We reviewed a bunch of automatic pool cleaners, and here are our top picks for inground pools.
NOTE: The following inground pool cleaners are Amazon links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we earn a commission at no additional cost to you. It helps us keep the lights on.
The Best Robotic Pool Cleaner
Top Pick
Robotic Pool Cleaner
Ideal for pools up to 50 feet. Cleans large pools in just 2 hours. Includes dual scrubbing brushes and a built-in schedule using 3 settings: every day, every other day, or every 3rd day.
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The Dolphin scans your pool to optimize its path around your pool floor and walls for the perfect cleaning cycle. Very few cleaners do this, and it’s one of the main reasons we picked it.
The Dolphin Nautilus also has two scrubbing brushes that help scrub and climb walls. It’ll scrub the floor of your pool while picking up small and large debris. It’ll work on all pool surfaces, including vinyl liner, concrete, and fiberglass pools.
The built-in filters that collect the debris are easy to remove, empty, rinse, and reload.
What is a Robotic Swimming Pool Cleaner?
Robotic pool cleaners are our favorite type of automatic pool vacuum. They combine the best parts of suction-side and Pressure-side cleaners and they fall right in the middle when it comes to price.
They have a built-in motor with drives the cleaner around the pool. And inside, they have a mesh filter bag that collects debris via an internal water pump.
It’s a completely self-contained cleaner that doesn’t require running your entire filtration system to power the vacuum. And pool cleaning can take place when the filter system is off! It even improves water circulation and filters the water through the mesh bag down to 2 microns!
NOTE TO POOL OWNERS: If you’re worried about putting an electric cleaner in the pool water, don’t be. They’re safe. Also, check out our best robotic pool cleaners specifically for both inground and above ground pools.
The Best Pressure-Side Pool Cleaner
Top Pick
Polaris Cleaners (now owned by Zodiac Pools) one of the most trusted brands in the pool industry. And the Polaris 360 is the gold standard in pressure-side automatic cleaners for inground pools.
We chose this one specifically because it DOES NOT require a booster pump (or extra pool pump) and works for any size pool.
What is a Pressure Side Pool Cleaner?
We’re huge fans of Pressure-side pool cleaners because they connect to your return jet and use water pressure from your pool filter system. They do not suck debris into your filter system like suction-side cleaners (more on those later).
Instead, the water flows through the cleaner powering the wheels with a turbine and also sprays the water upwards into a filter bag attached to the unit. This creates a water vortex that lifts dirt and debris up into the bag making it a complete self-contained cleaning unit.
Every once in a while, water is diverted into what’s called a backup valve which lifts the cleaner off the bottom of the pool and sends it to a different part of your pool. This is awesome just in case your cleaner gets stuck and stops it from cleaning the same spot over and over again.
As far as pricing goes, they’re usually cheaper than a robotic cleaner. However, some inground pressure-side cleaners require a booster pump to be installed and they can be pretty expensive. If your pool requires a booster pump to run a pressure-side cleaner, we recommend just going with a robotic pool cleaner instead.
The Best Suction-Side Pool Cleaner
Top Pick
Suction-Side Automatic Inground Pool Cleaner
It connects directly to your pool filter system. It’s powerful, balanced, and doesn’t have any hammering noises (common in other suction-side pool cleaners) for quiet operation.
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The Kreepy Krauly by Pentair has a built-in navigation system that guides the cleaner from the water line to the wall and to the bottom of the pool. An automatic valve regulates the flow control and travel speed for thorough cleaning.
It’ll clean around steps and ladders, and the flapper helps grab leaves, dirt, and large debris.
What is a Suction-Side Swimming Pool Cleaner?
Suction-side pool cleaners use suction power to vacuum your pool from your pump and filter. They work exactly like manual vacuum cleaners by connecting to your pool skimmer. The big difference is that they move around on their own in a random pattern.
These are the most inexpensive automatic pool cleaners on the market. And while they work, they’re not our favorite type of pool cleaner.
This is simply because it requires the full power of your filter system to work. Plus, we worry about the cleaner getting stuck or collecting large debris and clogging the filter system when we’re not home, which can cause a lot of long-term damage.
We recommend only running a suction pool cleaner while you’re home and can monitor its activity.
Learn More About Automatic Pool Cleaners
There are many other brands out there that make great inground pool cleaners, including Hayward. But after testing and evaluating the cleaning process, we decided these were our picks.
If you’re confused about the different types of pool cleaners on the market, I recommend you check out our guides on suction-side, pressure-side, and robotic automatic pool cleaners when you get a chance. They’ll explain everything you need to know. And if you happen to know someone who owns an above-ground pool, check out our favorite above-ground pool cleaners, too.
3 Ways We Can Help With Your Pool
- Pool Care Cheat Sheets (Free): Easy-to-use downloadable guides to help you keep track of taking care of your pool this year.
- The Pool Care Handbook: An illustrated guide to DIY pool care, including water chemistry, maintenance, troubleshooting, and more.
- The Pool Care Video Course: You’ll get 30+ step-by-step videos and a downloadable guide with everything you need to know about pool maintenance.
