Dolphin Proteus DX5i Robotic Pool Cleaner Review

4 126 Reviews Write A Review

Best Price

$1399

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The Dolphin Proteus DX5i Robotic Pool Cleaner has the following:

Waterline Scrubbing - Super efficient on vertical surfaces for optimal waterline scrubbing
Light Weight - Lightweight design for easy lifting and handling
Easy Access Filter - Top-load filter access for easy and convenient debris removal and cleaning
Plug'n'Play - Just plug it in, drop into the pool, for a hassle free clean

Scorecard

Ratings

Waterline Cleaning	Excellent
NanoFiltration	Not Available
Pool Coverage	Average
User Experience	Average
No Restocking Fee	Sellers May Charge 20%+ Restocking Fee
30 Day Trial Avaliable	No Free Trial
Warranty	2 Year Warranty

Highs

Waterline Cleaning

Energy Efficient Motors

Anti-Tangle Swivel - Prevents Tangles

2 High Speed Scrubbing Brushes

Schedule Cleanings - Run every 24, 48, or 72 hours

Find A Dealer

Lows

No Smartphone App

Restocking Fee Up to 20%

Better Value Units Avaliable

Shorter Warranty Than Premium Robots

Lacks multiple filter options - Similar units come with 2+

Learn More

Dolphin Sigma Pool Cleaner

Dolphin Premier Pool Cleaner

4.9 693 Reviews Write A Review

Best Price

$1347

Highs

Dolphin's Best Pool Robot Yet - More Features, More Filters, & More Power.

Most Advanced Dolphin Ever - Utilizes Gyroscope

Includes NanoFilters - Unlock a Deeper Clean

Quad Scrubbing Brushes - 4X Cleaning Power

Utilizes 3 Dolphin ProLine Commercial-Grade Motors

Learn more about Sigma Compare Proteus DX5i vs Sigma

4.9 2163 Reviews Write A Review

Best Price

$1297

Highs

Only Dolphin with a Leaf Bag - includes Multi-Media

Waterline Cleaning Beast

New, High Performing Dolphin ProLine Model

NanoFiltration - Premier's NanoFilters allow it to clean deeper than standard Dolphin pool robots

3 Year Warranty

Learn More About Premier Compare Proteus DX5i vs Premier

Waterline / Tileline Cleaning

Clean where other robots can't.

90% of the bacteria in your pool is on the waterline. Don't get confused with robots that are "Wall Climbing". There is a big difference. Waterline cleaning means the Dolphin Proteus DX5i actively scrubs and sticks to the waterline scrubbing away this problem area in the pool. It is a feature you don't want to miss.

Wall Climbing

Provides floor and wall coverage

Dolphin Proteus DX5i is able to easily clean your walls of your pool.The Dolphin Proteus DX5i combines wall climbing with the even more important waterline cleaning to provide a deep clean in your pool, giving you full floor, wall, and waterline coverage in your pool.

Smartphone App

Control the Dolphin Proteus DX5i from anywhere.

With the its myDolphin Plus smartphone app, you can schedule cleanings, manually control, and fine tune your Dolphin Proteus DX5i.

Learn More

Anti-Tangle Swivel

No more tangled cords.

With an anti-tangle swivel, the Dolphin Proteus DX5i can fully explore and clean your pool without ever getting stuck. The innovative design allows the robot to move freely 360 degrees around your pool, without ever knotting the cord.

Ultra Efficient

Save hundreds of dollars a year while cleaning your pool!

Dolphin Proteus DX5i saves hundreds of dollars a year in energy when compared to pressure-side or suction-side cleaners.

Plug and Play

Simply Plug Dolphin Proteus DX5i in and start cleaning!

Set up has never been easier. No installation needed. Dolphin Proteus DX5i is ready to go right out of the box. No extra pumps, plumbing, or anything else needed. Simply plug Proteus DX5i and start cleaning!

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Dolphin Proteus DX5i Overview

Maytronics

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$1998.95

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Looking for the best deal on the Dolphin Proteus DX5i and other robotic pool cleaners? Look no further, we have you covered. We searched the web and found the best deals on Maytronics, Aquabot, Polaris, and other cleaners.

