Score
Clear UV — Our verdict
The robot that finally retired my Dolphin Premier. Relentless corded suction, filters that leave the water looking polished, and a UV-C sanitation layer nobody else offers — this is pool maintenance on autopilot.
The good
- 8,500 GPH flow rate out-suctions every robot I've tested
- Built-in UV-C light adds a real secondary sanitation layer
- Pleated UltraFilters catch silt and dead algae — the water looks polished
- Oversized top-loading basket swallows heavy leaf drops without losing suction
- Physical power-supply controls plus an app that's easy to live with
The not-so-good
- Corded setup means managing a cable at the equipment pad
- Stairs and sun shelf coverage is good, not perfect
- Premium machine, premium price
Clear UV — key specs
| Flow rate | ~8,500 GPH (gallons per hour) |
|---|---|
| Sanitation | Built-in UV-C light on the underside of the robot |
| Filtration | Deeply pleated UltraFilters for microscopic debris |
| Debris basket | Oversized, top-loading — weekly empty in normal conditions |
| Power | Corded — consistent suction, no battery to charge or replace |
| Coverage | Floor, walls, and waterline, in any combination |
| Controls | On-unit power supply buttons + app with weekly timer and manual drive |
| Warranty | 3 years, with a 30-day trial when bought direct |
| List price | $1,999 direct from Clear |
This is the most high-tech pool robot I've ever tested. As someone who has maintained my own pool for years, I have a pretty strict baseline for what actually works. I ran a Dolphin Premier for over four years after upgrading from a pressure-side Polaris 360, and I never looked back. But when I saw this pop up in my feed, I knew I had to try it.
The Clear UV Technology
This is the Clear UV. It is a robotic pool cleaner designed to scrub and clean your pool, and it has a UV-C light built right into the bottom of the robot.
I am a big fan of UV technology, whether killing germs in an office or in the pool. I think the tech works and is a huge plus in my book. In a pool environment, passing water directly over a UV-C bulb helps neutralize microscopic algae, bacteria, and chloramines at the source. It's a brilliant secondary sanitation layer that actively reduces the overall chemical load in the water. So, I had to try it.
The Robot & Build Quality
The robot itself is of fantastic quality. It is built very well and feels durable right out of the box. The packaging was a massive upgrade compared to what my Dolphin Premier came in. On the side of the box, Clear claims it is the "ultimate pool cleaning machine." After putting it through the wringer for 3 months, I have to agree... It is great.
The Filtration System & UltraFilters
This is where the robot earns its price. Coming from older machines, filtration can make or break a cleaner. The Clear UV utilizes advanced UltraFilters, which completely changed the clarity of my water.
- Microscopic Capture: Instead of just standard mesh screens that let fine dirt blow right back into the pool, these deeply pleated UltraFilters capture microscopic debris, dead algae, and fine silt.
- Polished Water: After a full cycle, the water looks polished. If you struggle with cloudy water or fine dust settling at the bottom of your pool, these filters will fix it.
Debris Basket & Capacity
The vacuuming ability is absurd. It can vacuum up just about anything—from large oak leaves and pine needles to tiny pebbles and acorns. During heavy leaf drops, the basket was full every time, but it never seemed to lose suction even when packed tight.
- Massive Capacity: The basket is oversized, meaning it can handle heavy seasonal debris without needing to be emptied halfway through a cycle.
- Easy Maintenance: It's a top-loading basket, which is a must-have for high-end robots. The best part was just having to pop it out and clean it once a week when the basket got full. A quick hose-off and it's ready to go again.
Corded Power vs. Cordless
A big thing I want to emphasize is how great the corded power is. I know battery-operated units are the current trend, so I tried a few cordless pool robots like Beatbot, Aiper, and Winny — and they weren't even close to this beast.
Cordless bots lose power as the battery drains and hauling a wet, heavy robot out of the pool every single day just to plug it into a wall charger gets old fast. Being able to program the Clear UV to run every day without recharging is a hugeeee plus. Corded power provides consistent, unrelenting suction from minute one to the end of the cycle.
The Power Supply
It's solid and well-built. You get a lot of functionality directly on the unit. From triggering pickup mode (which brings the robot to the wall for easy retrieval) to mode selection, you can do almost anything on it.
The App & Smart Features
The app is solid. Coming from the Premier, I didn't have an app before—it was all on the power supply. Part of my hesitation to upgrading to another Dolphin was that they removed the buttons from the power supply and kinda force you to use the app. That's not the case here; Clear gives you the best of both worlds with physical controls and smart app features.
- Weekly Timer: The Clear UV does have a weekly timer function on the app. You can program exactly what day and time you want it to run. It runs at that time with no fuss. Pretty easy "set and forget" automation — the same philosophy that sold me on the Ring Security system for the rest of the house.
- Mode Selection: You can pick how long it cleans, where it cleans, and more. Choose from floor, wall, and waterline—and any combination. So if you want the robot to just clean the floors or walls, this is a great one. You can also adjust the speed at which it cleans, too.
- Manual Control: One of the cooler things is you can drive it around via the app like an RC car to spot-clean. It's a nice party trick, but realistically, the automatic mapping is so good I didn't find myself using manual control much.
Cleaning Performance & Suction
Overall, it cleans like a champ. It seems to do the stairs and sun shelf well, though just not all the time (which is standard for almost any pool robot trying to navigate shallow, complex geometry).
But the power it puts out is insane. It has something like an 8,500 GPH (gallons per hour) flow rate—completely blowing my old Dolphin cleaner out of the water. That massive water flow translates directly into its wall-climbing ability and the best waterline scrubbing I've had from any robot.
3 Months Later: My Final Thoughts
I wouldn't go back to the Dolphin. The corded power is great. Like I said, I tried a few cordless robots, but corded just won every time. Not having to fish it out and recharge it daily was a big benefit for my routine.
Between the UV sanitation, the massive UltraFilter basket, and the sheer 8,500 GPH power, this is a seriously premium machine. I'd recommend this robot and picking one up if you want to put your pool maintenance on autopilot.
These days the Clear UV handles the bottom and walls while a Betta SE solar skimmer patrols the surface — between the two of them, my manual pool-care workload has dropped to basically zero. If you're building a fully automated setup, that's the pairing I'd copy.
Where to Buy
Clear sells direct — the Clear UV product page lists it at $1,999 with free U.S. shipping, a 30-day return window, and a 3-year warranty that covers the robot, control box, cable, and the UV module. Buying direct also gets you their U.S.-based support team, which I'd want on a machine this advanced. If you don't care about the UV-C lamp, they also make the Clear S — same cleaning hardware, no UV light, $250 less.
