AIPER Robotic Pool Cleaners Compared (Scuba S1, S3, V3, X1 Pro Max, V3 Ultra)
Most in-ground pools with no leaves landing on the water should stop at the Scuba S3. On AIPER's own comparison table it matches the V3 on pool size, suction, basket and coverage, runs 30 minutes longer in Eco mode and charges an hour faster, and gives up the AI camera. Buy the V3 for a camera that finds debris. A pool that takes debris on the surface goes to the X1 Pro Max for its 5L basket, or to the V3 Ultra for camera-guided cleaning and a robot that floats when it is done.
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AIPER Scuba S1
Stop here if a pool up to 1,600 sq ft whose shallow area suits AIPER's 12-inch rating, where a plug-in charger and a hook for retrieval are fine.
AIPER Scuba S3
Stop here if most in-ground pools up to 1,614 sq ft that need floor, walls and waterline and nothing on the surface.
AIPER Scuba V3
Stop here if an owner who wants a camera finding the debris, and who will be there within 10 minutes of the run ending.
AIPER Scuba X1 Pro Max
Stop here if a large in-ground pool under trees, owned by someone who can lift 33 lbs out of the water.
AIPER Scuba V3 Ultra
Stop here if an owner who wants camera-guided debris hunting and a robot that floats when its battery dies, and who has read PCWorld's list of what updates will not fix.
| Cleans | Suction | Basket | Runtime | Charging | Pool size | Warranty | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIPER Scuba S1 | Floor, walls, waterline, shallow areas from 12 in | 4,200 GPH | 3.5L, 180μm plus 3μm MicroMesh | Up to 180 min, 270 min Eco | DC charger, 3 to 4 hr | 1,600 sq ft | 2 years |
| AIPER Scuba S3 | Floor, walls, waterline | 4,800 GPH | 3.5L, 180 and 3 micron | Up to 180 min, 240 min Eco | 4 hr | 1,614 sq ft | 2 years |
| AIPER Scuba V3 | Floor, walls, waterline | 4,800 GPH | 3.5L top load | Up to 180 min, 210 min ECO | Charging dock, 5 hr | 1,614 sq ft | 2 years |
| AIPER Scuba X1 Pro Max | Surface, floor, walls, waterline, elevated platforms, slopes | 8,500 GPH | 5L, 180μm and 3μm | Up to 10 hr skimming; floor up to 210 min, 5 hr in Eco | Wireless dock, 4 hr | 3,230 sq ft | 3 years |
| AIPER Scuba V3 Ultra | Surface, floor, walls, waterline, sun shelves from 7.9 in | 8,500 GPH | 3.5L top load | Up to 480 min skimming | Dock, 4.5 hr | 3,875 sq ft | 3 years |
If nobody is home when a run ends, the middle of AIPER's range asks more of you than its spec sheet says. WIRED found the Scuba V3 holds the waterline for 10 minutes after a run, treading water on what is left of the battery, and then sinks to the floor. The V3 Ultra does not. The Gadgeteer's tester found its JellyFloat airbags keep it on the surface even with a dead battery, and sorting the AIPER robotic pool cleaners by what happens after the run, and by whether your water surface needs cleaning, makes more sense of them than the model names do.
Of the seven Scuba models on AIPER's in-ground menu, these five are sold new on Amazon US: the S1, S3, V3, X1 Pro Max and V3 Ultra. We found the X1 only renewed or bundled with HydroComm Pro, and no X1 Pro listing. Where the V3 sits against Beatbot and the rest is on the robotic pool cleaner shortlist.
On AIPER's table, the S3 is a V3 without the camera
AIPER's own comparison table, on the S3 page, matches the two on pool size, surfaces, coverage, 4,800 GPH and the 3.5L basket. On Eco runtime (240 minutes against 210), charge time (4 hours against 5) and weight (18 lbs against 18.2), the S3 wins. One row goes to the V3.
AI-powered features.
That camera, plus the LED lights on the V3's own page, is what the step up buys, and WIRED saw the camera locate small pebbles and route the robot to collect them on the way to a 96 percent cleanliness rating on synthetic debris, though the AI scheduling mode misfired. Our Scuba V3 review covers that test and two others. The S3 is too new for an independent test we would cite. Every figure for it here is AIPER's, and it parks at the waterline with an app alert just as the V3 does, so plan to be there when a run ends.
Scuba S1: shallow areas from 12 inches, at the lowest flow
AIPER rates the 2026 S1 for shallow areas from 12 inches at 4,200 GPH, with 270 minutes in enhanced Eco mode on aiper.com and 240 on its store tables. Its product page markets it to both kinds of pool. Its spec table names in-ground.
The Pool Nerd called the S1 cordless junk in April 2025, before this upgrade, citing silt slipping through and an awkward hook retrieval. The 2026 box still ships the hook.
AIPER robotic pool cleaners that skim: X1 Pro Max or V3 Ultra
Both move 8,500 GPH and both clean the water surface. Pick the X1 Pro Max for the 5L basket and the longer skim, up to 10 hours on aiper.com or 720 minutes on AIPER's store table; on the floor that table says 210 minutes, and aiper.com's 5 hours is Eco mode. Pick the V3 Ultra for two cameras and the float. AIPER rates it for sun shelves from 7.9 in, where The Gadgeteer's results were mixed.
Weeks with the X1 Pro Max left The Pool Nerd unimpressed. It weighed 33 pounds dry and the plastic hook bent under the load. Underwater, the app lost it, so live control needs the separate HydroComm Pro. A manometer read its suction as noticeably weaker than top corded robots.
The V3 Ultra split its testers. The Gadgeteer saw AI Patrol steer toward leaves and make extra passes, and got 159 minutes in auto mode. PCWorld saw comprehensive runs end in task errors at just under 3.5 hours, a three hour skim pick up under half its test leaves, a basket hatch that would not fully close, and a robot too tall to clean above shallow areas. Updates may help the bugs, PCWorld wrote. Not the surface speed, the hatch or the cleanup.
Filters, the chore every rung shares
Every Scuba on this ladder pairs its basket with an ultra-fine mesh filter, and the mesh is what testers complain about. AIPER recommends replacing the V3's after every 30 runs, according to WIRED. PCWorld found the V3 Ultra's closer to a thick towel, and getting the grit out impossible.
Buy spares with the robot. AIPER sells replacement filters for the S1, V3 and X1 Pro Max.