SharkVac XL Pilot
Limited evidenceRead the findings →Hayward's corded robot for in-ground pools, cleaning the floor, walls and waterline. It suits owners wanting a simple robot with a trolley and beach-entry detection. There's no app or remote, just a button on the robot.
Updated
Check the manufacturer’s site for current availability.
Where it sits in Hayward’s range
Feedback
What we know
The only owner feedback is one buyer review on Quimipool customer review, a Spanish pool shop, which rates it 4 out of 5 and calls it effective and good value. It was posted a week after ordering. Everything else is Hayward's own material: its UK product page (Hayward (UK)) and its technical data sheet (Hayward (UK)), which cover its two cycles, the top-loading filter and beach-entry detection.
Two programmes, one button
A button on the robot switches between floor only, which takes two hours, and floor and walls, which takes three and includes the waterline, per Hayward (UK). There's no app or remote. Hayward (UK) says it suits all pool configurations, and the data sheet lists concrete, fibreglass, liner, mosaic, polyester, PVC, stainless steel and tiled surfaces. A foam roller at the front and a brush roller at the back do the scrubbing.
Top filter and trolley
The filter unit comes out of the top, so you don't have to turn the robot over, per Hayward (UK). Hayward (UK) lists filtration down to 30 microns, plus an optional start-of-season filter for bigger debris. The robot weighs 12.35kg, so the included trolley matters for getting it to and from the pool.
Beach-entry detection
If your pool has a sloping, beach-style entry, Hayward (UK) says the XL Pilot detects when it has left the water and retrieves itself. The basic SharkVac doesn't have this. Hayward also claims a suction capacity of 17 cubic metres an hour and a cleaning speed of 17 metres a minute, per Hayward (UK).
Still to be proven
Our search turned up retailer listings and French sites that repeat the spec sheet, but no finished test by an independent reviewer. The one buyer on Quimipool customer review wrote three words, 'Efectivo y buen precio', a week after ordering, and said nothing about pool size or debris. So the open questions are whether it reaches every wall, how it copes with steps and the waterline, how quickly the filter clogs in a leafy pool, how reliably the beach-entry detection works and how long it lasts.
Our take
Should you buy the SharkVac XL Pilot?
Best for: Pools whose owners want a simple cleaner without an app. Skip it if: You want a stronger record in independent tests before buying.
Consider it if you want a simple corded robot for floor, walls and waterline and you like the trolley and the long warranty, but ask for a demonstration before buying. The Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus has three independent reviews behind it, and the Hayward AquaVac 650 is a tested Hayward with Wi-Fi control.
The SharkVac XL Pilot is the step up from Hayward's floor-only SharkVac. It climbs the walls and cleans the waterline as well as the floor, with a button to choose a shorter floor-only cycle or a longer floor-and-walls one. It has a foam roller at the front and a brush roller at the back, a top-loading filter, a trolley in the box, and it can tell when it has left the water, which helps in pools with a sloping beach entry.
There's no app or remote, just a button on the robot to pick the cycle, and Hayward backs it with a three-year warranty. The only buyer feedback is a single positive review on Quimipool, a Spanish pool shop, which called it effective. It's a heavy robot, so you'll be glad of the trolley.
Where to buy
Where to buy the SharkVac XL Pilot in United Kingdom
No United Kingdom price checked in the last 21 days. We re-check daily.
We’re still looking for more United Kingdom retailers for this model.
Price-drop alert
Get an email when the Hayward SharkVac XL Pilot gets cheaper in the UK.
Before you buy
The questions people ask about this one
Does it climb walls and clean the waterline?
Yes, on its floor-and-walls programme, per the specifications, which takes three hours. The floor-only programme takes two. We found no independent test of how well it cleans the waterline, and the one buyer review on Quimipool customer review doesn't say.
Will it work in an above-ground pool?
Hayward lists it for in-ground pools up to 6 × 12 metres, per the specifications. At 12.35kg, per Hayward (UK), it would also be a heavy thing to lift over the wall of an above-ground pool.
How do I get it out of the water?
Hayward doesn't list a pick-up mode or clicker, so expect to lift it out yourself. It weighs 12.35kg dry, per Hayward (UK), and a trolley comes with it for moving it to and from storage.
How do I clean the filter?
Open the top and lift out the filter unit, per the specifications; there's no need to turn the robot over. The panels are easy to remove and put back, per Hayward (UK), and a coarser start-of-season filter is sold separately for heavy debris.
Does it need an app?
It doesn't have one. A button on the robot picks floor-only or floor-and-walls cleaning, per the specifications. If you want control from your phone, the Hayward AquaVac 650 adds Wi-Fi.
Alternatives
Other robotic pool cleaners to compare.
AquaVac 650
Why consider it: A tested corded Hayward with Wi-Fi control and a filterless canister, and both testers praised its cleaning.
The compromise: Neither tester could make its tug-the-cable recall work.
Nautilus CC Plus
Why consider it: Three independent testers found this corded Dolphin cleans floors and walls quickly, with filters that are easy to empty.
The compromise: It sometimes sticks on steps, and testers disagree about whether it cleans the waterline.
LIBERTY 600
Why consider it: Two testers found this cordless Dolphin leaves floors very clean, filters well and comes up when you shake the clicker.
The compromise: It wanders at random, and one tester found its step jet shifted only part of the dirt.
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 SharkVac XL Pilot?
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
Sources
Videos
- PoolCenter: Hayward SharkVac XL Pilot - PoolCenter ↗
- Search YouTube for Hayward SharkVac XL Pilot ↗Search results may include company demonstrations or similar models. Check the source and model name; a demonstration is not an independent performance test.