Dolphin Escape Robotic Above Ground Pool Cleaner Review

The Dolphin Escape is one of the mid-range robotic pool cleaners by Dolphin. What are the pros and cons of this automatic pool cleaner? We have also included in this review observations about the robotic pool cleaner that aren’t clear pros or cons but may matter to some shoppers.

Pros of the Dolphin Escape Pool Cleaner

The tank-like treads allow this pool cleaner to navigate rough above ground pool surfaces such as wrinkled plastic or a branch under the pool bottom, nor will it slip and slide on plastic pool liners. The tread is safe for vinyl pool bottoms.
It can clean almost any above ground pool in an hour and a half or less. The “Hyper-Brush” quickly picks up debris without damaging the above ground pool liner.
It runs off a 24 volt motor so it doesn’t rely on a pool pump to run. The manufacturer describes it as “plug and go” since you don’t need an additional power supply.
The long forty foot power cable lets you use most outdoor outlets without having the pool too close to the electrical connection without needing an extension cord. And the cord rarely tangles.
Coming in at about ten pounds, anyone can lift it into and out of the pool. It has a built in carry handle for this exact purpose. And the quick water release valve allows you to dump all the water in the system so that you’re only lifting the ten pound device.
The filter basket captures large debris, small debris and even algae. It doesn’t eliminate the need for scrubbing the pool entirely, but it removes and retains a lot of algae. It will do a better job of this if you scrub the pool surface to loosen the algae and then run the Dolphin Escape pool cleaner. Its large filter cartridge means you don’t have to empty the filter as often, either, unless you just pulled a lot of algae and debris out this pass.
It has decent navigation and scanning so that it covers the entire bottom of the pool. It won’t just wander at random like an early Roomba model.

Cons of the Dolphin Escape Pool Cleaner

It doesn’t climb the pool walls. You still need to scrub these by hand and run the Dolphin Escape to pick up the debris.

Observations

This unit is more expensive than some of the cheapest robotic pool cleaners on the market. The price tag, though, is all you’ll have to pay – you don’t have to buy any additional attachments for it to work.

You get a basic one year warranty with this unit. Return policies depend on where you buy it, and not all of them will honor the manufacturer’s one year warranty. Some online sellers of the Dolphin Escape make you pay to return it for a refund.

It is only intended for above ground pools so don’t put it in a deeper in ground pool when the inflatable pool has been taken down.

Summary

This mid-range automatic pool cleaner will clean the entire pool bottom quickly and efficiently. It doesn’t negate the need to scrub for algae on the bottom or sides but will remove it from the water almost immediately after you do that manual work. This is the best above ground pool cleaner for those who want to minimize how much time the pool cleaner is in the pool with the children and want the functionality of the fancy ones without the higher price tag.