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The Best Above-Ground Robotic Pool Cleaners of 2026

By The Smith Family, reviewed by Brad Smith · Independent, no paid placement · Updated September 5, 2026Prices checked September 2026

Some links here are affiliate links — if you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you (sometimes with a discount for you). It never changes which products we recommend — and we name the SKIPs to prove it.

If you own an above-ground pool, most “best robotic pool cleaner” lists aren’t written for you — they rank big, wall-climbing in-ground robots that are overkill for a shallow, flat pool. So we cut it to the robots that are actually built or sized for above-ground pools, and settled them the way that matters up here: corded reliability vs. cordless convenience, how much they clean, and the deepest owner proof. Every rating below was read on the live listing, signed in, the same day.

And we answer the question above-ground owners actually ask — the one no roundup will touch: do these things work on a wrinkled, bumpy pool bottom? (Short version: no robot is wrinkle-proof, the light cordless ones get stuck the most, and the real fix is smoothing the liner. Full answer in the FAQ and the buying guide.)

How they compare

The columns that decide your buy up here are how it’s powered and how much it cleans — a $150 cordless floor unit and a $699 corded workhorse are completely different buys.

Model	Best for	Power	Cleans	Runtime	Pool size	Owner rating	Price
Dolphin Escape Robotic Pool Cleaner (2026)	Best overall	Corded (no battery)	Floor + active scrub	Corded — runs the full cycle	Above-ground up to ~33 ft	4.2★ / 1,520	Check price →
Aiper Seagull SE Cordless Robotic Pool Cleaner	Cheapest / above-ground	Cordless	Floor only	Up to 90 min	Above-ground, flat-bottom	3.9★ / 1,016	Check price →
Aiper Scuba SE Cordless Robotic Pool Cleaner	Cheapest cordless on Amazon	Cordless	Floor only	Up to 90 min (maker table; the listing copy says up to 100)	Up to 860 sq ft	4.4★ / 242	Check price →
Lodoba SAT25 Cordless Robotic Pool Cleaner	Most capability for the money	Cordless (rechargeable)	Floor + walls + waterline	Up to ~190 min	Above/in-ground up to ~2,150 sq ft	4.2★ / 156	Check price →
Dolphin E10 Robotic Pool Cleaner (2026)	Name-brand corded entry	Corded (no battery)	Floor + active scrub	Corded (fixed cycle)	Above-ground up to ~30 ft	3.6★ / 907 (pooled, E10–E50)	Check price →

Prices move constantly — any Amazon price shown is as of the date noted and subject to change; tap through for today's number.

How we ranked these (owner proof, read the same day)

There’s no independent lab that bench-tests above-ground pool robots, so we don’t fake an expert panel. Instead we did the two things that matter for this category. First, we read the base, not just the star number — the Dolphin Escape’s 4.2 sits on 1,520 owners, while the Dolphin E10’s 4.0 sits on just 83, and the cheap Aiper Seagull SE reads 3.9 across a deep 1,016-owner base while the cheaper Aiper Scuba SE’s 4.4 sits on a pooled, Vine-seeded 242; the depth and cleanliness of the base changes what a rating means. Second, we read every pick’s rating and reviews on the live listing, signed in, the same day, so the numbers are current and comparable. Then we named a pick for each way people actually buy: the most-proven overall, the cheapest that works, the most cleaning per dollar, and the name-brand entry.

Best overall: Dolphin Escape

Winner

Our top pick

Dolphin Escape Robotic Pool Cleaner (2026)

Best overall · The most-proven above-ground robot by a mile — 4.2 stars across 1,520 owners, the deepest base in the category. Maytronics built the Escape specifically for above-ground pools: dual motors, an active HyperBrush scrubber, and a big top-load filter, all corded so there's no battery to wear out. It costs more (about $699) and you manage a cord, but it's the one owners keep for years.

Your pick if you want a robot that just works for years on an above-ground pool and don't mind a cord or the price — the most-proven pick here, with no battery to wear out.

4.2 · 1,520 owner ratingsacross Amazon · August 2026

Check price at Amazon →

Verified owner · Amazon

“Simple set up, easy use, good quality.”

Pro review The Pool Nerd

“In my testing, it's the best above-ground robotic pool cleaner on the market—and a legitimate option for smaller inground pools up to 33 feet.”

