Gadgets: Robotic pool cleaner

The Ultenic Pooleco 10 cordless robotic pool cleaner is supposed to clean your pool while you're doing something else. It does the cleaning just fine, but the problem I have is that I don't go do "something else." Instead, the first few cleaning runs were more of an attraction than a chore.

The cleaner is designed for square or round pools, above-ground and in-ground. My testing was on a gunite in-ground pool, and the Ultenic site lists compatibility with indoor or outdoor pools with tile, vinyl, plaster, fiberglass, mosaic and concrete surfaces and slopes of less than 10 degrees. Once it's running, the design with wheels on the bottom allows it to hug the pool floor flawlessly, running around the bottom to pick up debris. It won't climb walls or stairs or run the waterline.

The cleaner has two large suction doors and a bottom-sided brush to capture dirt. It also has a filter basket and a 2.5-liter dust box, which obviously will have to be cleaned now and then. A top cover opens to empty out the debris, and the filter can be hosed off. The motor generates a suction of 30 gallons per minute and is virtually silent underwater.

There are no cords, tubes, poles or connections to the filter system as you would need with other pool vacuum systems. A robotic cleaner needs to be charged and turned on and then placed in the water to vacuum. After a few tests, the Pooleco 10 got most of the leaves and tiny rocks I planted in the pool for testing.

Working it is effortless. After it's charged, you just press a button and let it go. The run time is 90 minutes, and it's rated for cleaning pools up to 850 square feet. Inside the cleaner is a 5200 mAh rechargeable battery that is fully charged out of the water from an AC outlet connected to the top-sided charging port for 2.5 hours.

Getting the Pooleco 10 out of the pool is easy. A...