RELEASED 2023.04REASSESSED 2026.08.07Compare

Maytronics

Maytronics Dolphin Liberty 400

Name: Maytronics Dolphin Liberty 400
Brand: Maytronics

Cordless cleaning for pools up to 33 ft, with scheduled app operation offset by hand placement at both ends of the cycle and a sealed battery that recharges rather than swaps.

Price$1,429 list priceRetail price not tracked

Autonomy Ladder

Why Level III.

One five-rung scale, every category, from acting only on command to working unsupervised anywhere.

VGeneralized AutonomyAny task, any setting. No consumer robot has reached it.
IVEnvironmental AutonomyCopes with everyday clutter and frees itself, shown by independent testing.
To reach Level IVIndependent testing shows it avoids ordinary obstacles before contact, copes without the space being cleared, and frees itself when stuck.
IIIConditional AutonomyThis robot

Maytronics Dolphin Liberty 400 finishes whole jobs in a space it already knows, and still needs a person at the edges.
What it does on its own
- Scheduled cleaning from the companion app with Wi-Fi control and progress notifications.
- Floor, wall and waterline coverage, climbing to the waterline under its own power.
- Click-Up sound-activated pickup surfaces the machine at the waterline so it can be lifted out.
- Cleaning cycle of up to 2.5 hours per charge (Maytronics US listing), with charging through a magnetic connection rather than a plug.
- Top-access Combine Filter Kit with interchangeable cartridges, including an ultra-fine option.
Why this level
- The robot completes scheduled cleaning sessions without supervision (app-scheduled, Wi-Fi monitored).
- Owner placement and dock setup remain in the owner's hands, but once the cleaning cycle starts, the robot navigates and filters autonomously.
- This qualifies for Level III (unsupervised operation in known environments) rather than Level IV because pool geometry must be pre-configured and dock placement is user-managed.
What holds it at Level III
- Pool geometry setup: Requires user input of pool size and shape into the companion app before first use.
- Placement dependency: The owner lowers the machine into the pool and lifts it out; Click-Up surfaces it at the waterline on command, but there is no autonomous return to a dock.
- Session boundary: Maytronics states a cleaning cycle of up to 2.5 hours per charge, and the sealed battery cannot be exchanged mid-session, so a longer job waits for a recharge.
- No dynamic replanning: Follows its programmed coverage pattern; obstacle detection and debris-density response are not documented.
Autonomy dimension 64 / 100 · 3 sources reviewed
IIAssisted AutonomyRuns preset routines; stalls at anything new.
IManual AutomationOne action on command; no independent operation.

How we assign a level →

Behind the classification

Sources we reviewed.

Pending3 sources reviewed

Evidence is still being collected for this product.

Sources reviewed

Manufacturer documentation2 sourcesReviewed

Maytronics US listings for the Liberty 400 covering the 33 ft pool-length rating, the 2.5 hour cleaning cycle, the 3-year warranty, the Combine Filter Kit and Click-Up retrieval.

Firmware release notes1 sourceOngoing

Maytronics publishes firmware releases and software notes through its support portal; reviewed on an ongoing basis.

Maytronics Dolphin supportmaytronics.com

Specification sources1 sourceReviewed

Pages the published specifications were read from.

maytronics.commaytronics.com

Also monitored, nothing listed yet

Press & video reviewsPending

Consumer equipment coverage of the cordless pool cleaner category, used for tether trade-offs rather than model-specific figures.

Owner reportsPending

Model-specific owner reporting for the Liberty 400 has not been collected. Threads located to date discuss other Liberty models and are not used here.

How we evaluate evidence →

Human Readiness

Ready Now.

One question: what does buying this robot today walk you into? The state is computed from the record, and recomputed daily.

Ready NowThis robot

Maytronics Dolphin Liberty 400 is on sale, assessed, and nothing on its record argues for waiting.
How this was derived
- Shipping past the first-90-day ownership window with a published assessment, no documented issues on record, and no announced successor.
Notes on the record
- The Liberty 400 is commercially available through major retailers and Maytronics direct, with established warranty and service networks.
- Setup requires pool-dimension input to the app, but ongoing operation is autonomous within cycle limits.
- Cordless operation is simpler than cable management for owners of smaller pools.
On the record
- Shipping since April 2023 · 43 months on the market
- No current new-stock listing confirmed
- No successor announced
- 3 sources reviewed
What would move it
A documented problem, an announced successor, or a withdrawn listing moves it out; the rating recomputes daily.
New to MarketOn sale under 90 days; the ownership record is still forming.
WaitA successor is announced and has not shipped; re-read the decision when it arrives.
Known IssuesDocumented problems stand on the record; read the case before buying.

