a recurring schedule for the Saturn ranging from once a week, twice a week, or three times a week.

Efficient Cleaning
The pool in which we tested the Saturn robotic pool cleaner was dirty enough to give us an idea of the Saturn’s cleaning capability from the get-go. The clarity of the water was murky and cloudy from sandy topsoil being blown in, and leaves and grass clippings littered the floor.

Almost immediately, we could tell the Saturn had some serious cleaning chops. It powered over the debris across the bottom of the pool and sucked up all of the visible bits we could see. We thought it might have kicked up some smaller particles, as the water around the Saturn as it worked was cloudy. After the cleaning job we let the water settle for about an hour to see if any debris sunk back to the bottom, but the pool floor remained clean. It looks like the Saturn captured all of the visible debris on the first run.

The Saturn cleaned the floors remarkably well, but we were interested to see how it cleaned the walls. It powered up the vertical surfaces smoothly, but not consistently. We saw it fall backward to the bottom several times as it worked its way up the walls. But even when it did, it seemed to resume that track and would climb up the same strip of surface again.

Cleaning the waterline isn’t listed as one of the Saturn’s features, but it still managed to poke up and above the water several times. From there you can see the rapidly spinning front brush, which actively spins at a rate twice the speed of the Saturn’s movement. Even though the robot’s cleaning power was obvious just from its work on the bottom of the pool, it was nice to see the scrubbing power in action.

Filtration System
The Saturn is fitted with a top-loading filter basket with a fine filter. You can purchase the ultra-fine filter option at an additional price, which is a nice perk if you want to give your pool an especially deep clean.

The filtration system is one of the standout features of the Saturn. The basket itself is large and capable of holding an impressive amount of debris. When we opened the top of our Saturn and pulled the basket out, it was a little over halfway full of leaves, acorns, twigs, and general sludge. Even though it wasn’t using an ultra-fine filter, the fine filter basket still managed to capture enough tiny particles to make visible mud on the bottom.

Plus, the filter basket is incredibly easy to clean. Unlike clumsy bags or finnicky cartridges, all you have to do with the filter basket is dump out the large debris and rinse it clean. In our opinion, the Saturn’s filtration system offers a value that exceeds its price point.

The Cons
No Swivel
The Saturn isn’t designed to clean huge pools. With a maximum cleaning distance of 35 feet, it doesn’t carry the excess power cord length of many other robotic pool cleaners. However, its 50-foot cord isn’t immune to knots and kinks. Dolphin engineers developed an anti-tangle swivel that has made maintaining robotic pool cleaners infinitely easier, but you won’t find it on the Saturn. While it won’t tangle as quickly or easily as larger models, it’s still something to stay on top of. It’s a good idea to stretch your cord out once a week to remove any kinks before they build up too much.

Not the Best Climber
The climbing action is there, but not all the time. The Saturn isn’t designed to tackle steps or waterlines, but it is supposed to clean walls. While it did cover the majority of the walls in our test pool, it still fell several times and missed a few spots during its cleaning job.

The Pros
Solid Value
The Saturn isn’t cheap, but it is inexpensive. Its abilities, especially its cleaning power and filtration system, go above and beyond its modest price tag. You’ll have a hard time finding such a solid, no-frills robotic pool cleaner in this price range.

Excellent Filtration
We love the Saturn’s top-loading filter basket. It is big enough to capture debris from the dirtiest pools, both large and small. Best of all, it’s easy to clean.

Lightweight
The Saturn’s cleaning power isn’t hindered by its lack of heft. At just over 13 pounds, it’s easy to carry and lift out of the water, even before the quick-release has expelled all of the excess water. Its lightweight nature makes it unnecessary to spring for the caddy.

Easy to Use
The power supply on the Saturn isn’t going to confuse anybody. With only one cleaning mode, you’ve got to push one button to get the robotic pool cleaner started. Even setting a weekly timer is simple and straightforward.

12 Month Warranty
Dolphin offers a one-year limited warranty on the Saturn. This covers plastic parts, the power supply, cable, and motor. Be sure you purchase from a certified Maytronics dealer, though. Many online options (like Amazon) don’t come with this warranty.

Our Conclusion
The Saturn is a great robotic pool cleaner at a great price. It’s ideal for small to medium-sized pools and pool owners who are looking for a machine that won’t break the bank. It doesn’t have a wealth of exciting features, but it’s also not bogged down by unnecessary bells and whistles.

Using the Saturn isn’t a one-and-done cleaning job, as you’ll still have to manually scrub waterlines, steps, and other hard-to-reach spots. However, it will substantially decrease the amount of elbow grease you have to put into maintaining your pool, and it’s a natural upgrade from traditional suction cleaners. If getting that kind of free time back is worth the price, you won’t regret putting the Saturn to work in your pool