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Dolphin Escape Robotic Pool Cleaner Review

  • Writer: Loredo Litherland
    Loredo Litherland
  • Mar 31, 2021
  • 10 min read

Dolphin Escape Robotic Pool Cleaner


This robotic pool cleaner from Dolphin is the answer to your pool maintenance prayers. It includes various swim-pressive features and won’t leave your head swimming when you see its price tag. This ingenious device combines SmartNav 2.0 Robotic Scanning, Hypergrip Continuous Tracks, energy-efficient motors, an large debris canister, and Hyperbrush Dual Scrubbing Brushes to leave your pool clean and pristine.

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The Dolphin Escape robotic pool cleaner takes the stress out of maintaining a spotless and sanitary pool. Other cleaners can fall short. They may be a pain to use and waste energy, their filters clog up quickly, they’re difficult to clean, and they need to be emptied way too often. Dolphin named this robot cleaner “Escape” for a good reason—it allows pool owners to break away from the hassle that comes with pool cleaning and maintenance. Instead, you can lie back and relax while this robotic cleaner does all the dirty work for you.

This 14-pound pool cleaner wasn’t just designed for above-ground pools; it also works in in-ground models of various sizes and depths. The inspired use of groundbreaking technology and high-quality design and construction means that the Dolphin Escape robotic cleaner has made waves in the pool cleaning industry. From its smart navigation and scanning software to its highly efficient DC motors and active scrubbing brushes to its maximum “hypergrip” traction, it blows conventional robotic pool cleaners out of the water.

In a nutshell, the Dolphin Escape is one of the most effective and energy-efficient robotic pool cleaners on the market. Its low voltage DC motors mean that it uses 90% less power than other brands. It just requires 180 watts of power to give your pool a thorough cleaning. This works out to costing you around just 5 cents an hour to run it. Powerful and money-saving—what’s not to love?

Do you still have doubts that less power can get the job done? The Dolphin Escape uses 4000GPH suction power to vacuum your pool—truly a force to be reckoned with. Additionally, its active scrubbing brushes work hard to thoroughly remove all the algae and other nasty build-up that lingers on your pool’s floor. Other standard models don’t even come close to this level of cleaning, despite “boasting” a higher voltage.

Another impressive feature that this pool cleaner offers is its huge top-load filter. There’s no need to worry about messy, awkward changing of debris bags. The Dolphin Escape device can store more dirt and debris than its counterparts—nearly 60% more! The filter is easily accessed from the top of the robot, making emptying it a breeze. Plus, it deals with debris of every size, from sand grains to leaves to bits of plastic. No matter what gets chucked into your pool, the Dolphin Escape will hoover it up or scrub it away.

What really makes this little robot stand apart from the competition is its groundbreaking technology. Other models waste time and energy randomly moving around the pool floor. The Dolphin Escape’s smart navigation and scanning software create advanced algorithms on its first trip around your pool. This ensures that subsequent cleaning is tailor-made according to your pool’s specific layout. The robot will know where it needs to go and what obstacles to dodge (such as walls, steps, ladders, and drains). The result? Optimal cleaning in optimum time, ultimately saving you money in energy bills.

Unlike many other pool cleaners, the Dolphin Escape comes with a floating 40-foot power cord. This longer-than-average length is a convenient additional feature and is guaranteed to not get tangled. Other highlights? It comes with a one-year warranty and an easy-to-follow user manual. And when it comes to cleaning the robot itself? Easy; you just empty the top filter, give it a rinse out, and forget about it until it fills up again.

So, what are you waiting for? Dive in and purchase this super-smart robotic pool cleaner. For a dirt-free, sparkling pool and a healthy bank account, you can’t go wrong with the Dolphin Escape. It’ll be one investment you’ll never regret.

Why Is the Dolphin Escape Pool Cleaner a Top Choice for Pool Owners?

Dolphin Escape Robotic Pool Cleaner


It’s Robotic In general, robotic cleaners take the hassle out of conventional pool cleaning. You just place them in your pool, switch them on, and leave them for the desired amount of time. They’ll set to work to vacuum and clean the pool floor—without you having to lift a finger.

But the Dolphin Escape swims head and shoulders above other robotic pool cleaners on the market thanks to its groundbreaking technology and unique design features. Add to that its reasonable price, and you’ve got yourself a handy little worker that takes the stress out of owning a pool. It’s no coincidence that it’s been gathering rave reviews.

It’s Versatile Thanks to its clever design, the Dolphin Escape works just as well in above-ground as well as in-ground pools. Whatever the size, shape, depth, or material of your pool, this robotic cleaner will work hard to achieve fantastic results every time. This means if you’ve got multiple areas to clean or an awkward pool design, the Dolphin Escape will save you from having to buy numerous cleaning devices.

