepy Krauly suction pool cleaner, and the various clones that are available. Of course, the cheaper the price, the poorer the quality. Nonetheless, if your budget is small, and you only need an inexpensive pool vacuum for one swimming season, then you might buy one of the imitations. However, if you want a suction pool cleaner that will last longer than one season, then you should get the real deal. You can read my review of the Pentair Kreepy Krauly suction pool cleaner if you have an inground pool. Otherwise, have a look at my post about the best cheap automatic pool cleaners.
The more expensive suction-side pool cleaners have additional moving parts, but might provide better cleaning performance. For example, the Hayward Aquanaut is an automatic pool vacuum cleaner for inground pools that costs about 500 dollars. It has a few great features such as variable vane turbine technology, high-traction tires, adjustable roller skirt and programmed steering sequences. It is available in both a two-wheeled and a four-wheeled model. To learn more about it, read my Hayward Aquanaut review.
Another example of a popular inground suction-side pool cleaner is the Hayward Navigator Pro. It has been on the market for many years and offers a smooth and silent turbine-drive system, programmed steering, and easy installation requiring no tools. There are two models available: the W3925ADC model is made for gunite surfaces, while the W3925ADV model is created for cleaning vinyl surfaces. You may read my Hayward Navigator Pro review for more details.
How much does an automatic pressure pool cleaner cost?
Pressure-side automatic pool cleaners occupy the middle ground between suction and robotic cleaners, that is, the price range between 500 and 1000 dollars. They are neither cheap nor expensive, and they provide good overall cleaning performance for the price you pay.
The key benefit is that a pressure pool cleaner has its own filter bags for capturing debris, so the pool filter requires less maintenance. However, the disadvantage of a pressure-side pool cleaner is that it requires a booster pump for extra pressure. Thus, it could be more expensive to install and run when compared to either suction or robotic pool cleaners.
For instance, the Polaris Vac-Sweep series are very popular pressure pool cleaners for inground swimming pools. In particular, the Polaris 280 model is a bestseller. It gets extra pressure power from a Polaris booster pump, so keep the cost of buying and installing the booster pump in mind. The Polaris Vac-Sweep 280 is safe to use in most swimming pool shapes and on most surfaces such as fiberglass, gunite, pebble, vinyl and tile. It captures leaves and other debris through its large cleaning intake and single chamber filter bag. You may read my review of the Polaris Vac-Sweep pressure pool cleaners to learn more about all the models in the series, including the Polaris 360 model that does not require the installation of a booster pump.
The Pentair Kreepy Krauly Legend (click here for my review) is a pressure-side inground pool cleaner that is less popular, but works in the same way as the Polaris Vac-Sweep models. In comparison, it has four wheels instead of just three, which prevents it from tipping over. Similarly, it has a large intake throat and debris bag for catching and containing those large leaves and bits of debris.
How much does robotic pool cleaners cost?
Pool cleaning robots are pricey: they can cost anywhere between 600 and 1800 dollars. For example, one of the cheapest robotic pool cleaners for above ground swimming pools is the Dolphin E10. It cleans the floor of an above ground pool that is no larger than 30 feet, seeing as it only has a 40-foot-long floating power cord. If you are interested in this pool robot, then you can read my Dolphin E10 review.
If you are looking for the cheapest robotic inground pool cleaner, then it depends on the size of your swimming pool. Namely, the Dolphin Advantage is a cheap robotic pool vacuum for inground pool sizes up to a maximum of 33 feet. Likewise, the Dolphin Proteus DX3 is another model that is divinely inspired for smaller inground swimming pools.
However, for larger inground swimming pools up to 50 feet, you are going to need a bigger robot. In this case, the Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus is recommended due to its 60-foot anti-tangle floating power cable, dual scrubbing brushes, 2-hour cleaning cycle, weekly scheduler function, and top-load filter cartridges.