Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra review: A robotic pool cleaner like no other

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The feature-rich Beatbot AquaSense Pro has become a top-selling robotic pool cleaner since its launch, but Beatbot isn't resting on its laurels. The brand new Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra reviewed here is, simply put, moreand in all dimensions.

Is this an even more expensive sequel? too much is this too much? It all depends on how much you are willing to shell out to avoid the hassle of cleaning the pool yourself.

Specifications

AquaSense 2 Ultra borrows most of its design cues from AquaSense Pro, which I reviewed in October 2024. (which is still available for purchase). It's a whale-inspired design with thick wheels, tracks and two rotating brushes in between. The Ultra is also much larger and has a new black color scheme.

At 29 pounds, it's also decidedly heavier than the 24-pound Pro, especially when you take it straight out of the pool, when the bot can weigh 45 pounds when filled with water. It's also larger in almost every way, which (spoiler alert) makes it difficult to maneuver in and out of the pool and onto the charging dock.

Christopher Nall / Foundry

All that weight comes with some serious firepower (water power?), including a vaunted 27 sensors that include ultrasonic, infrared, and AI-powered video for pool mapping and active scavenger hunts. This is the first pool robot that, after a standard sweep of the entire floor, scans the remaining leaves using a camera just like you or I would do with eyes and a net. Beatbot says the machine can recognize 12 types of leaves based on tree types, with more to come thanks to over-the-air firmware updates.

The 13,400 mAh battery provides up to 6 hours of operation on the bottom of the pool and up to 10 hours on its surface. The kit includes a pin charging dock similar to the one that comes with the Pro, so you don't have to physically plug in a cable to top up the battery.

Finally, the Ultra has built-in dual-band (2.4 and 5 GHz) Wi-Fi, so you can control it using the Beatbot mobile app. But this is only possible when the robot is on the surface of the water or outside the pool, since Wi-Fi signals do not travel far through water.

Installation and configuration

Christopher Nall / Foundry

While most robotic pool vacuums require minimal setup beyond the initial charging, the Beatbot Ultra has a little work that the user needs to do. The charging stand is easy to install with two legs that snap into place. A more labor-intensive job is adjusting the two side brushes. These are small horizontal wheels with rubber brushes located in the upper front corners of the robot. They are used primarily when the robot is working as a surface skimmer, and as bumpers when the robot hits the pool wall.

These wheels are ready to use without packaging, so the user must wrap two strips of rubber brush around them. This is achieved by stretching each strip around the wheel and attaching two loops at either end of the strip to the lug on the wheel. It takes a little trial and error and some patience, but I did it in minutes.

Christopher Nall / Foundry

In the box you will also find a removal hook (which you won't need) and a robot case for easy storage. This is the first time I have seen this included in any robotic pool cleaner.

The app installs quickly over Wi-Fi, with just two button presses on the robot and some basic setup steps in the app.

Using Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra

Like AquaSense Pro, Ultra can be configured using buttons on the device, through the mobile app, or both. The built-in controls are simpler: four buttons for cleaning the floor only; floor and walls; floor, walls and surface; or custom mode configured in the application. To start the robot, simply turn it on, select a mode, place it on the floor for a few seconds, and then place it in the pool. It will rotate, scanning the pool from the surface to get its bearings, and then drop to the bottom to begin its work.

Christopher Nall / Foundry

Exactly how the Ultra works depends on the mode you set, but if you use the most comprehensive option, the robot will complete a full floor sweep, scrub the walls, and scrub the surface. After the floor has been completely swept, a debris detection system using artificial intelligence comes into operation. This uses a front-facing camera to literally scan the pool for any leaves it might have missed. And indeed he does, moving erratically around until he sees the wreckage in the frame, then adjusting his course to roll off of it, stop, then roll back and forth again to make sure he hits his target.

The good news is that Ultra is an exceptional cleaner. The device has a 4.5 hour battery life, although as noted above, I easily got it to last 6 hours in the water, and my pool was completely clear of debris after just 3 hours (I evaluated it with both organic and synthetic test material). I also tested its AI detection mode by adding additional test leaves after the three-hour mark and scattering them around the pool to see if the robot could find them. Of the 10 additional test leaves I added, the robot picked up all but one before its battery died—and I witnessed it simply fail to pick up that leaf when it veered too far to one side.

Christopher Nall / Foundry

Although the robot is excellent on the floor, it No too effective on the surface, as was the case with AquaSense Pro. The robot's design and narrow profile (compared to stand-alone skimmers) means that floating debris is often pushed away by the wave of water in front of the robot rather than being sucked into its mouth.

The new side brushes on this model were supposed to help prevent debris from flying out, but they weren't effective in overcoming the force of the wave the bot was pushing in front of it. In fact, my testing of the skimmer's function found that it only caught about 40 percent of the test debris, with the rest remaining behind or sinking to the bottom of the pool. I got about the same result with AquaSense Pro.

The app allows you to fine-tune almost everything about how the Ultra works, specifying 0, 1 or 2 floor, wall and surface cleans (20 possible combinations in total), or you can choose a fast AI-only mode (search and destroy as described above), a MultiZone mode designed for pools with several large stepped areas, or an economical mode that cleans the floor every two days. Each of these can be configured in the app and then selected by pressing the custom mode button on the robot's control panel.

Christopher Nall / Foundry

Each mode has the option to dispense water clarifier during the cleaning process, but I do not use this type of solution in my pool and have not tested it; The clarifier is not included with the device.

At the end of its run, the Ultra returns to the surface and docks at the side of the pool, where it will float for about 15 minutes. If you do not pick it up at this window, the robot will float freely, remaining on the surface of the pool for easy removal. (The app's Park button will return it to the wall, provided the battery is sufficient.) This waterline retrieval option is one of the best features of both the Ultra and Pro.

Christopher Nall / Foundry

Trash is stored in a two-piece bin similar to the one found in the Pro. It's relatively easy to clean, although having to clean two different chambers makes the process a little more complicated. The bigger problem is the robot weighs nearly 30 pounds, which is significantly more when full of water. This, coupled with its gigantic size, means it's difficult to maneuver in and out of the pool, and I found it nearly impossible to avoid getting my lower body wet when removing it.

After each run, the Beatbot app sends a mobile notification and then records the area cleared and the duration of the run. Floor cleaning runs also include a pool map that is generated as part of the log. The map isn't all that useful (and it's in a different orientation each time), but it at least gives you some idea of ​​the robot's intelligence level. Anyway, the map he generated for the most part looks like my real pool.

Christopher Nall / Foundry

Finally, an on-demand remote control is included in the app, although it can only be used when the robot is on a surface where it is within Wi-Fi range. This can be effective if you need to collect some stray leaves and the robot is already skimming them; but given this robot's limited scavenging capabilities, I found it easier to wait for the leaves to fall or just grab the net instead.

Is Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra worth buying?

With a suggested retail price of $3,550 ($2,779 on Amazon at the time of writing this review) The Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra is the most expensive pool robot I've tested. Luckily, Beatbot's impressive three-year full-unit replacement warranty takes some of the risk out of the purchase. But honestly, that's probably more robots than most pools need. It's definitely more than I I need and need to clean a rather large pool.

And while it's easy to get hung up on such expensive profits, don't underestimate the considerable weight and bulk of this machine. For small pool owners, the Ultra may seem like too much to handle, even though it does a great job of keeping your pool clean.

This review is part of an in-depth TechHive review best robotic pool cleaners.