Astral S10 Pool Cleaner Review - Our Opinion + Best Prices

Astral S10 Pool Cleaner Review - Our Opinion + Best Prices

The Astral S10 is a suction side pool cleaner that is powered by your pool’s pump system.

This machine is manufactured by Fluidra and is more affordable than many self-powered machines available on the market, making it an appealing option for those on a budget. However, is the Astral S10 worth the price?

In this article we will cover the pros and cons of the Astral S10 and discuss how it ranks in terms of its design, cleaning performance, build quality, and warranty in order to help you decide if this cleaner makes the right choice for your pool.

Pros & Cons

Design

The Astral S10 is a pool cleaner that operates based on the suction power provided by your pool’s pump.

Suitable for inground pools no larger than 10 x 5 metres in area, this cleaner is also compatible with concrete, pebblecrete, quartzon, fibreglass, beadcrete, vinyl liners, and tiled pools.

When using this cleaner in pools with vinyl liners, extra care should be taken to ensure that the vinyl liner is adequately flat and smooth across the surfaces of your pool.

This is because the fast-rotating scrub brushes of the Astral S10 are capable of getting snagged on bumps or ripples in vinyl pools, which often leads to the lining becoming torn or otherwise damaged.

Cleaning Performance

This machine is designed to clean both the floors and the walls of your pool with high-powered suction and dual-action rotating scrub brushes. This machine works best with small and mid-sized debris such as dirt, lawn trimmings, and smaller leaves.

The manufacturer notes that this machine is not suitable for long leaves, such as palm leaves, as these can become wrapped around the rotating elements of the cleaner.

This machine is not capable of picking up dense debris that is larger than 4cm in diameter.

Some leaves that are this size or slightly larger may still make it through the scrub brushes if they are soggy enough to fold up when the cleaner reaches them, but sturdy debris that is too large for the machine can jam the scrub brushes or tire tracks of the machine.

Power Specifications

This model is a suction-side cleaner, meaning that it relies on the water intake port of your pool’s pump system in order to power itself. Therefore, the amount of power used by this machine is equivalent to the amount of power consumed by your pool’s pump while the cleaner is operating.

Build Quality & Warranty

Astral S10 Problems

The biggest problem with the Astral S10 is that it fails to pick up any debris that is larger than 4cm. While this may not sound like much of a problem in theory, the reality is that the machine will become jammed if it encounters any debris larger than this size.

This means that unless you are certain that there are no large pieces of debris at the floor of your pool, you are risking damaging the machine.

Because most pool owners regularly encounter debris that is larger than this size, this machine is not a practical option for many pools.

Overall, the wheels and rotating scrub brushes of this cleaner become stuck very easily, with most pages of this machine’s instruction manual providing instructions for troubleshooting jammed parts.

We suspect that this is what led to this cleaner being discontinued by the manufacturer. It is also difficult to find retailers that are willing to sell this model.

Astral S10 Warranty

The Astral S10 comes with a two year manufacturer warranty that includes a guarantee on all moving parts of the machine as well as the interconnecting hoses via which the cleaner attaches to your pool’s pump system.

This length of warranty is average among most pool cleaners, including other suction or pressure powered models as well as fully-independent robotic pool cleaners.

AstralPool S10 Price

Because this machine has been discontinued by the manufacturer, it is difficult to find retailers that are still willing to sell this model specifically.

On average, this machine retails for $650-$1,120; some of these prices include free home delivery.

Astral S10 - FAQ

How Does The Astral S10 Pool Cleaner Work?

The Astral S10 is a suction side pool cleaner, meaning that it attaches to the water intake port of your pool pump. The suction created by your pool’s pump is what powers the machine, turning the wheels, impeller, and scrub brush heads.

What Is The Difference Between Suction Side vs Pressure Pool Cleaners?

Suction side pool cleaners and pressure pool cleaners both connect to the pump system of your pool in order to operate. The difference comes from where the cleaner attaches to your pool.

Pressure pool cleaners connect to the water output side of your pool’s pump, rather than the intake side used for suction cleaners, so the water pushed out from your pump system is used to power the machine.

Final Thoughts - Astral S10 Review

The Astral S10 is a fairly decent suction-side pool cleaner for the price, but it has some fatal flaws that have led to it being discontinued.

As such, it is difficult for us to recommend this machine when compared to newer, improved models. If you enjoy the main features of this machine, we suggest that you seek out similar models that are capable of handling larger sizes of debris without becoming jammed.

Price Comparison - AstralPool S10

Let's compare the top suppliers out there in Australia for the AstralPool S10.