Dolphin Liberty 200 Review

With over 5 years of hands-on experience in the pool industry, I'm going to break down the Dolphin Liberty 200 what’s included, how it works, its performance, and its features. This unit is the newest cordless pool robots from Maytronics. We have been waiting for this robot for a while, and I am excited to share how it performs.

What’s in the Box?

First, we have the Liberty robot. As you can see, it is completely cordless. As you can see, Dolphin did a great job with the design. The battery is fixed inside of the unit and is not removable. Now inside of the unit, we have the Liberty’s standard filter basket.
Next, we have the Liberty’s inductive charging cable. To charge, simply snap the charge into the back of the unit and the lights should start flashing on the back. This is one of the best features. This is not found on other cordless units.
Then, we have the Liberty’s retrieval hook. To get it out of the water, simply hook it on your pool pole and grab it and pull it up.
Lastly, we have the manual which has information on the 2 year warranty, how to operate the unit, and other information.

How the Liberty 200 Works

Starting off, the Dolphin Liberty 200 is completely cordless which means no more tangled cords. It is as easy as hitting this button on the back and dropping it in the pool. From there, the Liberty is ready to clean. It cleans both above ground and in-ground pools of all varieties. So whether you have a gunite, fiberglass, concrete pool, or other, the Liberty will work perfect in your pool.

The Liberty does a great job cleaning the floors and walls of your pool, but not the waterline. It is equipped with wall climbing capability, which is standard in this price range, but does not have waterline cleaning ability. This means it won’t stay and scrub the waterline – which is one of the direst parts of your pool. We would have liked to see waterline cleaning, but that feature is only found in the more advanced Dolphin units such as the Dolphin Quantum or Dolphin Premier.

It has CleverClean navigation that helps it map your pool just like all other Dolphins. The Liberty even parks itself at the edge of the pool so when it is time to retrieve it. This makes it more convenient so you can grab it via the hook. However, this can be a pain as you must pull the unit up to the surface, hold the pole in one hand, and bend down to grab the unit. While it isn’t a huge deal, it is something to think about as this unit gets heavy thanks to its battery once filled with water.

There are a few other things to keep in mind. While the cordless feature is nice, you are sacrificing a few things when making the switch: Power and suction power, Cycle Time, and Filter Options.

Power

First, let’s talk about power. Since the unit is cordless, you do get a noticeable downgrade of cleaning power and suction. The battery simply cannot keep up with the corded models performance due to the battery technology simply not being there yet. While it still cleans great, you are paying more for less.

Cycle Time

Second, the cycle time on the liberty is only 1.5 hours. After this, the unit has to be charged for 6 hours to be used again. So if you have a larger dirty pool, the Liberty may take several runs to get the job done. Once you factor in the cleaning and charging times, this can add up quickly.

Filter Options

There is also no programmable timer, as the robot has to be charged after every cycle. So if you want a hands-off experience, this isn’t the robot for you. I would recommend looking into the Dolphin Cayman. It is nearly identical, lower price, and has a programmable timer that you can use.

We've saved one of the most important topics for last. Filtration. The Liberty only includes 1 filter option: the standard mesh filter. It is good for picking up larger items, but it’ll pass through smaller items such as fine dirt, microscopic algae, and even bacteria. It does not include the Dolphin NanoFilter which is one of my favorite Dolphin features.

This NanoFilter is like having a small high performance filter onboard. It’s made more like a real cartridge filter that works with your main pool pump. The Nanofilter is included only on Dolphin ProLine robots, which includes the Dolphin Quantum, Dolphin Sigma, and Dolphin Premier. With this filter, you can capture the very smallest dirt and debris that other robots can’t. Just watch as dirty pool water is poured over the two filters. What is captured by the NanoFilters simply goes back into the pool with the standard filters.

This highly efficient filter ensures your swimming pool remains crystal clear. The pleated polyester fabric creates a massive surface area. There is a clear reason why so many pool owners prefer using these onboard filters. They're very effective. We are hoping the Liberty Dolphin Liberty 200 will eventually add it, or perhaps include on the Liberty 300.

And if you struggle with leaves, the Liberty doesn’t have a leaf bag. The oversized leaf bag is a Dolphin Premier exclusive. It captures leaves, twigs, and other smaller particles that other robots can’t. It even includes a programmable timer, NanoFilter, Multi-Media, and a longer 3-year warranty.

Warranty

The Dolphin Liberty includes a 2 year warranty. This is a bit shorter than the more premium units such as the Dolphin Premier and Sigma but typical at this price point. Make sure to only buy your robot from an Authorized Dealer, such as Poolbots.com. As an Authorized Dealer, we offer the Dolphin Liberty 200 and many other Dolphin units backed by the strong Dolphin warranty. You can try the Dolphin Liberty 200 or other pool robots risk-free for 30 days. And if you decide to return it or swap for another unit, there’s no restocking fee ever.

Alternatives

If you’re looking for other comparable alternatives, we have a few recommendations:

Dolphin Cayman

For a lower priced model, check out the Dolphin Cayman. With a 2 year warranty, programmable weekly power supply, wall climbing, and an optional NanoFilter add on, the Cayman is not only a cheaper option, but has more power and a longer cleaning cycle. It is one of the best values Dolphin has to offer.

Dolphin Quantum

If you want to go even higher up the line, take a look at the Dolphin Quantum. With an included NanoFilter basket, standard filter, and waterline cleaning, the Quantum is a great choice. As a part of the Dolphin ProLine, the Quantum is a high-powered cleaning machine. It also includes the programmable weekly timer that allows you to set it to run every day, every other day, or every 3 days, so you don’t have to charge it daily.

Dolphin Premier

Lastly, the Dolphin Premier is the ultimate upgrade. As the flagship Dolphin robot, it includes MultiMedia, which includes 3 filter options right out of the box. It has an Oversized leaf bag if you struggle with leaves, a NanoFilter for small particles, and the standard mesh filters. You can even add disposable leaf and debris bags if you would rather skip cleaning.

Overall, the Dolphin Liberty 200 is a new innovative unit from Maytronics. It delivers a solid cleaning performance but like all battery units on the market, charging daily is the ultimate inconvenience on a pool robot. We’re in a set and forget world, and that’s what the market wants. It’s also more expensive than nearly identical corded models that have more power. So in summary, if you don’t mind charging daily and you’re set on battery, the Liberty is the best battery robot on the market today. If you’re looking for the best performance and user convenience, you’ll want to stick to a corded model for now. I'm hoping that battery technology advances in a few years and we can get 7 days of runtime for a battery model. That would be the best of both worlds.