This pool robot is a lifesaver. If you're like me and hate manually vacuuming, brushing, and cleaning your pool, the Dolphin Premier could be the robot for you. The Premier is a top-tier cleaner thanks to its dual scrubbing brushes, programmable weekly timer, dual stabilizer, waterline cleaning, and my personal favorite: Multi-Media filtration. It is one of our highest rated robotic pool cleaners, making it one of the best robotic pool cleaners for 2024.
A feature set is one thing, but performance is another entirely. The Dolphin Premier is apart of the 2024 ProLine, which I can say exceeded my every expectation. I ran the Premier through two tests to see its pool coverage and filtration ability, and then I took a look at its feature set and warranty to see how it compares to other robots. I rated the Premier on a scale of 1-5 in each of these categories, so let’s dive in.
Starting with pool coverage, I plugged in the Premier, dropped it in the water, and it took off. No programming or assembly required! Unlike pressure-side and suction-side cleaners, the Dolphin Premier does not require a booster pump. You simply plug the power supply into an outlet and connect the unit. It took less than 3 minutes and my robot was up and running!
The Premier covered my whole pool in an efficient pattern and didn’t miss a spot. Maytronics claims the Premier as the “Waterline King”, and I would 100% agree. I was quite impressed as it transitioned from the floor to the waterline with absolutely no effort. This is what really sets the Premier apart compared to other robotic pool cleaners. Thanks to its tracks and handle, which Dolphin calls its Dual Stabilizer, the Premier can effectively defy gravity while cleaning your wall and waterline.
In fact, it made it look so easy, I had to ask myself why can’t more robots do this? Without waterline cleaning, a lot of robotic pool cleaners fail to live up to their price tag by requiring you to do the extra work of manually scrubbing the side of your pool. In conclusion, the Premier scores a 5/5 in the pool coverage category as it reaches every part of your pool efficiently, even the part other cleaners miss: the waterline.
Secondly, the Dolphin Premier's filtration ability. While most Dolphin pool cleaners come with one filter option, I was excited to see the Premier include three filter options, which is a very unique feature called Multi-Media.
The Leaf Bag is a Dolphin Premier Exclusive. Found in no other Dolphin pool robot, the Leaf Bag is a large reason you should consider the Dolphin Premier. If you have a lot of leaves, this cleaner is for you. The Premier excels as the bag holds a ton of leaves.
Easy to remove and clean, the leaf bag doesn't just capture leaves though - as it can grab acorns, twigs, bugs, and even rocks. I tested the oversized leaf bag by throwing a whole bunch of leaves in the pool. It did not disappoint. Just look at how many leaves the Premier can hold in the filter.
With the ability to filter out particles that other Dolphin robots miss, the NanoFilters are a must-have for any pool robot. Don't get a robot without them, as the difference in the cleaning performance is outstanding. With the ability to capture microscopic particles such as dirt, sand, algae, and even oil, the NanoFilters on the Dolphin Premier are the best filters I have ever tested.
Found on Dolphin ProLine and Dolphin Max-Series robots, these filters are the key to healthy pool water. After a few cycles, the transparency of my pool's water increased significantly. All while grabbing larger objects like rocks and leaves in my pool as well. Whether you get the Premier or another cleaner, we highly recommend the use of a robot with NanoFiltration.
These filters are included with nearly every Dolphin pool robot. These mesh filters are great if you want to prioritize a high flow rate, but they were often missing the smaller debris that the NanoFilters captured. While we liked using them, we found the NanoFilters and Oversized Leaf Bag were superior.
These filters are great for maximizing the flow rate of your robot, but they don't have a ton of utility compared to the superior filtration of NanoFilters and a Leaf Bag. It would have been nice to have just included an extra set of NanoFilters instead, but they are still handy to have.
While not included, there is a fourth optional disposable debris bag. Rather than the thicker resuable oversized leaf bags, these bags are thinner and can simply be tossed out once you're done. Which is a nice touch if you don't want to be constantly cleaning the filters out, but we preferred to use the resusable oversized leaf bag instead.
Of course, with three filter options, and a fourth disposable debris bag option, the Premier gets a 5/5 in filtration ability as well. No other cleaner can clean anything you throw at it, so if you want a cleaner that will leave you nothing to do, then the Premier is the way to go.
The Premier's features are quite unique. One of the only robots with real-time filter tracking, Media-Alert tells you when it is time to clean. Combine with the longer 3 year warranty and the Weekly Timer, the Dolphin Premier has an extraordinary feature set.
The first feature I would like to look at is the Premier’s powerful DC motors. These motors cut energy consumption by almost 90%, when compared to suction or pressure side cleaners, while still offering more power in addition to cleaning ability. This extra power goes to enhance the scrubbing and climbing power behind the Premier, but also its flow rate, as the Premier can move around 4500 Gallons Per Hour, which is around the flow rate of the average pool pump.
What this means is that you get even cleaner water, not just cleaner pool surfaces. So these motors, while something you may not hear much about, are actually a key piece of the Premier’s efficiency and power, as they save you money and make sure your water is better filtered.
The Premier comes with a programmable power supply which gives you the option to schedule it to clean your pool daily, every other day, or every three days with a click of a button. There’s no need to walk outside and start the robot when you want it to clean, simply select your schedule once a week, and it will run automatically each day. This is a must if you want a hands-off pool cleaner.
Another easy to miss feature is Media-Alert. It is a Full Filter Indicator which lets you know when it is time to clean. We all forget to clean the filters of our robot from time to time, but Media Alert makes sure your robot is always on track for a clean pool, so you never have to wonder if it is time to clean the Premier.
If you would like an even easier user experience though, it may be worth looking into the Premier’s optional remote control that lets manually steer the robot for quick spot cleans.
I will say that this remote is very handy, and it’s a rare option on today’s robotic pool cleaners, but one I definitely like the addition of.
Outside of features there is one other key money-saving piece of the Premier: its warranty. The Premier comes with a three-year warranty, that’s one year more than your average pool robot. An industry leading warranty like the Premier’s shows great faith in how tough this cleaner is and helps me trust that the Premier will be around for many pool seasons to come.
The Premier has every feature you come to expect from a top-tier robotic pool cleaner, and an excellent warranty, but it would be nice to see more connectivity options. For that reason, I am giving the Premier a 4.7/5 in Features and Warranty.
In conclusion, the Dolphin Premier scores a 9.8 overall. Placing it at the top of our robotic pool cleaner testing so far. The Premier is a super-efficient robot and is most definitely worth its price tag.
In fact, it is an amazing value, especially when you factor in its three-year warranty. With Multi-Media Filtration, its full pool coverage from floors to the waterline, powerful DC Motors, easy to use power supply, and a host of other features, there is no reason why the Premier shouldn’t be at the top of your pool cleaner list.
Check back soon with the Pool Pad team, as we will be constantly letting you in on the best products and methods to keep your pool clean and healthy!
If you want a true automatic, hands-off pool cleaner, the Dolphin Premier is the pool vacuum for you.
