Not to brag, but at this point I consider myself a pool cleaning robot expert after testing five models. We all want a clean pool, but if you're tired of fishing leaves and debris out with a long, awkward skimmer, a pool robot might be the answer to your summertime prayers. But who cleans the robot? Well... you. Unless you spring for the Beatbot AquaSense X available at Beatbot , which promises to clean itself. I put that claim to the test to find out whether the hands-off maintenance is worth the eye-watering price tag.

Pros

Automated filter rinsing and emptying
Recognizes 40 debris types
Voice control integration

Cons

Requires external docking station
Limited debris bin capacity

About the Beatbot AquaSense X

Cleans: Floors, walls, waterline, and surface
Pool size: Up to 3,875 square feet
Runtime: Up to 10 hours
Navigation: AI-powered navigation with app control

The Beatbot AquaSense X has two components: the robot itself, and the cleaning/charging station, which needs to be located near a water source and an electrical outlet.

How we tested

Testing the AquaSense X involved a full week of cleaning cycles in a Los Angeles pool during peak summer use.

Summer is in full swing here in Los Angeles, with temperatures in the 90s and teenagers treating my pool like it's a public water park. Between sunscreen, leaves, dirt, and whatever else gets tracked into the water, my pool gets dirty quickly. I was more than happy to hand cleaning duties over to the AquaSense X.

Before it could get to work, though, we had to set it up. One of the best things about having a teenager is that you can recruit them for projects like this, and my son grudgingly agreed to help, which turned out to be necessary because the robot is heavy and setup took about 30 minutes.

Once the cleaning station was connected to the hose and power, we charged the robot, dropped it into the pool, and let it tackle a weekend's worth of grime. After each cleaning cycle, we returned it to the dock so the self-cleaning station could flush debris from the robot. We repeated the process several times over a week.

What we like

Its cleaning performance is excellent

The AquaSense X's suction handled leaves, dirt, and algae with ease during testing.

Like every Beatbot robot I've tested, the AquaSense X is an excellent pool cleaner. It easily picked up leaves, dirt, and other debris from the floor while also scrubbing the walls and steps. The suction even removed the slick algae that had started forming around the waterline.

Surface cleaning is its weakest area—a machine like the Beatbot iSkim or the Beatbot iSkim Ultra is still the better choice if floating debris is your primary concern—but for deep-cleaning the pool itself, the AquaSense X performs exactly as advertised.

The Beatbot app is great

After more than a decade of testing products, I've developed little patience for buggy companion apps. Fortunately, the Beatbot app is one of the best I've used. It's intuitive, connects quickly every time, and makes switching between cleaning modes easy. Since the app is how you control nearly everything the robot does, that's a bigger advantage than it sounds.

What we don't like

The cleaning station is enormous, and isn't totally hands off

The AquaSense X's large cleaning station needs both a hose connection and an electrical outlet nearby, which made placement tricky.

The AquaSense X is self-cleaning—kind of. Instead of emptying the robot yourself, you empty a large cleaning station, just less frequently. That station also needs to live near both a hose connection and an electrical outlet. Unfortunately, those two things aren't anywhere near each other in my backyard. I ended up running an extension cord from my laundry room, out the side door, and across the yard just to make everything work. It wasn't exactly elegant.

Additionally, you still have to clean the cleaning station. The station removes the collected debris from the pool robot and then deposits it into a removable collection bag that's easy enough to dump. Beatbot says you'll only need to empty it about once a month, but I wasn't especially comfortable leaving wet leaves sitting in a puddle of water for weeks. That sounds like an invitation for mosquitoes.

The station also doesn't completely dry itself, so you'll need to remove the basket periodically anyway. I never found cleaning debris out of the standard Beatbot robots particularly difficult, so this feature didn't feel like much of an upgrade.

The AquaSense X robot weighs a lot

Weight has been my biggest complaint with almost every pool robot I've tested, and the AquaSense X is no exception.

Because my cleaning station was located across the yard, I had to carry this hefty robot back and forth every time I wanted to recharge or clean it. I'd rather spend two minutes emptying a lighter robot than haul a much heavier one across my backyard every few days.

Warranty

The Beatbot AquaSense X comes with a three-year limited warranty.

Should you buy the Beatbot AquaSense X?

No, it's not worth the cost

The Beatbot AquaSense X is a good pool robot. The problem is that it's not that much better than significantly less expensive options we've tested.

The self-cleaning system sounds impressive, but in practice, you're trading one cleaning chore for another while adding a bulky charging station that requires both water and power. For me, that trade-off wasn't worth it.

If you want outstanding cleaning performance, I'd save the money and buy the Beatbot Sora 70 instead. It cleans just as well, weighs considerably less, is easier to store, and takes only a minute or two to empty after each use.

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Beatbot Aquasense X Robot Pool Cleaner Review