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Cordless vs corded pool robot

Updated: 21 October 2026

A cable across the pool is why many people look at a battery robot, and the charge time is why they look back. Cordless vs corded pool robot is that trade: you give up a long programme and you take on a lithium pack, a multi-hour recharge, and a charger that still sits metres from the water. You do not give up the socket. This page compares the two power designs. It does not re-score the seven listings on the [cordless pool robot comparison](/hub/pool-care/cordless-pool-robot). Dealer pounds below are dealer pounds. We did not measure suction. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

A cable across the pool is why many people look at a battery robot, and the charge time is why they look back.

Our top picks

AIPER AIPER Scuba S1 (2025)

Best overall

AIPER AIPER Scuba S1 (2025)
8.9/10about £999
View offer
EVERCROSS BOT EVERCROSS BOT U8-2026

Alternative

EVERCROSS BOT EVERCROSS BOT U8-2026
7.9/10about £399.99
View offer
POOLPURE POOLPURE RPC100A (8° slope)

Best value

POOLPURE POOLPURE RPC100A (8° slope)
7.2/10about £88.63
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What each design is doing
  2. 2.The cable is not the only electrical part
  3. 3.Money on amazon.co.uk versus a Dolphin dealer
  4. 4.When to pick which

What each design is doing

A cordless robot in this set carries the battery in the body, then waits on a charger. Flat-floor POOLPURE listings claim about 100 minutes and a recharge of 2.5 to 3 hours. The U8 claims about 120 minutes and 4.5 hours to charge. The AIPER raw row claims 180 minutes and does not state a charge time. That AIPER row is the top pick for its star line. The about £88.63 POOLPURE is the best value for a flat or 8° floor. A corded robot takes power down a floating cable, so the limit is the supply and the basket. Zodiac says never swim while the cleaner is in, and not to lift a corded unit by the cable.

The cable is not the only electrical part

Cordless does not mean there is no mains near the pool. Maytronics tells Liberty owners to use the original charger, with no extension lead, on a 30 mA RCD, at least 3.5 m from the edge. Zodiac prints about 4 m. A cordless robot then needs a dry charge port. The 8° POOLPURE listing says recharge at least every three months. The steps are the how to use a cordless pool robot page. The Zodiac Freerider recall of 6 March 2025 was water in a lithium bay. These ASINs are not those batches.
AIPER AIPER Scuba S1 (2025)

Testsieger

AIPER AIPER Scuba S1 (2025)
8.9/10about £999
View offer

Money on amazon.co.uk versus a Dolphin dealer

These cordless robots are not Liberty Dolphins. The raw snapshot runs from about £81.62 to £149 for the floor class, about £399.99 for the U8, and about £999 for the AIPER row. Dolphin UK lists Liberty models from £1,060 to £1,495. Blue Cube Direct has listed a corded E10 at £855. An £88 POOLPURE is not a discounted Liberty.

When to pick which

Choose cordless, inside this set, when a cable is why you would not run a robot and the pool finishes inside one charge: a small flat pool, a matching floor sentence, and a weight you can lift. Who to open is the best cordless pool robot page. The floor match is the buying guide. Choose corded when you need another cycle immediately, or a long programme on a leafy pool.

Common questions

Does cordless mean there is no socket near the pool?
No. The robot has no cable while it cleans, and the charger still plugs into the mains. Maytronics wants that charger at least 3.5 m from the edge, on a 30 mA RCD, with no extension lead. A corded supply sits in a similar dry place. You remove the floating lead from the water. You do not remove the need for a proper socket.
What do you give up for losing the cable?
You give up back-to-back cycles. These cordless listings claim about 100, 120 or 180 minutes, then a charge of 2.5 to 4.5 hours where the page states one. You also take on battery age, a dry charge port, and winter top-ups. You gain a pool with no cable to tangle and no lead to be used as a handle. The gain is real on a small pool and thin on a pool that needs all afternoon.
Is a corded robot unlimited?
It is not limited by a pack that has to be recharged for three hours. Blue Cube Direct treats programme length as the corded advantage. It is still limited by the basket, the supply, and the instruction to keep swimmers out. It is not a measured suction win over every cordless model. Do not read unlimited as a robot you can ignore for a holiday.
Why do premium cordless Dolphins cost more than these amazon listings?
They are a different product at a dealer. Dolphin UK lists Liberty models from £1,060 to £1,495, with runtimes from about 90 minutes to about 3 hours and a charge around 6 hours. The amazon floor robots in this set are about £82 to £149. Both are cordless. The price gap is brand, claimed runtime and filtration, not a typing error. An £88 listing is not a discounted Liberty.
Who should stay cordless?
Stay cordless if the pool is small and flat, one cycle finishes the job, and a cable is the reason you would leave the robot in the shed. Use a listing in this set whose floor sentence matches, and read the UK fault notes where they exist. Leave cordless if you need a second cycle the same hour or a long leafy pool. In that case the corded design is the one that matches the job.
Does the cable tangle, and is that the whole drawback?
It can tangle on ladders, toys and lights, and you must not lift a corded cleaner by the cable. That is a real drawback. It is not the only one, and it is not the only electrical issue. The cordless charger still needs distance, an RCD and a dry port. People who hate cables and own a small pool have a clear reason to go cordless. People who hate waiting on a charger have a clear reason to stay corded.

Related pages

Cordless pool robot above ground

Cordless pool robot

Best cordless pool robot on amazon.co.uk, by floor

Cordless pool robot buying guide: floor, then walls

How to use a cordless pool robot before anyone swims

Sources

Public UK sources for electrical safety and the Zodiac recall. Listing prices, stars and review counts are from amazon.co.uk on 19 October 2026. A spot check the same day recorded two moved prices.

  1. OPSS: Zodiac Freerider RF 5200 iQ recall (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. IET: 30 mA RCD protection for socket outlets (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. NAPIT: BS 7671 Section 702 swimming pools (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Maytronics Liberty manual (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. Blue Cube Direct: UK robotic pool cleaner prices (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. Bestway: G200 robotic pool vacuum (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. amazon.co.uk listings for the seven ASINs (retrieved 19 October 2026)