Dolphin Escape Robotic Pool Cleaner (2026)

Best overall

Your pick if you want a robot that just works for years on an above-ground pool and don't mind a cord or the price — the most-proven pick here, with no battery to wear out.

4.2 · 1,520 owner ratingsAmazon · August 2026

“Simple set up, easy use, good quality.”— Robert A. Krull, Amazon

Pro review “In my testing, it's the best above-ground robotic pool cleaner on the market—and a legitimate option for smaller inground pools up to 33 feet.”— Justin D., The Pool Nerd

Pros

• The most-proven pick here — 4.2 stars across 1,520 owners, the deepest base in the category by far
• No battery to die: it's corded, so it runs its full cycle and there's no sealed pack to replace down the road
• Built by Maytronics specifically for above-ground pools — dual motors, an active scrubbing brush, and a big top-load filter owners find easy to rinse

Cons

• The priciest pick here (about $699) — real money for an above-ground pool, where a cheap cordless does the basic job for a fifth of that
• You manage a floating cord, and it's a heavier unit to lift in and out
• Floor-focused — it scrubs and cleans the bottom well but isn't a dedicated wall/waterline climber

What owners complain aboutDefect reports

It tips onto its back wheels and misses floor, and it will not do the steps and walls some buyers expect; separately, the external power supply is the part that dies.

4 of the first 10 critical cards (of 188) are wheelies or missed coverage, 3 more are the power supply — one owner describing water getting behind the switch membrane · critical reviews read August 2026

Check price at Amazon →

✓ Safety: no active recallNo active CPSC recall found for the Dolphin Escape (checked August 2026).

The one most above-ground owners should buy. Maytronics built the Escape specifically for above-ground pools — dual motors, an active scrubbing brush, and a big top-load filter — and it’s corded, so there’s no battery to wear out. At 4.2 stars across 1,520 owners it has the deepest track record of any robot here by a wide margin: the kind of base where you find people like the owner of a 24-foot round pool who hand-vacuumed for twenty years, finally treated themselves, and stayed. It runs its full cycle every time, and owners keep it for years.

Not for you if: you want cheap-and-simple — at about $699 it’s real money for an above-ground pool, where the Aiper does the basic floor job for a fifth of that, and you do manage a floating cord and a heavier unit to lift in and out. But if you want the robot that’s still working five summers from now, the proof is all on this one.

Cheapest that works: Aiper Seagull SE

Aiper Seagull SE Cordless Robotic Pool Cleaner

Cheapest / above-ground

Your pick if you have a small, flat-bottomed above-ground pool and want the cheapest robot that actually works — about $150, 3.9★/1,016, floor-only with a ~90-minute charge; it doesn't climb walls or scrub the waterline, so it's floors-only by design.

3.9 · 1,016 owner ratingsAmazon · September 2026 · incentivised base · global base

“Love better then my Wybot that only lasted 2 years. Easy to use, clean and store, it's small lightweight and we are happy.”— Jeremy Hempel, Amazon

Pro review “So what’s my final verdict on the 2026 Aiper Seagull SE robotic pool cleaner? It’s Pool Nerd Disapproved. Despite a few upgrades, all of the biggest issues I had with previous Aiper models are still here. The Aiper Seagull SE cannot clean your pool well, has a disappointing filter, its battery performance is terrible, and its warranty is short.”Hands-on test in the reviewer's own pool; verdict "Pool Nerd Disapproved". The page reviews the "2026 Aiper Seagull SE" — Aiper sells one Seagull SE, so this is the machine on this card — and its next sentence is the same call we make: "In every way a corded robotic pool cleaner, such as the Dolphin Escape or Dolphin Cayman, is better."— Justin D., The Pool Nerd

Pros

• The cheapest real robot here (~$150), on the deepest owner base of any budget floater — 3.9★ across 1,016 Amazon ratings, an honest mix
• Genuinely simple: one-click start, auto-parks at the wall when it's done, and Aiper's upgraded battery runs about 90 minutes on a charge
• The right tool for a small, flat-bottomed above-ground pool — a real cordless robot for a fraction of what the wall-climbers cost

