Dolphin Oasis Z5i vs. Premier Comparison Review

The Dolphin Oasis Z5i boasts a sleek design. Finished in blue, black, and grey, the cleaner measures 23.23 x 19.76 x 14.33 inches and weighs 24lbs. While it may not be the lightest robotic pool cleaner we have tested, it has a convenient carry handle that makes it easy for pool owners to drop it inside the pool. Lifting it out of the pool is also easy.

The Dolphin Premier also has a stylish design. It is also finished in three colors, black, blue and grey. Regarding the dimensions and weight, the Premier measures 23.5 x 19.5 x 14 inches and weighs 20.3lbs. It also comes with a carry handle that comes in handy when lowering the cleaner into the pool and pulling it out.

The Dolphin Oasis Z5i robotic pool cleaner is designed for inground pools only; you can’t use it in above-ground pools. When it comes to pool shape and size, the Oasis Z5i has a 60ft anti tangle cord and can handle 50ft pools of any shape.

Lastly, on the pool surface, it is suitable for all pool surfaces, including gunite, concrete, vinyl, fiberglass, you name it.

The Dolphin Premier is similar to the Oasis Z5i when it comes to the type of pools it’s designed for. It’s also an inground robotic pool cleaner with a 60ft power cord and can handle pools of up to 50ft regardless of their shape.

As for the pool surface, the Premier will also handle all pool surfaces, including fiberglass, gunite, concrete, and vinyl, among others.

The Dolphin Oasis Z5i can clean the pool’s floor thoroughly. It picks up all kinds of dirt. Besides the pool’s floor, it is designed to clean and scrub the pool walls and steps where algae and other grime stick.

What’s more? The Oasis Z5i can clean and scrub the waterline removing all stains and algae. For the record, the Oasis Z5i can’t clean any dirt and debris floating on the top, so you will have to find a solution for the dirt and debris that float on the water surface.

The Dolphin Premier, just like the Oasis Z5i, will also clean pool floors satisfactorily. It picks up all kinds of dirt that sink to the pool floor. It has also been designed to scrub and clean pool walls, steps, and the waterline leaving your pool sparkling clean.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t clean the water surface, so you will have to work your way out with a skimmer or a pressure side pool cleaner, for example, the Vac-Sweep 280, 360, or 380.

The Dolphin Oasis Z5i comes with dual low inertia 24V motors. One of these motors drives the impeller, which sucks dirt and debris from the bottom of the cleaner.

Also worth mentioning is the fact that the Dolphin Oasis Z5i, unlike the old models, is energy efficient. Maytronics says it operates with 90% less energy while maintaining a steady 4500 GPH suction rate.

The Dolphin Premier is similar to the Oasis Z5i in terms of performance. Its impeller also sucks dirt and debris from the bottom of the unit and is driven by a low inertia 24V motor, though it also has two motors. We will explain the role of the other motor when assessing the robotic cleaner’s maneuverability. The Premier is also an energy-efficient robotic pool cleaner that uses 90% less energy than the old models without compromising the suction rate. For the record, the Premier has the same 4500 GPH suction rate as the Oasis Z5i.

The Oasis Z5i is designed with a top-load filtration system that makes maintenance a buzz. There are also two extra-large filter compartments that enhance efficiency.

When it comes to the filters, Maytronics designed this pool cleaner with high-efficiency filters that can capture all pool debris, including the fine debris to ultra-fine debris.

On the other hand, the Dolphin Premier is designed with a bottom-load filtration system that works just fine but can make maintenance cumbersome. But the good thing is that the Premier has interchangeable filters (multi-media, oversized leaf bag, fine, and ultra-fine cartridge) to enable pool owners to catch all debris sizes efficiently.

Unlike the Oasis Z5i, which has two extra-large filter compartments, the Premier comes with one oversized bag. There’s also a full bin indicator, a feature the Oasis Z5i lacks.

The Oasis Z5i has Dynamic Dual Scrubbing brushes with a split brush design, meaning they work independently of each other. These are passive brushes that don’t rely on the motors to turn. Instead, they rotate with the forward or backward motion of the pool cleaner.

One great feature of the Oasis Z5i’s split track brushes is that it facilitates zero-radius turning, thus enhancing maneuverability.

The Dolphin Premier, on the other hand, comes with a single passive brush that stretches from one end to the other. It’s just as effective as the Oasis Z5i’s brush as it can scrub all kinds of pool stains on the pool floor, walls, steps, and even the waterline.

However, it doesn’t enhance the turning ability of the pool cleaner as the Oasis Z5i’s split track brushes.

