AquaVac 650
Hayward's corded, Wi-Fi-controlled pool robot with a filterless debris canister you empty without touching the dirt. Both testers praised the cleaning and the canister, but neither could make its tug-the-cable recall work.
See the alternatives below, or switch market.
The short version
The AquaVac 650 is the top model in Hayward's AquaVac 6 Series, reaching shops around 2019. It runs on a 17-metre cable from a mains power unit and cleans the floor, the walls and the waterline. Six brushes drive it, and instead of filter bags or cartridges it spins debris out of the water into a clear canister. The 650 adds an app, remote control and weekly scheduling over the otherwise similar AquaVac 600.
Being corded, it never needs charging, but the power unit has to sit well back from the pool, so where your socket is matters. Hayward has dropped it from its US and French sites while its Australian page is still live, so it's being run down in some places. Check spare parts and dealer support where you live before you buy one.
Our take: It suits an in-ground pool with a socket near the pool, where you want a robot to scrub walls and steps on a schedule and hate rinsing filters. If you'd rather not deal with a cable, look at a cordless robot such as the Aiper Scuba X1. For another corded option with an app, compare the Dolphin S400, though one owner found its walls patchier.
Where it sits in Hayward’s range
- AquaVac 600Same robot without app control or weekly scheduling
- SharkVacSimpler tracked robot, sold mainly as a floor cleaner
- AquaVac 650This model
- SharkVac XL PilotFloor, walls and waterline in a three-hour cycle
- TigerShark QCAdds a quick 90-minute clean cycle
What reviewers found
Two hands-on tests, both positive about the cleaning. Reviewed ran it in an irregular pool with a spa section and found it scrubbed the curved walls clean. PoolPro, a pool trade magazine, tested it for a summer in a worn, heavily used pool and found it climbed walls and steps and picked up debris of all sizes. Both loved the canister. Both found the tug-the-cable recall didn't work. The niggles were practical: Reviewed needed an extension lead to reach, and PoolPro found connecting the app awkward once home Wi-Fi was in place.
Reviewed, hands-on, Irregular in-ground pool with a spa section, Sept 2020 · PoolPro, hands-on, One summer in a heavily used residential pool, Dec 2019
Strong cleaning on walls and floor
Reviewed tested it in a pool with curved ends and a spa cut-out, a shape that exposes weak navigation. It cleaned the whole pool of about 200 square feet in three hours and scrubbed the curved walls clean. PoolPro found it covered its pool without issues, climbing every wall and step without getting hung up, and scrubbing off stuck-on dirt. It fell off the steps a couple of times but carried on. Both pools were awkward, and it coped with each.
The canister is the highlight
There are no filter bags or cartridges to rinse. Reviewed liked that a quick-release button lets you empty the canister without touching the debris, and that an easy rinse is all it needs. PoolPro called it the favourite feature, taking about a minute to clean out, with everything flushing out each time. It adds one caveat: in a pool with lots of leaves and twigs, small bits may get stuck and need rinsing more often.
Recall by cable didn't work
The manual says you can tug the cable three times and the robot will come to the surface where you're standing. Neither tester could make that happen. Reviewed ended up dragging the robot back by hand, which was more strenuous than it expected. PoolPro never got the feature to work either, but found the robot buoyant enough to pull over easily, with a handle near the end of the cable to lift it out. Plan to haul it out yourself.
Cable length depends on your socket
The power unit must stay plugged in throughout a clean. Reviewed's only outlets were in a shed about two yards from the pool, which ate into the cable's reach, so it resorted to an extension lead, something Hayward doesn't recommend. PoolPro didn't report any problem with reach. With a 17-metre cable, per Hayward, measure the distance from your socket to the far end of the pool before buying.
App: simple, but its own network
Reviewed found the app easy to set up and said it mirrors the power unit's controls, so commands were obvious, and it could set cleaning schedules. PoolPro explains why it can be a nuisance: the power unit creates its own Wi-Fi network for your phone. That was handy at a house without internet, but once home Wi-Fi arrived, switching networks to reach the robot became a pain.
Both tests cover the Wi-Fi AquaVac 650. The AquaVac 600 is the same robot without the app features.
Before you buy
The questions people ask about this one
Does it climb walls and clean the waterline?
Yes. It has floor-only, floor-walls-and-waterline and waterline-only cycles, per the specifications. Reviewed found it scrubbed curved walls clean, and PoolPro saw it climb every wall and step, occasionally falling off a step before carrying on.
How do I get it out of the water?
In theory, tug the cable three times and it comes to you. Neither Reviewed nor PoolPro got that to work. PoolPro found it buoyant enough to pull in by the cable and lift with a handle. It weighs 9.5kg, per the specifications.
How do I clean the filter?
There's no filter to rinse. You lift out the clear canister and press a release to flush the debris, which Reviewed liked because you don't touch the dirt. PoolPro found it took about a minute, though small twigs may need extra rinsing.
Does it need an app?
No. You can run it from the power unit, and Reviewed found the app mirrors those controls. The 650's extras over the 600 are remote control, Wi-Fi scheduling and user diagnostics, per the specifications. PoolPro notes your phone joins the power unit's own Wi-Fi network, which is awkward if you normally use home Wi-Fi.
Will it work in an above-ground pool?
Hayward's French spec sheet lists in-ground pools up to 6 x 12m, per the specifications, though its Australian page names above-ground pools as well, per Hayward. Both hands-on tests were in in-ground pools, so check with a dealer for your pool type.
Compare with
S400
A corded Dolphin that owners say cleans floors well and cuts down manual work.
One detailed owner account found walls and the waterline covered unevenly.
Alpha iQ
Another corded, app-controlled robot; one owner reports three years of reliable running with simple maintenance.
That's a single account, and the app needs a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network to set up.
Scuba X1
If the cable puts you off, testers found this cordless robot good on floors and fine dirt.
You hook it out after each run, and its layered fine filter is a chore to rinse.
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 AquaVac 650?
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.
- Reviewed: Hayward AquaVac 6 Series 650 Robotic Pool Cleaner ReviewHands-on, Irregular in-ground pool with a spa section
- PoolPro: We Tried It: The AquaVac 650Hands-on, One summer in a heavily used residential pool
- Hayward: AquaVac 6 Series technical sheet (France)Manufacturer
- Hayward: AquaVac 650 product page (Australia)Manufacturer