Robotic Pool Skimmers matchup
Betta SE Plus vs Dolphin Skimmi
the skimmer the testers loved vs the one owners keep
Dolphin Skimmi
The judges have ruled
Betta SE Plus took this fight in our Pound-for-Pound division showdown.
Full fight coverage: The Best Robotic Pool Skimmers of 2026: Solar Surface Cleaners, Ranked →
Ringside notes
The classic tester-versus-owner fight, skimmer edition. The Dolphin Skimmi has the best raw pickup we've seen — 3-inch propellers, the strongest surface pull in our skimmer showdown — and owners rate it 3.2★ across 401, the kind of score that isn't about skimming at all (the complaints cluster on reliability and the app, not pickup). The Betta SE Plus skims with smaller 2.5-inch propellers and wins anyway: 4.6★ across 2,664 owners — the deepest and happiest base in the category — solar power with an AC-adapter backup so cloudy weeks don't beach it, and a drip-free top-loading basket. Our showdown crowned the Betta best overall AND best value, and this pairing is why: a skimmer works unattended all day, every day, so the machine that keeps running beats the machine that pulls hardest on its best day. If you have brutal leaf-fall and a tolerance for tinkering, the Skimmi's pickup is genuinely the strongest. Everyone else: the crowd of 2,664 is telling you something.
What would decide it
- Owner proof: Betta SE Plus reads 4.6★ across 2,857 owners; Dolphin Skimmi reads 3.2★ across 401. Depth of sample matters as much as the star.
- Betta SE Plus — your pick if: you want a surface skimmer that never quits — solar with AC-adapter backup so a week of clouds doesn't sideline it, and the happiest owners of any skimmer (4.6★ across 2,600+).
- Dolphin Skimmi — your pick if: you had your eye on the strongest-pickup skimmer — but the original Dolphin Skimmi is discontinued and out of stock across every channel (Amazon, Maytronics-direct, and the dealers). Maytronics has moved to the Skimmi 300/200, which are dealer-only with no tracked buy path yet, so for a skimmer you can actually buy today, the Betta SE Plus is the pick.
The full cards
Betta SE Plus
Best value · Solar with AC-adapter backup, so a week of clouds doesn't sideline it
Your pick if you want a surface skimmer that never quits — solar with AC-adapter backup so a week of clouds doesn't sideline it, and the happiest owners of any skimmer (4.6★ across 2,600+).
Check price at Amazon →“Same twin motors, same top-loading basket, same reliable cleaning performance as the SE. The difference is you're not completely dependent on solar power.”
“It's efficient, quiet, and low-maintenance.”
Betta SE Plus
Best valueYour pick if you want a surface skimmer that never quits — solar with AC-adapter backup so a week of clouds doesn't sideline it, and the happiest owners of any skimmer (4.6★ across 2,600+).
“Same twin motors, same top-loading basket, same reliable cleaning performance as the SE. The difference is you're not completely dependent on solar power.”— The Pool Nerd
Pro review “It's efficient, quiet, and low-maintenance.”— Justin D., The Pool Nerd
- Solar plus USB-C/AC backup — keeps skimming through cloudy stretches
- Top-loading 200µm basket lifts out without dribbling debris back in
- Twin salt-chlorine-tolerant motors handle treated water
- Covers up to ~2,400 sq ft, in-ground or above-ground
- 2.5-in propellers — less grab than the Dolphin's 3-in in wind or heavy leaf fall
- 1-year warranty (Beatbot gives two)
- Wireless remote only — no phone app
Dolphin Skimmi
Strongest pickup — now discontinuedYour pick if you had your eye on the strongest-pickup skimmer — but the original Dolphin Skimmi is discontinued and out of stock across every channel (Amazon, Maytronics-direct, and the dealers). Maytronics has moved to the Skimmi 300/200, which are dealer-only with no tracked buy path yet, so for a skimmer you can actually buy today, the Betta SE Plus is the pick.
“The Skimmi's larger propellers provide more consistent suction and better debris collection, particularly when dealing with larger leaves or when wind is pushing surface debris around.”— The Pool Nerd
Pro review “Two weeks in, I wondered how I would ever live without it.”— Justin D., The Pool Nerd
- Biggest propellers tested (3 in) — strongest, most consistent surface suction
- Best leaf pickup, especially when wind pushes debris around
- Maytronics build quality (the Dolphin floor-robot maker)
- Solar with backup battery + Bluetooth app
- Bottom-loading debris tray is messier to empty than a top-loader
- Costs more than the Betta SE Plus
- App is Bluetooth, not full WiFi
FAQ
Which is better, the Betta SE Plus or the Dolphin Skimmi?
Our robotic skimmer showdown ruled for the Betta SE Plus — best overall and best value, on the category's deepest owner base (4.6★/2,664). The Skimmi has the strongest raw pickup (3-inch propellers) but owners rate it 3.2★/401, with complaints clustering on reliability and the app.
When is the Dolphin Skimmi the right pick?
Heavy leaf-fall, windy yards, debris that overwhelms lighter skimmers — its 3-inch propellers are the strongest pull we've tested in the class. Go in knowing the owner record: it's the performance pick with a reliability asterisk, not the set-and-forget one.
Does the Betta really run on solar alone?
Mostly, and that's the trick: solar primary with an AC-adapter backup, so a stretch of cloudy days doesn't strand it mid-pool. Combined with the drip-free top-loading basket, it's the skimmer built to be forgotten — which is what 2,664 owners at 4.6★ are describing.
Full fight coverage
Every number on this page derives from the same verified data that renders our showdowns — dated owner-rating reads, MSRP-based tiers, and rulings only where a real fight happened. Data last verified: Jun 2026. Methodology and monetization disclosure: how we test.