Cons

• Floor only — it doesn't climb walls or scrub the waterline, and it's built for flat-bottomed above-ground pools, not in-ground pools with slopes, steps, or a deep end
• It's light and low-slung, so on a very wrinkled or bumpy vinyl liner owners report it can hang up or get stuck (one puts it plainly: 'the bottom of my above-ground pool is not totally flat so it can get stuck') — smooth the liner first
• Aiper publishes no coverage (sq ft), filter micron, or suction figure for it — you're buying on the owner rating and the low price, not a spec sheet
• Sealed battery, like the rest of this tier — no replacement pack, so the whole robot is the consumable when it fades
• Aiper is phasing it out: the maker's own store badges the Seagull SE "Phase out" (September 2026), and the one hands-on review of it, The Pool Nerd's, is a Disapproved — buy current stock knowing the 12-month warranty is the whole support story

What owners complain aboutCapability limit

It gets stuck and it does not cover the pool — a coverage complaint rather than a breakage one, which fits a 3.9★ that is mostly 3-star cards. "It keeps getting stuck and then doesn't pick up"; "good enough for the money but stays in same area without touching others"; "cleans the bottom of the pool [only]". Battery is the second theme: "battery quickly dies and minimally cleans", and one unit where "charging never completed, never would power on" (the maker replaced it). Two owners report water getting inside — one titles the review simply "Leaks" — and a repeat Aiper buyer says the first SE "worked perfectly" and the replacement did not, which points at batch variability rather than a design fault.

10 critical cards read on page 1 of 998 ratings at the August 2026 pass (1,014 on the 2026-09-04 re-read); poor coverage or getting stuck appears in 4 independent reviews, battery or charging in 3, water ingress in 2. 10/10 Verified Purchase, 0 Vine. Eight of the ten are 3-star — a mediocre profile, not a disastrous one. 2026-09-05 (1,016 ratings): the 2026-TITLED listing's tail read the same day — 14 critical of 249; 10 read: battery quit after two summers ("~$100 per summer"), gets stuck at the wall ramp, 2–3 charges per clean then broke at ~10 uses with the warranty claim unanswered, a repeat buyer who "would not buy any more Aiper"; 2 of the 10 are Vine cards (Nov 2025), 2/10 Verified Purchase. Same themes as the 2025 listing: coverage, sticking, battery. · critical reviews read September 2026

Check price at Amazon →

Also at: Amazon (2026 listing) · Aiper direct

✓ Safety: no active recallNo CPSC recall names the Aiper Seagull SE (checked 2026-07-16). Note that Aiper recalled certain EARLIER models for lithium-battery fire risk (2023–2025) — the Seagull SE isn't named, but buy current stock, use the supplied charger, and charge it away from anything flammable. CPSC re-checked 2026-09-05: ProductName=Seagull returns only recall #25187 (2025-03-20), the Seagull PRO — a different model, opened and confirmed; ProductName=Aiper returned the API's provider error ("The underlying provider failed on Open") three times across two days — recorded as errored, re-run at the next audit.

The cheapest way into a real cordless robot. For around $150 the Seagull SE is a genuine one-click, auto-parking cordless cleaner — about 90 minutes on a charge — for a fraction of what the wall-climbers cost. It’s the right tool for a small, flat-bottomed above-ground pool where you just want the floor cleaned without wiring or cords.

Not for you if: you have a wrinkled or bumpy bottom, or you want walls and waterline. It’s floor-only, and being light and low-slung it can hang up on an uneven liner (one owner: “the bottom of my above-ground pool is not totally flat so it can get stuck”). Read the base honestly, too: it reads 3.9 stars across 1,016 owners, with a real reliability spread (faulty hooks, a unit that quit charging) — though owners say Aiper replaces them without a fight. Buy it for what it is: a cheap, simple floor cleaner.

About the “2026” Seagull SE. Amazon now sells the same robot under a second listing titled “2026 AIPER Seagull SE”, at 4.3 stars across 249. We read both listings on 5 September 2026 and ruled it one robot, not a new model: Aiper’s own store lists a single Seagull SE, now badged “Phase out”, and the 2026 listing’s reviews date back to July 2024. We keep the card on the 2025-titled listing because 1,016 owners are more proof than 249, and link the 2026 listing as an alternative on the card. The one hands-on test of the Seagull SE, The Pool Nerd’s, is a Disapproved — “cannot clean your pool well, has a disappointing filter, its battery performance is terrible, and its warranty is short” — so buy it as exactly what it is: the cheapest floor cleaner with a deep, honest base, on a model its maker is winding down.

