Aiper Scuba X1 review: gets the job done without complexity

By Ian Bell Published November 12, 2025

The Aiper Scuba X1 tucks nicely in-between the Scuba S1 Pro (view on Aiper’s website) and the Scuba X1 Pro (view on Aiper’s website) pool cleaners in the company’s product lineup. If you’re wondering if this is the upgrade that your pool needs and coming from an older model like the Aiper Seagull series or competitors like the Dolphin Premier, I’ll try to answer that in this review.

With an average price around $1,000 depending on where you look, the Scuba X1 is positioned as the entry-level option in Aiper’s 2025 X-series lineup; but you might want to factor in extras like the caddy for easier transportation to-and-from the pool.

In my testing, the Scuba X1 shone brightest on flat floors and gentle slopes, where it’s modest 6,600 GPH suction and dual jets powered through dirt and leaves without missing a beat. The 14 ultrasonic sensors help it navigate the pool intelligently, avoiding the random obstacles (like drain covers).

Battery life held up for full sessions in my 20,000-gallon pool, recharging in a little under 4 hours. However, the X1 struggles with steeper walls and didn’t always scrub the waterline as aggressively as I would have liked at times, leaving some room for firmware touchups.

Overall, this is a solid pick if cordless convenience is a priority for you and your pool isn’t crazy complex. It will outperform budget options on the market like the Wybot C2 (view on Wybot’s site) in suction power and pool mapping, and it’s a recommended step up in price over the S1 Pro at around $50 more.

Extreme power and tech users will want to check out the Aiper Scuba X1 Pro Max which I reviewed a while back and found to be one of the best pool robot vacuums around.

Here is a chart summarizing the specifications of the Aiper Scuba X1 pool cleaner:

Quick take: a great looking, premium design which is also lightweight enough to easily lift.

It’s no surprise I’m a fan of the way Aiper’s products look, as I have mentioned it before in my previous product evaluations; I love the high-end design and rugged feeling hardware. If Mercedes made a G-wagon pool cleaner, the Aiper Scuba X1 series would be it.

It has a nice piano black finish married with touches of carbon fiber on the exterior, but at just 18 pounds, it’s not too difficult to carry to the pools edge, unlike bulkier wired cleaners I’ve wrestled with in the past.

The quad brushes up front and in back are a nice touch and work well in loosening debris before the suction kicks in, which is a step up from single-brush models like the older Aiper Seagull Plus.

On the durability front, the plastic chassis has some flex to it that I did not recall experiencing with the X1 Pro Max however, in the month I had the cleaner, it didn’t cause any concerns for me and in my tests, it held up fine over the time I had it – but I would use gentle treatment to avoid any damage.

Warranty-wise, Aiper offers a standard two-year warranty with a 30-day return policy (for any reason) on the Scuba X1 which is on par with other competitors in it’s price range, although BeatBot offers a more comprehensive 3-year warranty with full machine replacement on the similarly priced Aquasense 2 cleaner.

Quick take: it was able to clean my 20,000-gallon pool in around two hours on a single charge, and it takes around four hours to recharge.

Battery life is where cordless cleaners like the X1 really shine, and it’s one of the reasons why you should consider which brand to go with. I found that the X1 recharges quickly in under 4-hours and lasts for a full clean cycle on my pool. In my rectangular pool, the X1 ran for about 2-hours in a single charge in standard mode, which was plenty to cover the floor and walls.I live in Oregon, so I don’t have to deal with the finer partials, but because its fall time here, I did have larger debris like leaves and dead bugs. Because I don’t have the finer debris, I pulled out the fine debris filter and used the standard filter knowing it would do a better job catching the large leaves – and it worked as expected without any concerns.

If you have larger pools, I recommend stepping up to the X1 Max or X1 Max Pro which both have larger batteries.

Quick take: vacuums up dirt and leaves like a champ, has zero issues climbing walls, and I like that it comes out of the pool more than competitors when cleaning the waterline.

I found that the X1 excels at both sucking up fine debris (reminder that my pool doesn’t have a lot) and larger debris like pebbles or large leaves and didn’t really have any issues with how it scrubs the walls – it’s not as thorough as say the X1 Max Pro, but performed adequately.

I have been spoiled lately by reviewing the top products from Aiper and Beatbot, but I have to say that even with the lower suction (6,600 GPH) of the X1, I was very impressed right away.

In floor mode, it vacuumed up dirt and leaves like a champ, leaving my pool spotless after a 60-minute cycle. According to Aiper, prior to the 6.10 firmware update, the X1 cleaned the floor in an S pattern, but after the update, switched to a more comprehensive S cross pattern which covers more floor area.

I must assume that affected the overall battery life of the X1, but since my review unit required a firmware update to operate it right away, I was not able to test the prior cleaning mode. I just wanted to point out that Aiper is constantly updating their bots to improve their performance.

I don’t have a particularly deep pool at 8-feet at its greatest depth, but the X1 had zero issues climbing the pool walls and I like that it comes out of the pool more than competitors to clean more of the waterline. Like any pool cleaner out there, if you have calcium or other mineral build ups, you’re going to need to scrub that clean yourself; no pool cleaner (wired or wireless) is going to fix that for you.

Quick take: while there’s no mapping technology included here, the X1 could work out the shape and depth of my regularly shaped pool.

Like most pool cleaners I have been testing, the X1 takes a little while to get things figured out. And while the X1 doesn’t come with mapping technology like the pricier units, its quickly found its way and got its cleaning pattern down.

The X1 picked up on the pool shape and depth without any issues and sensors were able to recognize the pool drain and protruding vents on the walls while navigating.

If you have an odd shaped pool, I would recommend the Beatbot Aquasense 2 which has better mapping and navigation technology for the same price – but I think the Aiper X1 will do just fine.

Quick take: the Aiper app adds convenience for remote starts and monitoring, but it’s not super revolutionary, nor should it be.

Setup is pretty straightforward: just pair your phone to the X1 to add it to the app and setup Wi-Fi, then download any firmware updates. The app will let you check the cleaning status from your phone and will tell you cleaning stats and diagnostics – just don’t expect it to give you information around water quality monitoring like the Pro Max does.

As with almost every robot pool cleaner on the market, you will not get Wi-fi connectivity while the pool cleaner is underwater, and the X1 is no exception. You can however, purchase their HydroComm Pro/Pure product which will float on the surface of the pool and extend WI-FI access to the X1.

As of the date of this review, Aiper is throwing in the HydroComm Pure for free with purchase if you buy it directly through their website.

Absolutely, if you’re after a cordless cleaner that handles everyday debris in a standard in-ground pool without breaking the bank. I loved the freedom from cords and its strong floor performance, which saved me hours compared to manual methods.

However, if your pool has steep walls or heavy grime, or you want flawless navigation, I would upgrade to the next model up, the Aiper Scuba X1 Pro.

What sets it apart is the balance of power and portability at this price, making it a step up from budget options like the Wybot C2 but not quite rivaling premium picks like the Dolphin Premier.

If you’re upgrading from an older Aiper, it’s worth it for the improved suction; otherwise, weigh if the cordless perk justifies the occasional manual assists.

I put the Aiper Scuba X1 through its paces in my 20,000-gallon in-ground pool over two weeks, running daily cycles in various modes to tackle fine dirt, and leaves.

I tested in different conditions – after storms and windy days and high-usage days with kids splashing around. Navigation was evaluated on slopes, steps, and corners; suction on mixed debris types; and battery life across full charges.

I compared it directly to competitors like the Beatbot Aquasense 2 (view on Beatbot’s website) for context, focusing on real-user scenarios to ensure my opinions reflect everyday performance.