10 Best Pressure Pool Cleaner Reviews 2018 & Guide

Crystal clear pool water requires thorough cleaning and regular maintenance. Although you will find lots of pool cleaning equipment, nothing can beat a pressure pool cleaner. It is a huge investment which is exactly why it deserves your complete attention. When you go out to shop for one, you will find lots of high-end cleaners in different types made for different pool sizes and types.

Top-Rated Pressure Cleaners for your Pool

Having trouble choosing the right pressure pool cleaner? don’t miss out on these best selling, highest rating cleaners that will get the job done for your pool.

1. Polaris Vac-Sweep 280 Pressure Side Pool Cleaner

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Pros

• It can clean moderate to heavy debris load on a daily basis
• It works with all in-ground pools regardless of their size
• If set up correctly, it can clean your pool within 3 hours.
• The lightweight design allows you to clean the walls and stairs too

Cons

• Add-on purchases for accessories are required to make it fully functional
• Wheels get locked

Polaris Vac-Sweep 280 Pressure Side Pool Cleaner is designed to clean all types of in-ground pools. It’s the most powerful pool cleaner by Polaris yet. You have to connect it to a dedicated pressure line to work.

The unit has a 3-wheel design. Its vacuum can sweep as well as scrub the floor, walls, and stairs of the pool regardless of its size. There is a 31-feet hose provided to let you reach the spots easily without having to drag the cleaner here and there.

This hose length should be enough for most pools but if not, then you can always buy an additional hose. You will need a booster pump to operate it. Make sure the booster pump is timed to run otherwise, it might burn out.

2. Polaris Vac-Sweep 360 Pressure Side Pool Cleaner

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Pros

• No separate booster pump is required to operate
• It’s fairly easy to assemble and use
• The back-up valve lets you maneuver it easily and navigate the unit to reach tight corners

Cons

• The wheels lack treaded tries that provide extra grip

Polaris Vac-Sweep 360 Pressure Side Pool Cleaner is another one of the great in-ground pool cleaners. You will need a dedicated pressure line from the pool pump to operate it. The best thing about this pressure pool cleaner is that it does not require a booster pump to work.

But it’s not as powerful as the cleaner that works with a booster pump. There is a single chamber filter bag that lets you store extra debris and dirt. Accessories include a 31-foot hose kit and filter bag. You can count on it for sweep, scrub and vacuum the floor and walls of the pool

3. Polaris Vac-Sweep 380 Pressure Side Pool Cleaner

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Pros

• Triple power jet makes it a powerful unit
• You will enjoy continuous cleaning without interruption
• You can count on it to pick every bit of the debris
• The pressure is nice even without a booster pump

Cons

• It’s a bit pricey

Polaris Vac-Sweep 380 Pressure Side Pool Cleaner is an upgrade for Polaris 280. Along with having everything that its older version had, you will get a couple of new features too. The unit uses 3 jet nozzles and a belt drive mechanism.

It actually cleans up the entire pool and that also includes floor, walls, stairs, and all the other nooks and crannies. The unit has a large opening to even suck in big debris like pebbles, leaves, and acorns. You will experience continuous cleaning all thanks to the in-line back up valve.

If you need optimal power, you can also use a booster pump with it.

4. Pentair LL505G Kreepy Krauly Legend Pressure-Side Inground Pool Cleaner

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Pros

• The 4-wheels make it more mobile
• It’s easy to maintain
• It can collect even small debris from the bottom of the pool
• The unit doesn’t get stuck

Cons

• Watch out for missing parts

Pentair LL505G Kreepy Krauly Legend Pressure-Side in-ground Pool Cleaner has been specially designed for darker colored pools that require extra effort to clean. It has a 4-wheel design with front-wheel drive to offer maximum traction to the user on even inclined surfaces.

There is a high-capacity bag provided that can even suck in the large debris. Once you have assembled the unit, just sit back and watch it do the cleaning. The best part is you don’t need a booster pump for optimal performance.

5. Zodiac F5B Polaris Vac-Sweep 280 Black Max Pressure Side Pool Cleaner

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Pros

• It’s a durable and reliable unit
• The unit is already assembled and ready to use
• It does a nice job in cleaning all parts of the pool
• No clogging problems with the unit

Cons

• Watch out for missing parts

Zodiac F5B Polaris Vac-Sweep 280 Black Max Pressure Side Pool Cleaner is recommended for all in-ground pools. You will need a Polaris booster pump to operate it. The unit can readily connect to a 1.5-inch dedicated pressure cleaner line.

