Pool robots for above-ground pools

Most above-ground pools are round or oval with a flat floor and a vinyl liner, which makes them simpler to clean than an inground pool. A floor-only robot covers the part that collects dirt. A robot that climbs the walls has to be rated for vinyl, and for the pool's diameter or area.

Two people filling a new round above-ground pool with a vinyl liner

What an above-ground pool asks of a robot

The pool's shape and wall decide most of it.

Flat floor

Floor only

A one-depth pool collects dirt on the floor. A floor cleaner such as the Nautilus AG or Escape does that job on a short cycle, and the walls get a brush now and then.

Walls

Floor and walls

Robots that climb need a maker rating for vinyl and for above-ground use. No maker states a minimum or maximum wall height for above-ground pools.

Cable

Over the wall

A corded robot's cable runs over the top rail to a power supply on the ground or deck, plugged into a GFCI outlet.

Cordless

Lift-out weight

A cordless robot comes out of the pool to charge. Lifting 15 to 19 lb of wet robot over a 4 ft wall is part of the routine.

Matched to the pool

Common pools and the model that fits each. The name jumps to its card further down.

Flat floor, corded
Dolphin Nautilus AG
Built for above-ground pools up to 30 ft, floor only, on a 1.5 h cycle.
Floor only, 2-year warranty
Dolphin Escape
The same 30 ft floor rating, with HyperGrip tracks and a second warranty year.
Walls and waterline, no cord
Dolphin LIBERTY 200
Cordless, up to 33 ft, and rated for liner pools.
A large oval
Beatbot Sora 10
Rated for 3,229 sq ft, floor, walls and waterline, up to 5 h on the floor.

Compare the four

All four figures come from the makers' pages. The Nautilus CC on the inground page is also rated for above-ground pools up to 33 ft.

The product links here go to Amazon, and Which Pool Robot earns a commission on purchases made through them. How we choose and earn

Above-ground pool robots
Model	Rated for	Cleans	Power	Pools	Link
Dolphin Nautilus AGCorded robot, floor only	30 ft	Floor	Corded	Above ground	Amazon
Dolphin EscapeCorded robot, floor only	30 ft	Floor	Corded	Inground or above ground	Amazon
Dolphin LIBERTY 200Cordless robot, floor, walls and waterline	33 ft	Floor, walls, waterline	Cordless	Liner, gunite, fiberglass	Amazon
Beatbot Sora 10Cordless robot, floor, walls and waterline	3,229 sq ft	Floor, walls, waterline	Cordless, up to 5 h	Inground or above ground	Amazon

Corded robot, floor only

Dolphin Nautilus AG

Maytronics Dolphin 99996132-PC

A corded floor cleaner built for above-ground pools: 1.5 h cycle, fine filter, about 15 lb. Maytronics rates it to 30 ft; the Amazon title says 33 ft.

Pool: Above ground, up to 30 ft (maker)
Cleans: Floor
Cycle: 1.5 h
Filter: Fine filter kit
Cable: Corded, no swivel
Weight: 14.6 lb
Warranty: 1 year (maker)

Suits: Round or oval above-ground pools with a flat floor, where the walls stay clean on their own or get brushed by hand.

Weigh: It does not climb walls. No swivel on the cable.

View on Amazon

Corded robot, floor only

Dolphin Escape

Maytronics Dolphin 99996153-SPLF

Another corded floor cleaner, rated for 30 ft pools inground or above ground, with HyperBrush brushes and HyperGrip tracks. Its warranty is 2 years.

Pool: Inground or above ground, up to 30 ft
Cleans: Floor
Cycle: 1.5 h
Filter: Fine filter kit
Cable: Corded, no swivel
Weight: 14.2 lb
Warranty: 2 years (maker)

Suits: Above-ground pools up to 30 ft, and small inground pools with a flat floor.

Weigh: Floor only, like the Nautilus AG. Some summaries online call it battery-powered; Maytronics lists it as corded.

View on Amazon

Cordless robot, floor, walls and waterline

Dolphin LIBERTY 200

Maytronics Dolphin 99998120-US

A cordless Dolphin for pools up to 33 ft that cleans floor, walls, waterline and a sun ledge. Maytronics lists liner, gunite and fiberglass pools, and a 2.5 h default cycle.

Pool: Inground or above ground, up to 33 ft
Cleans: Floor, walls, waterline, sun ledge
Cycle: 2.5 h default
Filter: Combine filter kit
Weight: 17.9 lb
Warranty: 2 years (maker)

Suits: An above-ground pool where the walls and waterline need cleaning too, without a cord over the pool wall.

Weigh: Maytronics publishes no battery size, runtime or charge time. It charges by induction.

View on Amazon

Cordless robot, floor, walls and waterline

Beatbot Sora 10

The smallest Sora: rated for 3,229 sq ft inground or above ground, up to 5 h on the floor, a 5 L basket with a 150 µm filter, and about 3.5 h to charge.

Pool: Inground or above ground, 3,229 sq ft
Cleans: Floor, walls, waterline, platforms of 12 in or more
Runtime: Up to 5 h on the floor (maker)
Charge: About 3.5 h
Filter: 150 µm; 5 L basket
Weight: 18.7 lb
Warranty: 2 years (maker)

Suits: Above-ground pools of any common size, and inground pools with platforms of 12 in or more.

Weigh: Beatbot lists the depth range as 0.5 to 3.5 m, with a feet conversion of 9.8 ft that is too low; 3.5 m is about 11.5 ft.

View on Amazon

Round pools and the rating

Dolphin rates its above-ground robots by length: 30 ft for the Nautilus AG and Escape, 33 ft for the LIBERTY 200. For a round pool that number is the diameter. A 24 ft round pool has about 452 sq ft of floor; a 30 ft round pool about 707 sq ft.

The budget cordless units

Amazon carries many low-priced cordless robots for above-ground pools. The Aiper Seagull line has no US maker page any more, and Aiper recalled the Seagull Pro (model ZT6001) through the CPSC on March 20, 2025, over a battery that can overheat. The Wybot A1 is rated by its maker for 1,076 sq ft of flat floor at 120 minutes; its Amazon listings could not be checked when this page was written.

A skimmer alongside

Leaves and pollen float before they sink. A solar skimmer collects them from the surface, and the floor robot has less to do. Betta's listing says its SE is not for round pools under 14 ft.