I encountered too many problems testing this robotic pool cleaner

Price When Reviewed

$999.00

Best Prices Today: BuHybrid L6

Here’s a curious idea from the new-to-us robotic pool cleaner producer Bublue: The BuHybrid L6 is a robotic pool cleaner that may run through a plug-in electrical connection or through an inside battery, a hybrid design that makes extra sense than it may appear at first, not less than on paper.

On the floor, the design has so much in frequent with the Polaris VRX iQ+ and different power-corded robots. A small energy field connects to plain wall energy through a brief wire. A separate, waterproof 49-foot-long cable then connects from the field to the 22-pound robotic, attaching to its prime through a big four-prong adapter with a screw-on sealing system that waterproofs the connection.

Specifications

The robotic itself has a considerably conventional design, although its black and grey colour scheme and monster-sized wheels are a bit uncommon.

Configured with the cable related, the unit is prepared for wired operation. Operation will be initiated by urgent the buttons on the robotic itself, which, along with an influence button, embody 4 modes: ground, partitions, waterline, and auto mode (which cleans all these surfaces).

Christopher Null/Foundry

The buttons are dimly backlit and laborious to make out below any quantity of ambient gentle; however finally, you energy up the robotic, choose your mode, and drop it into the pool to get the unit operating. A large gentle band throughout the entrance of the robotic adjustments colour to point numerous details about its working standing.

You’ll get much more configurability by connecting the unit to the Bublue cell app, which is configured by first onboarding the robotic to Wi-Fi (2.4GHz solely). This includes urgent a Wi-Fi button on the facility field whereas the robotic is plugged in, after which the robotic is robotically related and bridged to your house community.

Christopher Null/Foundry

Once related to Wi-Fi, you will have entry to a complete of seven working modes (together with a wall+ground mode and unexplained “eco” and “power” modes. Operating period will be set for two, 3, or 4 hours, and “path width” will be adjusted between “normal” and “fine.” (I presume this has to do with how shut collectively the robotic’s successive journeys throughout the pool ground are, however this isn’t defined wherever.)

Christopher Null/Foundry

If you need to finish a cleansing session early, there’s additionally a perform to ship the robotic again to the waterline for simple retrieval. (Otherwise, you’ll want to make use of the included hook.) A scheduling system can be accessible if you wish to depart the robotic within the pool and have it run periodically.

In addition to the Wi-Fi button, the one different button on the facility field (apart from the facility button) is a Bluetooth button. You’ll want to make use of this for one factor solely: to activate the robotic’s remote-control function, as a result of for some cause this function doesn’t work over Wi-Fi.

Christopher Null/Foundry

The distant incorporates a easy management wheel, and whereas the unit isn’t tremendous attentive to instructions, with sufficient persistence I used to be capable of information it across the pool ground and choose up any stray bits of particles, though going up partitions was very troublesome to do with accuracy.

Again, every of those options is on the market solely when the unit is plugged in to the facility field. Alternately, you possibly can pull the plug and go cordless. A 5200 mAh battery lets the BuHybrid function for 2 hours whereas disconnected from its tether, offering a most specified protection of 1,615 sq. ft. Since the app doesn’t work whereas the unit is disconnected, observe that you simply’ll want to make use of the {hardware} controls to decide on your working mode and also you gained’t have the ability to make adjustments on the fly.

Performance

I examined the unit numerous occasions each corded and uncorded, on pure particles and artificial leaves.

On battery energy, the BuHybrid didn’t impress, because it repeatedly left behind a considerable amount of take a look at leaves, capturing solely about 70 % of the overall particles. It additionally had an inclination to get caught on the steps, and regardless of Bublue’s claims of “multi-surface mastery” I wanted to manually push it again into the water on a number of events.

Christopher Null/Foundry

On a number of events throughout these runs, the hatch protecting the filter basket popped open, requiring me to retrieve it with a pole and shut it earlier than restarting the run. I’ve additionally caught the robotic spinning round in circles on the floor of the pool for no clear cause, maybe quickly unable to re-descend.

I had significantly higher luck when operating the robotic with its cable related, largely as a result of utilizing the utmost 4-hour operating time setting permits it to cowl twice as a lot floor per run. In this mode, the robotic was capable of gather 99 % of particles—together with particles on the steps—though it did get caught there once more as soon as. Apart from that, it left behind only one leaf in a nook of the pool.

Retrieval can be a lot less complicated when corded, requiring only a single faucet within the app to convey it again to the floor. Note additionally that the battery will cost each time the cable is related, together with whereas the unit is actively operating.

Christopher Null/Foundry

The BuHybrid’s cable doesn’t clear up each downside, although. When tethered, I discovered the unit had a propensity for popping wheelies, because it seemed just like the unit struggled with the burden of the cable. If sufficient cable wasn’t positioned within the pool to begin with, the BuHybrid would typically get caught close to the wall, unable to generate sufficient energy to tug the cable into the water.

Out of the water, the cable presents one other problem. While robots just like the VRX iQ+ include a rolling dock that features the facility field and a spot to neatly retailer the cable when not in use, the BuHybrid doesn’t. The energy field simply lays on the bottom, and it’s as much as you to determine how you can handle the cable. Throughout my testing, the pool deck seemed about like this: [see photograph messy pool deck]. It’s an eyesore at finest, a hazard at worst.

Christopher Null/Foundry

Cleanup is fairly straightforward. The filter basket options a big and easy hinged lid that hoses clear with out an excessive amount of bother. I did, nevertheless, recurrently wrestle to get the lid again closed correctly, because the latch didn’t catch in addition to it ought to.

The robotic’s wi-fi implementation and the Bublue app additionally want some continued improvement. For instance, Bluetooth should be reinitiated every time you need to use the remote-control function by first bodily urgent the suitable button on the facility field, mitigating its utility. Why Bluetooth can’t simply keep energetic is a thriller. And whereas it’s helpful to have a operating log of cleansing operations, each entry within the app’s historical past displayed a recorded cleansing time of 0 minutes.

Christopher Null/Foundry

I encountered different error messages and bugs whereas utilizing the app together with maddening occasions when the robotic wouldn’t reply in any respect to any instructions whereas operating a cleansing cycle (similar to aborting the session). Disconnects from the app had been frequent, too, although these may typically be resolved by energy biking the facility field and force-quitting the app.

Should you purchase the Bublue BuHybrid L6?

The BuHybrid L6 has an inventory value of $1,599, though it was accessible on Amazon for $999 on the time of this writing. That’s nonetheless very expensive given a number of the efficiency points current; specifically, the robotic’s poor exhibiting in battery mode and its tendency to get caught and ignore instructions. Pool homeowners who’re contemplating the L6 will in all probability have to plan for it to stay cabled always, however that may imply devising a DIY cable administration answer as effectively.

For me, though it has distinctive cleansing energy whereas in corded mode, it nonetheless has too many negatives to benefit its price ticket.

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