ECOVACS Ultramarine P1: Cordless Robotic Pool Cleaner
I pulled the ECOVACS Ultramarine cordless robotic vacuum out of a filthy pool. The basket was full of sludge and dead bugs, and the water was clean.
Reviewed by
Scott Ayres
Welcome to the Product Demo lab where I (Scott) demo products so you can make an educated buying decision. I keep it real, honest and laid back.
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Quick Verdict
My pool was rough after days of rain, and this ECOVACS Ultramarine P1 cordless robotic pool cleaner pulled out a basket full of sludge and dead bugs while the water came back clear. And it did that on less than a full battery. Super impressed is putting it lightly.
Buy if you:
- Have a medium to large inground or above ground pool up to 1,937 sq ft
- Deal with leaves, sand, and bug fallout after storms
- Want a cordless robot you can run and walk away from
- Like scheduling and mode control from a phone app
Skip if you:
- Don’t want to rinse a gunk-filled hose and basket after a heavy cleaning cycle
- Have a tiny pool where a manual net does the job in two minutes
- Won’t keep the battery charged between runs
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| Runtime | Up to 180 min per charge |
|---|---|
| Battery | 4600mAh, IP68-sealed |
| Suction | Up to 4800 GPH |
| Coverage | Up to 1,937 sq ft |
| Filtration | 180μm mesh + 3μm ultra-fine |
| Control | ECOVACS app, floor/wall/full-pool modes |
My Ultramarine Cordless Robotic Pool Cleaner Worked Anyway
I pulled the ECOVACS Ultramarine P1 out of the water and the basket was brown. Not lightly stained, brown all the way through, packed with sludge and dead bugs. That basket was white when I dropped it in. The water, meanwhile, was clear. That’s the whole review in two sentences, but let me show you exactly how it got there.
It had rained a lot over the last few days, so my pool was as rough as it gets. That’s the whole reason this test mattered. Anybody can vacuum a clean pool.
What The Ultramarine Cordless Robotic Actually Is
It’s a cordless robotic pool cleaner built for inground and above ground pools. The 4600mAh battery runs up to 180 minutes on a single charge and covers pools up to 1,937 sq ft. The motor pushes up to 4800 GPH of suction, and there’s a dual-layer filter setup: a 180μm mesh for the big stuff and a 3μm ultra-fine layer for pollen and sand. Four roller brushes scrub while it moves.
It climbs floors, walls, and slopes using IMU-based SmartNavi mapping, and the whole battery and motor system is IP68-sealed so it can live underwater during a run. You control modes and scheduling through the ECOVACS app.
Retrieving It Without Soaking My Feet
The included hook clips onto a standard pole and lets you drag the robot to the wall without reaching into the water. Before you lift it onto the deck, hold it just below the surface off to one side for a few seconds, the robot is heavy with trapped water, and skipping that step means a cold flood down your legs the moment it clears the edge. I learned that on the first pull. After that, every retrieval took maybe 20 seconds.
To open it, you push the button and pull the whole basket assembly out. That’s the moment I got the full picture of how much it had grabbed. The basket only goes back in one way, so there’s no guessing when you reassemble it.
The Cleanup After Is Where It Gets Gross
The catch nobody puts on the box: after a heavy cycle, you’re rinsing out real filth. The basket was full of sludge and dead bugs, brown all the way through. Because it had rained so much, I also had to clean debris off the hose before putting everything back together. Holy cow, it was messy.
That’s not a knock on the robot. That gunk was in my pool, and now it’s in the basket instead of the water. But if you were picturing a hands-off machine you never touch, know that rinsing the filter and hose is part of the deal, especially after storms. Takes a few minutes and it’s not fun, but the trade is a clean pool.
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ECOVACS Ultramarine P1 Pool Cleaner
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Who Should Actually Get One
If you’ve got a medium to large pool that collects leaves, sand, and bugs, this is the crowd it’s built for. The 180-minute runtime and 1,937 sq ft coverage mean you’re not babysitting it or dragging a cord around. I ran mine on less than a full battery and it still handled the whole pool, so I didn’t even push it to its limit.
