Wall climbing is an essential feature of robotic pool cleaners as it allows the robot to clean not just the floor of a pool, but also its walls and stairs. In addition to wall climbing, waterline cleaning is also necessary for a fully comprehensive pool-cleaning experience. Understanding both of these features will help you choose a robotic cleaner that best meets your needs.

Wall Climbing

Robotic pool cleaners equipped with wall-climbing capabilities most likely have tracks and a possibly a dual stabilizer that allows them to move up and down vertical surfaces. Wall climbing robots can climb over stairs, around corners and along the sides of a pool’s walls without getting stuck.

Wall climbing robots are able to reach parts of your swimming pool that floor vacuums may miss due to their limited range and movement capabilities. While some robots may be limited to only the pool floor, wall climbing units are able to climb and clean the walls of your pool. This makes them ideal for irregularly shaped pools where standard vacuum models may miss spots along the walls or at deeper depths in certain areas due to their inability to climb up vertical surfaces like steps or ledges. Wall climbers are also useful if your swimming area has any kind of debris buildup on its walls; by climbing up these surfaces, they can efficiently remove dirt, leaves, twigs and other types of small particles from all areas in your swimming area without requiring you lift heavy objects such as hoses or large buckets full of water out with each cleaning session.

Waterline Cleaning

You can't mention one without the other. Waterline cleaning is another feature that many modern robotic cleaners come equipped with which helps keep your swimming area clean by focusing on removing dirt from along its upper perimeter (also known as the “waterline” or "scum line"). This is where most of the bacteria, algae, and debris live in your swimming pool. By using this feature, robotic cleaners are able clean this essential area that would otherwise only be possible if only relying on regular hand scrubbing.

Wall Climbing Versus Waterline Cleaning

Each method serves its own purpose when it comes time for keeping your swimming area looking spotless all year long; however there are some distinct differences between both approaches which should be taken into consideration before purchasing your robotic pool cleaner:

All robots with waterline cleaning have wall climbing. But not all robots with wall climbing can clean the waterline.

Every waterline cleaning unit we have ever tested has had far superior performance than their wall climbing counterparts. This feature is a vital one if considering a robotic pool cleaner. we recommend units such as the Dolphin Premier and Dolphin Sigma, which we have ranked as the two best robots for waterline cleaning.

What if I'm on a budget?

If you're on a budget and don't want to opt for waterline cleaning. Check out the Dolphin Cayman. With great wall coverage, a programmable timer, oversized filter basket, and 2 year warranty. While it will miss the waterline, it still does a fantastic job at cleaning your pool. But, if you have a little extra to spend, the upgrade to either the Dolphin Quantum, Dolphin Premier, or Dolphin Sigma is well worth the extra money.