S2 Solar Vision
2 independent reviewsRead the findings →WYBOT's cordless S2 with a camera and a solar dock, meant to stay in the pool and recharge in the sun. It appeals if you hate lifting a robot out. Testing found slow charging and connection problems, so it's hard to recommend.
Updated
See the alternatives below, or switch market.
Where it sits in WYBOT’s range
- S2Same cleaning with a bigger battery, but no dock
- S2 ProS2 with a mains-powered in-pool charging dock
- S2 Solar VisionThis model
- WYBOT S2 SolarThe same solar dock without the camera
- S33D mapping and a dock that empties the robot
Feedback
What reviewers found
Two tests, and they disagree about the solar charging. PCWorld tested the S2 Solar Vision itself in a Texas summer and scored it low: the battery ran out before it finished the floor in full-pool mode, and the sun took more than two and a half days to refill it. Android Authority tested the S2 Solar, the same robot and dock without the camera, for two days in a small pool and loved how little it had to do. Both praised the cleaning, and neither reports on the camera's floor mode.
PCWorld, hands-on, Jul 2025 (Tested in a Texas summer) · Android Authority, hands-on, Apr 2025 (tested on the WYBOT S2 Solar; Tested the S2 Solar (no camera) for two days in a small hired pool)
Floor, wall and waterline
Mixed resultsPCWorld found its wall and waterline scrubbing excellent, but in full-pool mode the battery ran out with the floor barely touched. On the S2 Solar, the same robot without a camera, Android Authority found plenty of hidden dirt in the basket from a small pool.
Debris
Mixed resultsPCWorld saw it pick up all its test leaves in floor-only mode. On the camera-less S2 Solar, Android Authority found small leaves and twigs in the basket and called its suction not the strongest, but enough for most pool debris.
Coverage and navigation
Mixed resultsPCWorld found it didn't finish the floor in full-pool mode and once had to be rescued from a corner. On the S2 Solar, Android Authority got several full cleans per charge in a small pool. Nobody has tested the camera's floor mode.
Battery and charging
Mixed resultsThe S2 Solar has the same battery and solar dock the specifications. Android Authority saw sunshine add charge at the rate WYBOT claims, plenty for its small pool, but PCWorld waited over two and a half days for a refill and the dock often died overnight.
Filter and retrieval
Mixed resultsOn the S2 Solar, Android Authority liked that it drove to its dock by itself, so it never had to fish it out. PCWorld found it slow to come home, and you still reach a foot into the water to empty the basket.
Pool types it suits
Mixed resultsPCWorld and Android Authority, on the camera-less S2 Solar, agree it suits a small pool with lots of sun; in a big or shady one solar charging can't keep up. PCWorld also warns children could break the panel on the pool edge.
Reliability and support
Not enough evidenceOnly PCWorld reported on support: a firmware update killed the system's wireless connection, and WYBOT replaced the robot, dock and panel. None of the reviews we use has run it long-term.
Value
Mixed resultsBoth tested it at about the same price. Android Authority found the S2 Solar expensive but worth it for hands-off cleaning, while PCWorld didn't see enough saved time or effort to justify the expense.
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
Solar charging is slow
The panel charges the dock's battery, which then charges the robot. PCWorld found that chain too slow. In a Texas summer it took more than 2.5 days to go from 19% to full, and the dock's own battery often died overnight, cutting the robot's connection until someone pressed its Home button. Android Authority saw the charge climb 5 to 7% an hour in sunshine, in line with WYBOT's claim of about 1.5 hours of cleaning per sunny day, and got several cleans per charge in its small pool. Pool size decides which of those you'll get.
Excellent walls, short on floor
PCWorld called its wall and waterline scrubbing amazing, but in the everything mode it ran out of battery with the floor barely touched. Once it didn't make it back to the dock and had to be rescued from a corner with a pole. In floor-only mode it picked up all of its synthetic test leaves and docked properly. Android Authority thought its pool already looked clean, yet found plenty of small leaves and twigs in the basket after the standard full-pool mode.
Docking and retrieval
The robot heads to its dock when the battery reaches 20%. Android Authority saw it do that on its own and liked not having to fish it out. The panel has Play and Home buttons, which PCWorld found worked, though the robot was slow to come home and it often pressed Home more than once. When you do empty it, you still reach about a foot into the water for the handle or use a pole, per PCWorld.
App and connection trouble
A firmware update killed the system's wireless connection for PCWorld, and WYBOT sent a whole replacement robot, dock and panel. The app's battery readings were often wrong until it force-quit and restarted the app. Android Authority found the app simple, with seven modes, and notes that the robot loses Wi-Fi and Bluetooth once it's under water, so set everything up before it goes in.
