Clear S Review

The all-new Clear S is a flagship-class robotic pool cleaner without the UV-C upgrade. It packs the same oversized UltraBin™ filter basket, the same quad-motor system, and the same Wi-Fi + Bluetooth app that powers the Clear UV — minus the UV-C lamp. The result is a top-tier clean for residential pools up to 50 ft, at a more approachable price. We put the Clear S through four weeks of testing across vinyl and gunite pools to see how it stacks up.

"If you want flagship cleaning power without paying for the UV-C lamp, the Clear S is the one."

The Clear S is designed for residential inground and above-ground pools with a working depth of 2.5 to 16.4 ft. Highly efficient DC motors and an anti-tangle 59 ft swivel cable deliver consistent cleaning across every common pool surface, all while cutting down the maintenance work that falls on you.

How We Tested the Clear S

We ran the newest model of the Clear S for over four weeks in a 38 ft vinyl pool and a 34 ft gunite pool. Spoiler: it impressed us. Between the oversized UltraBin, the active scrubbing brush, and genuine waterline coverage, it earned a spot among the best robots we've tested at its price.

Like all modern robots, the Clear S is far more efficient than old pressure-side and suction-side cleaners. Its purpose-built motors consume a fraction of the energy while doing more of the work — scrubbing, climbing, and filtering on a schedule you set from your phone.

Quad Motor System: Twin Drive + Twin Pump

The Clear S runs on four motors — two dedicated drive motors that move the cleaner across your pool surfaces, plus two dedicated pump motors that pull water through the UltraBin and exhaust it back into the pool. Splitting the workload between purpose-built motor pairs delivers consistent traction and strong suction, even as debris loads up.

Average input power is 250 W (320 W max) at 24 V DC, with a movement speed of 15 m/min. The cleaner is rated IP68 for submerged operation in water with a pH of 7.0–7.8, free chlorine up to 4 ppm, and salinity up to 5,000 ppm — so it works in chlorine, mineral, and saltwater pools alike.

The Oversized UltraBin™ Filter Basket

The headline feature is the all-new UltraBin™ filter basket. A single oversized, top-loading basket holds four UltraFilter™ panels and a debris net, capturing leaves, twigs, sand, acorns, and pebbles right alongside fine pollen, silt, and dust — all in one container.

Top access means cleaning takes seconds. Open the top cover, lift out the UltraBin, rinse it with a hose, and drop it back in. There's no wrestling with messy cartridges or jamming your hand into a cramped filter compartment — easily one of our favorite things about owning the Clear S.

4-Panel UltraFilter: Fine and Coarse in One Pass

Inside the UltraBin sits a four-panel UltraFilter assembly: a center fine-precision panel rated to 1 µm for capturing pollen, silt, and dust, surrounded by coarser 180 µm panels for leaves, twigs, and bulk debris. Together they let a single basket trap both fine and large particles in one cleaning cycle.

Clear includes two complete sets of UltraFilter panels in the box (one pre-installed). They recommend rinsing the basket frequently and replacing the panels every 3–6 months depending on your pool conditions.

Active Scrubbing: Front Brush + Rear Brush

A high-speed active scrubbing brush at the front of the Clear S combines with a rear brush to attack stuck-on dirt, biofilm, and waterline grime that suction alone can't remove. By the time the suction reaches the contaminants, the active brush has already loosened them from the pool surface.

The brushes are paired with rugged drive tracks that grip concrete, plaster, gunite, pebble, tile, vinyl liner, and fiberglass. The result is consistent forward traction whether the cleaner is on the floor, climbing a wall, or scrubbing along the waterline.

Floor, Walls, and Waterline

The Clear S doesn't stop at the pool floor. With strong vertical traction from its drive tracks and the lift generated by twin pump motors, it climbs the walls and scrubs the waterline — the spot where biofilm and grime build up most. Use Regular mode to clean all three surfaces in about 2 hours, or pick the dedicated Waterline mode to focus the cleaner on the walls and waterline only.

Pool Conditions at a Glance

The Clear S has a built-in water temperature display that reports your pool's water temperature in the app every time it runs. Watch warm-up trends progress in spring, monitor for nighttime temperature drops, and pick your swim windows based on real data instead of a guess.