Cheapest cordless on Amazon: Aiper Scuba SE

Aiper Scuba SE Cordless Robotic Pool Cleaner

Cheapest cordless on Amazon

Your pick if you want the very cheapest cordless robot on Amazon for a small, flat-floored pool and you have read what the 4.4★/242 actually rests on — a pooled, Vine-seeded, global base whose reviews run back to 2024, on a robot its maker no longer lists.

4.4 · 242 owner ratingsAmazon · September 2026 · listing-wide base · incentivised base · global base

Pro review “The Aiper Scuba SE may appear to be a budget-friendly option with its price and cordless design, but in practice, it falls short. Its weak suction, limited battery life, ineffective navigation, and questionable build quality make it a frustrating choice for pool cleaning.”Hands-on test in the reviewer's own pool; verdict "Pool Nerd Disapproved". The review opens as bluntly as it closes: "Let me be upfront: the low price tag is tempting, but the Aiper Scuba SE falls short as a reliable robotic pool cleaner." Exact model.— Justin D., The Pool Nerd

Pros

• The cheapest cordless robot on Amazon at the read — about $130 on a limited-time deal against a $160 list, under the Seagull SE
• Does the one job a small flat pool needs: floor cleaning to about 860 sq ft, auto-parks at the wall and sounds an alert when it is done, about 90 minutes on a charge
• Rated for flat-floored in-ground pools as well as above-ground, where the Seagull SE is above-ground only

Cons

• Its 4.4★ across 242 is a pooled, Vine-seeded, global base whose reviews run back to September 2024 — the "2026" in the title is Amazon's, not a new machine
• The only hands-on test of it is a Disapproved: The Pool Nerd found "weak suction, limited battery life, ineffective navigation, and questionable build quality"
• Owners' own tail says it dies inside a season — "owned two, both failed after about one pool season", "lasted .75 of a season" — on a sealed battery and a 12-month warranty
• Aiper no longer lists it on its own store, and its spec sheet disagrees with the listing (1,200 vs 1,320 GPH; 90 vs 100 minutes) — the maker's numbers are the ones on this card

What owners complain aboutLifespan

Durability — it dies inside a season. "Owned two, both failed after about one pool season" (Aug 2026); "lasted .75 of a season" (May 2025); broke in under three weeks (Sep 2024); "flimsy" (Mar 2025). Second theme, capability: gets stuck a lot and misses debris — "struggles to clean, auto-parking doesn't always work" (a Vine card, Jan 2025), doesn't pick up leaves, not for larger sloped pools (a 3-star, Aug 2026) — and a basket owners call too small.

11 critical of 242 (4.5%) at the 2026-09-05 read; 10 read, dated Sep 2024 → Aug 2026: durability inside a season in 4 of 10, stuck or missing debris in 3, basket size in 1; 7/10 Verified Purchase, 2/10 Vine. · critical reviews read September 2026

Check price at Amazon →

✓ Safety: no active recallNo CPSC recall names the Aiper Scuba SE (checked 2026-09-05: ProductName=Scuba returns 39 diving-gear recalls, none Aiper; ProductName=Seagull returns only #25187, the Seagull PRO, 2025-03-20 — a different model, opened and confirmed; ProductName=Aiper returned the API's provider error three times — recorded as errored, re-run at the next audit). Aiper recalled certain EARLIER models for lithium-battery fire risk (2023–2025); the Scuba SE is not named — buy current stock, use the supplied charger, charge it away from anything flammable.

Cheaper still than the Seagull SE, and carded so you know exactly what the lower price buys. The Scuba SE is Aiper’s other floor-only cordless — rated for above-ground and flat-floored in-ground pools up to about 860 sq ft, about 90 minutes on a charge, auto-parks and beeps when it is done — and at the read it was about $130 on a limited-time deal against a $160 list. Its 4.4 stars across 242 looks like the best owner score on this page. Read the base before you believe it: the listing pools a second colourway, five of the thirteen reviews we could see were free-product Vine cards, and the reviews run back to September 2024, two seasons before the “2026” in the title. Amazon’s title is new; the robot is not.

