ULTRAMARINE P1
Ecovacs' first pool robot: a cordless, tracked cleaner for the floor and walls with a handy run timer. Testers found it very good on floors, but its wall climbing was less consistent in one pool, and it won't scrub steps.
See the alternatives below, or switch market.
The short version
The ULTRAMARINE P1 is Ecovacs' first go at a pool robot, and so far its only one. It's a mid-priced cordless model that cleans the floor and walls, with four roller brushes and a two-layer filter: a coarse outer basket for leaves and a very fine inner one for sand and pollen. It follows planned lanes rather than wandering at random, and you can set a clean for a fixed time in half-hour steps rather than waiting for the battery to run flat.
The trade-offs are the usual cordless ones plus a few of its own. You lift it out and plug it in after each run, and the app loses touch with it underwater. It isn't built to scrub steps, it doesn't skim, and the claimed three hours only applies to floor cleaning on the gentlest setting. The fine filter traps a lot but is fiddly to rinse.
Some shops sell it as a Care Kit bundle, with climbing rings for slippery walls and extra filter parts. It's the same robot.
Our take: Buy it for a regular family pool where the floor collects most of the dirt, and you like the idea of scheduling a timed clean and coming back to a clear floor. If your walls are slippery or your steps get grubby, expect some hand work. If you want a lighter, simpler robot, the Beatbot Sora 10 is one. If very fine silt is your main problem, the Aiper Scuba X1 has a good record on it.
Where it sits in ECOVACS’s range
- ULTRAMARINE P1This model
- ULTRAMARINE P1 Care KitSame robot, bundled with climbing rings and extra filter parts
- ULTRAMARINE P1 + Inner Filter Basket KitSame robot with a spare fine inner filter basket
What reviewers found
Three home tests, all broadly positive. EFTM ran it for a few weeks and found the pool spotless in about 90 minutes, with confident wall climbing and even a go at tiered steps. Digital Reviews Network found floor cleaning excellent and consistent in a large, bean-shaped pebble pool, but wall climbing was patchy. Product Demo Lab pulled a basket full of sludge from a pool that looked clean. All three found the app useful but blind once the robot is underwater.
EFTM, hands-on · Digital Reviews Network, hands-on · Product Demo Lab, hands-on
Floors come up clean
This is where every tester agrees. EFTM found its pool spotless after about 90 minutes. Digital Reviews Network let its pool go for a week, then watched the P1 clear the floor in around two hours, and found the result consistent over repeated cleans. Product Demo Lab ran it in a pool that looked clean from the deck and found the basket full of brown sludge and dead bugs. If a dirty floor is your main chore, this is its strength.
Wall climbing varies by pool
EFTM had no trouble with walls, and it even tackled a two-tier step that other robots struggled with. Digital Reviews Network found it mixed: in some sections it climbed all the way and came back down under control, in others it detached and floated down. The optional climbing rings made no big difference there and were fiddly to fit. Digital Reviews Network's pool is pebble-finished and bean-shaped, which may explain the gap. Ecovacs says it isn't made to scrub steps.
A timer that stops when you want
EFTM singled out the ability to set any mode to run for a fixed time, from 30 minutes upwards in half-hour steps, rather than cleaning until the battery dies. That lets you time a clean around visitors. Digital Reviews Network set a standard clean three times a week and found the scheduling changed how it felt about owning a cordless robot. Product Demo Lab warns that the three-hour claim only holds on the floor in Eco mode; wall mode drains the battery much faster.
The fine filter works but is fiddly
The two-layer filter pairs a coarse outer mesh with a 3-micron inner one. Digital Reviews Network found fine dirt and sand caught in the inner filter after a clean. Product Demo Lab credits the fine filter with pulling out the sludge and swaps layers depending on conditions. The catch, per EFTM, is that fine dirt is hard to rinse out of the fabric inner filter, and you might get wet. Digital Reviews Network also found the basket release stiff at first.
You can't see it working
The app connects over Bluetooth, which doesn't reach underwater. Digital Reviews Network found the robot shows as offline until it's back out, and it once ran flat in the middle of the pool. EFTM had it flip onto its back after a wall climb and only spotted it by luck, though it couldn't repeat the fault. Usually it finished near the edge for Digital Reviews Network, and the included hook made retrieval easy. At around 10kg, per Digital Reviews Network, it takes some lifting.
EFTM and Digital Reviews Network tested in Australian pools, with Care Kit bundles. Product Demo Lab tested in the US.
Before you buy
The questions people ask about this one
Does it climb walls and clean the waterline?
It climbs walls, and Product Demo Lab saw it rise about two inches out of the water to scrub before heading back down. There's no separate waterline mode, per the specifications. Digital Reviews Network found wall climbing inconsistent on its pebble pool, while EFTM had no problems.
Is it cordless, and how long does a charge last?
Yes. Ecovacs claims up to three hours in Eco mode on the floor, per the specifications. Product Demo Lab notes wall mode and stronger suction cut that down. EFTM measured charging from 5 per cent to full at 3 hours 40 minutes.
Can it cope with steps and a deep end?
Slopes, yes; scrubbing steps, not really. the specifications lists slopes and obstacles up to 5.5cm. Digital Reviews Network says Ecovacs doesn't design it to clean steps, though it made a decent try at a beach entry. EFTM saw it manage a two-tier step and do reasonably on the platform.
How do I clean the filter?
Lift the basket out and hose it, ideally straight away before debris dries, per EFTM. The outer mesh is easy; the fabric inner filter holds on to fine dirt and is harder to rinse. Digital Reviews Network found the basket release stiff at first but fine afterwards.
Does it need an app?
No, you can pick basic modes with the buttons on the robot, per Digital Reviews Network. The app adds the timed runs, schedules and cleaning history that EFTM rated so highly. It only connects over Bluetooth when the robot is out of the water, so there's no live view during a clean.
Compare with
Sora 10
It's small, light and cordless, and cleans the floor, walls and waterline.
Testers found it wanders, skips steps and may sink again if you're slow to collect it.
Scuba X1
Testers agree it's good on floors and fine dirt, and it comes with a charging dock.
They disagree on how much larger debris it leaves, and its fine filter is a chore too.
C2
Two testers found it simple and effective on everyday debris across the floor, walls and waterline.
A third tester found its suction weak.
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 ULTRAMARINE P1?
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.
- EFTM: REVIEW: The Ecovacs Ultramarine P1 robot pool cleanerHands-on
- Digital Reviews Network: ECOVACS ULTRAMARINE P1 review: Cordless pool cleaning that makes life easierHands-on
- Product Demo Lab: Ultramarine Cordless Robotic Pool Cleaner ReviewHands-on
- ECOVACS: ULTRAMARINE P1 product pageManufacturer
- ECOVACS Australia: ULTRAMARINE P1 product pageManufacturer