Aiper Seagull Se Review (2026)

The Seagull SE delivers on its core promise: drop it in, press start, retrieve after 90 minutes. The cordless design is its defining advantage over suction-side cleaners — no skimmer connection means no reduced filtration while the robot runs, no hose tangles, and no removal of skimmer basket hardware. Cleaning pattern uses a systematic back-and-forth navigation across the pool floor. The built-in sensor detects pool walls and redirects rather than climbing them, which means the perimeter gets slightly less attention than the center. In practice, edge cleaning is adequate for most debris types — leaves and dirt accumulate in the center anyway. The filter basket holds a reasonable debris load for a medium pool. After a heavy pollen week or following wind debris, expect to empty the basket mid-cycle or before a second run. The basket cleans in 2 minutes with a hose rinse. For the $159 price point, there is nothing in the market that competes with the Seagull SE on cordless floor cleaning for above-ground pools. Suction-side cleaners at this price work but require setup and reduce filter efficiency. The Seagull SE's only genuine limitation is the 30-foot size cap and floor-only coverage.

The Aiper Scuba S1 adds two capabilities the Seagull SE lacks: wall climbing and waterline scrubbing. For in-ground pools where algae accumulates on pool walls and the tideline, this is a meaningful upgrade. The gyroscope navigation improves coverage efficiency — the S1 covers a 50-foot pool in one 150-minute cycle where the Seagull SE would require two passes. The app integration allows scheduling daily or weekly cleans, monitoring cleaning progress in real time, and adjusting the cleaning path manually. For households where the pool runs unattended, automated scheduling keeps the pool consistently clean without manual operation. The price gap between the Seagull SE ($159) and the Scuba S1 ($499) is significant. For above-ground pool owners who only need floor cleaning, the Seagull SE is the better value by a wide margin. The Scuba S1 earns its premium for in-ground pools where wall and waterline coverage justifies the cost difference.

The Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus has been the benchmark in-ground robotic pool cleaner for years. Its review volume — over 27,000 verified on Amazon — represents genuine owner experience across pool sizes, shapes, and water chemistry conditions that no newer model can match. The tangle-free swivel cord is a practical advantage: the 60-foot cable doesn't wrap around the robot during cleaning cycles, which was a consistent complaint with earlier corded models. The weekly timer allows complete automation — set it to run Tuesday and Friday at 6am and forget about it. The comparison with the Aiper Scuba S1 comes down to cord vs cordless and price. At $599 vs $499, the Dolphin is more expensive for a corded design. The counter-argument is the Dolphin's proven track record — it has been the go-to recommendation in pool owner communities for three consecutive product generations.