Betta SE vs. Dolphin Skimmi: Why I Kept the Betta

I ran the Betta SE and the original Dolphin Skimmi side by side in the same Texas pool. Both collected pollen, leaves, insects, and other material moving across the surface. I kept the Betta.

The choice came down to ownership rather than a dramatic cleaning failure. A surface skimmer needs its filter emptied, especially during an oak drop. The Betta's basket lifts through a top hatch while the machine stays in the water. With the Skimmi I tested, I brought the wet unit onto the deck to reach and rinse its filter tray.

The Skimmi had advantages. Its powered front paddle was better at catching some debris that rode below the surface, and its app exposed more settings. Those benefits did not outweigh the Betta's simpler filter routine in my pool.

One model distinction matters before going further. This article covers the original U.S. Skimmi, model 9997001, shown in the photos. Maytronics now also sells a Skimmi 300, model 9997003-US, with different specifications and a longer warranty. A listing that only says “Dolphin Skimmi” is not specific enough.

Verified details and the limits behind them

The prices above were the manufacturers' U.S. prices on October 1, 2026. Sales can end, and dealer inventory can lag behind a model update. The current Skimmi 300 was listed separately at $599 with a three-year warranty. It is not the unit I tested.

The runtime line also needs context. Betta publishes its own full-charge figure; I did not perform a timed battery rundown under controlled light. My Betta operated after dark following sunny days. Maytronics does not give the original Skimmi a simple all-night runtime number. Its manual explains that the robot alternates cleaning with solar-recharge pauses and uses shorter night sessions because it cannot recharge after sunset.

Neither pool-size claim guarantees clean water from edge to edge. Wind, return-jet flow, shade, ladders, hoses, shallow ledges, and the amount of debris all change the route.

A surface skimmer has one frequent maintenance job

The basket is where this comparison became clear.

The Betta has a lid in the top deck. I guided the machine to the edge, opened the lid, and lifted the basket by its handle. The hull stayed in the pool. After dumping and rinsing the basket, I lowered it back through the same opening.

That short routine encouraged me to check it often. During pollen season, a basket can look half empty but have a dense coating across the mesh. During leaf season, a few wet leaves and catkins can obstruct flow before the container looks packed.

The original Skimmi uses a removable tray inside the body. Maytronics's manual says it can stay in the pool except when the tray needs rinsing. In my use, that meant lifting the wet skimmer onto the deck, releasing the tray, rinsing both sides, reinstalling it, and putting the machine back.

I am not assigning a stopwatch time to either job. Debris type changes rinsing time too much. Fine pollen takes longer than a loose handful of leaves. The useful difference is that the Betta leaves the robot in the water while the Skimmi routine includes a wet lift.

That may not bother an owner with a screened pool and a light weekly load. It bothered me because the Texas trees made filter cleaning frequent.

For both machines, rinse debris before it dries onto the filter. Keep the solar panel clean as well. Dust, pollen, sunscreen film, and mineral deposits reduce the light reaching the cells. Use a soft cloth or sponge rather than an abrasive pad.

The Skimmi's paddle did better with low-riding material

The Skimmi has a powered wheel across the front of the intake. It rotates through the surface and pushes debris toward the tray.

In my pool, that paddle helped with soggy leaves, acorns, and oak catkins that sat partly below the surface. The Skimmi did not have to line up a floating piece as precisely before drawing it in.

The Betta moves debris through the open channel between its pontoon-style hulls. There is no front paddle. Floating leaves and insects entered the basket as the machine crossed their path, and the fine yellow oak pollen built up visibly on the filter.

I would choose the Skimmi's intake for a pool where waterlogged, low-riding debris is the main problem. I would not turn that observation into a universal pickup score. Surface currents can carry debris toward one machine and away from another, and I did not weigh every load.

The Betta collected the debris I encounter most often, and its easier basket made me more likely to keep the filter clear. In daily use, filter maintenance and intake design work together.

Solar-powered does not mean uninterrupted

Both skimmers use a solar panel and an internal lithium battery. They can keep working without a floating cable, but clouds and shade still matter.

