Dolphin Active 20 Robotic Pool Cleaner review: Specs, Features, Pros & Cons

Dolphin’s Active series was designed to be the perfect balance of performance and affordability, making them a popular choice for many pool owners.

Today we’ll be taking an in-depth look at the Dolphin Active 20, one of Maytronics mid tier robotic pool cleaners, to see if its price matches performance.

Dolphin active 20 quick review

Developed by Maytronics the Dolphin Active 20 is a basic, lightweight robotic pool cleaner designed with simplicity in mind, making it easy to use and operate, even for the most un-tech savvy users. The Maytronics Active 20 is designed specifically for residential pools up to 50 ft in length, of any shape, and surface type.

The Active 20 is able to clean all areas of the pool including the walls ,and waterline thanks to its PowerStream Mobility which allows it to create maximum suction to any pool surface, resulting in minimal slippage and a more effective clean.

Other basic Dolphin models like the Dolphin S50 use a standard power cord, these cords are know to be prone to tangling, making the pool cleaner unreliable to be left to clean unsupervised. The Dolphin Active however, comes equiped with a 60ft anti-tangle swivel cable which has multiple buoys attached to it which keeps the cord afloat on the pools surface.

Just like the Dolphin S200 pool cleaner, or The Dolphin Dx4, The Active 20 uses a CleverClean navigation system. This System ensures every area of your pool is cleaned in the optimal amount of time, even allowing it to navigate around any objects in its path.

The Dolphin Active 20 does not feature bluetooth connectivity or the MyDolphin App, but you are still able to set a weekly cleaning schedule. This can be set to every 24, 48, or 72 hours.

If you’re after a robotic pool cleaner that comes bluetooth connectivity which allows you to set cycle times, or delayed start, then you’re best to check out a model like the Dolphin S300i, or if you want a more premium option the Dolphin Sigma is my top pick.

The Maytronics Active 20 uses an easy to clean net basket, which comes with two types of filters. The fine Filters are designed for debris like sticks, leaves, and bugs, while the ultra fine filters are for micro particles like pollen and dust.

If you’re looking at purchasing the Dolphin Active 20 it will cost you around $1099 and will need to be purchased from your local dolphin supplier.

Maytronics active 20 specs

• Make: Dolphin
• Model: Active 20
• Pool type: In-ground up to 50ft
• Weight: 16.5lbs
• Caddy included: No
• Warranty: 24 months (limited)

Now lets take a closer look of the Dolphin Active 20’s features and their benefits.

Dolphin Active 20 key features

Quick water release system

Many automatic pool cleaners can be hard to remove from the pool. This can be due to their heavy design, or the fact that excess water remains in the cleaner as you remove it from the pool. The Dolphin Active 20 fixes this issue in two ways.

First of all it was designed with a weight of only 16.5lbs, making it one of the lightest robotic pool cleaners available. And secondly, it features a quick water release system that release any excess water through a flap in the bottom while it’s being removed from the pool. This makes the Dolphin Active 20 easy to transport and remove.

PowerStream Mobility

The Dolphin Active 20 uses its Powerstream Mobility much like the Dolphin Premier which gives it the ability to become a master wall climber. This mobility works by squirting multiple jets of water in different directions onto the pools surface which creates maximum suction.

This allows the Maytronics Active 20 to effortlessly scale the pools walls, cleaning right up to the waterline. These jets are also very effective at removing any stubborn dirt and debris.

CleverClean Navigation

The Dolphin Active 20 comes loaded with CleverClean navigation. This works by the Active 20 scanning the pool using different algorithms in order to find the most efficient cleaning path to take. This ensures no areas of the pool are missed, or the same area isn’t cleaned twice.

This also gives the Maytronics Active 20 the ability to manoeuvre around any obstacles in its path like ladders or drains, and return to its original cleaning path.

One thing to remember is that it can take the Dolphin Active 20 a couple of cleaning cycle before it works out the optimal route.

Anti-tangle Swivel cable

If you own an automatic pool cleaner, then I’m sure you’ve experienced returning back to your pool, only to find your cleaner tangled around its cord floating in the middle of the pool. Not only are they difficult to remove and untangle when this happens, but it means you have to start the whole cleaning cycle again wasting time, and money!

This is where the Dolphin Active 20’s 60ft anti-tangle swivel cable is a real lifesaver. Multiple buoys attached along the cable keep it afloat on the pools surface, while its swivel pivots when need be to ensure the cord always follows directly behind it. This makes the Maytronics Active 20 a reliable robotic pool cleaner to be left to clean unsupervised.

Check out the Dolphin Active 20’s features in this video below.

Maytronics active 20 user reviews

While reading and watching reviews for the Dolphin Active 20 it was clear for me to see that the majority of user were very pleased with it.

It does a great job removing the majority of debris, with one user saying how impressed he was with its ability to remove all the acorns, sticks and leaves from his pool.

While another user loved how much debris its filter basket was able to contain, and how quick and easy it was to clean saying “it’s literally emptied and cleaned in as little as 30 seconds!”

One customer did mention that the Maytronics Active 20 didn’t always make it up to the waterline when climbing the walls, however they were still impressed with its all round performance.

Another common positive point was made in relation to how easy the Dolphin Active 20 is to setup and operate with one person saying ” you simply plug it in, drop it in the pool, press the on button, and away you go!” They also loved how reliable it was to be left to clean unsupervised, giving them more time to do other things.

Dolphin Active 20 pool cleaner summary

If you’re after a basic robotic pool cleaner that’s easy to operate, and is able to provide a decent clean, then I think the Dolphin Active 20 is one to put on your list.

It is a well designed, lightweight pool cleaner that packs lots of good features which takes the stress out of pool maintenance.

I really like how versatile it is when it comes to the the different surface types it is able to clean, and how it is able to clean all areas of the pool including up to the waterline. I also really like its plug and play design which only requires it to be plugged into a power socket to operate, making it a good choice for first time owners of a robotic pool cleaner.

The fact that it comes equiped with an easily accessible top loaded net basket with both fine, and ultra fine filters was also a win for me, as many other pool cleaners require the ultra fine filter to be purchased separately for an added cost.

Unfortunately the Maytronics Active 20 cannot be purchased from Amazon or eBay, so you’ll need to purchase it from your local Dolphin supplier.

If you’re after some more great alternatives then I’d recommend checking out the Dolphin Triton Ps Plus, or the Dolphin Oasis Z5i.

Or feel free to check out our reviews on our favourite Dolphin models or our top automatic pool cleaner choices here.