Best overall DolphinBuy now
Dolphin (Maytronics)
Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus
- Power: Corded
- Pool size: Up to 50 ft
- Cleans: Floor and walls
around $849 list, often discounted
Pool · Updated 15 October 2026
Dolphin Pool Cleaner Review 2026: The Range Explained and the Best Models
The short answerA Dolphin pool cleaner is a strong choice for most pools. Maytronics has made Dolphin robots since 1983, sells the widest corded range, and specialist reviewers recommend it often. For most in-ground pools, the Nautilus CC Plus is the best-value Dolphin; the Cayman adds waterline scrubbing, and the EON 100 is the best cordless Dolphin.
Best for waterline cleaningBuy now
Dolphin (Maytronics)
Dolphin Cayman
- Power: Corded, 50 ft cable
- Pool size: Up to 33 ft
- Cleans: Floor, walls and waterline
around $1,129 list
Best for large pools with stepsBuy now
Dolphin
Dolphin Quantum
- Power: Corded, 60 ft anti-tangle swivel
- Pool size: Up to 50 ft
- Cleans: Floor, walls, waterline, steps, shelves
around $1,999 list
Best for leavesBuy now
Dolphin (Maytronics)
Dolphin Premier
- Power: Corded, 60 ft anti-tangle swivel cable
- Pool size: Up to 50 ft
- Cleans: Floor, walls and waterline
around $2,499 list
Best for above-ground poolsBuy now
Dolphin (Maytronics)
Dolphin Escape
- Power: Corded
- Pool size: Up to 33 ft
- Cleans: Floor and lower walls
around $799 list
Best budget DolphinBuy now
Dolphin (Maytronics)
Dolphin E10
- Power: Corded
- Pool size: Up to 30 ft
- Cleans: Floor only
around $599 list, seen at $499 at major retailers
Best cordless DolphinBuy now
Dolphin (Maytronics)
Dolphin Nautilus EON 100
- Power: Cordless (battery)
- Pool size: Up to 50 ft
- Cleans: Floor, walls, waterline, steps and shelves
around $899 list
Best cordless warrantyBuy now
Dolphin (Maytronics)
Dolphin Liberty 400
- Pool size: Up to 10 m / 33 ft
- Cleans: Floor, walls and waterline
- Cycle: 2.5 h default
around $1,429 list
No robots match those filters. Try removing one.
Dolphin is the robotic pool cleaner brand of Maytronics, an Israeli company founded in 1983 at Kibbutz Yizre'el. Maytronics says it launched the first robotic pool cleaner for private and commercial pools that year, and it has a US head office in Atlanta, Georgia, opened in 2007.
The challenge with Dolphin is not quality, it is choice. There are dozens of models, many sold only through certain shops (store exclusives) or online. This review explains the ranges in plain English and picks the models worth your money. For other brands, see our robot pool cleaner guide.
| Model | Price (Oct 2026) | Pool size | Cleans | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nautilus CC Plus | around $849 | 50 ft | Floor, walls | 1 year |
| Cayman | around $1,129 | 33 ft | Floor, walls, waterline | 2 years |
| Quantum | around $1,999 | 50 ft | Floor, walls, waterline, steps | 2 years |
| Premier | around $2,499 | 50 ft | Floor, walls, waterline | 3 years |
| Escape | around $799 | 33 ft | Floor, lower walls | 2 years |
| E10 | around $499 to $599 | 30 ft | Floor | 2 years |
| Nautilus EON 100 | around $899 | 50 ft | Floor, walls, waterline, ledges | 1 year retail |
| Liberty 400 | around $1,429 | 33 ft | Floor, walls, waterline | 3 years |
Model by model
Best overall Dolphin
Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus
- Price
- around $849 list (Oct 2026)
- Power
- Corded
- Pool size
- Up to 50 ft
- Cleans
- Floor and walls
- Filtration
- Dual top-load filters
- Warranty
- 1 year
Pros
- Excellent value for a 50 ft wall-climbing robot
- Easy top-load filters
- Bob Vila's best overall robotic pool cleaner in 2026
Cons
- No waterline scrubbing
- Only 1-year warranty
Verdict: The Dolphin most people should buy. It does the essentials well at a fair price.
