The 8 Best Automatic Pool Cleaners for Leaves in 2020

Review

This side-pressure is our top pick: the best pool cleaner for leaves. We chose it because it will work for everyone with any size and shape of pool. It doesn’t just pick up leaves. It is a complete pool cleaner. You need nothing else, but you can buy a booster pump for extra cleaning power.

It won’t get stuck under stairs or in corners nearly as often as others do. When it gets into a jam, a reverse valve automatically backs the cleaner up. Then it continues cleaning.

Large leaves collect in its pre-filter bag, so the filter for small debris doesn’t get filled up or clogged as quickly. There is only one drawback. It doesn’t collect small debris like very small particles of dirt and sand very well. You’ll have to rely on your pool’s filter for that.

What Customers Are Saying

People love how easy this one is to use. They like that they don’t have to babysit it. But many wish that it did better with fine debris.

Review

Here you have the best automatic pool cleaner. You can program it to clean every day, every other day or every third day. But keep in mind that the power plug isn’t waterproof. You may not want to leave it exposed to the elements constantly.

It cleans really well, but you have to disassemble and reassemble four pieces to change the filter. It takes more time than most other robotic pool cleaners. And you’ll have to change the filter pretty often if you have a lot of large leaves in your pool. There’s no pre-filter.

As far as cleaning goes, it’s a champ. It gets algae and all types of debris. But it doesn’t clean the waterline. That’s up to you.

What Customers Are Saying

First-time robotic pool cleaner owners are amazed at the automatic cleaning technology. It’s an impressive device. Those who have owned robotic cleaners before like the extra large dual filters that get all the small and large debris. The most common complaint is the filter mechanism. Many also wish that the power plug was waterproof.

Review

This one is the best robotic pool vacuum for those who are willing to spend the money for cutting edge technology. We can write a book about the awesome features we played with.

It features vortex cleaning technology, just like a carpet vacuum, so it gets all the dirt and leaves out of the pool. You can program it to clean as often as you like with the remote control. If you just want your waterline touched up, you can have it quickly do that and get out of the way.

When you tell it that it’s time to come out of the pool, it surfaces and goes to the point where it’s told. And it’ll work in any shape of pool.

What Customers Are Saying

Even those who have owned the most expensive robot pool cleaners are awestruck at the futuristic technology incorporated into this model. Tech nerds absolutely love it. And everyone comments on how thoroughly it cleans.

Review

This is the best inground pool cleaner for people who want extra power. That extra power does come at an extra cost, however. You’ll have to spend $280 on the booster pump. But you’ll get better small debris cleaning.

Other than that, this one performs just as well as other Polaris pool cleaners. It has a big pre-filter to keep all those leaves from filling up the main filter.

What Customers Are Saying

The biggest complaint is the need for a booster pump. Many people don’t like having to make the extra purchase. The necessary booster pump makes for a more effective cleaning cycle, but you should consider the extra purchase when you make your decision.

Another thing that comes up often is the shorter-than-usual warranty that only covers manufacturing defects, and not parts. The build is durable, but be aware hat the warranty is short.

Review

Here we have the best inground pool vacuum for smaller pools. This cleaner is pre-programmed at the factory to clean in an efficient pattern for two hours before surfacing and shutting down. If your pool is large enough to need a longer cleaning, you’ll have to restart it to get the job done.

It gets pools really clean, and it’s great for both large leaves and fine debris. But there is no pre-filter, so you’ll have to clean the two filters pretty often if you have many leaves in your pool.

What Customers Are Saying

People with smaller pool like that they don’t have to perform any complicated programming input, thanks to the fact that it comes pre-programmed. But people with larger pool usually don’t like that they have to restart the unit after a couple hours if it’s not done cleaning.

There have also been some complaints about having to clean the filter often at times when there is a lot of leaves in the pool. There is no pre-filter, so the leaves go right into the main dual filters.

All in all, most are very happy with this cleaner, despite a couple minor inconveniences for people with bigger pools.

Review

Those who were looking for a good value rate this the best auto pool vacuum. You don’t have as much control over the cleaning frequency or duration as you would with most more expensive cleaners, but you save a few hundred dollars.

It’s great that, despite the low price, you still get the large pre-filter bag. It keeps the leaves from collecting in the main filter, which will keep you from having to clear them out of the filter so often.

The key words here are value and savings.

What Customers Are Saying

The highlight of online reviews seems to be the price. It is a few hundred dollars less than most comparable cleaners. People also like the big pre-filter bag that screens the leaves out before they can collect in the main filter.

Review

This is a basic automatic inground pool vacuum. It may be your best choice if you want a standard model without a ton of complicated bells and whistles. It does the job well.

The pre-filter bag holds a bunch of leaves. And it’s easy to empty. The main filter, on the other hand, isn’t so easy to clean. There’s some disassembly required, but it only takes a few minutes.

