If with the Sora 70, the brand gave us a versatile mid-range that offered a fairly aggressive price, we’re used to Beatbot selling technology monsters at sky‑high prices to showcase its know‑how. Well, this year we’re not disappointed: the 2026 giant goes by the name Aquasense X, and its main novelty is that you no longer have to deal with cleaning the filtration basket, thanks to a station that recharges the robot and empties its basket. A bit like floor-cleaning robots, but for the pool. Let’s see what it delivers…
8 / 10
- No more filter maintenance
- Efficient cleaning
- Pool mapping that really covers every zone
- Comfortable cleaning autonomy (5h) and also in skimmer mode (10h)
- …At the price of a large station that takes up space and must be connected to a water supply in addition to electricity
- No micron filtration
- Mapping exists but you can’t pick a parking spot at the end of cleaning
- Heavy robot that still needs to be carried to the station
Beatbot is a brand that specializes in pool robots: that’s all it does (aside from a turtle-like robot for marine research you can’t buy), and it does it well. The manufacturer offered a range with fairly premium prices, but has recently launched more aggressively priced models. An accessibility that does not touch its flagship lines, since the Aquasense X is simply the most expensive pool robot we’ve had the chance to test, with a price approaching 4,300 €.
Unpacking Aquasense X: you’ll have to work to stop working
Okay, this is serious: a big box for the robot, and an even bigger box for the cleaning base. Set aside enough time for installation, between unboxing these large modules, mounting the side brushes on the robot, and setting up the station. Indeed, you must attach the protective skirt to the arm, screw the arm in place, install the water intake and discharge hoses, and, most constraining, plug the station into the home’s water supply. And, to top it off, you need to properly vent the wastewater. The station therefore comes with a black hose 3 cm in diameter and 1.5 m long that will have to be routed somewhere. You’ll understand that space and motivation are required to install all of this.
Regarding installation, we note the presence of a bubble level right in the middle of the station, which greatly simplifies alignment. All of this takes time: giving up filter cleaning comes at the cost of a fairly heavy setup (especially if you’ve decided to tidy up the cables a bit).
Think carefully about where you’ll place the station: not too far from the pool, so you don’t have to lug a 13.1 kg robot back and forth in the dry, not too far from a power outlet, near a water supply, and with a spot for wastewater to drain. Finding such a location isn’t easy, especially since the AstroRinse station is over half a meter wide and about 22 cm tall, possibly more than half a meter when you factor in the cleaning arm.
In terms of the robot itself, after a careful inspection you realize that, if the docking station is brand new, the robot appears to be basically the Aquasense Ultra 2, except for a revised filtration basket that runs through the robot rather than being enlarged as in the Sora 70 line. For enthusiasts of novelty (and those trying to justify the 4,250 € spent…), this may disappoint, but it still forms a solid base, with a second hatch that can house a natural clarifying cartridge made from crab shells that can be dispensed on demand. Inside the hood, Beatbot mentions 29 sensors, a record.
A solid foundation, yes, but a somewhat dated one: it omits a feature that has become expected in 2026—a two-stage filtration with a micron filter. It’s easy to understand that automatic cleaning and two-stage filtration don’t mix well, but when you look at the price tag, it raises questions. We would have liked an extra micron basket (to replace the standard basket), but the station would then struggle to clean that type of filter.
Performance: it cleans like an Aquasense 2 Ultra
As anticipated during unboxing, Aquasense X inherits the Aquasense 2 Ultra’s core logic, especially the basin mapping, and it delivers the same result: an approximate but near-accurate map that ensures no zone is forgotten and allows precise movement.
In daily use, it’s a very well-made robot: strong suction, AI-based debris detection for optimized work, effective waterline cleaning, though it could rub a bit more. The surface function, while available, is of limited value. In this mode, the AquaSense X seems to prefer skimming along the edges and scraping them with the side brush rather than wandering around as its predecessor did. This strategy, in our view, is better: impurities usually end up clinging to the pool’s border if they’re not immediately sucked up by a skimmer.
One feature that didn’t exist during our AquaSense 2 Ultra test — and which may have been added since since all the hardware was already present on the prior robot — is an “AI quick bottom cleaning” mode. In this mode, the robot quickly identifies dirty zones and cleans them without wasting time on unnecessary passes. It’s a highly practical everyday mode: if you’re planning to swim, you can perform a quick pre-swim cleanup less than an hour beforehand, depending on the pool’s size and dirt level.