The panel sits on your pool edge
The solar panel rests on the coping, where PCWorld warns children could step on it and break it. The robot and dock both come with mains chargers for when the sun isn't enough, and Android Authority says a plug-in charge takes about three hours. Neither review we use tested the camera's AI Vision floor mode, which WYBOT claims cleans many times faster.
PCWorld tested the S2 Solar Vision. Android Authority tested the S2 Solar, which has the same robot, battery and solar dock but no camera.
Our take
Should you buy the S2 Solar Vision?
Best for: Small, sunny pools where the cleaner can stay in the water. Skip it if: You need dependable charging and complete floor coverage.
The idea of leaving it in the pool is appealing, but PCWorld's charging, coverage and connection problems make the Solar Vision difficult to recommend from that test. The positive account tested the camera-free Solar instead. Compare the plain S2 if you can lift it out to charge; the S3 adds automatic emptying but needs a suitable dock location.
The S2 Solar Vision is WYBOT's S2 robot with a solar panel that sits on the pool edge and a charging dock below the waterline. When the battery drops to 20%, the robot drives to the dock and charges without leaving the water. It also has a camera that WYBOT says finds dirt on the floor in a special mode, and its battery is smaller than the plain S2's.
The two tests disagree about the solar charging. PCWorld tested the Solar Vision itself in a Texas summer and found the sun took more than two and a half days to refill the robot, while the dock's own battery often died overnight. In full-pool mode the battery ran out with the floor barely touched, and once the robot had to be rescued from a corner with a pole, though PCWorld called its wall and waterline scrubbing amazing. Android Authority tested the S2 Solar, the same robot and dock without the camera, for two days in a small pool, saw the charge climb steadily in sunshine and loved how little it had to do. PCWorld also had a firmware update kill the wireless connection, and WYBOT replaced the robot, dock and panel. Nobody has tried the camera's dirt-finding mode, and PCWorld didn't think it saved enough effort to justify the cost.
Before you buy
The questions people ask about this one
Is it cordless, and how long does a charge last?
Yes. WYBOT claims 2.5 hours or more per charge, per the specifications. PCWorld got closer to two hours, and says the sun took over two days to refill it. Android Authority found WYBOT's figure of about 1.5 hours of cleaning per sunny day held up.
Does it climb walls and clean the waterline?
Yes, and well. PCWorld found it did an amazing job on walls and the waterline, but in full-pool mode that left too little battery to finish the floor. If your pool is big, use floor-only runs on some days.
How do I get it out of the water?
Mostly you don't, because it charges on its underwater dock. To empty the basket, though, PCWorld had to reach about a foot into the water for the handle, or use a pole.
Does the camera actually help?
WYBOT says its AI Vision mode finds dirt and cleans the floor much faster, per the specifications. Neither PCWorld nor Android Authority reports on it, so the camera is untested.
Do I need the app?
Not for basic runs: the robot has mode buttons and the solar panel has Play and Home buttons. The app adds modes, a weekly schedule and steering, per PCWorld, which found it prone to disconnects.
Alternatives
Other robotic pool cleaners to compare.
S2 Pro
Why consider it: The same robot with a mains-powered dock, so charging doesn't depend on the weather, and it has the bigger battery.
The compromise: PCMag's robot couldn't climb onto the dock because the pool's tiles stuck out.
AquaSense 2
Why consider it: Testers liked its floor and wall cleaning, and it floats to the edge when it's done, so you don't need a hook.
The compromise: It doesn't skim, and steps and fine silt were hit and miss in testing.
Scuba X1
Why consider it: It also comes with a charging dock, and testers agree it's good on floors and fine dirt.
The compromise: You still hook it out after runs, and its layered fine filter is a chore to rinse.
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 S2 Solar Vision?
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: Wybot S2 Solar Vision review: Same bot, new battery-charging option ↗3 / 5Hands-on · Tested in a Texas summer
- Android Authority: WYBOT S2 Solar robotic pool cleaner review ↗8 / 10Hands-on · Tested on the WYBOT S2 Solar · Tested the S2 Solar (no camera) for two days in a small hired pool
Sources
- WYBOT: WYBOT S2 Solar Vision product page ↗Manufacturer
Videos
- Project Portugal: Wybot S2 Solar Vision, Pool Cleaning Robot review ↗
- Tech Max: WYBOT S2 Solar Vision Robotic Pool Cleaner AI Review 2026 ↗
- Search YouTube for WYBOT S2 Solar Vision ↗Search results may include company demonstrations or similar models. Check the source and model name; a demonstration is not an independent performance test.