How we assess readiness →

Robovations Score

How this number was reached

66of 100

CapableAt or above 45% of the 455 robots we scoreand 68% of the 65 scored robot pool cleaners

DeficientLimitedCapableStrongExemplary

What moved itpoints gained or lost against a typical robot

Carried by

Support longevity88+2.6
Task completion81+1.4
Routine maintenance78+1.2

Held back by

Field failure rate46−3.8
Edge-case recovery40−1.3
Coverage and navigation67−0.5

Capability40% of the score65What it does without you.

Task completion16% of the score81

Evidence

Covers floor, wall and waterline, climbing to the waterline under its own power, with Click-Up surfacing the machine on a sound command so it can be lifted out without reaching into the pool, which satisfies the referent's retrieval-point condition. Held down by a small rated work area at 33 ft, and by the record's own statement that pools with islands, spa jets, irregular edges or heavy leaf fall are likelier to need a second cycle or hand skimming, which puts a human step inside the job.

Coverage and navigation10% of the score67

Evidence

Gyroscope pathfinding runs against a pool geometry that persists between cycles, which is more than the CleverClean units re-derive every run. But that geometry is typed into the app by the owner rather than sensed, so it is a taught boundary rather than a map, and the record states there is no dynamic replanning, no obstacle detection and no debris-density response: it runs its programmed pattern regardless of what is actually in the pool.

Edge-case recovery10% of the score40

Evidence

Three real behaviors: a running cycle survives a Wi-Fi drop and resumes reporting when the connection returns, app progress notifications give an owner-facing channel, and Click-Up retrieves the machine on command. None of them is recovery from entrapment. No obstacle detection is documented at all, a motor jam stops movement and impeller until a hand clears it, and a depleted battery ends the cycle where it stands with no resume.

Operating envelope4% of the score56

Evidence

Suits in-ground and above-ground installations but only to 33 ft, the narrowest rating here, and the record names islands, spa jets and irregular edges as likely to require a second cycle. Salinity is explicitly Not verified, with no Maytronics guidance located, which for this referent leaves water chemistry open rather than passed. An overfilled pool puts the waterline above the band the machine works, a documented condition outside the illustrative list.

Dependability40% of the score63Whether it keeps doing it.

Field failure rate16% of the score46

Evidence

Three years on market with a 3-year warranty, longer than the 2 years on sibling Liberty models, and that commitment is scored as a commitment. Everything else is missing: the record's own source block states model-specific owner reporting has not been collected and the count is zero, which directly contradicts the reliability prose claiming owner forums report stable operation across two years. The one press link is category coverage, not model-specific. The sealed pack is a service-item replacement with no published figure or price.

Software stability14% of the score65

Evidence

Updates ship and the record is silent in both directions. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth with cloud processing on Maytronics servers and local_processing false, so the software surface is substantial and live. Maytronics publishes no release notes or per-version changelogs for Dolphin residential cleaners, and no independent account of this model's update behavior exists, so the channel is real and entirely unobservable from outside. No regression is reported in three years.

Support longevity10% of the score88

Evidence

Maytronics' dealer and service network, a 3-year warranty that is the longest in the Liberty line, and a sealed battery that nonetheless carries a published part number, 99980001-ASSY, so a replacement path demonstrably exists rather than being hoped for. Discounted because that pack has no published price, impeller and motor work is explicitly not field-serviceable, and the deep third-party aftermarket stocking corded Dolphin drive motors does not extend to this cordless platform.

Ownership burden20% of the score74What it asks of you.

Routine maintenance12% of the score78

Evidence

Light for this category: 17.9 lb, no cable to inspect or coil, Click-Up surfacing it at the waterline so retrieval does not mean reaching into the water, and app scheduling removing the walk to the deck to start a cycle. The standing work is a top-access cartridge hosed after every use, weekly compaction checks, monthly brush inspection, an annual seal and gasket check, and putting the machine on charge after every cycle because there is no dock return.