Comme avec la plupart des Beatbot, Aquasense X sait faire remonter le robot à la surface à la fin du nettoyage, mais puisqu’il réalise une cartographie, on aurait aimé pouvoir définir l’endroit exact où il revient, afin d’économiser un peu de trajet, surtout avec le poids de la bête et un peu d’eau dans le panier après remontée.
L’autonomie est au même niveau que pour l’Aquasense Ultra 2: 5 heures, ce qui suffit largement pour nettoyer une grande piscine. En mode skimmer, on passe à 10 heures, de quoi couvrir une journée complète et revenir avec une piscine impeccable… Ou presque. Toujours pas de recharge rapide sur les robots de piscine; cela n’aurait d’ailleurs guère de sens si on les laisse perpétuellement sur leur station comme ici: il faut plus de 4 heures pour recharger.
AstroRinse Station: handy, but you really have to need it
Once the cleaning is finished, you fetch the robot at the edge of the water and place it on its base, the “AstroRinse.” And yes, this step is manual; the day when robots go to clean themselves can’t come soon enough, we won’t complain about their weight anymore! The charge then begins, but more importantly, the automatic filter cleaning starts: the robot’s front hatch opens and the station’s cleaning arm, equipped with a three-jet rotating nozzle, goes into the middle of the filtration tray. Water sprays, the nozzle turns, and most impurities drop to the bottom, captured in a large net. All of them? Almost all… The cleaning is passable: some debris often remains stuck in the filter or around the bottom hinge. With the collection net’s volume, you’ll be set for weeks without removing the station’s bucket — unless your pool is surrounded by trees. Note: the recovery net is a new consumable item.
It’s worth noting that if impurities accumulate at the bottom of the cleaning tray, it’s because, to facilitate cleaning, the bottom of the filtration tray opens. Yes, you read that right—a filtration tray that opens from the bottom since we began testing pool robots, and it’s only for its automatic station that Beatbot finally adopted this design!
If you have a very large or rapidly soiled pool, this cleaning station could be very appealing. But not everything is perfect: as mentioned earlier, you must find a place to fit this bulky black block and connect it to both water and power. It’s large, not very discreet, and unlikely to match your terrace decor… But more importantly, the brand isn’t crystal clear about its ability to withstand winter.
The cleaning base is rated to operate from -20°C to 70°C. That sounds good, because you don’t want to stow this monster away in the storage every season, especially since you’d have to reconnect the water inlet without leaks… Yet Beatbot’s site adds a warning: “To ensure durable performance, winterization is required if frost occurs. Please disconnect and drain all inlet and outlet hoses before storage, even if the anti-freeze function is enabled. Indoor storage is recommended in winter.” So the station can survive winter, but you probably shouldn’t leave it outside in frost-prone areas. Food for thought…
Beatbot AquaSense X: Clubic’s verdict
We concluded the AquaSense 2 Ultra test by saying it felt like a showroom model for what pool robots will look like in the coming years, at a price that puts it out of reach for most people. The AquaSense X could be judged the same way: the docking and cleaning base have become a standard for floor-cleaning robots; why not apply the same to pool robots? It’s a joy not to have to clean the filtration basket, powered by a top-tier robot.
In truth, several factors suggest this base is a probing, not-quite-there approach: automatic cleaning blocks the use of a micron filter, meaning a robot that cleans less effectively than cheaper models, plus the base itself is bulky (not exactly a pretty sight beside the pool), and you must connect it to a water inlet. The price tag invites scrutiny.
Between robust autonomy and automatic filter cleaning, we view this as a robot aimed at very large pools and/or vegetation-heavy surroundings where a filter can clog quickly: only those fed up with scrubbing standard robot filters will be drawn to this high-end model.
- No more filter maintenance
- Efficient cleaning
- Pool mapping that marks zones
- Comfortable cleaning autonomy (5h) and in skimmer (10h)
- …At the price of a bulky station that takes up space and must be connected to both a water supply and electricity
- No micron filtration
- Has a map but you can’t choose a docking spot at the end of cleaning
- Heavy robot that still needs carrying to the station
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amazon.fr4250,00 €
Daniel Brooks
I cover everyday products with a practical eye, from kitchen tools and home essentials to smart gadgets and consumer trends. My goal is to help readers understand what is genuinely useful, what is worth the price, and what deserves a second look before buying.