Best for waterline cleaning
Dolphin Cayman
- Price
- around $1,129 list (Oct 2026)
- Power
- Corded, 50 ft cable
- Pool size
- Up to 33 ft
- Cleans
- Floor, walls, waterline
- Timer
- Built-in weekly timer
- Warranty
- 2 years
Pros
- Weekly timer included, so it runs on schedule
- HyperBrush and grippy tracks for walls
- 2-year warranty
Cons
- 33 ft limit
- Fine filters sold separately at some dealers
Verdict: The best mid-range Dolphin if you want set-and-forget scheduling and a cleaner waterline.
Best for large pools with steps
Dolphin Quantum
- Price
- around $1,999 list (Oct 2026)
- Power
- Corded, 60 ft anti-tangle swivel
- Pool size
- Up to 50 ft
- Cleans
- Floor, walls, waterline, steps, shelves
- Filtration
- XXL basket plus fine filters
- Warranty
- 2 years
Pros
- Very large debris basket (Dolphin says about 225% more capacity)
- Cleans steps and shelves
- Weekly timer and app
Cons
- Expensive
- 2-year warranty is shorter than the Premier's
Verdict: A top choice for big, complex pools. The Pool Nerd also rates it highly for larger above-ground pools.
Best for leaves
Dolphin Premier
- Price
- around $2,499 list (Oct 2026)
- Power
- Corded, 60 ft swivel cable
- Pool size
- Up to 50 ft
- Cleans
- Floor, walls, waterline
- Filtration
- Four options incl. leaf bag
- Warranty
- 3 years
Pros
- Swappable filters for leaves or fine silt
- Weekly timer and full-filter alert light
- 3-year warranty
Cons
- No app
- Premium price
Verdict: The professional-grade Dolphin for difficult pools. Pay this much only if leaves or silt are a real problem.
Best for above-ground pools
Dolphin Escape
- Price
- around $799 list (Oct 2026)
- Power
- Corded
- Pool size
- Up to 33 ft
- Cleans
- Floor and lower walls
- Flow
- Up to 4,000 GPH
- Warranty
- 2 years
Pros
- Strong suction for the price
- Large top-load basket
- Low power use
Cons
- No waterline cleaning
- Timer is extra
Verdict: Our favourite above-ground robot. See the above-ground guide for alternatives.
Best budget Dolphin
Dolphin E10
- Price
- around $599 list, often $499 at retailers (Oct 2026)
- Power
- Corded
- Pool size
- Up to 30 ft
- Cleans
- Floor only
- Filtration
- Top-load basket
- Warranty
- 2 years
Pros
- Cheapest way into a Dolphin
- 2-year warranty
- Sold widely online
Cons
- No wall climbing
- No anti-tangle swivel, noted by The Pool Nerd
Verdict: A dependable floor cleaner. Fine if your walls stay clean.
Best cordless Dolphin
Dolphin Nautilus EON 100
- Price
- around $899 list (Oct 2026)
- Power
- Cordless
- Pool size
- Up to 50 ft
- Cleans
- Floor, walls, waterline, steps, shelves
- Filtration
- 70-micron cartridge
- Warranty
- 1 year retail; 2 years on store-exclusive version
Pros
- Works in 8 inches of water
- Scheduler spreads one charge over several cleans
Cons
- App connects only when the robot is out of the water
- Lift-out and charge routine
Verdict: The most convenient cordless Dolphin. Compare it with rivals in our cordless guide.
Best cordless warranty
Dolphin Liberty 400
- Price
- around $1,429 list (Oct 2026)
- Power
- Cordless, inductive charging
- Pool size
- Up to 10 m / 33 ft
- Cleans
- Floor, walls, waterline
- Cycle
- 2.5 h default
- Warranty
- 3 years
Pros
- Inductive charging with no exposed contacts
- Ultra-fine filter included
- 3-year warranty
Cons
- Expensive for its pool size rating
Verdict: Well built and well covered. Worth it if you value warranty over price.
