Maytronics Dolphin EON 120d assessment: Constructed to get pool grit
At a look
Professional’s Score
Professionals
- New filter basket can successfully sequester all sorts of particles
- Fairly maneuverable, even on stairs
- “Clicker” peripheral makes for simpler retrieval
Cons
- Cleanup is a reasonable nightmare
- Missed corners usually
- Some startup hiccups
Our Verdict
The Dolphin EON 120d’s distinctive filter basket is nice on the subject of trapping particles, however not a lot when it’s a must to empty it out.
Value When Reviewed
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Finest Pricing Immediately
Finest Costs Immediately: Maytronics Dolphin EON 120d
Leaves and huge particles are inevitable in swimming pools, however it’s when practically invisible filth, sand, and different grit builds up that your water actually will get soiled.
The brand new Maytronics Dolphin EON 120d pool-cleaning robotic, unveiled at CES 2026, units its sights squarely on this filth and dirt, with a new filtration system designed particularly to entice tremendous particles and maintain it from escaping. The large query is how properly that grand design interprets into outcomes.
Whereas the DebrisLock filter is very efficient at trapping all sorts of particles, particularly filth and grit, cleansing it out is an enormous ache.
Maytronics Dolphin EON 120d: Design, specs, and options
The Dolphin EON is available in two variations, the 120d, reviewed right here, and the a lot cheaper EON 100, which oddly lacks the debris-locking expertise talked about within the intro. Externally, the 120d options a largely conventional design, with two skinny treads that are uneven: massive in diameter on the entrance and slim on the again. Two spinning brushes are mounted between the treads on the entrance of the robotic.
At 24 kilos, it’s about common in weight, and the general bundle is compact sufficient for fairly straightforward maneuvering each on land and when eradicating the robotic from the water. It may possibly additionally function in shallow water with as little as eight inches of protection.
The unit’s 9600 mAh battery is specified for as much as 4 and a half hours of operating time, however that is troublesome to check precisely as a result of the 120d’s default cycle is barely two hours in size and its longest cycle choice is three hours. An UltraRun mode is maybe counterintuitive, setting the robotic to run brief cycles each two or three days, permitting you to depart it within the water for as much as two and a half weeks.
There’s a single management button on the entrance of the robotic to step via most of the included working modes (flooring solely, waterline solely, full protection, or UltraRun), and you need to use the Maytronics One app to fine-tune operating time and set different parameters. (Word the identify of the app; Maytronics’ MyDolphin Plus app will not be suitable.)
The brand new filter basket on the Dolphin EON 120d is not like any you’ll discover elsewhere available on the market. Cleansing it out is a bear.
Christopher Null
As promised, the particles basket for the 120d is a real novelty. This a part of the DebrisLock system comes within the type of a small rectangular field surrounded on all sides by filter grilles harking back to a HEPA air filter. Particles enters and is successfully sequestered right here, unable to flee this vault of filth. Extra on that later.
Maytronics Dolphin EON 120d: Set up and setup
The EON 120d is largely prepared to exit of the field, needing solely a full cost and app setup to get began. As famous, the Maytronics One app is the one to obtain; this auto-discovered my 120d shortly and, after a firmware replace and some hours plugged into wall energy, I used to be able to get rolling.
Of particular be aware: The 120d’s energy cable is situated beneath the primary management panel, and when not in use it’s lined by a rubber seal. This seal detaches and isn’t tethered to the robotic chassis. I can think about it could be extremely straightforward to lose when the robotic isn’t in lively use. It’s unclear if this seal must be in place throughout cleansing operations, however as with all uncovered electronics state of affairs, I figured it wouldn’t harm to maintain it affixed.
Utilizing the Maytronics Dolphin EON 120d
The utmost run time of the robotic is simply three hours, which doesn’t make full use of its battery capability.
Christopher Null
My first steps with the EON 120d had been surprisingly tough. I configured the working mode within the app (“Good mode” is really helpful, because it features a operate designed to map your pool for later use) and dropped the robotic into the pool as instructed, just for it to checklist silently on the ground of the pool. After fishing it out with the included hook, I attempted once more, and for a second time the robotic did not begin. I lastly tried a full energy cycle, and the third time was the attraction, with the 120d efficiently getting began on its cleansing journey.
Watching the robotic in motion was really fairly amusing: I don’t assume I’ve ever seen a pool robotic that fell over onto its again so usually, both when coming down from a ledge or trying to climb a wall from the ground. The excellent news is that the robotic can simply proper itself, however it’s weird to look at it flounder a lot.
Fundamental stats about your cleansing runs are included within the app, together with the traditional “liter filterd.”
Christopher Null
I attempted a number of of the robotic’s working modes, and even on its longest operating cycle (3 hours; flooring, partitions, and waterline) I solely achieved 95 % cleansing protection when utilizing artificial leaves. Outcomes had been comparable with natural particles: The 120d carried out properly throughout the pool, but it surely left just a few leaves on steps and, particularly, wasn’t nice within the corners, the place particles was nearly all the time left behind. A 95 % cleansing fee is nonetheless strong efficiency on the entire, however the robotic did hiccup in the identical few spots persistently.
The 120d will be retrieved with a pole or with Maytronics’ progressive “clicker,” which is included within the field. The clicker is utilized by inserting it within the pool and shaking it like a rattle for just a few seconds. This directs the robotic to finish its present job and climb a wall to the waterline for straightforward retrieval. I had low expectations for this gadget, but it surely labored like a attraction — and is far simpler than coping with a pole and hook.
The distinctive “clicker” device is a simple and efficient option to robotically finish the cleansing course of and retrieve the Dolphin after use.
Christopher Null
Cleanup of the robotic is a blended bag. Whereas the DebrisLock filter is very efficient at trapping all sorts of particles, particularly filth and grit, cleansing it out is an enormous ache. These grilles seize leaves and actually maintain on to them, caught in between the layers of fiber, and no quantity of spraying the basket with a hose is efficient at getting them out. Somewhat, I needed to painstakingly decide dozens of leaves out of the basket by hand, one after the other, and even then the basket by no means felt absolutely clear. If the robotic has any deadly flaw, it’s the huge headache that awaits the person at cleanup time.
Must you purchase the Maytronics Dolphin EON 120d?
The $1,199 EON 120d options superb efficiency at a value that barely undercuts different medium-high-end robots available on the market just like the Beatbot Sora 70 and the Polaris Freedom Plus. If saving just a few hundred bucks makes the distinction in your buy resolution, it’s price a glance — however I personally discovered the filter basket cleanup course of so onerous that it successfully killed my curiosity in utilizing it usually.