The 3-jet suction venturi design creates 40 GPM of filtration. Even when it’s collecting large debris, it does not clog. The unit also includes TailSweep PRO which is an advanced sweep hose enhancement that can blow out debris from the corners. The dual chamber SuperBag makes cleaning less hectic.

The Wide Trax tires make the maneuverability easy. This unit is safe for use on all surfaces. Everything about Zodiac F5B Polaris Vac-Sweep 280 is great but some users have complained about missing parts.

6. Pentair LL505PMG Kreepy Krauly Platinum Pressure-Side Inground Automatic Pool Cleaner

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Pros

• Easy to install and use
• Powerful speed and suction thanks to dual thrust jets
• Best for cleaning concrete, vinyl-lined, and fiberglass pools
• It can easily suck in large debris like leaves, pebbles, and acorns

Cons

• Its parts may wear out sooner than expected

Pentair LL505PMG Kreepy Krauly is one of the most powerful pressure cleaners for darker in-ground pools. If your pool is loaded with debris and leaves then this LL505PMG Kreepy Krauly would be your best bet.

The speed and suction are great because of dual thrust jets. You will be done with cleaning the entire pool in 1 to 3 hours. The 4-wheel drive ensures that the unit gets maximum traction even on inclined surfaces.

The unit itself is lightweight with improved tries. You will be able to reach the pool’s walls too. There is an oversized debris bag attached to gather all debris without worrying about emptying it frequently.

7. Polaris Vac-Sweep 3900 Sport pressure side pool cleaner

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Pros

• It can handle large debris very well
• It’s easy to maneuver even on flat and sloped surfaces
• Auto-reverse technology enables it to free itself whenever it gets stuck
• It keeps water from spraying outside the pool

Cons

• It tangles the hose in loops, which is frustrating
• Installation can be tricky if you are a first-time user

Polaris Vac-Sweep 3900 Sport pressure side pool cleaner is a powerful unit that can easily take care of extra-large debris. The 3-jet cleaner circulates 40 GPM through its filter bag. This additional filtration causes less wear and tear on the pump.

With its extra wide tires, you can reach the sidewalls and clean them well too. The 5-liter dual chamber bag can catch large debris. With the rear sweep hose, you can loosen up with dirt that is stuck on the corners.

You will need a booster pump to operate it and connect it to a 1.5-inch dedicated pressure cleaner line to get started. Since its jets are powerful, the bag may fill up too soon and you will have empty it as this could disrupt the functioning. The unit is not very easy to install. Another problem is it that often tangles the hose in loops.

8. New Polaris Zodiac 9-100-9030 380 Cleaner Factory Rebuild Kit Original 91009030

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Pros

• Includes all Polaris 380 accessories
• It’s a perfect solution to rebuild your Polaris 380
• It would just take 1 hour to set everything up

Cons

• It doesn’t include a main frame

New Polaris Zodiac 9-100-9030 380 Cleaner is a factory rebuild replacement kit. You get a complete package that includes all accessories and everything is pretty easy to assemble. It’s designed to work with Polaris pool cleaner model Vac-Sweep 380. It’s like you are getting a brand new Polaris 380.

9. Zodiac 6-130-00T Polaris Turbo Turtle Pressure Side Pool Cleaner

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Pros

• It’s easy to install and use
• Cleans leaves and other large debris well
• Recommended for above-ground pools

Cons

• It’s not great in cleaning the dirt trapped in the creases
• The unit runs around in circles in the same area

Zodiac 6-130-00T Polaris Turbo Turtle Pressure Side Pool Cleaner is best for cleaning ground pools up to 5-feet deep. The unit propels itself on the surface of the water and cleans the entire pool even the sides.  It has a filter bag attached that gets rid of the debris before it reaches the filter.

The unit works with most of the above ground pool filtration system and pumps. However, it’s not that of a powerful machine. It ignores the debris stuck in the pool’s corners. Some users have also complained that the unit keeps running in circles in the same area instead of floating around and cleaning the entire poor.

10. Pentair 360228 Kreepy Krauly Racer Pressure-Side Inground Pool Cleaner

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Pros

• The LED lights let you use the unit at night
• Cleans the entire pool in a few hours
• It’s a larger unit with a larger capacity of handling debris
• Its front-rotating brush deep clean the stubborn dirt

Cons

• Its parts are made from cheap materials
• It’s expensive

Pentair 360228 Kreepy Krauly Racer Pressure-Side in-ground Pool Cleaner has several amazing features that let you clean your pool clean. It has 1/3 more cleaning power to ensure you get rid of all pool debris. This quality makes it 30 percent faster than other cleaners.