Our verdict on the Dolphin pool cleaner range
Dolphin's strength is depth: corded robots for every pool size, long-established dealer support and spare parts, and warranties of up to 3 years on higher-end models. Independent reviewers, including Bob Vila and The Pool Nerd, rank Dolphins at or near the top of their lists. The weaknesses are confusing model names, store-exclusive versions with slightly different features, and short 1-year warranties on the Nautilus range.
We have not tested Dolphins ourselves. This review draws on Maytronics specifications, independent test results, owner review patterns and October 2026 prices.
Dolphin ranges explained
- Explorer (E10 and up): entry robots sold mainly online. The E10 is floor-only.
- Nautilus (CC, CC Plus, CC Pro, CC Supreme, Titan, AG, Pool Up): the big-box retail range. Mostly 1-year warranties. Higher models add waterline cleaning and Wi-Fi.
- Max-Series and ProLine (Escape, Cayman, Quantum, Premier, Sigma): sold through pool dealers and online specialists, with 2 to 3-year warranties and weekly timers on most models.
- Active, S-Line and T-Line: dealer ranges with Wi-Fi apps and 2-year warranties.
- Cordless (Liberty and EON): battery robots. Liberty uses magnetic inductive charging; EON adds shallow-water cleaning.
- Wave: commercial robots for public pools.
Model names change often, and some models are listed as unavailable on Dolphin's US store at any given time, so check stock with local dealers too.
How we chose
We compared Dolphin's own product pages, The Pool Nerd's full Dolphin model comparison (updated July 2026), Bob Vila's 2026 testing, Google Shopping owner rating patterns and current US list prices. We favoured models with top-load filters, swivel cables, timers and longer warranties.
Dolphin pros and cons
Pros
- Corded robots keep full suction for the whole cycle.
- Top-load filters on most current models.
- Anti-tangle swivel cables on mid and high-end robots.
- Large dealer and spare parts network, plus a genuine refurbished programme.
Cons
- Confusing naming and store-exclusive variants.
- 1-year warranty across the Nautilus range.
- Fewer smart features than Beatbot or Aiper at similar prices.
Dolphin vs other brands
Against Polaris, Dolphin has a broader corded range, while Polaris offers 70 ft cables and illuminated canisters on its iQ+ models. Against Beatbot and Aiper, Dolphin is less flashy but specialist reviewers such as The Pool Nerd found corded Dolphins outcleaned pricier cordless robots, especially on fine debris.
Problems reviewers flag
- No swivel on entry models: The Pool Nerd notes the E10 lacks an anti-tangle swivel, so the cable can twist.
- App limits on cordless EON: it connects only when out of the water.
- Filter cleaning: The Pool Nerd found the EON 120d's self-rinsing DebrisLock filter still a chore to clean by hand.
- Short warranties on the Nautilus range compared with dealer models.
For any robot, keeping the filter clean and water balanced is the simplest way to avoid poor wall climbing.
Frequently asked questions
Are Dolphin pool cleaners worth it?
For most pool owners, yes. Corded Dolphins keep full suction throughout the cycle, most have easy top-load filters and higher-end models carry 2 to 3-year warranties. Independent reviewers regularly rank them among the best.
Which Dolphin pool cleaner is best?
For most in-ground pools, the Nautilus CC Plus offers the best value. Choose the Cayman for waterline cleaning and a weekly timer, the Premier for heavy leaves, the Escape for above-ground pools, or the EON 100 for cordless.
Who makes Dolphin pool cleaners?
Maytronics, an Israeli company founded in 1983 at Kibbutz Yizre'el. It floated on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange in 2004 and opened a US head office in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2007.
How often should I run my Dolphin pool cleaner?
As often as your pool needs it. Pools with heavy debris may need cleaning daily, while sheltered pools may need it only a couple of times a week. Models with a weekly timer, such as the Cayman and Premier, let you set a schedule.
How long can I leave my Dolphin pool cleaner in the pool?
Most guidance is to remove the robot after its cycle, unless it is a timer model designed to stay in for scheduled cleans. Always take it out before shock dosing and check your manual.
Is Dolphin better than Polaris?
Neither is better across the board. Dolphin has more corded models and more specialist recommendations; Polaris offers strong app-connected corded robots and the cordless Freedom range with easy retrieval. Compare specific models.
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