Review: Beatbot Sora 30

Charging is done via the same type of power adapter that the Sora 70 uses: a proprietary, blocklike connector that slides into a hatch on the rear of the device. A hinged port cover opens automatically when you slide the adapter into it and snaps shut when it’s removed. It’s not as convenient as a plugless charging dock, but it’s close, obviating the need for screw-on port covers or other waterproofing systems that have to be manually manipulated.

In the water, the unit offers a scant three operational modes—floor mode, standard mode (which handles floor, wall, and waterline), and eco mode (which runs a floor-only cleaning for 45 minutes every 48 hours). Both floor and standard mode offer three running-time options: two hours, three hours, or max (i.e., run until the battery’s almost dead). These can all be selected through the Beatbot app, which is available via Bluetooth or either 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz Wi-Fi. You’ll also need to set up Wi-Fi for firmware updates.

A Capable Cleaner

I spent the better part of a week testing the Sora 30 with both organic and synthetic debris and found the robot to be quite capable. Contrary to expectations, I encountered no issues with even heavier debris days, and the Sora 30 was able to suck up leaves and dirt with an average 95 percent coverage rate. It worked reasonably well on steps and platforms and is rated to run in water as shallow as 8 inches. Note that there’s no artificial intelligence or a camera that can detect debris on the fly here. This robot just goes back and forth the best it can, which turns out to be pretty good.

The only performance struggles I witnessed were in a single sharp corner area near the pool’s steps, where debris seemed to be pushed aside, unable to be effectively collected. In fact, all of the uncollected material in my test runs would inevitably end up in this one location. (The good news is that this was in the shallow end, making it easy to scoop up with a net.) It’s tough to say whether truly massive amounts of debris or larger items like twigs and branches would impact its operation to the degree the box suggests, but nothing I saw suggested this poolbot was significantly less powerful than most other devices on the market, especially in its price band.

Photograph: Chris Null