Customer Reviews

4 Based on 126 Reviews

Featured Reviews:

Well worth the money

M491 - Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 25, 2020

We finally broke down and retired our 15 year old Jandy Ray Vac. The Dolphin is a major step up to the old Ray Vac and it works incredibly quick. First of all the unit is extremely well made. The seller, In The Swim, is a major retailer who does stand behind these devices should there be any repair/warranty work required. The robot literally works 5 minutes out of the box. Open, unpack, connect the power supply to the robot cord and drop into the pool. I had issues getting my wifi feature to work but no worries, the unit will run for 2 hours by default without the app. I brought the power supply into my house where it linked up immediately. Now everything is configured on the app. The cleaning is very very good. The old Ray Vac could never compare and only vacuuming the pool was comparable. There are two sets of filters included and the removal and cleaning of the dirt filters is very simple and gets all the debris removed so the robot is nice and clean. I am very happy with this purchase. Update 8/25/20 This is by far the best pool purchase I have made since building our unground pool 15 years ago. The Dolphin comes up to the water line and does a great job of keeping the tile clean. the floor is a simple task and we have trees nearby that litter the pool any time a bit of wind comes along. I just drop the Dolphin in and that's all I do. I have had more time to focus on the water chemistry as a result. The only limitation is around steps and seats. The robot cannot get into each step and get all the debris. I will just brush those area and the Dolphin can easily get it. Not a big issue since I am skimming the pool at the same time. The power supply has wifi which I thought was a stupid addition but I gave it a try. I can see the condition of the pool and add an extra 1 or 2 hours from my house without having to go out and rest the robot. That sounds like a silly extra for really lazy people but it does save time when you walk out from work (Covid work from home) and get back on a conf call and not stopping to play with the pool. Still very happy with the Dolphin robot.

Highly Recommend

J. Puder - Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 8, 2021

I’ve waited nearly 6 months to write this review. I have used this robot once a week, every week and I couldn’t be more satisfied. I live in south Florida where pool cleaning never stops for the “winter.” This robot climbs the walls and leaves the pool spotless in 2 hours. I have a set of 3 stairs that it doesn’t always get to the top step on, which I understand, I couldn’t imagine a robot realistically navigating it... but for the rest of my 15,000 gallon pool it rocks! All I do is do a quick brush on the top step, one sweep with the brush on the top tile line (just because I’m OCD), throw the robot in and come back 2 hours later. SPOTLESS. Now let’s hope it lasts! (Fingers crossed)

Dolphin Proteus DX5i is as good as they claim!

Gail - Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 18, 2021

First off, I have major kudos to send to Amazon and In The Swim. Ordered online and received the package in less than 24 hours. Unbelievable! Second, DX5i works great. You do need to pair it with your home WiFi, so the power unit needs to be within that footprint, which for some people may be impossible. But after downloading the Dolphin App, snapping a picture of the QR code, and pairing everything, using your cell phone to operate the cleaner is easy. For some reason I had to "re-pair" everything (QR code, WiFi) after a few days of use; hopefully just a 1-time glitch. Cleaning performance and filter cleaning are top-notch for my vinyl liner pool. Definitely recommended.

Dolphin Robotic Pool Cleaner

Susan - Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 24, 2021

We bought the Kreepy Krauly for our new inground fiberglass pool. It was recommended by our pool installer. It worked but slower and inefficiently than expected. We did a lot of research on the robotic cleaners. We found the Dolphin to have the best reviews and Amazon had the best price. Very much worse the cost. Easy to use and cleans the pool to a shine. Love the blue tooth option so you can guide the Dolphin to sweep only what you need when in a time crunch. Love the way the Dolphin comes up the sides and scrubs the water line. Comes with two sets of filters. A fine and a larger filter. Very impressed and highly recommend.

Works well but needs longer cycles to clean large pools

Amazon Customer - Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 26, 2021

Works well but needs a longer cycle. The 1 and 2 hour cycles are not long enough to fully clean my 40K gallon pool. It’s fine though. I just leave it in and run it every day and it keeps it well cleaned that way.

Awesome pool cleaner

Wayne F. - Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 13, 2022

No dislikes Great cleaning power Easy to use controls .

Works perfectly and super easy to operate

SS - Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 15, 2021

Set-up was simple. Took a couple of tries to pair with the iOS app. Once paired, controlling the robot from my iPhone is easy and quick. Cleans the pool as advertised. This includes the bottom, sides, and water-line. I am in the desert so sand is a constant problem in the pool. The Dolphin takes care of it every time. Although this model is expensive, it is recommended highly.

Would still buy again

Travis - Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 17, 2021

This gets “stuck” a lot on my tanning ledge. The auction is not the best. Overall, it is a good item.

Get rid of your pool service!

C conrad - Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 23, 2021

Love this product. We named our robot Taz, he works around the clock, highly recommend and the app is easy to use

Take the takes the dirt out

farideh - Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 21, 2021

The media could not be loaded. This is a great vacuum we had some construction going on in our backyard and they didn’t care about our pool and put so much dirt and dust and trash in the pool in this vacuum save the pool. I love it I have some pictures.