It's a small touch that makes the Clear S feel modern. Most pool robots leave you blind to what's happening below the surface; the Clear S keeps you informed every cycle.

Six Cleaning Modes, One Robot

Choose the cycle that fits your pool today. Regular mode runs a 2-hour cycle covering floor, walls, and waterline. Ultra extends to 3 hours for a deeper clean. Fast finishes in 1 hour for daily upkeep. Floor and Waterline modes focus the cleaner on a single zone, and Custom mode lets you build your own cycle from the app.

An onboard gyroscope and accelerometer keep the cleaner oriented while it covers the pool. As with most robots, it may pause, reverse, or repeat sections as it adapts to your pool's shape and obstacles — a normal part of how it works the whole pool.

Take Full Control From the App

Pair the Clear S to your home Wi-Fi or use direct Bluetooth to control it from anywhere. The app lets you start and stop cycles, switch modes, set a weekly timer, schedule a delayed start, monitor live water temperature, and remote-drive the cleaner to specific zones with a virtual joystick.

The cleaner is cloud-connected, so you can manage and monitor it even when you're away from home. When the cycle ends, tap Pickup mode and the Clear S climbs to the waterline, holds position, and waits for you to lift it out by the handle.

Smart Power Supply With LED Status

The Clear S's IP54 power supply handles the brains of the operation. Color-coded LED indicators show cleaning status, fault detection, and Wi-Fi connectivity at a glance, while a numeric display shows the cleaning countdown so you know when the cycle will finish.

Basic operation is one-button: short press to start or pause, long press to stop, with a dedicated mode-selection button. Advanced features like the weekly timer, custom modes, and the virtual joystick remote are configured from the app.

Set It and Forget It

Schedule the Clear S from the app and the cleaner activates, completes its cycle, and powers down on its own. With the built-in programmable weekly timer, you can set the days and times that fit your routine and your pool stays ready to enjoy — even when you're not home.

All you need to do between cycles is rinse the UltraBin and let the rest run on autopilot.

Total Pool Coverage

The Clear S is built for residential inground and above-ground pools up to 50 ft long, with a working depth of 2.5–16.4 ft. It works on rectangle, oval, and freeform shapes and is rated for every common pool surface, including concrete, plaster, gunite, pebble, tile, vinyl liner, and fiberglass.

The 59 ft anti-tangle swivel cable keeps the cleaner moving freely around even the largest residential pool. The cleaner itself measures 19.1 × 18.7 × 13.5 in and weighs 27.6 lb (without cable), with an IP68 rating for full submersion.

Clear S vs. Clear UV: Which Should You Buy?

The Clear S and the Clear UV are nearly identical robots — same UltraBin, same quad-motor system, same waterline cleaning, water-temperature display, and app control. The only difference is the UV-C lamp. If clarifying your water with UV-C is a priority, step up and read our Clear UV review. If you just want flagship cleaning power and filtration at a lower price, the Clear S is the smarter buy.

How the Clear S Compares to Dolphin

Shopping flagship robots? It's worth weighing the Clear S against Dolphin's ProLine range. Our Dolphin Premier and Dolphin Sigma reviews detail Dolphin's commercial-grade motors, NanoFilters, and multi-media filtration. The Clear S answers with its oversized UltraBin basket, 1 µm UltraFilter panels, and full app control at a competitive price — and if you want built-in water sanitation, the Clear UV review covers the UV-C version of this same robot.

Is the Clear S Worth It?

At $1749, the Clear S delivers genuine flagship features — the oversized UltraBin, 1 µm fine filtration, active scrubbing, full floor-to-waterline coverage, and complete app control — without the cost of the UV-C lamp. For most pool owners who want a powerful, low-maintenance clean, it's an easy recommendation.

Buy the Clear S With Confidence

Every Clear S ships free and is backed by a 3-year manufacturer's warranty that isn't prorated, plus our 30-Day Trial — if you don't love it, just send it back with no restocking fee, ever. Need help with setup, the app, or troubleshooting? The full Clear S User Manual is a free download. Check today's price on the Clear S → or reach out and our pool experts will help you decide.