The problem of regular swimming pool cleaning is typical for all pool owners. It is much more pleasant to spend more time relaxing than with a brush scrubbing the pool walls. All swimming pools require regular maintenance – chemical treatment, collecting of large debris from the water surface, scrubbing of the pool floor, walls and waterline. In addition to all procedures, the water pump with filter should work at least for 4-6 hours to prevent algae and harmful substances from growing. No matter what pool size you have, it should be cleaned to maintain safe conditions for swimming for adults and kids. Automatic pool cleaners can significantly decrease the load of cleaning pool surfaces; some models even filter water during cleaning and work as pool filters. There are several types of automatic cleaners – connected to the pool equipment (pressure and suction side cleaners) and fully autonomous (robotic pool cleaners). This article will describe the last one.
There are many robotic pool cleaner manufacturers, but Maytronics produces one of the best on the market in terms of price and quality of cleaning. The Nautilus CC and Escape are best-sellers and have thousands of positive reviews only on Amazon. We will compare the characteristics of these robots to determine their benefits and best application.
Dolphin Escape vs. Nautilus CC – Comparison table
Main differences between models
Dolphin Escape and Nautilus CC are both basic models with limited functionality, but they are both effective for floor cleaning. Even though their shape and price are similar, they have some differences. The list of main ones is below:
- Nautilus CC is designed for larger pools (up to 33 ft.), so it has a longer cord length (50 ft). Dolphin Escape is limited to 40 ft cable to clean 30 ft. pools.
- Nautilus CC can clean the floors and walls, while Escape can clean only the floor. The cleaning cycle of Dolphin Nautilus CC is longer – 2.0 hours vs. 1.5 hours (Escape).
- Dolphin Escape has SMARTNAV 2.0, an intelligent navigation system to improve cleaning efficiency, but the Nautilus CC does not have it.
- Nautilus CC has a scheduling option from the power unit; Escape does not have this feature.
The more detailed information about these differences and others, you may find in the following sections.
Detailed product review
Maytronics is one of the pioneers of robotic pool cleaner technologies for commercial and residential pools. Starting in 1983, it has become the leader in the pool cleaners market for innovative and effective design. All types of robots, including basic models, provide exceptional experience for owners. Further, we describe Nautilus Escape and Nautilus CC in detail.
1. Dolphin Escape
Dolphin Escape is a robotic pool cleaner that works actively using 90% less energy than pressure and suction side pool cleaners and old robotic pool cleaners. It is designed for above and in-ground pools. Using SMARTNAV 2.0, an intelligent navigation system with sensors, it maps the pool to determine the most effective route for full cleaning. It decreases the overlapping to minimize the cleaning time; so, the cleaning time of a pool size of 30 ft. is about 1.5 hours, which saves not only time but also money for electricity. The robot vacuums in both directions – direct and reverse.
The Escape cleaner has two motors to be even more energy-efficient than other models with DC motors in this price range. The robot has two hypergrip rubber track wheels on two blue wheels moved from the motors to ensure constant contact with all types of pool floors, even on the slip surfaces. The main scrubbing activity is performed by a hyperbrush in the front. It actively spins and scrubs the floor with rubber bristles to remove all dirt and algae stuck on the floor.
All contaminants go through the suction port on the bottom to a filter. It has a fine canister to filter up to 75 gallons per minute to capture sand, algae, debris, and dirt and to decrease the load from your filtration system. The basket holds up to 60% more debris, including leaves, then other robotic cleaners of the same shape. The filter basket is easily removed. You need to open the top lid and, with a handle, extract the basket for regular cleaning after each cycle using a garden hose.
The control features are straightforward – plug and play. The robot requires the connection of the power unit to the electricity and the robot. On the power unit, only one button is located to start or stop operation. You need to submerge the Dolphin Escape and press it; all other work will be performed automatically.
- Extra large filter basket
- Easy-to-clean top-loaded filter cartridges
- Lightweight cleaner, easy to lift
- Energy efficient 180 W (5 cents per hour)
- High-speed scrubbing
- Quick water release
- 2-year warranty
- No gyroscope for walls and waterline scrubbing
- No programmable timers or delay features
- No anti-tangle swivel feature for the cable
- No remote or smartphone control
2. Dolphin Nautilus CC
Dolphin Nautilus CC is an entry-model robotic pool cleaner in the Nautilus Series; it has only basic features, but it is extremely effective for pool and wall cleaning with 4.000 gph suction power. This model has passed through several upgrades for better cleaning abilities for all types of in-ground pools. This model can be used for pools up to 33 ft. in size, depending on where your power unit is connected, as it has a cable 50 ft. in length. The power supply, as in Dolphin Escape, is simple and has a button to start or stop the cleaning process and a button for scheduling. To start the operation, you need only to put the robot into the water and press “start”.