Amazing do not wait

Aaron - Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 21, 2020

We were struggling to warrant sinking this much into a cleaner. Our previous one had been messing so we just finally caved. My wife is incredibly impressed with the function, capacity, and just overall cleaning results for our 36k gallon pool. Update: only complaints are that the cord tangles itself and that sometimes the machine opens up underwater. Other wise it's perfect.

Best $$$$$s I ever spent!

tansley4 - Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 20, 2021

Our shoulders and backs are trashed from cleaning the pool and spa. Now.......DONE! We have a big pool (bought upto 50 ft) 3 steps with a seating bench in the pool. This guy climbs them all easily and scrubs the tile. Love it!!

Product Not ready for the consumers ...

simin - Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 2, 2020

Definitely this product is NOT ready for the market. The app does not work , not user friendly and when I called they told me I should move the robot close to the router which is ridculous , as everybody has wifi by the pool but the machine does not have strong signal & could not get any signals. and when manualy we start then it stops and you have to manually start the machine a couple of times .....we had to do this a few times. Once it starts it does the job. But sorry this is not suppose to be cumbersome .It is suppose to be easy to use. Son not sure who gave it 5 star .. Must have been one of their tech support ! :o)) The SECOD worst part , if you decide to return after 3 days , within the first 10 days , you have to pay for the package .. as they say because it was put in the water. How are we suppose to know if this POOL vacuum works or not IF we dont use it in the pool ? totally Moron ! they should be customer focused and take their Beta Version of product back with pleasure.

Upgrade from a dolphin new ones fantastic

Mr. Z - Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 5, 2020

Upgrade from a Old dolphin,new ones fantastic. the basket on this new one is so easy to clean pops right out of top best investment I’ve made in a long time.Love the ability to schedule on Internet and the cleaner just starts up. Does an amazing job cleaning the pool

Works good

dave - Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 30, 2021

Worked right out of the box tbe only problem is when registration they ask for tbe sealers zip code and proof of lurches

Great product!

Steve Silver - Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 23, 2020

The robot climbs the walls to the top of the water line as shown. Has difficulty with stairs where it falls from the top of the deepest step. The step can be brushed anyway. Cleans the rest of the pool perfectly.

Works great when everything works.

cesar guerrero - Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 30, 2020

Great machine when it works. The control panel only lasted three weeks then stopped working. Make sure to register it. They were great on the warranty though. Sent a new panel ASAP and it’s up and going again.

Tangled

GD - Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 28, 2020

Only real issue with it is the cord. It is much thinner then the one it replaced. It tangles way to easy and I have to untangle it every day.

Love it

Amazon Customer - Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 2, 2021

Absolutely love this product!!! It keeps our pool clean

company didn't get back to me

James - Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 5, 2021

i tried to get an answer bout the unit on why the pine needle and leaves doesn't stay in the bag area and no one got back to me so customer serves isn't good i think there's a design flaw for the 1,100 i spent on this i have to return it

Waste of money

April Jenkins - Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 17, 2021

I spend more time trying to keep it online to use it then I do actually having my pool cleaned. It constantly tells me there is a connection problem with the cloud. I have to unplug it, redownload it to the app, and reconnect it to the cloud and internet every time I want to use the machine. It's a lot of money to spend and not be able to use appropriately. When it does clean my pool it does do a good job removing items off the bottom. The filter is easy to clean.

Great Automatic Pool Vacuum

Irene L. Johnson - Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 22, 2020

Great automatic pool vacuum. Lighter than the older models with a better, easy to remove waste basket.

Awesome cleaner!!!!

Rose Touvannas - Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 16, 2020

This cleaner is the best by far! Powerful and productive in every way! I highly recommend!

great machine

Br eagle eye - Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 28, 2020

can control it from anywhere with a wifi connection

Good robot pool cleaner.

CD Harvey - Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 21, 2020

Online activation using app. Cool lights when cleaning.

Anyone with a pool needs this, Just love it!

Pam Robichaux - Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 17, 2020

Anyone with a pool, this is a must have!

Love

givens88 - Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 17, 2020

I like this pool cleaner.

Do NOT purchase!!!

Lori Mackson - Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 13, 2021

This product does NOT work. We called the manufacturer and they ended up sending us a new unit, and that one had the same exact problems.

Get the model w/o app functionality

JasonR - Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 1, 2021

App will not pair / find robot. Support non existent. Without the app this robot has less functions than the cheaper alternatives.