Not for you if: you want it to last. The one hands-on test of it, The Pool Nerd’s, is a Disapproved — “weak suction, limited battery life, ineffective navigation, and questionable build quality” — and the owners’ own critical tail says the same thing in one word: durability. “Owned two, both failed after about one pool season.” “Lasted .75 of a season.” The battery is sealed, the warranty is 12 months, and Aiper no longer lists the Scuba SE on its own store at all. If twenty dollars more buys you the Seagull SE’s four-times-deeper base, spend it; if you want the robot that is still running in three summers, it is the corded Dolphin Escape.

Most cleaning for the money: Lodoba SAT25

Lodoba SAT25 Cordless Robotic Pool Cleaner

Most capability for the money

Your pick if you want the most cleaning for the money on an above-ground pool — a cordless robot that climbs walls and does the waterline for about $340 — and you'll accept a lesser-known brand to get it.

4.2 · 156 owner ratingsAmazon · August 2026

“This has almost completely replaced the pool vacuuming!! It works!!! Comes back to the side of our above ground pool for easy removal.”— Jooley, Amazon

Pros

• Does far more than the budget floor units — climbs walls and cleans the waterline, cordless, for about $340
• Clean owner base — 4.2 stars across 227 ratings with no Vine reviews, and up to ~190 minutes of runtime
• Works in above-ground and in-ground pools; owners say it returns to the pool wall for easy retrieval

Cons

• White-label brand — Lodoba is a name on the Seauto 'SAT' platform (the same hardware sells as Nepturox / Seauto), so warranty and support are the real unknowns; buy it for the hardware, not the badge
• Sealed battery like every cordless here — no replacement pack, so the robot is the consumable when it fades
• A 227-owner base is solid but nowhere near the thousands behind the Dolphin Escape — less of a long-term track record

What owners complain aboutDefect reports

Dead inside a month, repeatedly. "Quit working after a month — I was very excited about this and it did a great job, but after a month it [stopped]"; "it stopped working after 10 use[s]"; "received a faulty vacuum — charged for over 24 hours, never char[ged]"; and one owner who could not switch it off at all and had to lift it out. The second theme is that it does not pick much up: "picks up some dirt but not enough to justify buying it, gets stuck on the [steps]", "does seem to have a lot of power but is not picking up near the amount of [debris]", "didn't work well AT ALL". One useful spec catch: the advertised 190-minute run needs about four hours of charging.

10 critical cards read on page 1 of 227 ratings; failure inside a month appears in 4 independent reviews and poor pickup in 4. 10/10 Verified Purchase, 0 Vine. NOTE: this shares the model designation SAT25 with nepturox-sat25, which we also card — almost certainly one OEM sold under two brands. · critical reviews read August 2026

Check price at Amazon →

✓ Safety: no active recallNo CPSC recall names the Lodoba SAT25 (checked August 2026). As with any lithium cordless robot, use the supplied charger and charge it away from anything flammable.

The most robot for the dollar. The Lodoba does what the cheap floor units can’t — it climbs walls and cleans the waterline, cordless, with up to about 190 minutes of runtime — for about $400, on a clean 4.2-star / 227-owner base with no Vine reviews. Owners say it “almost completely replaced the pool vacuuming” and returns to the pool wall for easy retrieval, and it works in both above-ground and in-ground pools.

Not for you if: brand and warranty matter to you. Lodoba is a white-label name on the Seauto “SAT” platform — the same hardware sells as Nepturox and Seauto — so you’re buying the machine, not a support reputation, and there’s no purchasable replacement battery (the sealed pack is the robot’s lifespan). If you want the extra cleaning and the price is right, it’s a lot of capability; just go in knowing the badge is the unknown.

Name-brand corded entry: Dolphin E10

Dolphin E10 Robotic Pool Cleaner (2026)

Name-brand corded entry

Your pick if you specifically want the Dolphin name at the entry level for an above-ground pool — a simple corded floor cleaner with no battery — and the step-up Escape is more than you need.

