Best Pool Vacuum Cleaner

During hot summer days, when you need to cool yourself, nothing beats the swimming. Those who have a pool in their backyard can be considered lucky. But, owning a pool is just one side of the coin.

Maintaining your pool and keeping it clean is a constant struggle. You have to deal with bugs, leaves and other debris. Not to mention, all kinds of nasty bacteria that will fester in your pool if you neglect it.

One of the best tools for cleaning a pool is a pool vacuum cleaner. These useful machines collect debris and sediment from the floor and walls of the pool. Using one means, you won’t need to call a pool man every time your pool gets dirty.

We have tested the best pool vacuum cleaners on the market, so you can make the right choice when you decide to buy one.

The first pool cleaner we are going to cover is the Baracuda, made by Zodiac. This is a suction-side type of cleaner.

The Baracuda is made for cleaning an inground type of pool. It can clean tiles, gunite and fiberglass pool surfaces and the wheel deflector helps to clean corners in the pool.

Thanks to durability of the Baracuda’s G3 long-life diaphragm you won’t have to replace it for a long time. This part is important because it regulates the water flow. The quick-release cassette design provides easy access to its diaphragm.

The quality and length of the hose go a long way toward making a pool vacuum great. The Baracuda comes with a 39-foot long-life feed house which is scruff resistant and has a 2-year manufacturer’s warranty.

Another quality feature is the 36-fin disc. This disc increases the adhesion to pool surfaces. At the same time, it helps to get around obstacles such as steps and ladders.

The Baracuda can be connected to the skimmer or to a dedicated 1.5-inch vacuum line. It works with the pool’s own pump, so you don’t need an additional booster pump. The FlowKeeper valve automatically adjusts the water flow rate so, this pool vacuum cleaner will even work with a low-speed pump.

Even though the Baracuda will last for many years, it is less expensive than other pool cleaners. The diaphragm is the only moving part, which means there are no other complicated gears or wheels that need to be replaced. The Baracuda comes with a 1-year manufacturer’s warranty.

While the Baracuda is able to vacuum small to medium leaves without a problem, large leaves tend to get stuck in the diaphragm. When this happens it can decrease the Baracuda’s suction power. Also, because it is a bit heavy, it can climb and clean the walls only up to a few feet.

The PoolCleaner is a suction-side type of cleaner. It is made by Poolvergnuegen which was purchased by Hayward. This is a 2-wheel pool cleaner featuring a 33-foot long feed hose.

Made for cleaning small and medium-sized inground pools this pool cleaner is mainly used for cleaning concrete surfaces. It can also clean other surfaces, but you need to change its tires.

The adjustable roller skirt allows for suction power to be constant even when moving over the obstacles and uneven surfaces in the pool. Its tire treads also improve movement over the obstacles.

During the cleaning process, the PoolCleaner uses the existing pump system. Users connect it to either the skimmer or to a dedicated vacuum line port. The self-adjusting turbine vanes provide continuous sucking power at any water flow and allow passage of large debris.

The PoolCleaner also has pre-programmed internal steering sequences. This means that left wheel often reverses to change pool cleaner direction. In this way, the PoolCleaner covers the entire pool.

Unlike some pool vacuum cleaners, this one has no trouble climbing up pool walls. You just have to adjust the suction to the right setting and be sure that the tire treads are not worn down.

Because of its self-adjusting turbines, the PoolCleaner is able to pick up large debris without anything getting stuck. Its excellent steering system allows it to unstuck itself from the main drain, steps or rough spots.

But, you have to look after are the tire treads, as they wear out relatively soon with the regular use. But, they are easy to replace.

Lastly, we have another pool cleaner from Zodiac, the Polaris Vac-Sweep 360. This time it is a pressure-side pool cleaner. This is an all-wheel pool cleaner which comes with a 31-foot long feed hose.

This model is made for cleaning inground pools. It can sweep, scrub and vacuum all pool surfaces and also features an in-line back-up valve that can automatically free it if it gets cornered.

A single chamber filter bag stores the dirt and debris it collects. That way, the debris is removed before it reaches the pump or the filter. This pool vacuum cleaner can capture large debris like leaves and pebbles.

Users connect the Polaris to a dedicated pressure line, t main advantage being that it doesn’t need an extra booster pump. The pool pump provides all the pressure.

This is an excellent feature because it helps you to reduce costs. Pump installation and electricity usage are much lower than with models that use an extra booster pump.

The Polaris 360 is a great pool cleaner because it is easy to install and saves you money. All because it doesn’t use an extra booster pump. Another great advantage is that it pushes leaves, dirt, and sand into its own filter bag. That way, it protects your pool’s filtration system.

We only found two downsides to it. The first one is that it doesn’t clean the stairs of a swimming pool, but then again, most pool cleaners don’t. Secondly, you will need to replace the filter bag and tail scrubber once a year.

These pool cleaners performed admirably in our tests. They are thorough, easy to use, and they do the entire job for you. But, for us, the best pool cleaner has to be the Zodiac Polaris Vac-Sweep 360.

This pool cleaner is very powerful. It will make your pool look brand new. With its pressure it can clean any pool surface effortlessly.

Not only it is powerful, but it is also a money saver. Because it doesn’t use an extra booster pump it is cheap to install. Not to mention providing savings on the electric bill.

So for us, the choice is clear. The Polaris Vac-Sweep 360 is the best pool vacuum cleaner.