iSkim Ultra
2 independent reviewsRead the findings →Beatbot's solar-powered skimmer floats on the surface, catching leaves before they sink. It's for uncovered, leafy pools without a decent wall skimmer. Its weak spot is collection, as it can push leaves aside rather than catch them.
Updated
See the alternatives below, or switch market.
Where it sits in Beatbot’s range
- iSkimSimpler skimmer: no route planning, clarifier or magnetic charging
- iSkim UltraThis model
- AquaSense 2Underwater robot Beatbot bundles it with
- Sora 70Underwater robot that also skims the surface
- AquaSense XFlagship underwater robot with a self-rinsing station
Feedback
What reviewers found
Two home tests, two different verdicts. In a Los Angeles pool under a messy tree, Reviewed found it quietly and efficiently cleared leaves and pollen, and called it an excellent investment for uncovered, debris-prone pools. Over two weeks in Texas, PCWorld found it pushed most leaves aside, caught only 40 to 45% of test leaves and sometimes drove into walls. Both liked the app. Talk Android was also enthusiastic, but mostly describes Beatbot's features rather than measuring what it collects.
PCWorld, hands-on, Two weeks in a Texas pool, Jan 2025 · Reviewed, hands-on, Apr 2025 · Talk Android, hands-on, Sept 2026 (Mostly restates Beatbot's feature list, with no measure of how much debris it collects.)
Floor, wall and waterline
Mixed resultsIt only skims the surface, and the two testers disagree on how well. Reviewed found it quietly and efficiently cleared a pool under a messy tree, while PCWorld often saw a small wave push leaves out of its path. PCWorld's wall skimmer may have taken some debris first.
Debris
Mixed resultsReviewed found it removed leaves and pollen well. PCWorld found only a few handfuls in the basket after 10 days under a pecan tree, and with the pump off it caught under half its test leaves while the rest sank.
Coverage and navigation
Mixed resultsReviewed watched it cross the pool quietly, with only mild splashing at the walls. PCWorld found it bounced off walls rather than turning, sometimes pushed into them at full throttle, and got stuck on larger leaves and a floating thermometer.
Battery and charging
Mixed resultsIn strong sun it runs all day: PCWorld saw 14 hours or more, and Reviewed liked that it charges while it works. But PCWorld got about three hours from flat on a cloudy day and had three days in a row without enough charge to run.
Filter and retrieval
Not enough evidenceIt stays on the surface, so there's no fishing it out, and the app can park it at the wall the specifications. None of the reviews we use looked closely at emptying its basket or lifting it out.
Pool types it suits
Not enough evidenceNone of the reviews we use compared pool shapes or tried an above-ground pool. Reviewed and PCWorld each tested one in-ground pool.
Reliability and support
Not enough evidenceNone of the reviews we use ran it long-term or judged Beatbot's support. Reviewed found it sturdily built, while the one PCWorld tested kept stopping when a pool thermometer jammed its paddlewheel.
Value
Mixed resultsReviewed calls it an investment worth making for uncovered pools that collect a lot of debris. PCWorld found it very expensive for what it collects and thinks most owners with a wall skimmer don't need one.
Verdicts come from independent, hands-on, finished reviews. An area needs at least two of them before we say more than “Not enough evidence”. We don't score robots ourselves. How this works
How much it actually collects
Reviewed opened its pool cover to let debris build up, then found the iSkim removed leaves and pollen quietly and efficiently. Most of the time PCWorld saw the opposite: a small wave ahead of the robot pushed leaves aside, and the corner brushes did little. After 10 days under a pecan tree there were only a few handfuls in the basket. With the pump off, it caught 40 to 45% of synthetic leaves and the rest sank. The wall skimmer in the PCWorld pool took much of the debris first, which may explain part of the gap.
Solar keeps it going, mostly
In strong summer sun, PCWorld found it ran 14 hours or more, from dawn to dusk, but starting flat on a cloudy day it might manage three. During two weeks of testing it went three days in a row without enough charge to run at all. When the battery gets low it looks for sunlight and parks. Reviewed liked that it charges while it works, and notes the magnetic charger fills it in about five hours when the sun isn't enough.
Navigation and getting stuck
Beatbot claims 20 sensors and planned routes, per Beatbot. PCWorld found it bounced off the walls rather than turning before them, and more than once caught it pushing full throttle into the wall. Larger leaves jammed in its paddles, and a floating pool thermometer kept getting caught in the front paddlewheel, stopping the robot until freed. Reviewed found it crossed the pool quietly, with only mild splashing when it bumped the wall. Take floating toys and thermometers out first.
Setup, app and clarifier
Reviewed went from unboxing to skimming in under 10 minutes, pairing over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. PCWorld liked the app's charts of running and solar charging, schedules, and a remote control that works well, including a button that doubles its speed. Its air temperature reading was badly wrong, though water temperature looked right. The clarifier pods are sold separately, and Reviewed skipped them because it couldn't find guidance on whether they suit its ozone pool.
