Aiper Scuba X1 vs Beatbot Sora 70
3 questions both answer, side by side. Every answer is backed by the dated sources at the bottom.
Side by side
Can a cordless robot clean a pool's walls and waterline?
The cordless Scuba X1 scrubbed walls and the waterline during a summer of home use.
Good to know: Heavy to retrieve; sometimes needed two passes; waterline parking needs a $500 add-on.
Beatbot says the Sora 70 cleans the waterline and walls as well as the floor, the surface and shallow areas down to 8 inches.
Good to know: Maker's description; Bob Vila's test focused on its skimming and parking.
Can a pool robot park itself so you don't fish it out?
The Scuba X1 comes with a retrieval hook; parking at the waterline needs Aiper's separate HydroComm Pro accessory.
Good to know: AOL's tester found it heavy to retrieve and put the add-on at about $500.
The Sora 70 floats to the pool edge when it's done; Bob Vila's testers saw it park at the edge for pickup.
Good to know: Premium-priced.
How long does a cordless pool robot run?
Aiper lists the Scuba X1 at up to 180 minutes per charge, with a 4-hour recharge, for pools up to 2,150 sq ft.
Good to know: Maker's spec; shorter than the Beatbot and Mova ratings.
Beatbot rates the Sora 70 at up to 5 hours of floor cleaning and up to 7 hours of surface cleaning.
Good to know: Maker's figures.
Only checked for one of them
Can a pool robot skim leaves off the surface?
In a month of testing in a Florida pool, the Sora 70 collected floating debris in skimming mode and parked at the edge for pickup.
Good to know: Doesn't skim continuously like a dedicated skimmer; pricey.
How we know (4 sources)
Summer-long test of the cordless Aiper Scuba X1 in a 20x50 ft in-ground pool (page updated Aug 26, 2025). It scrubbed walls and the waterline; it is heavy to retrieve, sometimes needed two passes, and waterline parking needs a $500 add-on.
Read the sourceUS product page for the Aiper Scuba X1, read Oct 23, 2026: cleans floor, walls and waterline with Waveline 2.0; comes with a charging dock, charger and a retrieval hook. Waterline retrieval is offered through the separate HydroComm Pro accessory. Spec table: up to 180 minutes per charge, 4 hours to charge, pools up to 2,150 sq ft; surface skimming is listed only for the X1 Pro Max.
Read the sourceProduct page for the Beatbot Sora 70, read Oct 23, 2026: cleans the water surface, floor, walls, waterline and shallow areas down to 8 inches; up to 5 hours of floor cleaning and up to 7 hours of surface cleaning on a 10,000 mAh battery; pools up to 3,229 sq ft. Smart water-surface parking floats it to the edge so you don't lift it from deep water.
Read the sourceRoundup of tested pool robots (updated Jul 15, 2026; 40+ tested, 10+ new for 2026). The cordless Mova Rover X10 cleaned floor, walls, waterline, steps and surface but is very heavy; the Beatbot Sora 70 skimmed floating debris and parked at the edge after a month in a Florida pool; the corded Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus was best overall.
Read the source