It Has a Large Filter/Debris Canister It’s a common bugbear of pool owners: constantly finding yourself having to clear dirt, debris, and leaves from the bottom of your pool. This is especially a problem with larger pools, ones surrounded by trees, or if you want to use them frequently. Now, the stress of trying to keep on top of pool maintenance becomes a thing of the past. The Dolphin Escape boasts an oversized filter and bin which can hold a larger amount of various types of pool debris than its competitors. This means that it can run longer without having to be emptied, saving you the headache of having to stop and clear it out all the time.

Top Specifications That Customers Love

  1. Reasonable priced and great value for money

  2. No debris bags to change—just empty the top bin and give it a rinse

  3. Large top-load filter that holds a large number of various types of debris

  4. 4000 GPH suction power to really grab hold of dirt and debris

  5. Hypergrip traction to prevent slipping and sliding

  6. Hyperbrush dual scrubbing brushes to get rid of stubborn stains

  7. 40-feet power cord for convenience of use, no matter your pool size

  8. Smart navigation and scanning software to prevent random cleaning that wastes time and energy

  9. 14 lbs—lightweight and easy to carry

  10. 24 Volt DC motors—powerful yet energy-efficient

  11. One year warranty for peace of mind

  12. 22.44 x 17.8 x 13 inches—can be easily stored away

Features of the Dolphin Escape That Have Made a Splash

Dolphin Escape Robotic Pool Cleaner


Maximum Traction The makers of the Dolphin Escape have worked hard to solve a huge challenge faced by conventional robot pool cleaners—slippage. As ordinary robotic pool cleaners move across the pool floor, water between their wheels and the pool surface causes them to slip. Not only does this result in energy waste and inefficiency, but it means that the pool isn’t going to be cleaned to an optimal level.

Dolphin has created Hypergrip Continuous Tracks for their Dolphin Escape robots to counteract this issue of slipping and sliding. Where conventional models use rubber wheels, this device can utilize its treads for maximum traction, keeping to the pool’s surface for an energy-efficient and effective clean. The Dolphin Escape constantly maintains contact with the surface, moving firmly and securely without losing its grip. It can even climb up parts of a pool’s walls.

Another problem this Hypergrip feature avoids is stalling or getting stuck when coming across obstacles or larger masses of debris. Wheels on other devices are more likely to struggle when encountering obstructions, while these tracks don’t have the same issue.

SmartNav 2.0 Robotic Scanning Gone are the days when a pool owner would place their robot cleaner in the pool and hope for the best. In the past (and with many other models still today), robotic cleaners would use a “random-walk” system while cleaning a pool floor. They’d move along the floor in a random pattern, and you’d have to just wait and hope that they’d complete a successful clean that covered the whole pool. Thanks to the SmartNav 2.0 Robotic Scanning technology designers, the Dolphin Escape can work more efficiently in less time while saving you high energy costs.

This SmartNav technology works by scanning and mapping your pool on the robot’s first pass. This means that the Dolphin Escape will memorize your pool’s layout, surfaces, and obstacles. Using advanced algorithms, this robotic cleaner will go on to navigate and clean your pool intelligently on all its future cleaning jobs. There’ll be no risk of it repeating itself over the same spots, missing areas out, or getting stuck trying to go through obstructions.

With SmartNav, you no longer have to worry about your robotic pool cleaner wasting time and energy or getting jammed in places where there are ladders, drains, or steps. The Dolphin Escape will have mapped all these kinds of hitches and will move over or around them. All you have to do is put it on and let it go do its job. You’ll have a gleaming pool in less time, guaranteed.

Oversized, Top-Load Filter Many robot cleaners have bin bags that are messy or cumbersome to use and replace. Others have filters that just need to be emptied. Where the Dolphin Escape excels is that it’s cleverly designed to contain an oversized, top-loading filter. This means no more stressful bin changing, and its filter size allows for more debris to be processed efficiently.

When it comes to cleaning, all you have to do is open the latch to the top of the robot to access the filter cartridge. Take it out, empty it, give it a rinse if necessary, and put it back. Simple!

This is a wonderfully convenient feature rarely seen in robotic pool cleaner models of this budget-friendly price range.

The Reviews Are In!

The Good A feature of the Dolphin Escape that online reviewers can’t get enough of is its Hypergrip technology. As we’ve mentioned, traditional robotic pool cleaners have relied on unreliable rubber wheels to get them around the pool floor. That meant they ran the risk of getting stuck—seriously cutting cleaning efficiency and wasting precious time and money.

Dolphin Escape Robotic Pool Cleaner


Pool owners who have purchased the Dolphin Escape rave about its unique track system. They love the fact that this tracking enables the pool cleaner to properly grip and move easily and smoothly along any type of pool floor.

Users of the Dolphin Escape are also hyping up its SmartNav technology. Combined with the Hypergrip system, this feature limits the amount of time the robot cleaner needs to be in the pool to get all its cleaning done. Naturally, this means that energy costs are significantly reduced. Small wonder that users are thrilled with the efficiency of this little device.

