Best Automatic Pool Cleaners Australia - What's #1? [2024]

Short on time? Here's our #1 recommendation:

Our Top Pick - Robo-Tek Robo-Plus

👍Why It's #1:	Cutting-edge remote control capabilities alongside excellent cleaning performance, build quality, customer service, and warranty coverage

Product Comparison Table

Before we discuss each of the products in detail, let's take a look at how they compare to each other.

Only show product differencesHighlight product differences

	Robo-Tek Robo-PlusDolphin S200Pentair Rebel 2Zodiac MX8	Robo-Tek Robo-PlusDolphin S200Pentair Rebel 2Zodiac MX8
Name	Robo-Tek Robo-Plus	Dolphin S200
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Key Factors To Consider When Purchasing An Automatic Pool Cleaner

Cleaning Performance

When purchasing an automatic pool cleaner, one of the most important factors to consider is how well the machine can clean.

Not all pool cleaners are created equal; certain machines tend to struggle with tree borne debris, for example, while others can suck up most leaves, twigs, and nuts with relative ease.

Consider the type of debris that you have in your pool. Do you have a lot of leaves, sticks, or nuts present? If not, you may have smaller debris, such as lawn trimmings and smaller plant particles.

Occasionally, pool owners also struggle with dirt, sand, and fine dust in their pools. If this is the case for you, you may want to consider a pool cleaner that has a high micron rating for its filter.

Some pool cleaners are capable of cleaning benches, steps, and other ledges in your pool, while others are not intended for this purpose.

It is important to have clear expectations for the cleaning performance of your machine so that you can buy one that suits your specific needs and avoid disappointment.

Build Quality

Another key factor to consider when purchasing an automatic pool cleaner is the build quality. Ideally, every pool cleaner would be well-designed and well-manufactured, but this is not always the case.

Certain models of automatic pool cleaner will be known for lousy parts. These can include pieces that break frequently and often need replacement, or simply parts that do not function as advertised.

When shopping for an automatic pool cleaner, learn everything you can about the build quality of the model you are interested in to avoid future disappointment.

Luckily, unless the model you are considering has only just been released, online consumer reviews are a great source of information for figuring out which machines have consistent problems with their design.

Warranty And Customer Service

Another very important factor to consider when purchasing an automatic pool cleaner is the warranty and customer service provided.

Not only should a good warranty be at least a couple of years long, but it should also provide coverage for vital elements of the machine during this period.

While a three-year warranty might sound good on paper, it is better to have a shorter warranty period wherein more parts are offered coverage than a longer warranty that contains many caveats for having parts of your machine repaired or replaced.

Alongside a good warranty comes good customer service. When you are contacting customer service workers that represent the manufacturer of your machine, you should expect to get timely, helpful, and understanding responses.

This is helpful in times of warranty claims but is also essential for troubleshooting and general inquiries.

Poor customer service responses can further decrease the value of any provided warranty.

If an issue with your machine is rightfully covered, you should easily be able to get in contact with customer service agents who are understanding and will get you sorted out with whatever parts or services may be required.

Best Automatic Pool Cleaners Australia

Robo-Tek Robo-Plus

Our Top Pick

Pros & Cons

The Robo-Tek Robo-Plus is a premium robotic pool cleaner that offers highly sought-after remote control capabilities. This machine is fairly cumbersome at 12.5kg, so it may be difficult for some users to lift it in and out of the pool.

Equipped with a 15-metre cable, this cleaner is for in-ground pools only, and is compatible with almost all pool surfaces.

Great with all sizes of debris, the Robo-Tek Robo-Plus even comes equipped with a filter bag rated at 20 microns, making it great at capturing fine dust.

The machine is capable of climbing walls to scrub the waterline, but can sometimes encounter problems when handling steps, corners, or ledges.

The only known issue with the build quality of this machine relates to the top-loading filter basket.

Many users state that the filter basket is difficult to remove and empty properly, which occasionally results in debris being dumped back into the pool accidentally. This is not widely reported among consumer reviews but is worth mentioning.

This cleaner comes with a two-year warranty, and an extended three-year warranty for the motor unit specifically.

Being known for excellent customer service, we find this warranty sufficient, especially when considering the premium price tag of the machine. The average retail price for the Robo-Tek Robo-Plus is a bit over $2,000.

Take a look at the full Robo-Tek Robo-Plus review!

Dolphin S200

Honourable Mention

Pros & Cons

The Dolphin S200 is a fairly expensive robotic pool cleaner. With an 18 metre long cable, this cleaner is suited for in-ground pools only and is compatible with most pool surfaces. At a weight of 7.5kg, most users will be able to lift this machine with relative ease.

The Dolphin S200 is great with all sizes of debris and is especially good with fine dust. Coming equipped with two grades of mesh filter basket, rated 50 and 70 microns specifically, this cleaner has one of the best fine-dust ratings among those in our comparison.