It takes some doing to program it as well. It is fully programmable, but the process isn’t as st

What Customers Are Saying

People talk about the floating filter bag. It has a tendency to float toward the surface, so it stays out of the cleaner’s way. It’s an amazing feature. In general, people are happy with their investment. They say that the filter could be a little easier to get to, though.

Review

If you can spend around $1,600 on an automatic pool vacuum cleaner, this one should make you happy for years. It’s fully programmable and has a manual mode for quick spot cleaning. You control it from the smartphone app, and that’s where you program its cleaning schedule too.

It picks up leaves and other debris efficiently and captures it all in a large top-access filter basket. Cleaning it is easy. You just remove the lid, dump the debris and use a hose to spray it out.

What Customers Are Saying

Most of the people who bought this one were after an easy-to-use, high-tech, powerful and convenient pool cleaner. The reviews from those people are stellar. They are happy with the cleaning performance. They like the manual mode and the ability to program the cleaner from their phone.

Learn All About Pool Cleaners For Leaves

Here we’ll teach you about the features you need to consider when shopping and answer the questions that people ask us the most.

Factors To Consider When Looking For A Pool Cleaner For Leaves

Choose The Type You Need

There are three basic types: suction, pressure and robotic.

Suction-powered swimming pool vacuums connect by hose to your pool’s filtration system. The water flow provided by the pool’s filter generates a negative pressure in the cleaner, which allows it to stick to the floor and sides of the pool as it sucks up leaves and debris.

They move by directing the outflow of water to propel itself where it need to go to follow its cleaning pattern. These are the cheapest type, but they are limited by your pool filter’s power. Very large leaves may clog suction cleaners, so you may have to unclog them once in a while.

Pressure-type pool cleaners connect to the pressurized side of your pool’s filtration system. They basically work and move the same way as suction cleaners. They are also limited as to the power of your filtration system, but you can get a booster pump to give it more power.

In fact, booster pumps are required for some models. This extra power is their main advantage over suction cleaners. But they cost more, especially if you need a booster pump. The great thing about them is that they rarely get clogged by leaves, even really big ones.

Robotic pool cleaners are the most expensive, but they are also the easiest to use. They don’t connect to your filtration system and there’s no hoses or booster pumps required. They have long cords that you plug into any GFIC electrical outlet.

The main advantage that it has over the other two types is their ease of use and tangle-free, hoseless design. All of the most high-tech models are robotic. Like suction cleaners, robotic models can sometimes get clogged with large leaves, but they are easy to clean out.

So which one is the best for you? If you need to go cheap, go suction. You can spend extra for more power and a better clean, look at pressure models. If you want the easiest to use and most dependable, spend the extra money for a pool vacuum robot.

About Filters

If you get a lot of leaves in your pool, you’ll be doing yourself a favor by getting a cleaner with a large pre-filter bag. Leaves can fill a basket quickly, but filter bags catch leaves before they get to the main filter.

They’re easy to empty. You’ll save time by occasionally emptying a pre-filter versus having to clean a relatively small mesh filter several times per cleaning.

Consider Your Pool’s Size And Shape

For suction and pressure cleaners, check the length of the hoses they come with. Remember that they connect to the pool’s filter, so make sure that the hose is long enough to stretch from your filter to your pool’s furthest point away from the filter.

A robot cleaner’s electrical cord should be able to reach from the nearest outlet to the furthest point in your pool from it. Keep in mind that if you have to use an extension cord, the connection between it and the robot’s plug cannot be in the water.

Most cleaners will work in any shape of pool. But check to make sure. There are still a few that are only for pools with straight sides.

Beach-entry pools have a gentle slope as an entrance to the water, rather than or in addition to stairs. Most pool cleaners will keep going up this slope and right up out of the pool. Some can sense when they are running out of water and will back up to resume cleaning. If you have a beach-entry pool, you have to be careful to get a cleaner that is compatible.

Pool Cleaners For Leaves FAQs

What Will My Pool Cleaner Need From Me?

You will have to program it so it cleans as often as you want it to and on your schedule. Other than that, you will need to hook it up and clean the filters regularly.

How Often Do I Have To Clean The Filters?

This depends on the cleaner’s filters and how dirty your pool gets. The cleaner will clean up pretty much all of the debris in your pool every time it cleans, so your cleaning frequency doesn’t matter much when it comes to how often you have to clean it.

If you get a cleaner with a pre-filter bag as recommended, you’ll have to clean the bag once or twice per cleaning cycle. You may have to clean it three times if there are a lot of trees nearby. The main filter, which traps the finer debris, should only need cleaning once per cleaning cycle or less.

If you get a cleaner without a pre-filter bag, you’ll have to clean the filter more often.

Do All Pool Cleaners Work For Leaves?

Technically, all pool cleaners pick up leaves. But some are better than others. Pressure-operated pool cleaners are less likely to clog, but they are more expensive than suction cleaners and less convenient than robot cleaners.