Dolphin Premier vs Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus

Which is the better robot for your pool?

The Dolphin Premier and Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus are two of Dolphin's top robotic pool cleaners. While the CC Plus is a good cleaner, the new 2026 Dolphin ProLine's Dolphin Premier outshines the Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus in virtually every aspect:

• Pool Coverage / Waterline Cleaning
• Filter Options
• Full Filter Indicator
• Warranty

We'll break down all of this and more in our comparison and review of them.

Pool Coverage / Waterline Cleaning

Both units do a great job of covering your pool floors. But there is a major difference between the two's coverage, the waterline. The Nautilus CC Plus can cover the walls of your pool, but will not actively scrub the waterline. This is an area in your pool where algae and bacteria can build up - even being referred to as the scum line.

The Dolphin Premier will climb and cling to the waterline, scrubbing away at stuck on algae and debris, ensuring full pool coverage. This is largely thanks to its Dual Stabilizer, which helps the Dolphin Premier stick to the waterline and move laterally to clean stuck-on contaminants.

The Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus on the other hand leaves you to clean this problematic area by yourself. The overall coverage of the CC Plus is great, but this lack of waterline cleaning leaves one of the most important areas of your pool untouched.

Filter Options

First, let's break down the filter options.

The Premier has Multi-Media, which allows the Dolphin Premier to swap between the 3 filter media options it includes in seconds. The Dolphin Premier's Multi-Media includes:

• Oversized Leaf Bag
• NanoFilters
• Standard Cartridge Filters
• Even a 4th optional (not included), disposable debris bag

The Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus only includes:

• Standard Cartridge Filter

The Premier's Leaf Bag is not only something we loved, but is almost a necessity if you have a ton of leaves in your swimming pool. It allows the Premier to pickup leaves like no other pool robot.

NanoFilters

But what if your swimming pool struggles with cloudy pool water? The Premier also includes the NanoFilters. This can be found in several other cleaners as well, such as the Dolphin Quantum Ultra-Fine Filter Basket or Dolphin Sigma's NanoFilter Cartridges. Yet, Maytronics does not include it with the Nautilus CC Plus. It allows the pool robot to effectively vacuum and clear up cloudy pool water, capture microscopic particles, and more which the standard fine filter simply can't do.

The difference is night and day between the Nautilus CC Plus and the Dolphin Premier's filters. The standard filters simply cannot stand up to the cleaning performance of the NanoFilters. Side by side, you can see the difference between the two. The standard filter is just plastic mesh, while the NanoFilter is a highly pleated filters. After testing the NanoFilters, we would never recommend a pool robot without one again.

Which is better for leaves?

Easily the Dolphin Premier, it's Dolphin's only cleaner with a leaf bag. Plus the addition of the NanoFilters and the standard filters makes the Premier a no-brainer.

Which is better for algae, sand, and cloudy pool water?

Since the Dolphin Premier includes the ultra-fine filter, but the Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus doesn't, the Premier is the clear cut choice for a pool that struggles with algae, cloudy water, or any sand / small debris.

Media-Alert - Full Filter Indicator

The Premier's full filter indicator isn't to be found on the Nautilus CC Plus. While it isn't an essential feature, it is something to note as otherwise you'll have to constantly check the CC Plus to know whether it is time to clean. While on the flip side, the Dolphin Premier let's you know when it is time to clear out its filter.

Warranty

The Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus Warranty is 20% shorter than the Dolphin Premier. The Dolphin Premier's 3 year warranty is the longest you can get from Maytronics. When compared to the Nautilus CC Plus' warranty of 2.5 years, you could be left an entire pool season without coverage if something were to go wrong. While these cleaners are very reliable, it is something that helps have peace of mind when investing in a robotic pool cleaner.

Price

The Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus is cheaper, coming in at about $899. You can find the Dolphin Premier for as low as $1297. The Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus is the more affordable option, but the Dolphin Premier's extra filters, warranty, and pool coverage make up for it and more.

The Dolphin Premier can be found cheaper if you want to go the Certified Open Box or Certified Refurbished route. These units come fully tested and with a full 3 year warranty from Maytronics.

Is the Dolphin Premier or Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus better?

The Dolphin Premier is the superior unit to the Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus. With NanoFilters, Waterline Cleaning, Multi-Media, and longer 3 year warranty, the Dolphin Premier not only performs better, but is the better value.