The short answer
Pick cordless if you want nothing to plug in by the pool and no cable to untangle: drop it in, let it run, lift it out. Match its runtime to your pool size, because it stops when the battery runs low. Pick corded if you want every cycle to run to the end without charging, and you have an outlet you can use by the pool.
A cordless robotic pool cleaner runs on a battery and stops when it runs low. A corded one runs on household power through a cable, so it keeps going for its whole cycle. That one difference shapes how you use it, how long it cleans and how you get it out of the pool. Here’s how the two compare, using the published specs of the robots we track.
Corded vs cordless at a glance
| Cordless | Corded | |
|---|---|---|
| Power | Built-in battery, recharged out of the pool or on a dock | Household power, through a cable to the robot |
| How long it cleans | Until the battery runs low. Published runtimes in our guide run from 90 minutes (Aiper Scuba SE) to 9 hours of floor-only cleaning (iGarden K90), and longer in some surface-skimming modes | A full cycle every time; the Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus lists about a 2-hour cycle |
| Charging | About 3 to 5 hours between runs on the models that publish it | None |
| In the pool | No cable | A cable runs from the robot to the pool edge |
| Getting it out | Many park at the surface or the waterline when done or low on charge | Varies by model; check the listing |
| Surface skimming | Four models we track skim the surface | Not listed on the corded model we track |
| Models in our guide | 18 | 1 |
From the makers’ US store pages and, for the Dolphin and Aiper Scuba SE, their Amazon listings, read Oct 16 to 25, 2026. Runtime is each maker’s figure for the mode it names.
Cordless: how it works in practice
A cordless robot cleans for as long as its battery lasts, then stops. Makers publish runtimes for specific modes, which makes them easy to overstate: the Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max lists up to 720 minutes when skimming the surface but 210 minutes on the floor, and the Beatbot Sora 70 lists up to 7 hours on the surface and 5 on the floor. Compare the mode you’ll use most.
Charge time matters if you want to run it often. The models that publish a charge time take about 3 to 5 hours: for example 3 hours for the WYBOT C1, 4 for the Aiper Scuba S3 and 4.5 for the Beatbot Sora 70. Two WYBOT models, the S2 Solar and S2 Solar Vision, charge from a solar-powered dock instead, and start on a schedule you set.
Getting it out is easier on models that come to you. The Beatbot Sora 70, AquaSense 2 and AquaSense 2 Ultra park at the water surface, the Sora 10 and Aiper Scuba S3 park at the waterline, and several WYBOT models park at the edge. Weight still matters when you lift: Aiper lists 33.07 lb for the Scuba X1 Pro Max, and Beatbot 22.9 lb for the Sora 70.
Corded: how it works in practice
A corded robot plugs in at the pool and runs for its full cycle. The Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus Wi-Fi is the corded model we track: its listing describes floor and wall cleaning with a scrubbing brush, about a 2-hour cycle, a top-load filter basket and Wi-Fi scheduling, for in-ground pools up to 40 ft long. Its listing doesn’t mention the waterline.
You need an outlet you can use near the pool, and the cable stays in the water while it runs. Check the maker’s instructions for where the power supply goes and how far it must be from the water.
See price on Amazon Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus Wi-Fi specifications
Which suits your pool
Large pool, long cleans
Either can work, but with cordless, check the runtime against your pool size. The Aiper Scuba V3 Ultra and Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra are rated for pools up to 3,875 sq ft, the largest rating of the robots we track.
Leaves on the surface
Go cordless. Four robots we track skim the surface: the Beatbot Sora 70 and AquaSense 2 Ultra and the Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max and V3 Ultra.
No outlet near the pool
Go cordless. If you also don’t want to lift it out to charge, look at WYBOT’s solar-dock S2 Solar models.
You want it to finish every time
A corded robot never runs out of charge mid-clean. With a cordless one, a model rated well above your pool size leaves more margin.
Cordless picks to start with
Skims the surface too
Beatbot Sora 70
Floor, walls, waterline and surface on pools up to 3,229 sq ft, with up to 5 hours on the floor. Parks at the surface when done.
$1,499.00 at BeatbotPrice checked Nov 2, 2:35 pm ET; it can change.
Prices differ by store. Compare both before you buy.
Buy at BeatbotSee Amazon price
Runs on a schedule
WYBOT C2 (2026)
Floor, walls and waterline on pools up to 2,152 sq ft, up to 180 minutes in Eco mode and up to 4 scheduled runs a week.
Solar dock
WYBOT S2 Solar
Charges from a solar-powered dock or DC power and starts itself on your schedule. Rated for pools up to 3,229 sq ft.
All 18 cordless models are compared in our best cordless robotic pool cleaners guide.
Not sure which one fits your pool?
4 quick questions, then only the robots that fit.
Questions
Are cordless robotic pool cleaners as good as corded ones?
They do the same job in a different way. A cordless robot stops when its battery runs low; a corded one runs its full cycle. On cleaning coverage, several cordless robots we track list more than the corded model does: walls, waterline and, on four of them, the water surface.
How long does a cordless pool robot run?
Published runtimes for the models we track run from 90 minutes (Aiper Scuba SE) to 9 hours of floor-only cleaning (iGarden K90), and up to 12 hours in the Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max’s skimming mode. Each maker measures its own modes, so compare like with like.
Can I leave a cordless robot in the pool?
Follow the maker’s instructions for your model. Many park at the surface or waterline when they finish so you can lift them out to empty the basket and charge.
Do corded robots need an outlet by the pool?
Yes. A corded robot plugs into household power at the pool. Check the maker’s instructions for where to place the power supply.
Related
Compare every model in the best cordless robotic pool cleaners, or weigh up Aiper vs WYBOT.