Not great

Deanne S. - Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 8, 2021

We sent it back, would work for a minute then it would stop running. Total waste of $$$

Does NOT work

Leah - Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2021

Would not run for more than a few minutes with out stopping. Avoid!!!

This is my third yr it does a wonderful job it does the floor /walls /scrubs waterline

Anita C. - Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2022

Just set the time schedule It goes goes a long time before you have to empty it I love the Bluetooth technology on this model you can use the remote to get area’s that need an extra cleaning I highly recommend this model it may cost more but so worth it

Lame Duck

jeff steer - Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2020

Never worked. I put it in the water and it never moved an inch. It blew some bubbles and that was it. I did send back for refund and have not received it yet.

Didn’t work out of the box.

Amazon Customer - Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2021

Moved 3 inches and stopped working.

Will not stay connected!

B.L. Spradlen - Reviewed in the United States on June 23, 2020

I have asked to be called. To fix the problem if I do not hear from them soon the product will be returned

Waste of money

Dennis S. - Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2020

Sucks. Or doesn’t suck actually

Thoroughly Disappointed

D. Taylor - Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2021

We bought one of these to replace a Polaris 360 that I got sick of overhauling all the time. This is the worst $899 we've ever spent. We should've just bought another Polaris. This machine NEVER completely cleans our modest sized (17'x24') pool. We have to run it 3 or 4 times in a row just to get the whole bottom of the pool cleaned. It never cleans the steps. The cord is perpetually tangled, but there is at least enough length for it to traverse the whole pool. We have the optional silt filters, but they do absolutely nothing. The app is just short of terrible. There's very little you can do with it outside of starting and stopping the robot. You can set scheduled cleanings, but it's kind of pointless when the instructions say not to leave the robot in the water when not in use. If you have to go put the robot in the water every time you want to use it, what's the point of a schedule (or even the app, for that matter?) You only get two run time options; 1 hour or 2 hours. Neither of which is remotely long enough for how this robot performs. The manual control in the app IS terrible. It's VERY slow to respond and thereby nearly impossible to get the robot to react the way you want it to. The robot climbs the walls fairly well, WHEN it decides to actually climb them. It seems like it sees everything as an obstacle, from small debris on the bottom to even its own weight. (It'll start to climb a wall, but will stop and go back down.) It won't traverse the entire bottom of the pool in one trip. It'll go a few feet then stop and change directions. And it seems like it always wants to stop RIGHT BEFORE it picks up some debris. Watching the old Polaris do its thing was often peaceful. Watching this robot do its thing is pure frustration. I will never buy another robotic pool cleaner, and I would NOT recommend this one to anyone.

better than anticipated.

Dan Bergstrom - Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2021

tile cleaning is hit and mis but otherwise captures a lot of loose debris. love the large bin and is easy to clean.

Save water no more vacuum and waste of water

mrfix - Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2021

Do far it’s the best thing

Great cleaning results but WiFi and bluetooth functions a joke.

Mike C. - Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2020

I had an in floor cleaning system that I relied in for almost 5 years. Live in a dusty windy area. My pool was never clean. After running two 2 hour cleaning cycles, the pool is spotless. I couldn’t believe the fine dust, sand and debris that the unit picked up. I now have the pool I always wanted. Now for the bad news. If you are looking to actually control everything via WiFi think again. If the app worked the way it was supposed to work this would be a 5 star review. I can only get it running by manually starting the unit. WiFi and Bluetooth signals are strong while the functionality is weak. Would still recommend if it is a chore keeping your pool clean and clear.

Piece of crap

Mommy_sews_alot - Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2022

We’ve had this for exactly 1 year and it suddenly stopped working. We have kept it clean and taken great care of it, so there shouldn’t be any reason for it to just quit. Once it’s turned on it will go forward and then backwards and then the red light of death appears on the control board. I paid over $1000 for this vacuum and shouldn’t be having these issues. I would stay far away from this brand and/or model.

New Dolphin

Ralph - Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2021

It is a nice upgrade from my old Dolphin remote does not work as well as I expected. If you just run it in the basic mode it works fine. Don't spend the extra money on the i function.

Terra Caddy

The Must-Have Dolphin Accessory

Weather and UV-Resistant. Terra Caddy is the go-to Dolphin Caddy. Sealed and protected, the Terra Caddy is covered in a protect resin that cures to an extremely hard layer, making it resistant to scratches and weathering. The resin cures very hard, making it solvent-resistant and scratch-resistant. This level of protection makes the Terra Caddy stand up to rain, sunshine, termites, and more.

