Dolphin Nautilus Pool Up Review

We used to call the Dolphin Nautilus Pool Up a value pick — we don't anymore. After more time with it and a hard look at what else is available around $599, the Pool Up has been left behind. It's missing the one feature that makes a robot truly hands-off — a weekly timer — and it's backed by only a 1 year warranty. For the money, the Dolphin Escape or Dolphin Cayman are simply the better buy.

No Weekly Timer — And That's a Dealbreaker

The single biggest problem with the Nautilus Pool Up is that it has no weekly timer. There's no way to schedule cleanings. Every single time you want your pool cleaned, you have to walk out, drop the robot in, and press start yourself.

That defeats the entire purpose of buying a "robotic" cleaner. The whole appeal of a pool robot is that it works on its own, on a schedule, without you thinking about it. The Pool Up can't do that. If you skip a few days because life got busy, your pool pays for it.

By comparison, the Dolphin Escape offers an available weekly-timer upgrade, and the Dolphin Cayman includes a programmable weekly timer standard. That scheduling upgrade alone is worth stepping up for — it's the difference between a robot that cleans for you and one you have to babysit.

Not the Value It Used to Be

When the Pool Up launched cheap, you could forgive its compromises. But at today's ~$599 price, the math no longer works. For a little more, you get dramatically more robot:

• The Dolphin Escape adds the oversized, easy-clean MaxBin filter, an active HyperBrush that actually scrubs, and a longer 2 year warranty.
• The Dolphin Cayman adds wall climbing, a weekly timer, and the same 2 year warranty — a genuine step up in capability.

The Pool Up simply doesn't hold its own against either. It's not a bargain anymore; it's a compromise you pay nearly full price for.

What Else It's Missing

The lack of a timer isn't the only gap. Once you start comparing, the Pool Up's spec sheet looks thin:

• No weekly timer — no scheduled, hands-off cleaning.

• No wall climbing — it stays on the floor and lower surfaces; the Cayman climbs walls.

• No waterline cleaning — the dirtiest ring in your pool is left for you to scrub by hand.

• A single filter media option — no way to tune filtration to your pool's needs.

• Only a 1 year warranty — the shortest coverage in this lineup, versus the 2 year warranty on the Escape and Cayman.

  

The Warranty Problem

The Pool Up ships with just a 1 year warranty. Robotic cleaners are a multi-hundred-dollar investment, and a motor or power supply out of warranty can easily run $200–$300 to replace. One year of coverage on a $899 robot is thin — especially when the Escape and Cayman both double that with a 2 year warranty.

What We Recommend Instead

If you were considering the Pool Up, spend your money on one of these instead:

• Dolphin Escape — our top pick for above-ground and small inground pools. The available weekly-timer upgrade is a game-changer, and you also get the oversized MaxBin, an active HyperBrush, and a 2 year warranty. Read the full Dolphin Escape review.

• Dolphin Cayman — the best-value inground step up. It adds real wall climbing, a built-in weekly timer, and NanoFiltration, all backed by a 2 year warranty. Read the full Dolphin Cayman review.

  

Bottom Line: Skip the Pool Up

The Dolphin Nautilus Pool Up isn't a terrible machine — it just doesn't make sense anymore. With no weekly timer, no wall climbing, no waterline cleaning, and only a 1 year warranty, it asks you to pay near-current prices for a cleaner you have to operate by hand. That's not the value it once was.

For the same budget or a little more, the Dolphin Escape or Dolphin Cayman give you the scheduling, coverage, filtration, and warranty the Pool Up leaves out. Every robot we sell ships free with our 30-Day Trial and no restocking fee, ever — so you can put the better pick to work in your own pool, risk-free. Compare your best options →

As always, you can learn more about the Dolphin Escape, Dolphin Cayman, and dozens of other robotic pool cleaners at poolbots.com.