It’s also the right call if you run a reactive maintenance schedule, meaning you clean when the water starts looking wrong, not on a fixed day. Set a recurring schedule in the ECOVACS app before that happens, and it handles the cycle while you’re inside. But if your pool is under, say, 400 square feet and a skimmer net clears it in two passes, the 1,937 sq ft coverage ceiling here is hardware you’ll never use.
Robot Vacuum vs. A Net And A Pole
The cordless robotic pool cleaner wins on floors, walls, and fine debris. A net and pole grabs the big floaters, but it never touches the sand, pollen, and sludge that settle on the bottom. That 3μm ultra-fine filter is doing work a net simply can’t.
Where the manual approach wins: no rinsing a filthy basket, no battery to charge, and nothing to break. If you enjoy skimming and your pool stays mostly clean, the manual route is cheaper and simpler. But after the mess I pulled out of the water, I’ll take the robot and the gross cleanup over doing that scrubbing by hand.
Tips Before You Run Your First Cycle
Charge it fully before the first run so you know how far it can actually go. Keep the included hook and pole handy so retrieval is easy. When you pull it out, hold it off to the side and let it drain first. Let it drain first, water will pour out otherwise.
After heavy rain, plan on cleaning the hose and basket, not just dumping the basket. The charging port sits under a little cover you pop off before charging, so don’t force anything. And remember the basket only seats one way when you put it back.
Pros
- Pulled a huge amount of sludge and dead bugs out of a storm-hit pool
- Left the water clean on less than a full battery charge
- Cordless, so no cable to fight or trip over
- Included hook and pole make retrieval and draining simple
- Basket only fits one way, so reassembly is foolproof
Cons
- Post-cycle cleanup is messy after storms, sludge in the basket and debris on the hose
- You do have to rinse the hose, not just empty the basket
- Overkill for very small pools a net handles in minutes
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you clean the filter basket?
Pop the button, pull the basket out, and rinse it with a hose until the brown sludge is gone. Mine was full of dead bugs and dirt after rain, so it took a minute. The basket detaches so you can rinse it thoroughly, then it snaps back in one way only.
Does it work in both inground and above ground pools?
Yes, it’s rated for both inground and above ground pools. It climbs floors, walls, and slopes using its navigation system, so it isn’t limited to flat bottoms.
How long does the battery last per charge?
Up to 180 minutes on a single charge from the 4600mAh battery. In my case it cleaned the entire pool on less than a full charge, so most pools won’t need the full runtime.
How do you charge it?
There’s a charging port under a small cover on the unit. You pop the cover off, plug it in, and let it charge between cycles. Keep it topped up so it’s ready when your pool needs it.
What size pool can it handle?
It covers pools up to 1,937 sq ft, which puts it in the medium to large range. If your pool is bigger than that, you’d likely need a second cycle to get full coverage.
Can it pick up fine stuff like sand and pollen?
Yes, thanks to the dual-layer filter. The 180μm mesh grabs leaves and big debris while the 3μm ultra-fine layer catches sand and pollen. A net can’t do that second part at all.
Do you control it from a phone?
Yes, through the ECOVACS app. You can pick floor, wall, or full-pool modes, schedule cleanings, and start a cycle from your phone. The cordless design means you just drop it in and let the app do the rest.
Is it safe to leave underwater during a cycle?
Yes, the motor and battery are IP68-sealed with BMS protection, so it’s built to run submerged. It’s designed to handle daily pool duty and obstacle bumps without water getting into the electronics.
Get it now
ECOVACS Ultramarine P1 Pool Cleaner
Get the best price on Amazon →This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
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About the reviewer
Scott Ayres
Welcome to the Product Demo lab where I (Scott) demo products so you can make an educated buying decision. I keep it real, honest and laid back.