While this unit is not intended to clean steps, ledges, or benches, it is designed with a convenient canister style filter which most users state is very easy to empty and replace.

There is one major issue with the build quality of the Dolphin S200, and it is related to the moisture seal on the motor unit of the machine.

Many users report that this moisture seal tends to break near the end of the warranty period, allowing water into the motor and therefore frying the electrical components of the machine.

Some users also report cord tangling/kinking with this model of machine, but as these reports are not widespread they may be due to user error regarding the proper use and storage of the machine.

This machine comes with a two year warranty. Unfortunately, this warranty is not great, as it does not cover water entering the motor unit of the device.

Because this is known to be a common problem with the machine after a couple years of usage, we find this warranty caveat unfortunate.

Aside from this, most users of this machine state that their interactions with customer service have been pleasant and helpful.

With a price tag of approximately $1,800, it’s certainly not a cheap option, but it is a reliable unit that gets the job done. We would just appreciate more warranty coverage on essential components of the machine.

Check out the full Dolphin S200 review!

Pentair Rebel 2

Honourable Mention

Pros & Cons

The Pentair Rebel 2 is a budget-friendly, suction-powered automatic pool cleaner that runs off of suction provided by your pool’s pump.

With 10.5 metres of hose, this machine is compatible with both in-ground and above-ground pools as well as most pool surfaces and liners. At 8kg, this machine is fairly light, and most users will not experience difficulties when lifting it.

Regarding the cleaning performance of this cleaner, the Pentair Rebel 2 is ideal for pools experiencing small to mid-sized debris.

This model is not ideal for customers who experience tree-borne debris in their pools, as the small debris intake port on this machine allows it to choke on larger or more dense debris, such as tree leaves, sticks, and nuts.

The main issue with the build quality of this machine involves an issue with the camshaft. The camshaft is a vital piece of the driving component of the machine which allows for the machine to turn directions.

Many consumers have mentioned issues with this piece, suggesting it is a widely-encountered problem.

While this does not directly impact the cleaning quality of the machine, your machine may take longer to cover the entire area of your pool as it experiences difficulties switching gears.

With a three-year warranty, one might expect this machine to have decent coverage. Unfortunately, the customer service provided with this machine is inadequate. Multiple customers report filing for a warranty claim only to be given responses that blame the consumer.

Some customers have also been asked to ‘prove’ that their water chemistry was kept within ideal ranges to qualify for replacement parts.

These responses are substandard. Even though this cleaner has a very affordable price tag of approximately $500, we would expect the three-year warranty to be easier to access.

Take a look at our full Pentair Rebel 2 review.

Zodiac MX8

Best Budget-Friendly Option

Pros & Cons

The Zodiac MX8 is a mid-priced, suction-powered automatic pool cleaner. With 12 metres of hose included, this cleaner can handle both in-ground and above-ground pools and is compatible with most pool surfaces without needing additional attachments.

Designed with dual-action cyclonic scrubbers on the base, the Zodiac MX8 confidently provides some of the best quality wall and waterline scrubbing available on the automatic pool cleaner market today.

Although this machine receives stellar reviews for its cleaning performance, it can struggle with large leaves, such as palm fronds, and may get clogged if it encounters a large pile of leaves on the floor of the pool.

There are no specific issues with the build quality of this machine, but you will likely need to start purchasing minor replacement parts after owning this machine for one year.

Some of these parts may be covered under your two-year warranty, although Zodiac customer service is known to be fairly hit-or-miss in terms of quality interactions with their customers.

With a moderate price tag of $740, the Zodiac MX8 is a fairly good deal and one of our favourite suction pool cleaners.

All models of automatic pool cleaners will require some degree of upkeep and repairs to preserve the longevity of the machine, and many users of the Zodiac MX8 report happily owning their cleaner for up to ten years!

Here’s our full Zodiac MX8 review!

Final Thoughts

While many automatic pool cleaners out there are decent, not all of them make the best choice for a long-term investment.

By considering many factors including the cleaning performance and build quality of the machine alongside its price tag, it can be easier to sort through ones that are worth buying and others that are best left on the shelf.

If you are on a tighter budget, we recommend the Zodiac MX8. This pool cleaner can do high-quality cleaning of both your pool’s floor and waterline.

With a mid-range price tag of $740, this cleaner will need investments to keep it running long-term but is not going to break the bank right off the bat.

The most premium pool cleaner and our pick for the best automatic pool cleaner in Australia is the Robo-Tek Robo-Plus. With excellent cleaning performance, build quality, and customer service, this machine is well worth the investment.

Combined with the remote-controlled operation and an extended warranty on vital components of the machine, it’s difficult to see why anyone wouldn’t be pleased with this cleaner.