Nautilus CC Plus
A mid-price corded Dolphin for in-ground pools. Testers found it cleans floors and walls quickly with easy filters, but it sometimes gets stuck on steps and whether it cleans the waterline depends on who you ask.
See the alternatives below, or switch market.
The short version
The Nautilus CC Plus is one of Dolphin's online-channel robots, sold mainly through web shops rather than pool dealers. It plugs into the mains, cleans the floor and walls on a two-hour cycle, and has a swivel on the cable to stop it twisting. The current US version adds Wi-Fi, so you schedule and start it from the MyDolphin Plus app. In Europe it's sold without the app, with a weekly timer instead.
The trade-off is that it's a basic robot. Maytronics lists floor and walls, not the waterline, and there's no fine-dust filter option like Dolphin's pricier models. The US version is rated for pools up to 40 feet and now comes with a one-year warranty, down from two and a half years, which the European listing still offers.
Our take: Buy it for a regular in-ground pool where floor debris and leaves are the main job, if you're happy to nudge it off the steps now and then and scrub the waterline yourself when it needs it. If you want a proper waterline scrub and finer filters, the Dolphin Premier is the step up. If you'd rather skip the cable, the cordless Aiper Scuba V3 finds debris with a camera.
Where it sits in Dolphin’s range
- Dolphin E10Floor-only corded Dolphin for above-ground pools
- Nautilus CC PlusThis model
- Explorer E50Adds waterline cleaning and a top-loading multi-layer basket
- PremierAdds a leaf bag, ultra-fine filters and waterline scrubbing
- Dolphin SigmaDolphin's top US corded robot, with gyroscope navigation
What reviewers found
Four US testers used it in real pools. Family Handyman ran the plain version daily for two months, Reviewed used the Wi-Fi version for six weeks, Test Your Own Pool ran the Wi-Fi version for six months, and The Pool Nerd put the newest model through its test pool. Most found it cleans floors and walls well and is easy to empty. Three saw trouble on steps. They disagree sharply on the waterline, and The Pool Nerd thinks the latest version is a step backwards.
Family Handyman, hands-on, Daily for two months, Jul 2025 · Reviewed, hands-on, About six weeks in a 35,000-gallon pool, May 2025 · Test Your Own Pool, hands-on, Six months in a 20 × 40ft pool · The Pool Nerd, hands-on, Jul 2026
Floors and walls come up clean
Reviewed found it vacuums thoroughly and quickly, often finishing the job in about 90 minutes of its two-hour cycle, and handled corners well in a non-rectangular pool. Test Your Own Pool threw large leaves and sticks at it and got a very clean floor. Family Handyman used it every day for two months in a deep, dirty pool with trees and dogs nearby and was impressed. If floor debris is your main problem, this robot does the basic job well.
The waterline: it depends who you ask
Maytronics lists floor and walls only, per the specifications. The Pool Nerd agrees: it says it doesn't clean the waterline, where oil and sunscreen build up. Others saw more. Test Your Own Pool watched it scrub along the waterline for 10 to 20 feet at a time, Reviewed saw it run along the waterline regularly, and Family Handyman said it cleaned chlorine build-up on the tiles. Don't buy it counting on a clean waterline, but you may get some help there.
Steps can trip it up
Family Handyman found it got stuck on the steps about once every ten days of daily use. Usually it freed itself, but sometimes it had to be moved by hand. Reviewed had it stick on the steps a couple of times in six weeks and cut that down by sending it into the deep end first. Test Your Own Pool said it might climb one or two steps but usually just bumps them and turns round. Expect to brush the steps yourself.
Easy filters, but no fine option
Reviewed compared emptying the two top-loading baskets to cleaning a tumble-dryer lint trap. Family Handyman spent about ten minutes hosing them down once a week in a pool with lots of debris. Test Your Own Pool and The Pool Nerd both point out that it lacks the NanoFilters of pricier Dolphins, so pollen and very fine dust can get through. The Pool Nerd also found the basket smaller than Dolphin's newer designs.
Newer version, shorter warranty
The Pool Nerd rates the latest model Pool Nerd Disapproved, pointing to a warranty cut from two and a half years to one, passive brushes instead of active scrubbing, and the missing waterline cleaning. The current US listing confirms the one-year warranty, per the specifications. The app earned praise from Reviewed as straightforward and easy to use, though every setting beyond on and off lives in the app.
Covers the Nautilus CC Plus, sold in Europe without Wi-Fi, and the Nautilus CC Plus with Wi-Fi, which is the version Maytronics now sells in the US. Family Handyman tested the plain version; Reviewed and Test Your Own Pool tested the Wi-Fi version.
Prices
Where to buy the Nautilus CC Plus in Australia
Not sold in Australia. Switch market above, or see the alternatives below.
Before you buy
The questions people ask about this one
Does it climb walls and clean the waterline?
It climbs walls, and Maytronics lists floor and walls only, per the specifications. Testers disagree on the waterline: The Pool Nerd says it doesn't clean it, while Test Your Own Pool watched it scrub along the waterline and Reviewed saw it run there regularly.
Can it cope with steps and a deep end?
Deep ends are fine: Family Handyman used it in an eight-foot-deep pool. Steps are its weak spot. Family Handyman had it stick about once every ten days, Reviewed a couple of times in six weeks, and Test Your Own Pool found it rarely climbs more than a step or two.
How do I clean the filter?
Lift the two cartridge baskets out of the top and hose them off. Reviewed likened it to emptying a lint trap, and Family Handyman spent about ten minutes a week on it in a pool with lots of debris.
How do I get it out of the water?
By the handle. It weighs about 21lb dry, per the specifications, and Family Handyman notes it's heavier when full of water, but found the handle makes it easy to grab and lift out.
Does it need an app?
The current US version is set up through the MyDolphin Plus app over Wi-Fi, per the specifications. Reviewed found the app straightforward and enjoyable to use, but the power supply only has an on and off switch, so scheduling means using the app.
Compare with
Scuba V3
Three testers found its camera genuinely helps this cordless robot find and clear debris on floors, walls and the waterline.
You get about 10 minutes to collect it after a run before it sinks.
C2
Bob Vila and Impulse Gamer found this cordless robot simple and effective on everyday debris.
The Pool Nerd found its suction weak, and one owner reports it failed after eight months.
AquaSense 2
Testers liked its floor and wall cleaning, and it floats to the edge when it's done, so there's no hook needed.
It doesn't skim, and steps and fine silt were hit and miss in testing.
Full specifications
Figures come from the manufacturer’s product page unless a source is named. A blank means nobody we trust has confirmed it.
Owner reviews
Own a Nautilus CC Plus?
Tell people how it’s held up: cleaning, maintenance, faults and support. Owner reviews are shown separately from expert tests and never mixed into the score.
Sources
Everything cited on this page. Expert scores are shown as the reviewer gave them.
- Family Handyman: Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus reviewHands-on, Daily for two months
- Reviewed: Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus Wi-Fi reviewHands-on, About six weeks in a 35,000-gallon pool
- Test Your Own Pool: Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus reviewHands-on, Six months in a 20 × 40ft pool
- The Pool Nerd: Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus review · Pool Nerd DisapprovedHands-on
- Maytronics (US): Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus w/ Wi-Fi product page (99996409-PCI)Manufacturer
- Maytronics (global): Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus product page (99996403-PCF)Manufacturer