Betta says the SE can run for more than 30 hours after a full charge and needs about five to six hours of direct sun to recharge. Those are manufacturer figures. In my pool, the practical result was that it often continued after sunset and through the night. Winter light, several cloudy days, or an aged battery can shorten that.

After two years outside, my Betta still charged and cleaned. Its top plastic had faded, and the motors seemed a little slower than when new. The hulls remained watertight. That is documented ownership of one unit, not a promise that every battery will age the same way.

The original Skimmi takes a different approach in software. Its manual describes short work periods separated by pauses. During daytime pauses, it searches for direct sun. Night cleaning periods are shorter and the pauses longer because no solar charging is available. If the battery falls low, it can hibernate until sunlight returns.

I saw the Skimmi work during the day and after dark, but I did not own it for two years. I cannot use my long Betta history to claim better Skimmi durability or battery aging.

The Skimmi app is optional after setup, not imaginary

The original Skimmi connects by Bluetooth, not Wi-Fi. The MyDolphin Skimmi app is used for initial pairing and exposes battery status, solar input, manual steering, speed, edge cleaning, obstacle behavior, and work-rest scheduling.

By default, the manual starts cleaning through the app. An Auto-Start option can be enabled so that inserting the filter tray starts the robot after a short delay. Once configured that way, the owner does not need to open the app for every cycle.

That is more control than the Betta offers. The Skimmi can be steered from a phone, told to spend more time at the edge, or adjusted for lower-light conditions. The tradeoff is Bluetooth pairing and another app to manage.

The Betta uses a physical power button and a small handheld remote. I used the remote to bring it toward the edge or direct it at a patch of leaves. There is no battery graph, programmable work-rest schedule, or firmware interface. I preferred the simpler control scheme because I rarely changed settings once either machine was cleaning.

This is not a contest between “smart” and “basic.” Choose the Skimmi controls if you expect to use its solar and edge settings. Choose the Betta controls if a button and steering remote cover the job.

Obstacles depend on the pool

Betta lists ultrasonic obstacle sensing and includes adjustable rods under the body to help with shallow areas. Mine occasionally needed help around the ladder or after a storm pushed it into an awkward position, but getting stuck was not a daily problem.

Maytronics lists above- and below-water sensors for the original Skimmi. Its app also lets the owner change obstacle distance and water-clarity settings. In my pool it moved along the perimeter and across open water without a recurring trap.

Neither machine can guarantee its way around every solar cover, hose, raised spillway, tanning ledge, or unusual ladder. Watch the first few hours in your own pool before leaving either one to its route.

Build feel is not a durability test

The Skimmi's shell felt denser and more substantial than the Betta's thinner catamaran body. That is an observation about the two units I handled, not evidence of longer service life. Maytronics lists the original Skimmi at just under nine pounds, so the denser feel should not be mistaken for a higher published weight.

The only long ownership record here belongs to the Betta. Mine spent two years in chlorinated water and Texas sun. The fading and slight loss of speed are the drawbacks I can document. It continued to collect debris and charge from its panel.

The original Skimmi and Betta SE both carry one-year manufacturer warranties. The newer Skimmi 300 changes that part of the comparison with a three-year warranty, but it also changes the price and model. Verify the number on the product page and invoice before ordering.

Who should buy each one

Choose the original Dolphin Skimmi if:

• partly submerged leaves and catkins are the hardest surface debris in your pool;
• you want app control over edge behavior, solar pauses, and manual steering;
• taking the unit out to rinse its tray is acceptable; and
• the listing clearly identifies model 9997001 and its one-year warranty.

Choose the Betta SE if:

• leaves and pollen make filter cleaning a frequent job;
• you want to remove the basket while the skimmer remains afloat;
• physical controls are enough; and
• the lower current price matters.

If you are shopping the Skimmi 300, compare that model separately. Its three-year warranty and revised specifications make it a different purchase from the original unit tested here.

For the two machines I used, I would buy the Betta SE. The Skimmi's paddle and app were useful, but the Betta removed more friction from the task I repeated most often. Two years later, mine was still in the pool doing the same job.