Our take
Should you buy the iSkim Ultra?
Best for: Uncovered pools where leaves collect on the surface. Skip it if: Your pool already has an effective surface skimmer.
buy it if your pool sits under trees with no cover and no effective wall skimmer, and PCWorld's advice is to save your money if your pump already has one. If you'd rather have one robot for everything, the Beatbot Sora 70 scrubs underwater and skims too.
The iSkim Ultra floats on the surface, catching leaves, insects and pollen before they sink, and Beatbot sells it to go with an underwater robot rather than instead of one. A solar panel on top charges it as it works, it has a 9-litre basket, and it can dose a water clarifier. Over the plain iSkim it adds route planning and a magnetic charger.
The two testers disagree on how much it collects. Reviewed, in a Los Angeles pool under a messy tree, found it quietly and efficiently cleared leaves and pollen and called it an investment for uncovered pools. PCWorld, over two weeks in Texas, saw a small wave push most leaves aside, found only a few handfuls in the basket after ten days under a pecan tree, and measured it catching under half its test leaves, though its wall skimmer may have taken debris first. PCWorld also saw it push into walls and stall on a floating thermometer. Running time depends on the weather. PCWorld saw it run all day in strong sun but had three days in a row with too little charge to run. Talk Android was enthusiastic but mostly repeats Beatbot's feature list.
Before you buy
The questions people ask about this one
Does it clean the floor and walls?
No. It floats and only collects debris from the surface, per the specifications. Beatbot bundles it with underwater robots such as the AquaSense 2, so if your floor needs cleaning you'll need one of those too. Reviewed used it purely for floating leaves and pollen.
Is it cordless, and how long does a charge last?
Yes. A 24W solar panel tops up a 10,000mAh battery, per the specifications. PCWorld got 14 hours or more in summer sun but about three on a cloudy day from flat, and had three days without enough charge. The magnetic charger takes about five hours, per Reviewed.
Does it handle leaves as well as fine dirt?
It's built for floating leaves, insects and pollen, and its basket filters down to 380 microns, so fine dirt that sinks isn't its job, per the specifications. Reviewed found it cleared leaves and pollen well, while PCWorld found it pushed most leaves aside.
How do I get it out of the pool?
Mostly you don't need to, as it can stay in the pool and recharge from the sun. When you want it, the app parks it at the wall, per the specifications, and Talk Android found it waits there for five minutes before shutting off its thrusters.
Is it safe with my pool chemicals?
Beatbot rates it for salt up to 5,000ppm and chlorine up to 4ppm, per the specifications. The clarifier it can dispense is sold separately, and Reviewed didn't use it because it couldn't find out whether it suits an ozone pool, so ask Beatbot first if your system is unusual.
Does it need an app?
For setup, yes: it needs Beatbot's app and a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network, per the specifications. PCWorld found the app useful for schedules, charts and remote control, and because it stays on the surface it keeps its Wi-Fi connection the whole time.
Alternatives
Other robotic pool cleaners to compare.
Sora 70
Why consider it: It's one robot that scrubs underwater and skims, and PCWorld called its 6-litre basket perhaps the easiest clean-up it had seen.
The compromise: It's slow, and its skimming suits light, floating debris best.
Scuba X1 Pro Max
Why consider it: T3 found its slow skimming collected most floating debris, and it cleans the floor and walls too.
The compromise: It's heavy, at around 15kg, and Reviewed couldn't get it to finish a cleaning run.
AquaSense 2 Ultra
Why consider it: Testers rate its underwater cleaning highly, and its camera goes back for leaves it missed.
The compromise: It's very heavy, and both PCWorld tests found it pushed floating leaves away.
Specs
Full specifications
Each specification names its source. Manufacturer claims are not independent test results; unconfirmed figures are labelled.
Owner reviews
Do you own the iSkim Ultra?
Tell people how it’s held up: cleaning, maintenance, faults and support. Owner accounts are shown separately from independent reviews.
Sources
Where this page’s findings come from
Editorial reviews
- PCWorld: Beatbot iSkim Ultra review: It's just not a better leaf trap for your pool ↗3 / 5Hands-on, Two weeks in a Texas pool
- Reviewed: BeatBot iSkim Ultra Robot Pool Skimmer review: Necessary or needless? ↗Hands-on
- Talk Android: Beatbot iSkim Ultra Review: The Solar-Powered Skimmer That Never Clocks Off ↗Hands-on · Mostly restates Beatbot's feature list, with no measure of how much debris it collects. (not counted towards our two-review minimum)
Sources
- Beatbot: iSkim Ultra product page (US) ↗Manufacturer
Videos
- The Pool Nerd: Is it worth $1000? Beatbot iSkim Ultra Testing & Hands-On Review ↗
- ModernDayReviews: Beatbot iSkim Ultra: AMAZING, But Way Too Expensive? ↗
- Search YouTube for Beatbot iSkim Ultra ↗Search results may include company demonstrations or similar models. Check the source and model name; a demonstration is not an independent performance test.