Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max review: an all-purpose pool-cleaning star

The Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max is one of the more recent pool robots that can not only clean the floors, walls and waterline of a swimming pool, but also raise themselves to the surface and skim away leaves and other debris floating on top.

These all-purpose robots often promise a lot but end up making compromises in one area or another so I was sceptical at first, but pleasantly surprised at how it handled every cleaning task.

Here's how I got on with the Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max.

Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max review: price and availability

The Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max is undeniably a premium pool robot with a list price of $2,599.99, but don’t pay too much attention to that price as there is always some kind of discount available. As an all-purpose robot it’s reasonably priced (when on offer) although if you’re willing to give up the surface cleaning you can get similar floor and wall cleaning for a lot less.

As of writing, it's not yet available in the UK.

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Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max review: set-up

Set-up is simple and I found no issues pairing the Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max to the dedicated app. Updating the firmware could occasionally be frustrating (a common theme with a lot of pool robots I've tested) but earlier issues I experienced seem to have been resolved with subsequent updates.

It comes with a charging cradle that easily slots together and reduces the robot's footprint while charging, which is definitely a bonus, as measuring 16.9” x 19.7” x 11.7” (W x L x H), the Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max is not a small robot.

It’s also one of the heaviest robots I’ve tested at 33 lbs and that’s without it full of water after a clean. This can make it a bit of a struggle to carry it around and you will likely need to remove it slowly from the pool to allow it to drain before lifting it completely clear.

Once paired with the app and the battery is topped up, you simply need to drop the Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max in the pool to start a clean. By default, it will clean every area, but you can also change the mode to only do one of the zones (floor, walls, waterline or surface) or a custom mode you can set to include any combination of zones.

Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max review: design and features

In terms of design, the Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max is a pretty sleek robot. While it's more of a functional product than something you’re going to be spending a lot of time looking at, it's nice that it's not something you’d be embarrassed to be seen pootling around your pool.

It includes operating buttons on the outside for selecting the cleaning mode so you can start a clean without having to open the app and a decent sized handle built into the front so you can get a good grip on it when removing it from the pool.

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Capable of cleaning pool floors, walls, waterline and the water surface the Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max is heavily packed with features including AI navigation and mapping to provide full coverage of your pool, 9 motors to provide suction and a large battery to provide enough power to cover pools up to 3,200 sq. ft.

It includes 40 sensors including a camera and ultrasonic sensor that it uses to map the pool area to provide full coverage, regardless of the shape of your pool.

The filter basket can trap material as small as three microns so it should easily be able to hold onto even fine particles such as sand and silt as well as algae. Using tracks to move around the pool, it's capable of climbing and cleaning stairs, as well as scrubbing up to 5cm above the waterline.

Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max review: performance

The Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max did superbly in my cleaning tests, handling fine particles like sand and silt exceptionally well and picking up larger debris such as acorns or small stones without issue. Picking up submerged leaves was a bit hit and miss, but it did as well with these as any other robot I have tested.

In terms of floor coverage, it definitely was up amongst the best pool cleaners I have tested. It still struggled a little to provide a consistent clean of my test pool (that features a standard hopper bottom) as the slope to the deepest part of the pool throws off almost every single robot I have tested, but the mapping functionality did, mostly, drag it back to spots that it drifted away from due to the incline.

Wall and waterline cleaning was a lot more consistent and the Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max did well to remove the build up of material over the waterline, as well as navigate around obstacles such as ladders or skimmer openings.

Surface skimming is a slow process to the point it can look like the robot is just aimlessly drifting around the pool, but this sedate progress actually delivers better cleaning than I have seen from other all-area cleaners. Where some rivals power around the pool they can disturb material, moving it out of the path and leaving it uncollected, but the Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max does a great job of collecting most debris - just be prepared it will take a long time to do it.

Removing it from the pool at the end of a clean can be a little difficult due to the sheer weight of the robot, but its ability to bring itself to the surface and “park” at the pool edge means you won’t need to get out a pole to drag it up from the pool floor.

Once out, you can open the top and remove the filter basket to dispose of the material it has collected and rinse the filters clean under a tap or hose.

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Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max review: verdict

The Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max is a superb all-purpose pool cleaner, delivering excellent cleaning results in every area. It provides consistent floor coverage even in sloping pools and has the battery life to cover pools up to 3,200 sq. ft.

It may be too heavy for some to comfortably carry to and from the pool but is otherwise easy to use and a great choice if you want one robot to do it all.

Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max review: alternatives to consider

If you're happy to spend more (and it is a fair bit more) the Beatbot Aquasense 2 Ultra is worth a look. Like the Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max, it's an all-purpose cleaner but also has the ability to add a clarifying agent as it cleans and is generally a bit more refined in terms of design and software. Surface cleaning (while a lot quicker) isn’t great however, so if that’s a key consideration for you it's better to stick with the Aiper.

If you’re looking for something a bit cheaper, and you don’t mind sacrificing surface cleaning and wireless functionality, consider the Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus Wi-Fi. It’s very much a no-frills cleaner but it cleans exceptionally well and while you might lose the convenience of being able to work wirelessly, you gain the ability to use it whenever you need without having to worry about keeping the battery charged.

If wireless functionality is a deal breaker, the Aiper Scuba S1 Pro is a great budget choice. Floor coverage isn’t as consistent as the X1 Pro Max and it can’t clean the water surface, but it’s still a great pick for smaller pools.