Buy Terra Caddy

Buy Caddy Cover

Dolphin Caddy

Move and Store

A robotic pool cleaner is an investment, so make sure to protect it. The Dolphin Universal Caddy is a solid caddy that gets the job done. Easily store and transport your robotic pool cleaner to keep it lasting for years to come.

Buy Dolphin Caddy

Buy Caddy Cover

Replacement Parts

Need extra filters, replacement power supply, or new climbing rings?

Looking for Dolphin Proteus DX5i replacement parts? Well, you've come to the right place. Shop all replacement parts for the Dolphin Proteus DX5i and all other Dolphin models.

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All Replacement Parts

Robotic Pool Cleaner Essential Guide

Best Pool Robot Buying Guide for 2023

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On a budget and want the most bang for your buck, look no further as we break down the best pool robots under $1000 in 2023.

3 Best Pool Robots for Algae in 2023

These robotic pool cleaners don't disappoint when it comes to cleaning algae, leaves, and debris in your pool.

Want to learn how to take care of your pool?

Find top how-to's, guides, and more about taking care of your swimming pool.

Pool Types	In Ground
Pool Size	50 ft
Pool Shape	Rectangle, Oval, or Freeform
Obstacles	Steps, Ladder, Drain Cover, Ledges, Pop-Ups
Surface	Gunite, Fiberglass, Vinyl, Liner

Waterline Cleaning	Yes
Number of Filters Included	1
Filter Cleaning	Top Access
Cleaning Coverage	Floor, Walls and Waterline
Cleaning Cycle(s)	2 hrs
Number of Brushes	2

Remote operation	No
WiFi / Bluetooth	WiFi: Yes Bluetooth: Yes
Smartphone App	Yes
Automated Weekly Timer	Yes

Full Bag Indicator	No
Cable Length	60 ft
Anti-Tangling Swivel	Yes
Restocking Fee	No
Warranty	2 Years
Caddy Included	Optional Caddies Available
Official Website
Official Dolphin Premier Comparison Page	Dolphin Proteus DX5i vs Dolphin Premier
Official Dolphin Sigma Comparison Page	Dolphin Proteus DX5i vs Dolphin Sigma
Part Number	99996212-LSWIF
ASIN	B0897VT8GY

Dolphin Proteus DX5i Robotic Pool Cleaner Review

$1399

The Dolphin Proteus DX5i Robotic Pool Cleaner has the following:

Ratings

Highs

Lows

Compare to higher rated robots

Dolphin Sigma Pool Cleaner

Dolphin Premier Pool Cleaner

$1347

Highs

$1297

Highs

Features

Waterline / Tileline Cleaning

Wall Climbing

Smartphone App

Anti-Tangle Swivel

Ultra Efficient

Plug and Play

Videos

All Videos

Where To Buy

Customer Reviews

Featured Reviews:

Well worth the money

Highly Recommend

Dolphin Proteus DX5i is as good as they claim!

Dolphin Robotic Pool Cleaner

Works well but needs longer cycles to clean large pools

Awesome pool cleaner

Works perfectly and super easy to operate

Would still buy again

Get rid of your pool service!

Take the takes the dirt out

Amazing do not wait

Best $$$$$s I ever spent!

Product Not ready for the consumers ...

Upgrade from a dolphin new ones fantastic

Works good

Great product!

Works great when everything works.

Tangled

Love it

company didn't get back to me

Waste of money

Great Automatic Pool Vacuum

Awesome cleaner!!!!

great machine

Good robot pool cleaner.

Anyone with a pool needs this, Just love it!

Love

Do NOT purchase!!!

Get the model w/o app functionality

Not great

Does NOT work

This is my third yr it does a wonderful job it does the floor /walls /scrubs waterline

Lame Duck

Didn’t work out of the box.

Will not stay connected!

Waste of money

Thoroughly Disappointed

better than anticipated.

Save water no more vacuum and waste of water

Great cleaning results but WiFi and bluetooth functions a joke.

Piece of crap

New Dolphin

Question & Answers

Specifications

Accessories

Terra Caddy

Dolphin Caddy

Replacement Parts

Poolside

Robotic Pool Cleaner Essential Guide

Best Pool Robot Buying Guide for 2023

Best Robotic Pool Cleaners for Under $1,000 in 2023

On a budget and want the most bang for your buck, look no further as we break down the best pool robots under $1000 in 2023.

3 Best Pool Robots for Algae in 2023

These robotic pool cleaners don't disappoint when it comes to cleaning algae, leaves, and debris in your pool.