Dolphin S200 Review

Introduction

Hey guys, I’m Joshua with Poolbots.com. And today we’re looking at the Dolphin S200 robotic pool cleaner from Maytronics. This is a straightforward and effectively designed robotic pool cleaner that you’ll only find in brick-and-mortar pool stores. So if you spot the S200 for sale online, steer clear. That’s not an authorized dealer and could void your warranty.

Features and Specifications

The Dolphin S200 has a lot of the features you want in a robotic pool cleaner, like water line cleaning, filter media choices, an anti-tangle swivel, and a weekly scheduler. But for over $1500, it’s missing some features that would warrant such a high price. Or to look at it another way, the S200 costs several hundred dollars more than units that deliver better performance and features.

What's Included

Let’s look at what all comes with the Dolphin S200. It’s lightweight at just 16 lbs. It has this convenient handle for pulling it out of the pool, but it doesn’t come with a caddy included. The 60-foot cord has a swivel, which helps prevent tension building up in the cable. There are tracks with grips on them that help the S200 cling to pool surfaces. Between these and the jets, the S200 is designed to clean the floors, walls, and waterline.

It has a top-loading filter basket with two filter liners: fine and ultra-fine. It also has a programmable timer. You can schedule it to run daily, every two days, or every three days. It only has one cycle option of two hours.

Performance

Getting the Dolphin S200 started is super easy. Just press start, and it’s ready to go. Its coverage is about the same as the Dolphin Quantum. It’s excellent on floors especially. The S200 uses CleverClean technology to scan the pool and create an ideal cleaning route. It climbs walls well, and it’s pretty thorough at the waterline. It won’t clean your underwater steps, though. And although it’s thorough, it’s not as thorough in its cleaning coverage as the Dolphin Sigma or the Premier, especially at the waterline. We’d say the S200 covered about 90% of the pool.

Motors and Filter

The Dolphin S200 uses two DC motors. That’s certainly respectable, but to put it into perspective, the less expensive Dolphin Sigma uses three commercial grade DC motors for even more cleaning power. The S200 has a top-loading filter basket and two filter types, exactly like the Dolphin Sigma. The fine one is great for everyday cleanings, and the ultra-fine one is ideal for deep cleans. You’ll be surprised at all the debris the thick pleats of the ultra-fine liner can filter out. However, it’s not as good for leaves as the Dolphin Premier with MultiMedia. The basket is small for any cleaning jobs with lots of leaves. So if your pool is located near trees, you might be happier with the Dolphin Premier. It has MultiMedia with gives you four filter media, including an oversized leaf bag that can hold way more leaves than any cartridge or basket on the market today. In this area, the Dolphin Premier delivers better performance at a lower price point.

Usability and Warranty

We’d consider the Dolphin S200’s usability pretty standard if it were more modestly priced like the Dolphin Quantum. But for $1500, it leaves us wanting more. The 24-month warranty is a full year less than the best-in-class three-year warranties you’ll find on the less expensive Dolphin Premier and Dolphin Sigma. And finally, the power supply is pretty elementary for what you’re paying. We’d expect the hands-off, MyDolphin App or at least a remote control included. Plus, there’s only one cycle option of two hours. So if you need to run the S200 longer, you have to go back outside and restart it yourself.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the performance, cleaning power, and filtration of the Dolphin S200 are good. However, we can’t reconcile the price with the performance. This is a common issue with pool-store-only robotic pool cleaners. The prices tend to skyrocket because individual stores sell a much lower volume and mark them up a lot. If you want the same performance of the S200 for several hundred dollars less from an easy, authorized online retailer, we suggest the Dolphin Quantum. Like the S200, it cleans waterlines, has two filter media options, a weekly scheduler, and a 2-year warranty. For even better performance at a still-lower price, look at the Dolphin Premier or Sigma. Both are excellent waterline cleaners. The Premier has MultiMedia and four filter media types for a truly customizable clean, and the Sigma has hands-off control through the MyDolphin App. You don’t even have to leave your couch to get it started.

As always, you can read real reviews and learn more about dozens of other robotic pool cleaners at poolbots.com. Visit our website to find the best deals, tips, and tricks for pool ownership, and special buys that’ll help you enjoy your pool to its full potential.