Approaches compared
Robot pool cleaner filters: backwash valve or cartridge?
Cordless pool robots handle debris in two ways: a filter that backwashes itself in the water, or a basket you lift out and rinse. These two show how much work each leaves for the owner.
This page checks
- Who cleans the filterThe robot in the pool, or you after the cycle
- Where the debris goesSealed away, or held in a basket
- Knowing when it is fullAn alert, or a check by eye
- Cycle and weightHow long it runs and what you lift out
Maytronics
Where to buy
Maytronics unveils Dolphin EON 120d cordless pool cleaner at CES 2026
Beatbot
Where to buy
Full specifications15 figures on record · 9 differ
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Dolphin EON 120d
AquaSense 2Backwash or basket
What each filter design leaves for the owner to do
Maytronics says the EON 120d backwashes its filter in the pool and traps the debris in a sealed compartment. Beatbot describes the AquaSense 2 as a 2 L basket with 150 micron filtration, rinsed by hand, and its guide expects that after each session.
Sensors detect a clog and trigger a backwash cycle while the robot is still in the pool.
Maker blogThe basket is rinsed by hand. The maker's guide expects this after each session.
Maker buying guideDislodged debris is trapped in a sealed compartment so it cannot re-enter the pool.
Maker blog2L basket
Debris stays in the basket until you empty it.
Maker product pageNot found
Maker says ultra-fine DebrisLock filtration. Searched its US and EU pages and found no micron figure for this model.
Maker US and EU pages150micron
Maker's guide calls it a single 150 micron polyester filter in a 2 L basket.
Maker product pageMaker's quick reference lists a full filter indicator.
Maker US product pageNot found
Searched the maker's product page, guide and FAQ. None describes a full-basket alert for this model.
Searched maker pages2hours, default
You choose 1.5 hours, 2 hours or 2.5 hours. The maker's blog also says up to 4 hours of runtime on a charge.
Maker US product page4hours, up to
Floor cleaning on one charge, with about 4 hours to recharge.
Maker product page24.3lb
Listed as robot weight. The 22.1 x 17.7 x 12.4 in figure on the same page is the package.
Maker US product page23.1lb
Maker product page50ft max length
Maker gives a length limit and no area.
Maker US product page3,230sq ft
Maker's stated pool size, given as an area.
Maker product pageSame on both: cordless, with floors, walls and waterline cleaned.
Your home
How each one fits a home like yours
Set the conditions that describe your home. Each robot answers from its own Fit Check; nothing is scored until you choose.
Fit check
Describe your home
Pick what applies. Each robot answers from its own record.
Everything else
Where they land among 76 robot pool cleaners
Only the measures on which these two differ. The bar is the whole category; the block is the typical middle half; the tick is the median.
Sources
Where every figure comes from
- Dolphin EON 120d · Maytronics US product pages (EON 120d and Nautilus EON 120d); Maytronics EU page; Maytronics US blog; a retailer blog quoting Maytronics
- AquaSense 2 · Beatbot US product page and store data; Beatbot AquaSense series buying guide
Each figure was read from the maker's own page on 2 Oct 2026. The EON 120d user manual PDF could not be read in this check, so manual figures are not used.
Questions
What readers ask
Does the Dolphin's backwash send debris back into the pool?
Maytronics says no. Sensors trigger a backwash cycle while the robot is in the pool, and the dislodged debris is trapped in a sealed compartment so it cannot return to the water.
Does the AquaSense 2 use a cartridge?
Beatbot’s page describes a 2 L basket with 150 micron filtration that you empty and rinse. It describes no cartridge and no backwash valve.
How often is each filter cleaned by hand?
Beatbot’s guide expects manual cleaning after each session. Maytronics says auto-backwashing reduces how often the filter needs cleaning; no hand-cleaning interval was found for the EON 120d.
Common questions