Consumables8% of the score69

Evidence

The Combine Filter Kit cartridges are hosed and reused rather than bought on a schedule, with an ultra-fine option supplied rather than sold, and there is no subscription. Held down by two published facts: the warranty explicitly excludes filter cartridges and seals as wear items, and the sealed battery is a service-fitted replacement carrying a part number but no price, so the largest post-purchase cost cannot be quantified before buying.

middle half of the databaseits medianthis robot

Reported, not scoredneither measures how well the robot works

Five-year cost$1,900

mid-market at $1,429 with no subscription and no scheduled cartridge purchase, but the figure is soft: it assumes roughly $350 for the sealed battery service replacement inside five years, a part with a published number and no published price

Data postureCloud-linked

Account required. Maps and telemetry leave the home; core function survives an outage.

What leaves the homeDocumented

The companion app collects pool geometry, scheduling preferences, and Wi-Fi connection data. Cloud processing occurs on Maytronics servers for remote monitoring and cycle history. Maytronics' privacy policy states that operational data (cycle counts, runtime, battery health) is retained for product analytics; no documented third-party data sharing beyond standard analytics vendors. Battery and motor telemetry may be transmitted to inform recall signals, but opt-out is not clearly documented.

On-device processingNo

Read the full methodology →

FIT CHECK

Will the Maytronics Dolphin Liberty 400 work in your pool?

Describe your pool using the controls. Each choice reads the spec sheet for you, flagging where the Maytronics Dolphin Liberty 400 is built for your space and where it isn’t.

Pool type

Pool size

Debris load

Coverage you want

See every pool cleaner suited to these conditions

A classification of fit for the conditions you set, not a recommendation. Verdicts describe engineering design intent, not test results.

OWNERSHIP

Living with it.

Proven pool tool with 2+ years field validation and no major recalls; seasonal filter clogging dominates ownership complexity.

Stableowner-reported arc

The record so far

Stable operation across 2+ years of firmware updates per owner forums. No widespread motor failure patterns. Battery longevity typical of Li-ion pool tools with incremental rather than sudden capacity loss.

What goes wrongnot yet documented independently

The independent record is still forming. Failure modes are listed once an outside source reports them.

Upkeep routine

Each useEvery cycle

Rinse the top-access cartridge with a hose, which is the filter procedure Maytronics documents.

Weekly52×/yr

Inspect the cartridge for compaction; the Combine Filter Kit cartridges are interchangeable, including an ultra-fine option for finer debris.

Monthly12×/yr

Brush inspection for hair and debris wrapping.

Yearly1×/yr

Seal and gasket check before winterization; store indoors in a cool, dry space.

As neededno fixed schedule

Impeller or motor service if wear is detected; these are not field-serviceable and go through Maytronics service.

Cost over timeabout $720 past the sticker over three years

PurchaseRunning cost

Year 1

$1,669

Year 3

$2,149

Year 5

$2,629

$1,429 to buy, then about $240 a year in replaceable parts. Over three years that is roughly $720 past the sticker price. Excludes electricity and any repairs.

Safety notes2 cautions

CautionMoving impeller can catch hair and loose fabric during operation
CautionLi-ion battery should avoid freezing and direct sun for extended periods

SPECIFICATION

The full spec sheet.

Priced above the category median, with every figure charted against the category below.

Dimensional drawing

Key specificationsManufacturer-published

FootprintThe width, depth and height of the robot itself, without its dock.: 13 × 9 in · 10 in tall
WeightThe robot alone, without its dock, as the maker states it.: 17.9 lbs•
BatteryStored energy in watt-hours; a larger pack runs longer, not harder.: 126 Wh · Li-ion
Wi-FiThe bands the robot can join; many models need a 2.4 GHz network to set up.: Supported✓
Max pool length: 32.8 ft•
Cycle length: 150 min•
Surfaces cleaned: Floor, walls and waterline✓
Power type: Cordless battery✓

Where it lands · ranked across 76 robot pool cleanersThis robotMedianTypical range

RuntimeThe maker's stated running time on one charge, at a standard setting.150min

90 min1,800 min

Bottom of range

PriceThe maker's list price, not a price found in a shop.$1,429

$299$4,250

Near median

Charge timeTime from empty to full on the dock, as the maker states it.300min

150 min390 min

Above median

WeightThe robot alone, without its dock, as the maker states it.17.9lbs

7.9 lbs46.3 lbs

Near median

Position shows where the figure sits across the tracked category, not a quality judgment.

Official referencesOwner manual Product page

RECORD

How the assessment has moved.