Dolphin Nautilus CC is designed to clean floors and walls up to the waterline. Unfortunately, it can’t reach the waterline- the dirtiest place in the pool and you need to clean it manually. It has similar track wheels to Dolphin Escape to stay on the walls without slips. For scrubbing, it uses the same hyperbrush moving at twice the speed compared to the unit to remove all sticky mess. All debris feeds the filtration system. The filtration system consists of a top-loaded fine basket, where cartridges can be disassembled using the clips on the bottom. For cleaning, you only need to take the basket out from the robot and remove all debris with a garden hose.
To clean the pool more efficiently, it uses scanning software to avoid obstacles and drains and to determine the most efficient cleaning path. The floor is covered better, as on the walls it could leave some spots. The standard cleaning cycle is 2 hours; for more deep cleaning, you need to start the cycle again; no other cleaning modes are provided. But you can schedule your robot for cleaning every day, twice or three times per week using the power unit. During regular cleaning, this robot significantly reduces the consumption of fresh water, chemicals and energy to maintain safe water conditions for swimming.
- Lightweight model
- Possibility to purchase additional ultra-fine basket
- Energy efficient model
- Possibility to set up a schedule for regular cleaning
- Can clean angled floors and walls
- Extra-large filter basket
- 2-year warranty
- No anti-tangle swivel feature for the cable
- No waterline cleaning
- Only one cleaning option
- No remote or smartphone control
Buyers’ guide
The detailed description of Dolphin Escape and Nautilus CC shows how easy they are to operate, and that significantly decreases the expenses and time for pool maintenance. But these are not the only advantages that robotic pool cleaners have; we want to highlight others for a better understanding of why you need specifically robotic pool cleaners, not other types of cleaners.
- Cheap
- Good choice for small pools and above-ground pools
- Physical activity for muscles
- Some have own filter canisters for debris collection
- Using a telescopic pole, you can reach all parts of the pool
- Moves in the pool on their own
- Pressure-side models have own filter bags to reduce the load on the pool system
- Cleaning all surfaces efficiently
- It can be used for cleaning large debris
- Works independently from the owner and pool systems
- Some models work on battery
- Has own filter
- Smart technologies to cover all pool surfaces
- Can clean walls, floor and waterline
- Energy and time-efficient
- The cleaning process depends only on human
- Requires connection to the existing pool system (skimmer or a pool pump)
- The cleaning process takes a lot of time
- Requires connection to the existing pool system (suction side or discharge side of a pool pump)
- Some pressure-side cleaners require a booster pump
- Consume additional electricity
- Expensive
- Corded models are limited in the pool size
- Can’t handle large debris
- Cheap
- Good choice for small pools and above-ground pools
- Physical activity for muscles
- Some have own filter canisters for debris collection
- Using a telescopic pole, you can reach all parts of the pool
- The cleaning process depends only on human
- Requires connection to the existing pool system (skimmer or a pool pump)
- The cleaning process takes a lot of time
- Moves in the pool on their own
- Pressure-side models have own filter bags to reduce the load on the pool system
- Cleaning all surfaces efficiently
- It can be used for cleaning large debris
- Requires connection to the existing pool system (suction side or discharge side of a pool pump)
- Some pressure-side cleaners require a booster pump
- Consume additional electricity
- Works independently from the owner and pool systems
- Some models work on battery
- Has own filter
- Smart technologies to cover all pool surfaces
- Can clean walls, floor and waterline
- Energy and time-efficient
- Expensive
- Corded models are limited in the pool size
- Can’t handle large debris
Such comparison with other types of cleaners has shown that robotic pool cleaners are good options for owners who value their time and money. You will save not only on the electricity bills but also on your pool equipment; you do not need to backwash additionally the pool filter or purchase a booster pump. The reviewed robots in this article, Dolphin Escape and Nautilus CC, are perfect examples of budget robotic pool cleaners that simplify your daily maintenance of the pool. To choose between them, we recommend going through a face-to-face comparison of their differences.
