Fanttik Aero X assessment: This robotic pool cleaner is an underwater monster

In a world dominated by bulbous black-and-blue {hardware}, the Fanttik Aero X pool robotic instantly caught my eye. It’s not simply that it’s black and yellow, it’s that the commercial design seems extra like a garden mower than any pool robotic I’ve examined.

It has a lot smaller entrance wheels than normal, and an uncovered rubber drive belt that connects them to its motor. The forward-center brush cylinder is even harking back to the entrance of a garden mower. And I suppose it is smart: A robotic pool cleaner performs about the identical perform, solely underwater.

As an organization, Fanttik markets an eclectic assortment of digital instruments, together with tire inflators, vacuum cleaners, and electrical screwdrivers. The Aero X is its solely pool robotic and the one machine it sells that’s even remotely related to swimming swimming pools. Given all that, I didn’t have the very best of hopes that the product would make a lot of an impression in an more and more crowded market.

Properly, it goes to point out that first impressions aren’t at all times right: After per week of testing, the Fanttik Aero X proved itself as certainly one of my favourite pool robots—and some of the succesful fashions I’ve examined up to now.

Specs

Weighing 20.7 kilos, the Aero X within reason maneuverable, with handles on each the rear and either side of the machine to make it simpler to seize when it’s on the waterline. Three cleansing modes cowl flooring solely; flooring and waterline; or “all,” which provides partitions to the combo. The mode may be chosen both by way of switches on the rear of the robotic or by way of the Fanttik app, which I’ll cowl in additional element in a bit.

Christopher Null/Foundry

The Aero X has a really giant (6 liters) center-mounted filter basket that may be optionally enhanced with the addition of a mesh bag for gathering extraordinarily fine-grained sand and grime. It’s powered by a large 16,000mAh battery, which Fanttik says can present a whopping six hours of working time.

I used to be certain this was hyperbole, however repeated testing proved that the robotic can actually ship on that declare, as I used to be frequently in a position to get a full quarter of a day of cleansing on a single day. Formally, Fanttik specifies a most protection space of a large 5,382 sq. ft, or about 40 % the dimensions of an Olympic swimming pool.

Christopher Null/Foundry

One further {hardware} function of word is an extended wire that snakes out the again of the Aero X, with a Styrofoam float related to the tail finish. This wire doesn’t hook up with anything, nevertheless it does maintain a small digital aspect floating on the waterline. Successfully, the wire works as an antenna that means that you can remotely management the robotic by way of Bluetooth, both by way of the app in your smartphone or with the bodily distant management that comes with it.

That might be unattainable in any other case, as a result of it’s tough for wi-fi indicators journey by means of water. Another remote-controlled robotic pool cleaners I’ve examined use pulsed-light indicators for this function.

Efficiency

The Aero X is a demon on wheels underwater. Drop it into the pool and it tears throughout the ground like an underwater remote-controlled automobile, so quick the entrance finish typically pops up off the underside of the pool. Once more, I can’t recall seeing one other pool robotic with this a lot pace—and that’s usually not a very good factor. I’ve discovered that quick robots incessantly miss particles, merely zooming over it and failing to suction it up.

Christopher Null/Foundry

Not so with the Aero X: It’s not solely good at gathering particles on the primary cross, however its prolonged run time additionally means it has loads of time to go over the pool time and time once more; so, something it missed the primary time round ultimately will get scooped up. In each natural and artificial checks, Fanttik’s machine delivered exemplary performances, lacking solely 2 of the 100 check leaves in my silk leaf check.

Like many pool robots, nonetheless, the Aero X struggles with steps, and it even obtained caught diagonally on the steps at one level, unable to free itself with out my assist. This may be its solely main failing.

The Aero X works simply tremendous by itself, however the distant management is one thing else; it’s palms down the perfect distant I’ve encountered on a pool robotic. Powered by three AA batterie, the distant is pretty easy, with solely an influence button, a mode button (to change between auto and guide mode), and a 3rd button for altering the bot’s pace.

Christopher Null/Foundry

The centerpiece is a joystick that provides you full, real-time, responsive management over the robotic. Once more, the analogy to a remote-controlled automobile is apt. Driving the Aero X across the pool is enjoyable and nothing just like the halting, buggy expertise you have to endure by means of with conventional pool robotic remotes.

Fanttik’s app is straightforward however efficient, offering primary management over the machine, together with one other joystick-like management system, easy logs, and a scheduling system that allows you to direct the robotic to periodically clear the pool on a weekly foundation, in case you choose to depart your robotic within the pool as a substitute of drying it out after every run.

There’s additionally a “raise” perform within the distant that directs the robotic to climb to the waterline and look ahead to retrieval, however this is without doubt one of the few points I had with the Aero X, as I used to be by no means in a position to get it to efficiently dock itself on the fringe of the pool until I managed it manually with the joystick.

Christopher Null/Foundry

Though Fanttik’s guide says in any other case, I discovered that by default the Aero X will run till its battery is absolutely lifeless, leaving no battery energy remaining for steering the robotic to manually climb the partitions for retrieval. I solved this after a firmware replace by dialing down the default working time to 5 hours, leaving sufficient juice behind for retrieval.

In a pinch, I discovered I may merely pull it out of the water by grabbing the cable, although my suspicion is that this isn’t formally sanctioned (though it isn’t prohibited within the guide). No retrieval hook is included within the field.

Christopher Null/Foundry

Clear-up may be time consuming, as that filter basket is gigantic and tough to get absolutely clear, even with prolonged time with a hose. The added mesh bag is even harder to correctly clear out, and it’s additionally value noting that Fanttik supplies no directions in any respect about how the mesh bag is meant for use.

This assessment is a part of TechHive’s in-depth protection of the perfect robotic pool cleaners.

I guessed at its placement (instantly hooked up to the suction consumption contained in the filter basket), however discovered it tough to wrangle into place. Luckily, the basket does such a stable sufficient job by itself that I count on most customers received’t want to make use of the bag in any respect.

Must you purchase the Fanttik Aero X?

The one different hiccup I encountered with the Aero X was a stray error message in its app alerting me to a clogged filter and instructing me to right away retrieve the robotic for cleansing. The robotic stored working usually regardless of the error, nonetheless; and after I retrieved it, I discovered that there was no clog. That’s a fairly minor criticism, all issues thought of.

Regardless of just a few operational points—particularly its bother with steps—the Fanttik Aero X is a uniquely improbable robotic that deserves consideration to be used in any pool—even bigger business or public swimming pools.