With the help of the front-rotating brush, all types of dirt and debris are wiped clean easily. Plus, you can use the cleaner at night too by turning on its LED lights. This unit is not made of durable parts.

They have a shorter lifespan which reduces the lifespan of the unit short. Other than this, the cleaner itself is expensive.

Types Of Pool Cleaners

Modern pool cleaners are available in 3 types – suction pool cleaners, pressure pool cleaners, and robotic pool cleaners.  All of these are capable of vacuuming the debris, stir it up and circulate the water.

1. Suction pool cleaner

A suction cleaner is attached to the suction port of the pool.  This cleaner uses the pool filter pump’s suction to vacuum the pool. Motion is created by pulsing the water or interrupting the water flow briefly. Suction cleaners are easy to install and assemble. It just takes 10 minutes to connect and then it is ready to use.

These pools cleaners are a little bit frustrating to use. Large leaves or sticks can clog the unit. Other than that, the speed of the cleaner depends on the size of the pool pump and water flow.

2. Pressure pool cleaner

A pressure pool cleaner must be attached to the return port on the pool. Pressure pool cleaners are further categorized into two types – booster pump powered cleaner and filter pump powered cleaner.

You can run the booster pump on a clock time with a dedicated cleaner line. It runs and shuts off automatically. It doesn’t need a filter system. It keeps on running at peak even if the pump basket or pool filter is dirty/clogged. The filter pump powered cleaner, on the other hand, must be connected to a wall return fitting or a dedicated cleaner line. They operate manually and they are not as powerful as the former.  Their drawback is that they are expensive and may not be ecofriendly.

3. Robotic pool cleaner

They are the truly independent cleaners. You don’t need to attach them to the pool’s circulation system. No pool pump or filter system is required either. There is an onboard motor, a pump motor for vacuuming and a drive motor for movement to power the unit. There is a debris bag attached too, which you can easily empty when it’s full.

Robotic pool cleaners are fast and efficient. It’s a plug and play unit, you can get started with the cleaning right away. Keep in mind robotic cleaners and their parts are expensive. Other than this, these units are fragile. They can get clogged very easily.

Pressure Pool Cleaner Buying Guide

Once you are familiar with the type of pool cleaners, the next question is how to choose one? Whenever you have to decide which pressure pool cleaner to choose, you must determine what features you want. Following are some features you must look for:

1. Suction Power

You will need a unit that has a greater suction power especially if your pool is exposed to debris and leaves. For that, you must consider the size of your pool and the landscaping around its surrounding. Most pressure cleaners can handle big pieces of leaves and debris but for that more suction is required.

2. Booster Pump

Each pool cleaner model either uses an internal or external booster pump. Sometimes, you need an additional booster pump even if the unit has an onboard booster. Booster pumps can make your cleaning session faster since you will be utilizing extra power.

3. Pool Compatibility

Before buying the pool cleaner, it’s extremely important to check if it’s compatible with your pool. Most pressure pool cleaners will be useless if you have got an above ground pool.

Generally, pool vacuums have 8 ft deep ends and 10×10 ft surface area. If you have a larger pool, then you can use hose extension for reaching all corners.

4. Installation

You must look for pool cleaners that are easy to assemble. This would save you a considerable amount of effort and time.

5. Maintenance

Just like you are investing in a pool cleaner to take care of your swimming pool, you will have to take care of the pressure pool cleaner unit too. If you already have experience with using pool cleaners then you would know how to maintain them. But if not, then try finding a unit that requires minimal care and maintenance.

Benefits Of Using A Pressure Pool Cleaners

Investing in a pressure pool cleaner is beneficial not just because your pool is cleaned efficiently but because you get more time at hand to relax in the pool.

A great quality of the pressure pool cleaners is that you get to set up an automated cleaning schedule that can run once or time a week. This ensures your pool is clean and always ready for use. These cleaners are able to handle debris of all sizes. They gather all the debris in a bag which you can easily dispose of. Your pool’s water will always be filtered and clean to use.

Summing Up

Pressure pool cleaners certainly make the job of cleaning your swimming pool easier. Now that you know how to buy the best one, get yourself a pool cleaner. You will be relieved to have it. However, choosing a substandard cleaner will cost you time and money, and give you nothing but frustration. choosing any of the above reviews pressure cleaners will ensure you get the best bang for your buck.