Design
Dolphin Escape is a compact, lightweight model with a multi-colored body (light grey, dark grey and blue). It has two light grey rubber truck wheels and a rubber brush in front. To take in and out of the water, the robot is equipped with a plastic ergonomic handle.
You should use the floating cable to pool the robot to the pool edge, but you need to take out the robot only with the handle. Near the handle is located the push button to open the lid. The filter basket is located under the lid, and its handle is lifted automatically when you open the lid.
Dolphin Nautilus CC is another lightweight model with a black body and blue accents. It has two light grey rubber truck wheels and a front brush with rubber bristles. It has a built-in lid handle for taking the robot out of the water.
To pull the robot to the pool edge, you may use a floating cable. It is forbidden to pull the cable. The filter canister is located under the top lid. You can access it by opening the lid using the push button. The handle of the canister is automatically lifted with the lid.
verdictDolphin Nautilus CC and Escape are very close to each other in design. The only difference is in the handle, but this does not impact the functionality of both models. The filter canister, rubber brush, and truck wheels are the same for both models. Even the weight and dimensions are close to each other. There is no winner at this point.
Cleaning abilities and time
verdictDolphin Escape and Nautilus CC have only one cleaning mode. But Nautilus CC also cleans walls almost to the waterline, so its cleaning cycle is longer. Dolphin Nautilus CC is the winner, as it is more functional.
Control functions
The control function of Dolphin Nautilus CC is performed only with the power supply unit as well. It is also connected to an electrical outlet and the robot by a 50 ft. non-swivel cable. The panel has four buttons, as is the standard for all Nautilus series, but only two are active – “on/off” and “weekly timer”. The large button with LED lights starts and stops the default (the only one) cleaning cycle.
The weekly timer button is used for automatic scheduling for the week ahead. One-click for cleaning every day, every alternate day or three times per week. The fourth click will cancel the cleaning schedule. The schedule is set only for the upcoming week; during each cleaning cycle, the weekly timer button is blinking, and at the end of the week, the power will be automatically switched off. You need to reschedule the robot.
verdictDolphin Nautilus CC is the winner in this part of the comparison for the possibility of setting a schedule for the upcoming week. There are no other differences in control functions; you can’t use a remote control, smartphone app or any other buttons apart from the ones on the power unit panel.
5. How to choose the best robotic pool cleaner?
The previous parts of the article have shown that two robotic cleaners, Dolphin Escape and Nautilus CC, differ. In general, all robotic pool cleaners have unique features. But how to choose the right one for your pool? In this part, we will provide a short guide on how to choose the best robotic pool cleaner for your swimming pool.
To extend the service life of every pool cleaner, we recommend you check all details in time and clean the filter basket and impeller after each cleaning cycle. If you have a valid warranty, in case of any damage, please get in touch with the professional service center.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. I have fast mode and delayed operation buttons on my Dolphin Nautilus CC power supply. They don’t work. Why?
For this model, these two buttons are not activated; these features are optional. They are active for other Nautilus models – Nautilus CC Supreme and Nautilus CC Plus.2. How can I understand that the filter basket is full for Dolphin Escape or Nautilus CC?
3. My Dolphin Nautilus has a non-swivel cable. Can I replace it with a tangle-free one?
4. How do water conditions impact the pool cleaner operation?
5. What is the maximum and minimum operating depth for Dolphin Escape?
Conclusion
The winner in our comparison of Dolphin Escape vs. Dolphin Nautilus CC is Nautilus. Even though these two models are basic and have similar prices, Nautilus CC can clean walls, and you can set a schedule for the upcoming week. Even though Dolphin Escape has an advanced navigation system, its cleaning cycle is smaller. Moreover, Dolphin Escape is designed for smaller pools. All other features, such as design, filter size and type, brush, cable type, dimensions, weight, and wheels, are the same. So, your choice should be based on functionality and control features. Both models are reliable for long-term, trouble-free pool cleaning.
Hi! I’m Markus Robertson, and water is my passion.
Five years ago, I graduated from the University of California-Los Angeles and was going to become a professional marine biologist. However, my fate had other plans for me, and due to family problems, I had to find a more stable and well-paid job. I had only one wish for my job to be connected with water.
During this period of my life, I worked as a sales manager at Olympic Pool & Spa Supplies. The job helped me learn everything about swimming pools and related pool equipment, as well as how to choose the best option and what to pay attention to.