3.6 · 907 owner ratingsAmazon · August 2026 · listing-wide base

“This pool cleaner does a great job! I have a 30x15x52 oval above-ground pool. The pool robot leaves it sparkling.”— jeff dixon, Amazon

Pros

• The Dolphin name at the entry level — a simple corded floor cleaner with an active scrubbing brush and no battery to die
• Owners with above-ground pools say it leaves the bottom sparkling (one names a 30x15 oval); easy top-load filter
• Corded, so it runs its cycle with no charge time and no sealed pack to replace

Cons

• The rating is not a read of THIS machine — the listing now pools the whole Explorer E-series (E10 $568 through E50 $1,629) into one 3.6-star base of 907 global ratings, so nothing on that page tells you how the E10 alone performs. It was a model-specific 4.0/83 when we carded it; the listing re-pooled.
• Pricey for what it is (about $568) — close to the far more-proven Escape, and multiples of a cheap cordless that does the basic job
• It's a basic cleaner, not a magic wand — owners note it won't clear cloudy water and 'it's not a scrubber' beyond the light brush; fixed cycle, no long-run mode

What owners complain aboutDefect reports

It arrives broken or breaks early, which is what a 3.6★ on nine hundred owners is measuring. Three cards report damage in the box — "arrived broken and still not great after repair", "broken out the box", "came with a broken hub cap for the wheel". Three more put a clock on it: "stopped working after only 6 weeks of use. It was $600"; "a lot of money for 2 months of [use]"; "used once and after the second time th[at was it]". The recurring design complaint is the filter door — "after one use the filter door does not stay closed and I have to tape it closed" — with the lid popping open mid-clean for another owner. One more catch worth knowing before you buy: "the fine basket advertised is another $50".

10 critical cards read on page 1 of 907 ratings; arriving damaged appears in 3 independent reviews, failure inside two months in 3, and the filter door or lid latch in 2. 10/10 Verified Purchase, 0 Vine. · critical reviews read August 2026

Check price at Amazon →

✓ Safety: no active recallNo active CPSC recall found for the Dolphin E10 (checked August 2026).

The cheaper Dolphin. The E10 is Maytronics’ entry-level above-ground unit — a simple corded floor cleaner with an active brush and top-load filters, no battery to wear out — and owners with above-ground pools say it leaves the bottom sparkling (one names a 30x15 oval). If you specifically want the Dolphin name at the low end, it’s a real one.

Not for you if: you’re comparing it honestly to the Escape. At about $568 it’s priced close to the far more-proven Escape while sitting on a thin 4.0-star / 83-rating base, and owners are clear about its limits — it won’t clear cloudy water and “it’s not a scrubber” beyond the light brush, with a fixed cycle and no long-run mode. When the step-up Dolphin costs a bit more but has eighteen times the owner proof, most people should take the Escape.

How to pick an above-ground pool robot

• Start with corded vs. cordless. Want it to last for years with no battery to die → a corded Dolphin (the Escape). Want cheap-and-simple with nothing to plug in → a cordless unit (the Aiper for floors, the Lodoba if you want walls too). Every cordless here has a sealed battery that’s the robot’s real lifespan.
• Match the cleaning to your pool. A flat, shallow above-ground pool really just needs its floor done — the Aiper or a Dolphin handles that. Only pay for wall-climbing and waterline (the Lodoba) if your walls scum up or you want a fully hands-off clean.
• Read the base, not just the star. The deepest, cleanest owner base here (the Escape, 1,520) is the safest bet; a pooled number that spans six machines (the E10’s 3.6/907, which covers the whole Explorer line from $568 to $1,629) or a deep, honest one (the Seagull SE’s 3.9/1,016) tells you more than a thin high number — or than a pooled, Vine-seeded one (the Scuba SE’s 4.4/242).
• The two cheap Aipers are not interchangeable. The Scuba SE is cheaper and rated for flat in-ground floors too, but its owner score pools a colourway and Vine cards over a 2024 base, its one hands-on test is a Disapproved, and its maker no longer lists it. The Seagull SE’s lower 3.9 sits on four times the owners. Between the two, the deeper base wins.
• About that wrinkled bottom. No robot is wrinkle-proof, and the lightest cordless units get stuck the most. Smooth the liner first — on a warm day, lower the water a few inches and work the wrinkles toward the wall — and if your bottom is badly folded, lean corded/heavier and expect to touch up the worst spots by hand.
• Don’t overbuy an in-ground robot. A robot built for a 2,000-square-foot in-ground pool is more than a 24-foot round above-ground pool needs. If you’re eyeing a cordless robot from our cordless robot showdowns, confirm it’s rated for above-ground use and your pool size first.

For a handheld above-ground vacuum (a battery vac you push, not a self-driving robot), see our best handheld pool vacuums for above-ground pools showdown.

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