As a new model, the Dolphin Oasis Z5i relies on CleverClean Technology for navigation, pool scanning, and mapping. Unlike the older systems, CleverClean Technology uses advanced computer algorithms and a set of sensors to accurately scan your pool and ensure that every inch of the pool is covered, be it the deep corners of square and rectangular pools or at the bends of kidney-shaped pools.

With the Dolphin Oasis Z5i, you are guaranteed entire pool cleaning and, interestingly, in less time. On average, it takes the Oasis Z5i just 2.5 hours to get the job done.

The Dolphin Premier in this comparison review also has an intelligent navigation system compared to models released almost 10 years ago. But then, the technology is different from the Oasis Z5i’s.

Maytronics equipped the Premier with SmartNav 2.0, which also uses sensors and advanced algorithms to scan the pool and choose the best path to follow, thus ensuring entire level coverage, from the pool’s floor to the walls and waterline. However, SmartNav 2.0 is not as precise as CleverClean, which is why the Premier’s cleaning cycle is 3 hours.

The Dolphin Oasis Z5i doesn’t come with any wheels. Instead, it has rubber tracks. This is a major and significant shift as wheels mean extra maintenance requirements.

What’s more? Wheels don’t give the robotic cleaner the traction required to climb walls, but with the rubber tracks, the robot can move on the pool’s floor and climb the pool’s wall and steps swiftly. As mentioned earlier, the Z5i has two motors. While one motor drives the impeller, the other motor, also a low inertia 24V motor, drives the tracks.

Remember, this motor is also energy-efficient, so pool cleaning costs remain low regardless of how long you run the cleaner. Just to mention, the brush of the Oasis Z5i allows it to make 360-degree turns for optimal cleaning.

The Dolphin Premier also has rubber tracks instead of wheels. That means fewer moving parts and, consequently, lesser maintenance requirements. The rubber tracks on the Dolphin Premier are just the same as those you will find on the Oasis Z5i.

They are also driven by one of the two low inertia 24V motors as the other one drives the impeller.

The motor equipped in this robotic cleaner is also energy-efficient, so you won’t be hurting your wallet even if you run the pool cleaner daily.

The Dolphin Oasis Z5i has an easy-to-use power supply and a single button that makes operation easy. Besides, this is a connected model that comes with Bluetooth and WiFi compatibility for remote operation via the MyDolphin Plus mobile App.

Even though the app is clunky, it’s still a worthy feature as you can start or stop a cleaning session and set cleaning schedules at your convenience. In addition, you can manually control the robot from the app to clean specific spots.

The Dolphin Premier also has an easy-to-use power supply, so operating the robot shouldn’t be an issue. But then, it doesn’t come with a remote in the package though you can purchase the remote separately.

The remote gives you pretty much all the control options and settings. You can also control the robot’s movement using the remote.

The Oasis Z5i, as mentioned earlier, is a smart robot vacuum with several automation features. One of them is the Weekly Scheduler, and as the name suggests, it allows users to schedule the robot to clean every day of the week, every 2 days, or every 3 days.

Unfortunately, you can’t set it to clean on a specific day of the week or at different times on the same day. It’s also a connected model, so you can operate the robot cleaner remotely.

Unfortunately, despite being a top-of-the-range model, it lacks features such as cycle selector and delay mode.

The Dolphin Premier, on the other hand, is not a smart robotic pool cleaner, so you can’t enjoy the convenience of remote operation via the mobile app. The only option is to purchase a remote. But at least it has the Weekly Scheduler, so you can set it and forget about cleaning, at least for the entire week.

Just like the Oasis Z5i, you can set it to clean every day of the week, every 2 days, or every 3 days. But there is no option to select specific days.

The Premier also lacks essential automation features such as cycle selector and delay mode.

The Dolphin Oasis Z5i comes with a 3-year warranty that covers your pool cleaner in case it encounters a manufacturing defect within the first three years of purchase. But then, many brands and sellers out there don’t honor the warranty. Fortunately, Maytronics is a renowned brand that honors warranties despite the few complaints out there. Regarding replacement parts, they are in plenty and at affordable prices. When it comes to aftersales, it all boils down to where you purchase your pool, but Maytronics has reliable customer support that buyers can rely on when stuck.

The Dolphin Premier also tags along with a 3-year warranty. Now that it’s from the same brand as the Oasis Z5i, it’s safe to say that the warranty will be honored as long as it’s a genuine claim and the buyer has not voided the warranty. As for replacement parts, the Premier’s parts are also readily available and at fair prices.