AIPER Scuba S1 Cordless Robotic Cleaner, Smart Navigation for Inground Pools up to 1,600 Sq.ft, Wall and Waterline Cleaning VacuumClimatePartner certified

The media could not be loaded. Firstly, I have only used the Scuba once and it's far more complicated (modes and the AI used to attempt to cover the entire pool) than my other pool cleaner so I'll come back and post an update once I have more information. I'm also going to upload a short video.Unpacking:The unpacking was simple and it was extremely well packed so arrived pristine and arrived fast, I believe 2 days.Charging:This was simple, just pull out the rubber plug and plug in the electrical cord and it charges.Ready for the first voyage:I unplugged it from the charger and then refit the rubber plug. I brought it to my "small 3500 gallon" all tile pool and held the button for a few seconds, it turned on and I put it into the pool.Walls:It immediately started cleaning the walls, It wasn't perfect coverage but it did it's job and kept moving a bit to the right and then doing the next line on the wall. My other cleaner only does floors.Steps:I have a unique "Spool" that is 7x13x5.5'deep. You walk in on the one edge and there are a narrow series of steps that you follow down the short side of the pool and then turn and you're in the pool. The Scuba would make it's way up the wall and then across the step and then finish up the wall. Then it would work it's way back down, across the step and then down to the bottom and then would turn slightly to the right and do the next line. It would pause periodically to try to figure out what to do but always seemed to find a way off the steps even when one of the treads was not touching. Even in the corner it is a tight step but it managed to just fit. It fell sideways but eventually got itself back off the small step. I didn't give it hours in the auto mode to see if it would cover everything but perhaps next time I will.Floor:It wasn't spending much time on the floor and instead was working on the walls pretty much for 45 minutes or so. I decided time to crack open the manual for the first time and see what I could figure out. There are many modes. I believe it was in the full auto floor and walls mode but honestly, I didn't confirm the LED so I will have to try it again. However, I pressed the button a few times until it was set to floor only mode and put it back in the pool. I watched it for maybe 20 minutes and it was hard to determine what it's game plan was but it wasn't slowly covering inch by inch, it was moving around a bit erratic. There was a lot of noticeable dirt all over the floor so I decided to leave it be and go about another project I needed to work on. I came back about an hour later, so probably around 2 hours total run time, and it was still happily running and what's more, NOT A SPEC OF DIRT ON THE FLOOR! It cleaned everything spotless!Cleaning the dirt collection:I had a different pool cleaner that was much more difficult to clean out. This guy was dead easy. Lift the cover, pull out the screen/net basket (which had a ton of dirt and debris in it), and spray it down with the garden hose and you're good to go!Conclusion:I still have to fully take the covers off the pool and put the Scuba back in set to floor and wall mode and then just let it do it's thing. I thought I read that it can run for 90 minutes but I'm sure it was running much longer than that. I'll fully charge it and run it in full auto and see how it works. That said, it did a great job on the floor and seemed to be doing a nice job on the walls. Very impressed with the battery life.

The media could not be loaded. So an update to my original completely negative review (below): Aiper Support contacted us shortly after the first review was posted, and immediately acknowledged that based on the video, the robot was defective. That impressed me. They offered (and we accepted) to send us a replacement unit (one level up from the original). When that unit arrived, we found it was better, but still had some of the same issues. Support was again responsive, they had seen some of this, and believed that a firmware update would resolve the problem. We waited a bit for the firmware to be released, and upon install, the robot did perform better and did get and so far has kept the pool clean. Had support not been so very helpful, we would have moved on.Now for the "final review": Understand we came from the old-style dolphins, heavy and expensive. This new unit is absolutely lighter and not having the cords is a big plus. It keeps the floor clean, and attacks the walls exactly as we would hope. I do wish the battery were replaceable, but that doesn't seem to be an option on any of these newer units. Battery life (thus far) is great, a second battery hasn't been missed. The negatives are relevant only to my experience with the old Dolphin. This filter basket is much smaller. We don't have a lot of big leaves, but that could be a problem, I don't know. We did have an algae problem when we started, and to be fair, the listing does say that you should use the sand filter suction for algae, not the robot. The problem is that I had depended on the Dolphin for years to do exactly that work at the beginning of the season. With a MUCH larger filter surface area, 3-4 cleanings of the filter got rid of the worst algae kill we'd ever had. I'd estimate this year it would have been 1-2 cleanings with the old unit. So doing what Aiper said wasn't recommended, I was disappointed that they were right. Only the fine filter would capture the algae, and I was literally cleaning it several times an hour in my stubborn hope that something would change. This was NOT the robot, nor the manufacturer's fault, and I won't try that again. But some people have to prove everything to themselves. Guilty. I would suggest that although the fine filter is effective, a pleated one could increase the filter surface dramatically, and make a big difference in the time between cleaning requirements. It was actually somewhat enjoyable at this point to see that the robot "swimming" now made it clear that it was just ready to have the filter cleaned, unlike the previous penchant. So, although my original one-star review was accurate for what we first received, I have upgraded it based on a combination of the final product, and what would call stellar support. I don't know if a firmware upgrade might have fixed the original, but we are quite pleased with what we have now. So thanks to Aiper support!Original Review: Fun to watch, but doesn't clean anythingI really wanted this to work. A short background, I've got 40 years in technology, 30 of that owning a pretty successful tech company. I've also used the corded Dolphins for many years. I'm no expert on these things, but I'm not a novice or an idiot. I wanted to get away from the cords, but the Dolphin price made me look at other options. According to the listed specs, this unit fit the bill, and most of the reviews were pretty good. Not all, but most. I read the manual, the robot didn't. I tried it in the default floor/wall mode, it barely touched the floor. I put it in floor mode. It apparently has an aversion to the floor. I thought it was full of entrapped air, so I turned it in every direction I could just underwater (I did get some air out a few times, but it didn't help) and the thing still won't stay on the bottom! As soon as it starts moving forward, the front lifts, the exhaust water port points down (scattering any dirt from the floor), and the thing takes off! It swims all over the pool, but won't stay down. Tried it a few times, doing the same thing, and hoping for different results. I got the same results. Don't judge me. I've posted a video (the review system will only let me upload one). If I wanted an expensive toy submarine (without a remote control), this would do it. It's kind of fun to watch actually, like an underwater ballet. I thought about putting a few pounds of weights in the basket, but figured it would be smarter to return it and try to find one that works. So back to the search, this one wasn't it.