Every announcement, release and reassessment behind the current classification.

Coming soon

Just launched

Active updates

Settled

Discontinued

Sep 2026 · AssessmentRecord status: Provisional → Pending
Aug 2026 · AssessmentRecord status: Verified → Provisional
Aug 2026 · AssessmentRobovations Score rescored under v4.2: 69 → 66
Jul 2026 · AssessmentRobovations Score recorded at 69 of 100
Jul 2024 · NewsDolphin Liberty 400 retail price drops roughly 50 percent from launch MSRP

Editorial comparisons

How Maytronics Dolphin Liberty 400 compares.

All comparisons →

Goal-based

From the water of a round above-ground pool: a Dolphin Liberty 400 and the heavier Nautilus EON 100, both just lifted out over the chest-high wall, sit dripping on the deck at the top rail.

Robot Pool Cleaners3 robots

Robot pool cleaners for above-ground and small pools: weight, climb, storage

Three cordless Dolphin models share the same Level III classification but diverge on weight, wall-climb geometry, depth limits, and off-season storage demands. This investigation maps those differences for owners of…

vs Maytronics Dolphin Nautilus EON 100 · Maytronics Dolphin Liberty 300

Common questions

What people actually ask.

6 answered

ComparisonHow does the Liberty 400 compare to cable-tethered cleaners in terms of time investment?

Cable-tethered models add a power supply on the deck, cable routing, and reeling after each cycle. The Liberty 400 removes all of that, and Click-Up brings it to the waterline for retrieval, but a person still lowers it in, lifts it out, and puts it on charge. App scheduling saves the walk out to start a cycle. The net is fewer handling steps per cycle rather than none.

OperationWhat size pool is the Liberty 400 rated for?

Maytronics rates it for pools up to 33 ft (about 10 m) in length. Longer pools sit outside the stated range: single-cycle coverage is not assured, and the sealed battery cannot be exchanged mid-session to extend the run.

OperationWhat happens if the battery runs out before the pool is clean?

The cycle ends where it is. The battery is sealed, so there is no pack to exchange: the machine is retrieved, recharged, and started again. Maytronics rates the cycle at up to 2.5 hours per charge and the pool length at up to 33 ft, so a pool inside that rating is not expected to reach this state.

OperationIs the Liberty 400 suitable for saltwater pools?

Not verified. No Maytronics salinity guidance for the Liberty 400 was located for this assessment. The machine charges through a magnetic connection rather than an exposed contact array, and cartridge care is the hose rinse Maytronics documents.

OperationHow often does the battery need replacing?

Not verified. Lithium-ion capacity declines over service life, but no Maytronics figure for this model was located and no model-specific owner data has been collected here. The pack is sealed: the replacement carries part number 99980001-ASSY and is fitted as a service item rather than swapped at the pool.

OwnershipWhat is the warranty and what does it cover?

Maytronics covers the Liberty 400 with a 3-year warranty, longer than the 2 years on the other Liberty models. Filter cartridges and seals are wear items and are not covered. Service runs through Maytronics and its dealer network.

Cite & Embed

Reference the Maytronics Dolphin Liberty 400 classification.

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Citation

Robovations. "Maytronics Dolphin Liberty 400: Autonomy Level III (Conditional Autonomy)." Autonomy Ladder™, assessed August 2026. https://robovations.com/robots/maytronics-dolphin-liberty-400/

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A classification, not an endorsement. It may not appear beside language implying Robovations recommends, rates, or approves the product.

Where to next

Three ways to keep going.

For evaluators

Compare with a peer.

See the Maytronics Dolphin Liberty 400 and Maytronics Dolphin Oasis Z5i side by side: autonomy level, Robovations Score, readiness, and price. Classification, not a verdict.

See the full comparison

Or compare with Dreame Z1 Pro, Polaris EPIC 8642 iQ, Beatbot Sora 70.

For browsers

See every Level III.

Every robot we’ve classified at conditional autonomy. Sorted by readiness, score, and price. Filter by category, manufacturer, or release date.

Browse the database

Updated weekly with new entries and reclassifications.

Maytronics Dolphin Liberty 400

Will the Maytronics Dolphin Liberty 400 work in your pool?

Living with it.

The full spec sheet.

How the assessment has moved.

How Maytronics Dolphin Liberty 400 compares.

Robot pool cleaners for above-ground and small pools: weight, climb, storage

What people actually ask.