The Dolphin Premier and Polaris F9550 are two mid-to-high-end robotics pool cleaners with incentive design features for automatic in-ground pool cleaning. These robots have very different characteristics, but their performance is very similar.
With an energy-efficient DC motor, rubber tracks, active scrubbers, powerful suction, and heavy-duty filtration, the Dolphin Premier has it all for efficient pool cleaning. The Polaris 9550, on the other hand, is a pool cleaner with a powerful four-wheel drive, active brushes, strong vortex suction, excellent navigation, and plenty of customizable cleaning options for added convenience.
While both have their place in our review of the best robot pool cleaners, let’s take a closer look at these two robots and compare their similarities and differences to determine which one is the best buy.
Main Thing – Fast Review
Dolphin Premier robotic pool cleaner
The Dolphin Premier is a robotic pool cleaner designed to automatically clean large inground pools (up to 50 feet). Part of Maytronics’ great Dolphin robotic pool cleaners, the Dolphin Premier features advanced navigation software that scans and maps the pool to thoroughly clean it.
HyperGrip rubber tracks counteract water friction and grip firmly to the bottom and sides of the pool, while the powerful rotating dual brushes attack and loosen the most stubborn dirt on your pool surface – right down to the bottom of the pool. waterline in just 3 hours.
Unlike most other pool robots, this device has several filter options for personalized and optimal pool cleaning: an ultra-fine cartridge filter, a fine cartridge filter, and trash bags. It also features a patented 60-foot anti-tangle swivel cable that provides energy and ensures smooth movement underwater.
- Excellent for cleaning pool floors, walls, tiles, and the waterline.
- Simple and easy to maintain the robot
- Anti-tangle swivel cable does not tangle
- No installation required
- Has a 3-year warranty
- Expensive robot
- Does not clean pool steps
- Manual operation is slow
Polaris 9550 Sport
The Polaris F9550 Robot Pool Cleaner is designed to automatically clean large underground pools and is packed with premium features. The design features ActivMotion technology for smart navigation, while an all-wheel-drive system with robust tires allows for fluid movement around the pool.
The Polaris 9550 cleans the bottom, walls, and waterline of your pool and is suitable for in-ground pools up to 18 meters in length and for any surface. The cleaning mechanism features vortex vacuum technology that keeps debris in suspension during cleaning for maximum suction power and superior filtration.
And an easy-to-clean, top-loading filter reservoir captures and isolates pool contaminants. Operation is easy with the motion-sensitive remote control and 7-day programmable timer to customize cleaning times.
- Impressive cleaning performance
- Climb the walls of the pool to the waterline
- Won’t get clogged in drains
- Low maintenance
- 2 years warranty
- Expensive pool robot
- Doesn’t clean the steps efficiently
- The power cord can get tangled
Main Differences – Premier vs Polaris F9550
Smart navigation is a feature that a home robot, including a pool cleaner, can make or break. A pool robot must be able to consistently find its way into the pool for which it has been designed.
The Polaris F9550 Sport cleaner is equipped with ActivMotion Sensor technology, which provides an optimized scan of the pool and advanced algorithms that ensure complete coverage of the pool floor, walls, tiles, and waterline.
The Dolphin Premier pool cleaner, meanwhile, is equipped with Maytronics SmartNav software. This SmartNav software guarantees highly optimized cleaning. With it, the robot scans the pool and creates a map for fast and efficient cleaning, which prevents uncoordinated movements and saves time and energy.
Filtration System
Every successful pool cleaner needs a top-notch filtration system to capture all types of pool debris, and this is where the powerful Dolphin Premier really shines. The Premier comes with 3 cartridge filters to capture a wide variety of pool debris; micro cartridges for fine debris, standard cartridges for fine debris, and an oversized filter bag for large floating debris such as leaves, twigs, etc.
The Polaris 9550 Sport meets this standard with an oversized, top-loading filter cartridge to capture pool contaminants of any size. Both pool cleaners have indicator lights to indicate when the canister is full and needs to be emptied.
Suction speed
Both robots are almost equal in this category, with strong suction to suck up and trap dirt particles as they circulate the pool water. While the Dolphin Premier can circulate up to 4500 gallons of pool water per hour, the Polaris 9550 uses a proprietary vortex suction technology to create a powerful suction that propels the pool water through the filter cartridge, trapping debris and circulating the water.
How do they perform?
With very similar characteristics and designs, these cleaners have almost identical cleaning performances. They clean all types of pool surfaces with active scrubbers that are applied to the bottom while trapping dirt.
