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Aiper vs Beatbot

Aiper, narrowly. Its camera-guided Scuba V3 has the strongest test record in the middle of the market, and the Scuba X1 Pro Max cleans better than Beatbot's Sora 70. Beatbot wins on a tight budget and is easier to live with, as its robots float to the edge and drain themselves.

Updated

Which suits your home

Start with the thing that matters most to you.

  • A robot that hunts down dirtAiper

    The Scuba V3's camera steers it to debris. WIRED watched it route itself to pebbles it had thrown in, and Trusted Reviews rated its navigation excellent. Beatbot's cheaper Sora robots cover ground without a plan PCWorld.

  • Easy to get out of the poolBeatbot

    The Sora 30 and Sora 70 float to the edge and drain themselves Les Numériques Digital Trends. The Scuba V3 waits only about 10 minutes before sinking Trusted Reviews, and the X1 Pro Max is around 15kg T3.

  • Tightest budgetBeatbot

    PCWorld found the Sora 10 surprisingly capable for the price if you'll brush the steps yourself. Aiper's cheap wall-climber, the Seagull Pro, is being phased out.

  • Sand and fine dirtAiper

    T3 found the X1 Pro Max superb on sand and silt, and Bob Vila praised the Scuba V3's pickup of sand and algae. Beatbot's standard Sora basket is too coarse for fine dust Les Numériques.

  • Floating leaves tooEither

    Both top models skim. T3 found the X1 Pro Max slow but effective, and Digital Trends saw the Sora 70 catch most pollen, leaves and bugs, though PCWorld watched soft leaves pushed under to sink.

Model for model

The closest match from each brand at three price levels, with today's prices.

Budget

Reviewers favour Beatbot
Aiper Seagull Pro

Aiper

Seagull Pro

US$499at Aiper

Beatbot Sora 10

Beatbot

Sora 10

US$469.00at Beatbot Official

PCWorld called the Seagull Pro the most effective cleaner it had tested, but it's heavy, needs a hook and is being phased out. The Sora 10 is current, lighter and also cleaned well given time PCWorld.

Mid-range

Reviewers favour Aiper
Aiper Scuba V3

Aiper

Scuba V3

Not currently sold in the US

Beatbot Sora 30

Beatbot

Sora 30

US$649.00at Beatbot Official

The Scuba V3 drives to dirt by camera and has three good tests behind it WIRED Trusted Reviews Bob Vila. The Sora 30 picks up well and floats up by itself, but Clubic notes an Aiper with a debris camera and fine filter costs only a little more.

Flagship

Reviewers favour Aiper
Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max

Aiper

Scuba X1 Pro Max

US$1,699.97at Pool Supply Unlimited

Beatbot Sora 70

Beatbot

Sora 70

US$1,099.00at Beatbot Official

Both clean underwater and skim. T3 and Heise rated the X1 Pro Max's cleaning among the best they'd tested, while the Sora 70's all-in-one mode left debris in corners for PCWorld. The Sora 70 is far easier to lift out.

What reviewers say about each range

Aiper

Aiper makes only cordless robots, from the floor-only Seagull SE to the skimming Scuba X1 Pro Max. The Scuba V3 is its best-tested: WIRED, Trusted Reviews and Bob Vila all found it cleans floors, walls and the waterline well, with a camera that genuinely helps. Its weak points are a short battery for big pools and a short wait before it sinks. T3 and Heise rated the X1 Pro Max's cleaning among the best they'd tested, but Reviewed's unit kept stopping before it finished.

Beatbot

Beatbot's cheaper Sora robots are light, run for hours and float up to be collected, but they find their way by covering ground rather than following a plan. PCWorld and Basic Tutorials found the Sora 10 gets a pool clean given time, though it skips steps. The Sora 30 and Sora 70 have big, easy baskets, which PCWorld called perhaps the easiest clean-up it had seen. Testers found them slow, and Les Numériques was disappointed by the Sora 30's waterline scrubbing.

Where they differ

  1. 01

    Navigation: Aiper plans, Beatbot roams

    The Scuba V3 recognises debris and heads for it, which Bob Vila found made its routes feel purposeful. The X1 Pro Max maps the pool T3. Beatbot's Sora robots get round by covering ground: PCWorld could see no pattern in the Sora 10's route, and Clubic watched the Sora 30 wander at random, though both got the job done in the end.

  2. 02

    Getting it out: Beatbot floats up and drains

    The Sora 30 and Sora 70 surface at the end of a run and let their water out, so Les Numériques could lift the Sora 30 out by its handle. The Scuba V3 is light but waits only about 10 minutes before sinking again Trusted Reviews, and the X1 Pro Max is around 15kg dry and holds water T3. The small Sora 10 can sink too if you're slow, as PCWorld found.

  3. 03

    Filters: Aiper catches finer dirt

    Bob Vila praised the Scuba V3 on sand and algae, and T3 found the X1 Pro Max superb on silt. Beatbot's standard Sora basket is coarse: Les Numériques found it lets fine dust through, and Clubic found the optional fine basket hard to clean. The flip side is that Beatbot's baskets are very easy to empty, which PCWorld singled out.

  4. 04

    Battery: Beatbot runs longer

    Digital Trends got over six hours from the Sora 70 in its most demanding mode, and PCWorld ran the Sora 10 for close to five. The Scuba V3 managed about three hours for WIRED, which it and Trusted Reviews call short for a big pool. The X1 Pro Max has more stamina, cleaning a large pool on under half a charge for Heise.

  5. 05

    Skimming: both split testers

    T3 found the X1 Pro Max's skimming slow but effective, but Reviewed's robot kept stopping and floating up before finishing. Digital Trends saw the Sora 70 catch most light floating debris, while PCWorld found soft leaves and petals pushed under to sink. Bob Vila says it doesn't replace a skimmer running all day.

Questions people ask

Is Aiper better than Beatbot?

On cleaning, slightly, from the mid-range up. The Scuba V3 has three positive tests WIRED Trusted Reviews Bob Vila, and the X1 Pro Max outcleaned the Sora 70 for most testers. Beatbot is the better budget buy and easier to get out of the pool.

Which brand lasts longer?

Nobody has run either brand's robots long enough to say. Digital Trends rates Beatbot's three-year replacement warranty highly. On the Aiper side, Bob Vila found the Scuba V3 solidly built after a month, but Reviewed's X1 Pro Max kept stopping before it finished a run.

Which is better for a big pool?

Avoid the Scuba V3, whose roughly three-hour runs WIRED and Trusted Reviews call short for a large pool. The X1 Pro Max cleaned a large pool on under half a charge for Heise, and the Sora 70 ran over six hours for Digital Trends. The X1 Pro Max cleans better; the Sora 70 is easier to lift out.

Are Aiper and Beatbot robots heavy?

The smaller ones aren't. Bob Vila found the Scuba V3 easy to lift out, and the Sora 30 is under 9kg Les Numériques. The X1 Pro Max is the heavy one at around 15kg dry T3.

Do I need to be there when it finishes?

With the Scuba V3 or the Sora 10, it helps. The V3 waits about 10 minutes before sinking Trusted Reviews, and PCWorld's Sora 10 sank again within minutes. The Sora 30 and Sora 70 float up and stay up, even with a flat battery for Clubic.

Sources

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