Enjoying a clean swimming pool is a real treat. But with swimming pools the same thing happens as with boats: it’s better to have a friend who has one than to have one yourself. Among other things, because that way you save yourself the trouble of having to clean it regularly.
Enjoying this privilege (that of having an acquaintance with a swimming pool), I have had the opportunity to test the Scuba S1 Pro from Aiper, a robot that is used to clean the bottom and walls of the pool.
I don’t know if you know it, but the pool market is huge: for something as simple as taking a dip in the summer, there are countless products and accessories available to make life easier for the owners of this prized possession on hot days.
In this article I am going to tell you about my test of the Aiper Scuba S1 Pro robot, so you can find out if it is the pool cleaning robot you have been looking for to take this tiresome task off your hands.
A miniature tank design
When you take it out of the giant box it comes in, you realise that this pool cleaning robot is like a miniature tank: it even has caterpillar wheels, ready to move around the bottom of your pool like a fish in water.
The Scuba S1 Pro is a large and heavy device, don’t think you’re going to be able to walk around the garden with it as if it were a standard robot vacuum cleaner: it weighs 17.4 kilograms, something you should bear in mind because you’ll remember it when it’s your turn to lift it out of the water.
The box comes with a wall charger and a hook that you can attach to your pool cleaning hose to make it easier to retrieve the robot when cleaning is finished.
You throw it in the pool and let the magic begin
Submerging a gadget that costs over a thousand euros in water is a bit daunting, but hey, I came here to test it thoroughly.
You turn it on, choose the cleaning mode (there are 5 available: Auto Mode; Floor Mode; Walls Mode; Waterline Mode; and Eco Mode), which you can do either from the robot’s buttons or from the mobile app, and you drop it into the water to start its work.
It will take a few seconds for the robot to start the cleaning process. Once it has started, you will see that it begins to trace its own path through the pool, just like robot vacuum cleaners do when you use them for the first time at home.
The caterpillar wheels allow it to move freely along the bottom of the pool and, when you have held it to realise how heavy it is, it is surprising to see how it climbs the pool walls without any difficulty.
An app that allows you to start cleaning, but in the water the connection is lost
As I said before, the robot can connect to your mobile via WiFi or Bluetooth through the Aiper app, available on both Android and iOS.
The app allows you to check the robot’s battery level, its connection status and to select the cleaning mode before putting it in the water.
It is important to clarify that last point, before putting it in the water, because once it enters the pool it loses the connection and you will not be able to reconnect to it until you take it out.
Unless you buy the HydroComm separately, an accessory that allows you to continue using the wireless connection between the robot and the mobile phone even when it is underwater. Mind you, I haven’t been able to find it on the manufacturer’s website to tell you how much it costs.
From the app it is also possible to check the lifespan of the roller brush and the filter, which are two accessories that you will sooner or later have to replace with new ones.
Good cleaning results after running the robot over the pool several times
Unless you use it very frequently, you will see that the first time you use it you will need to give the robot several passes around the pool to achieve the desired result.
It is surprising to see how the Aiper Scuba S1 Pro manoeuvres along the bottom and walls of the pool while collecting all the dirt accumulated on the walls. Its 4 infrared sensors allow it to travel along all the walls without difficulty.
I didn’t like the fact that not all the dirt is filtered by the robot, as during cleaning you can see dirty water coming out of the motors that ends up contaminating the pool and forces you to make several passes to leave it clean.
The robot has an autonomy of approximately 3 hours, it has an LED indicator that shows you the status of the battery (blue = OK; red = low battery).
A full charge takes about four hours.
Just make sure you close the charging lid properly before putting the robot back in the pool. Just because it can swim doesn’t mean it defies the laws of physics, and you know that electricity and water… they’re a bad mix.
It is suitable for pools like the one you might have in your garden
The manufacturer states that this cleaning robot is compatible with pools of up to 200 m2, with a maximum depth of 3 meters. It is only not compatible with infinity pools, according to the instruction manual.
There is no problem with the pool having steps, as it is able to go up and down them without difficulty, but it is important to know that it does not clean the steps.
Verdict: is it worth paying over a thousand euros for this robot?
The question of whether the Aiper Scuba S1 Pro is worth it can be answered with a simple answer: calculate how much time (and effort) you spend each week keeping your pool clean, and consider whether this investment will allow you to use that time for better things (such as enjoying your pool).
The robot itself works very well, I found it very easy to start using it and it doesn’t require any prior configuration beyond selecting the cleaning mode.
It is a very heavy device, however, so it may not be suitable for everyone. You have to be strong to get it out of the water, so bear that in mind.
For the price of this product (1,499.99 euros RRP according to the manufacturer’s website, although right now you can get it for 999.99 euros), I do think it would be convenient if, at least in this Pro model, the accessory or technology that allows the connection between the robot and the mobile phone to be maintained when it is underwater were included.
