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Pool vacuum buying guide

Updated: 21 October 2026

A pool vacuum buying guide is only useful if it names the tool: leaves in a framed pool, grit in a hot tub, or a film on an inflatable with no skimmer. On amazon.co.uk this folder splits into three, and they are not interchangeable. A garden-hose jet uses tap pressure. A cordless stick is a pole you steer. A floor robot drives a flat bottom and does not climb the wall. The model table sits on the [pool vacuum comparison](/hub/pool-care/pool-vacuum). Prices are the 19 October 2026 shelf figures. This is not a lab test. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

A pool vacuum buying guide is only useful if it names the tool: leaves in a framed pool, grit in a hot tub, or a film on an inflatable with no skimmer.

Our top picks

VIVOHOME VIVOHOME handheld pool vacuum, yellow

Best overall

VIVOHOME VIVOHOME handheld pool vacuum, yellow
8.6/10about £79.99
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PoolyPoly PoolyPoly 1818 pool hoover, blue

Best value

PoolyPoly PoolyPoly 1818 pool hoover, blue
8.4/10about £59.99
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POOLPURE POOLPURE RPC-100A floor robot

Alternative

POOLPURE POOLPURE RPC-100A floor robot
6.8/10about £149
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On this page
  1. 1.Three pool vacuums, not one
  2. 2.What the floor and the dirt allow
  3. 3.What this folder does not sell
  4. 4.Two VIVOHOME prices, one star line

Three pool vacuums, not one

Start with what has to be connected, not with the brand. The hose jets, the LATERN at £11.99, the Solkraes at £21.99 and the Yohonk at £24.99, take their push from a garden tap. LATERN and Solkraes say no pool pump. Solkraes names the Venturi effect. Yohonk says water-powered. They have no stated runtime, because they run while the tap runs. If the outdoor tap is weak, that band is the wrong first buy. Cordless sticks sit at £59.99 to £79.99. You charge them and aim the head. The VIVOHOME pair states 4,200 litres per hour, a pole from 90 cm to 278 cm, and up to 60 minutes. The PoolyPoly 1818 states about 60 minutes. The 1814 will not start until the head is under 30 cm of water. The POOLPURE rows are cordless floor robots at £139.00 to £149.00, with 100 minutes and 90 m² stated. They do not claim the walls, and they exclude slopes and heavy wrinkles. The fork with a pole is robotic pool cleaner vs handheld vacuum.

What the floor and the dirt allow

All three POOLPURE listings say flat bottoms only, not slopes or heavy wrinkles. A liner that folds when the water is low is that exclusion. The sticks do not print it. You can steer a VIVOHOME or a PoolyPoly over a wrinkle, slowly. Wrinkles and pool size are on pool vacuum for an above-ground pool. Dirt decides the bag. VIVOHOME includes three 180-mesh bags for leaves, twigs, insects, stones and sand, and one 300-mesh bag for fine dirt and algae. One UK review reports no suction on algae, so the fine bag is not a promise. Saltwater is stated only on VIVOHOME, as not suitable. Silence on the other listings is not approval.
VIVOHOME VIVOHOME handheld pool vacuum, yellow

Testsieger

VIVOHOME VIVOHOME handheld pool vacuum, yellow
8.6/10about £79.99
View offer

What this folder does not sell

A vacuum head that plugs into the skimmer and uses the pool pump is a different method. The SPATA cleaning factsheet separates suction cleaners, pressure cleaners and low-voltage electric cleaners. Many pools this page is for have no skimmer. A soft-sided summer pool often has a cartridge hung over the wall. Those pump-side kits are not the twelve listings here. SPATA also notes that an electric cleaner runs when the pool is empty of swimmers, and that low-voltage cleaners can work on walls. The POOLPURE rows do not make that wall claim.

Two VIVOHOME prices, one star line

Take a type back to the comparison, not a winner: a hose jet for leaves if the tap is willing, a stick if you will steer, a floor robot only if the floor is flat and unwrinkled. The yellow and blue VIVOHOME rows are £79.99 and £79.83 and share one 4.3 score from 893 reviews. The printed battery figures do not match, and the files do not explain the gap.

Common questions

Do I need the pool pump?
No, not for the twelve listings in this comparison. The hose jets take pressure from a garden hose, and the LATERN and Solkraes bullets say no pool pump is required. The cordless sticks and the POOLPURE floor robots use a battery. A suction head that connects to a skimmer is a different tool, and it is not in this folder.
Will a cheap robot clean the walls?
The POOLPURE listings do not say they clean walls. They are cordless floor robots for a flat bottom, with a stated area of 90 m² and a stated run of 100 minutes, and they exclude slopes and heavy wrinkles. If the waterline is the job, a stick you can aim is the type in this folder, not the £139.00 to £149.00 floor robots.
Is a hose vacuum enough for sand?
It depends on the bag and the reviews, not on the title. The LATERN title mentions sand and silt, and UK reviews split: some say sand is collected, others say fine grains pass the nylon bag. The VIVOHOME sticks state a 300-mesh bag for fine dirt, which is a finer claim than a single nylon leaf bag. If sand is the complaint, a hose jet at £11.99 is the gamble the 3.5 score already describes.
What if the floor slopes or the liner is wrinkled?
Skip the floor robots. Each POOLPURE row says it is not suitable for sloped floors or heavy wrinkles, even where the title also says 90 m². A stick does not print that exclusion, because you steer the head and you can slow down at a fold.
Why are there two prices for the same-looking VIVOHOME?
The yellow listing, VH1715-YL, is £79.99 and prints 20,000 mAh. The blue listing, VH1715-BL, is £79.83 and prints 2,000 mAh. Both print 18 V, 4,200 litres per hour, a 90–278 cm pole and up to 60 minutes. The score line is 4.3 from 893 on both, and the opening UK reviews match, so it is one parent rating. The files do not explain the milliamp-hour gap.

Related pages

How to use a pool vacuum

Pool vacuum

Pool vacuum for an above-ground pool: check the liner

Best cordless pool vacuum: sand, spa or flat floor

Robotic pool cleaner vs a steered handheld pool vacuum

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest, read with the amazon.co.uk rows on 19 October 2026. Listing prices, stars and review counts are from those rows, not from a later scrape.

  1. SPATA — Swimming pool cleaning and accessories (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. SPATA — Using the water safely (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. HSE HSG179 — Health and safety in swimming pools (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. HSE — Electricity frequently asked questions (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. IET Wiring Matters — Section 702, swimming pools and other basins (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. GOV.UK — General Product Safety Regulations 2005, Great Britain (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. GOV.UK — Recycling batteries and electrical waste (retrieved 19 October 2026)