The Dolphin Escape’s reviews also mention how it’s taken the inconvenience out of pool cleaning. It’s no longer necessary for their pool to be unusable for long periods, as this robot cleaner gets the job done so quickly and effortlessly. No matter the time of year, the Dolphin Escape works hard to clear all types of debris to ensure pool owners everywhere can enjoy their pool whenever they like. Even if the pool has been left unattended for a long time, this device can handle the extra work. Plus, it contains an oversized debris bin, requiring less frequent emptying than conventional pool cleaners. You’ll free up valuable time cleaning out the canister, allowing you to get on with other important things!

Reviewers have also raved about the relatively quiet volume of the Dolphin Escape as it gets to work vacuuming and scrubbing their pool. In fact, many users have commented that they didn’t even notice any noise coming from it at all. This is fantastic news for people who’ll have the pool cleaner turned on during unsociable hours or while trying to relax by the side of the pool.

Another major plus for people who’ve purchased the Dolphin Escape is its one-year warranty. You’d be hard-pressed to find many brands of pool cleaners that offer any kind of guarantee, so this is nothing to be sniffed at. There’s also an option to extend the warranty at the time of purchase. As this model is so well-made and designed, it’s unlikely you’ll need to use this, but it’s great to have it for peace of mind.

The Bad Since when is anything in life perfect? And this certainly applies to household gadgets. Despite its countless positive reviews, the Dolphin Escape doesn’t, well, escape from certain criticism. One common complaint is that there’s no timer. In other words, there’s no capacity to set a cleaning schedule. You can’t prearrange it to run while you’re away or set up a regular cleaning routine. Having a timer function would increase its convenience and ease of use for many users.

Relating to convenience, many reviews complain about the model not coming with a remote control. This feature would inevitably make its use a lot easier. Surprisingly, some cheaper and inferior devices come with remote control capacity. So it’s little wonder that those paying more for the Dolphin Escape would expect it to also have this function.

Another common gripe is that although the filter system can handle different sizes and varieties of debris, it’s still necessary to buy an ultra-fine basket separately. Many reviewers find this a disappointing and inconvenient aspect to otherwise highly efficient filtering.

The biggest grumble of online reviewers? The Dolphin Escape’s incapacity to deal with pools sized at more than 30 feet. Yes, it can be used with over-ground and in-ground pools of varying sizes. But, its efficiency will suffer when run for larger ones as it has a tendency to skip over parts that need cleaning. If you have a bigger pool, we recommend researching other robot cleaners that can deal better with its magnitude.

Dolphin Robotic Pool Cleaner Comparison Table

DolphinSigmaPremierQuantumEscapeFiltration SystemFine & Ultra FineMulti-Media, Oversized Leaf Bag, Fine, Ultra-Fine CartridgeFine & Ultra FineFinePool TypeGunite/Plaster, Vinyl, FiberglassGunite/Plaster, Vinyl, FiberglassGunite/Plaster, Vinyl, FiberglassGunite/Plaster, Vinyl, FiberglassWaterline ScrubbingYesYesYesN/ASuction Rating4500 GPH4500 GPH4000 GPH4000 GPHPool Sizesup to 50 ftup to 50 ftup to 50 ftup to 30 ftGyroscope OnboardYesN/AN/AN/AWeekly Smart TimerYesYesYesN/ANumber of MotorsThreeTwoTwoTwoRemote ControlSmartphone AppRemote ReadyN/AN/AExtended Coverage3 year3 year2 year2 yearPriceCheck PriceCheck PriceCheck PriceCheck Price

The Takeaway The Dolphin Escape Robotic Pool Cleaner has changed the pool cleaning industry for the better. Already recognized as a high-quality brand of pool cleaners, Dolphin has excelled itself with this model.

Dolphin Escape Robotic Pool Cleaner


A clever combination of innovative high-tech systems and ingenious design, this pool cleaning robot is a fantastic investment for pool owners everywhere. Surprisingly for a device of its caliber, the Dolphin Escape is affordable and comes with a handy one-year warranty. Anyone looking to buy a robotic pool cleaner can’t go wrong with this smart, lightweight model.

This industry gamechanger is by no means perfect. It lacks certain basic functions that would make its use slightly more manageable. It isn’t optimal for cleaning larger pools; if you have a pool over 30 feet, it might be worth checking out other cleaning robots. However, the Dolphin Escape’s inventive design gives it the capacity to save energy, and therefore money. This makes it an outstanding robot cleaning option for most pool owners.

  1. Delivers unmatched performance in an above-ground cleaner at an unthinkable cost.

  2. No messy bags! Large and in charge oversized debris cartridge holds up to 60% more debris.

  3. Hypergrip Continuous Tracks - leaves wheels cleaners in its wake!

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