But neither of the two cleaners seem to be the perfect cleaning tool, as they both have their own quirks. For beginners, both are proficient at basic pool cleaning work, but the Dolphin Premier has very slow manual controls and an unhelpful remote. It also has a single non-adjustable 3-hour cleaning cycle, which is not very practical.
As for the Polaris 9550, it is excellent at catching leaves and large debris, but its main drawback is its filter tray, which does not effectively trap smaller debris, such as sand and pool dust. Although this can be remedied by purchasing the ultra-fine filter cartridge to replace the fine filter cartridge supplied with the robot.
The power cord also has a tendency to tangle, although it should withstand tangling, and having to untangle it from time to time can be annoying.
Ease of installation and use
None of these cleaners require installation, they are very easy to handle and you can start your first cleaning within 5 minutes of unpacking them. Just plug the power cord into the control unit and then into a power outlet, drop the cleaner into the pool and press the START button.
Both have very intuitive controls, the Dolphin Premier has a single cleaning mode, while the 9550 Sport has more options to determine how the robot cleans your pool.
Maintenance
Most robot pool cleaners are simple, low-maintenance gadgets, and these two are no different. The main regular maintenance is to empty the filter baskets as often as possible; it is recommended to do it after a few cleanings.
The Polaris 9550 has a top loader that is much easier to reach than the bottom loader/garbage bag found in the Premier.
However, emptying the filter cartridges and rinsing the filter screen under running water from a garden hose is an easy task for anyone.
Parts that wear out from constant use also need to be replaced. You can easily find replacement parts on Amazon or buy them directly from the manufacturer.
Which one should you buy?
These are two great robotic pool cleaners designed for large inground pools and they’re pretty good at cleaning pools. Although they are two different brands, these pool robots have very similar basic features and functions that are mostly limited to cleaning floors, tiles, walls, and water lines of large underground swimming pools.
However, the Polaris 9550 Sport robotic pool cleaner has a few additional features, such as multiple cleaning options, a handy pool caddy, and handy remote control. It is not easy to compare the two robot pool cleaners based solely on their cleaning performance, as they seem to excel in similar categories and each has its own characteristics.
-Frequently Asked Questions-
Can these cleaners be used in an above-ground pool?
No, none of these robots are designed for above-ground pools. They are manufactured exclusively for in-ground swimming pools and should only be used for in-ground swimming pools.
Do these cleaners clean algae from the sides and bottom of the pool?
These cleaners have scrub brushes that they use to loosen dirt from the floor and pool walls, but they do not effectively dislodge algae from the pool surface, they collect algae that has already been dislodged. If your pool has a serious algae problem, it can make the pool surfaces slippery and prevent these pool robots from gripping the surfaces firmly, preventing them from climbing as well as they should and generally speaking. , adversely affect their cleaning performance. Shock chlorination treatment should be used to treat algae and ensure that robots are not in the pool during treatment.
Will either of these robotic pool cleaners get clogged in overhead drains?
Both robots can handle overhead pool drains, but the Polaris does it better than the Dolphin Premier thanks to its four-wheel-drive system. The Dolphin Prime can get stuck sometimes, and sometimes it can cope on its own, while sometimes it may need your help.
Can we leave them in the water until they are cleaned?
The Dolphin robotic pool cleaner can be left in the pool as long as you keep the power supply covered, so it doesn’t get wet. In the case of the 9550, Zodiac recommends removing it from the pool after each cleaning cycle and storing it in the caddy away from direct sunlight or bad weather. This is important because proper maintenance will allow the robot to maintain its performance and quality, and therefore last as long as it should.
How are these pool robots on the steps of the pool?
The Polaris 9550 climbs the steps but doesn’t clean them as well as you might think, especially if they are curved. But the Dolphin Premier does not climb the stairs. To make sure your pool steps are as clean as the rest of the pool, you may need to manually use a pool brush to sweep them every once in a while.
Final Thoughts
Although the Polaris 9550 has more high-end features, both cleaners are excellent and have more or less the same cleaning power, so both are recommended. And they’re in the same price range too, although the Polaris 9550 is a bit more expensive than the Dolphin Premier, it does come with a pool cart and remote that is absent from the Dolphin Premier.
Just as its performance is excellent, it also has its quirks and some drawbacks, but it’s nothing that can’t be managed.
However, the Polaris F9550 turns out to be the best robot, as its additional features make it the most practical robot.
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