When buying a suction pool cleaner you can often be spoilt for choice and things can get quite confusing when it comes to choosing between what seem like identical cleaners.
Knowing what a suction pool cleaner is, how it operates, and what to watch out for can be instrumental in making the right purchase decision.
Suction pool cleaners attach to your pool’s existing skimmer and filtration system to generate suction power. The more powerful and well-organized your motor and filtration is the better suction power you are likely to get from your pool cleaner. Suction power is important as it helps to extract debris from surface pool water just like a vacuum for carpets.
Suction pool cleaners can be used for a variety of cleaning purposes. Flapper models are built to remove fine dust, debris, and contaminants from the surface and bottom of your pool while wheeled models can also help in the scrubbing of pool walls and floors to get rid of any built-in dirt. Other products like 35% peroxide also can be use for the pool, hot tubs and float pods.
What To Buy?
Deciphering what is the best suction pool cleaner for your needs can be a challenging ordeal especially with the multitude of choices available. Not all suction pool cleaners are as effective as you would think. That is why we have narrowed the list down to the best ones to make your purchase decision a whole lot easier.
A Review Of The 3 Best Suction Pool Cleaners
Here are some of the best suction pool cleaners available on the market based on features, benefits, price, service, customer reviews, supplier credibility, and warranty.
Hayward PHS41CST AquaNaut Suction Pool Cleaner
Pros:
- Excellent at picking up large and small pieces of debris without clogging thanks to its V-Flex technology
- 4-wheel drive makes it effective for cleaning deep ends of the pool
- Excellent maneuverability
- Plenty of adjustability options
- Automated features
- Easy to set up and use
Cons
- Only comes with a 1-year warranty
This Hayward AquaNaut is a wheeled suction pool cleaner that provides the ability to climb up pool walls and get over stairs and other obstacles. It has 3-throats aimed at sucking up different sized debris for the best vacuum clean possible both at the surface and bottom of your pool.
The Hayward is easy to set up and requires you to simply plug it into your existing pool pump. Its compact lightweight design makes it easy to move around and store. Works great with a variable rate pump as it offers plenty of adjustability options.
Baracuda G3 W03000 Advanced Suction Side Automatic Pool Cleaner
Pros
- Works on all floor types
- Easy to maintain (has only one moving part)
- Picks up on small to medium-sized leaves
- Automated features
- Affordable and durable
Cons
- Can’t go around obstacles or stairs
The Baracuda G3 is easy to install, easy to maintain, and definitely easy to use. It is also extremely durable and reliable as it has only one moving part. This suction side automated pool cleaner is affordable and can work on all pool surface types.
If you have a pool with no obstacles or stairs this could be the ideal affordable suction pool cleaner to ensure sparkling clean pool water.
XtremepowerUS Automatic Suction Vacuum
Pros
- Much more affordable than other options available
- Cleans in-ground pools of all shapes and surfaces
- Easy to install and use
- Lightweight and portable
Cons
- Does not have climbing abilities
- Can’t get around obstacles and stairs
- Hoses are of low-quality
When it comes to suction pool cleaners the XtremepowerUS is by far one of the most affordable options for small to medium-sized in-ground pools. The XtremepowerUS is designed to suck up micro dirt particles and algae rather than larger debris such as leaves or twigs.
The adjustable hose is handy but lacks quality in terms of durability. However, for the price, this unit is definitely worth it even as a secondary vacuum for picking up finer dirt.
Types of Suction Pool Cleaners
They are three types of suction pool cleaners that you can buy. Each type comes with its own set of benefits and drawbacks.
Suction Side Pool Cleaners
Suction side pool cleaners use the existing power of your pool’s suction pump to propel the cleaner across pool surfaces. Most models even come with wall climbing and scrubbing abilities that deliver an altogether more thorough clean.
Suction side pool cleaners have few moving parts, are easy to use, easy to maintain, and generally lightweight. They are also inexpensive and tend to last a long time.
The disadvantage of a suction side pool cleaner is that it is dependent completely on your current suction pump and filtration system.
Pressure Side Pool Cleaners
Often referred to as ‘booster pumps’ a pressure side pool cleaner attaches to a pool circulation system’s pressure side that helps the unit get pushed around in your pool water.
Unlike suction side pool cleaners pressure side pool cleaners come with there own filtration bag and don’t depend upon your current filtration system to gather debris and sand.
Some pressure side pool cleaner models require an extra booster pump and poop pump for the unit to function. This can add to maintenance costs.
Robotic Pool Cleaners
Robotic pool cleaners allow for a semi or fully automated pool cleaning process that requires little to no effort on your part. Simply turn on the bot drop it in your pool water and let the bot’s brain take care of the rest.
Modern robotic pool cleaners come with a multitude of modern features that help make pool maintenance a breeze. They don’t rely on your pool pump or filtration system and work independently using electricity to vacuum, scrub and sweep many types of pool surfaces.
Robotic pool cleaners can be expensive and costly to maintain. They require constant cleaning of filters and have a lot of moving parts.
What is the best suction pool cleaner?
The best suction pool cleaner is one that can effectively and efficiently take care of all your most important pool cleaning needs. Always identify your needs before making a viable purchase decision.