Ecovacs Ultramarine P1 Review: A Strong First Pool Robot

The Ultramarine P1 is Ecovacs' first cordless pool robot, and it arrives with a specification that is deliberately conventional for the category rather than experimental. Tracks drive the machine, two roller brushes do the scrubbing, suction is quoted at 18 m3/h, and filtration is handled in two stages: a 180-micron basket for visible debris backed by a 3-micron fine filter for the particles a coarse mesh lets through.

Ecovacs quotes up to three hours of running time and a maximum coverage of 180 m2. Three cleaning modes are offered — Floor, Wall and All — so the robot can concentrate on the pool floor, climb the walls to work the waterline, or run through the whole sequence in a single cycle.

The Ultramarine P1 is not one of the more compact pool robots. Thick tracks, wide blue brushes and a two-tone shell give it real bulk. Weight is kept in check at around 10.5 kg, and the moulded handle makes lifting it clear of the water manageable rather than awkward.

The box includes a hook that fits onto a standard pool pole, a charger, spare roller brushes and a set of climbing rings. The rings are intended to help the robot deal with particular surfaces or pool shapes; the recorded test did not need them at any point.

There is no docking station, so charging means plugging directly into the robot's charge port, which sits behind a screw-in cap. Direct control comes from a single button on the top of the machine that switches it on and steps through the cleaning modes, with indicator lights showing status and the selected programme. That matters more than it sounds: the Ultramarine P1 can be started from the button alone, without touching a phone.

Finer adjustment does mean reaching for a smartphone. Pairing with the Ecovacs Home app happens over Bluetooth, and setup offers some basic guidance on matching power to the mess in question — maximum power for heavy leaves and sand, standard power for lighter soiling.

Once connected, the app shows the robot's status, battery level and the three modes. Suction can be set to Eco, Standard or Max, and a cleaning duration can be defined. Cycles can also be scheduled as one-offs or repeating jobs, which suits routine upkeep provided you remember that the robot still has to be lifted out, cleaned and recharged afterwards.

On first use, or later in the settings, you enter the pool type and shape. That information is meant to help the robot adapt its behaviour, though no map of the pool is ever displayed. A Maintenance tab lists the consumable parts.

Dropped into the water, the Ultramarine P1 takes a few seconds to purge the air trapped in its shell, then sinks to the floor before starting its cycle. Movement is organised, with reasonably coherent back-and-forth passes along the walls and waterline, which are treated first in the full cleaning mode. The machine stays firmly pressed against the surface and the roller brushes scrub the band where deposits tend to build up.

On the floor, progress is steady and the tracks provide good stability. There are occasional lapses, though: the robot sometimes fixates on one small area for a considerable time before resuming a normal pattern.

Steps are a more serious weak point. The Ultramarine P1 does not clean them, and the manual is explicit about that. It can still approach them by mistake, reading a step as a wall and even attempting to climb it. During the recorded test it ended up stuck vertically on one. For pools built around steps, this is a robot to avoid.

Obstacle handling is similarly limited. A diving mask left in the pool was not treated as something to steer around, so toys, goggles and other accessories are best removed before a cycle starts. The P1 has no camera, only an internal sensor that cannot identify the shape of the pool or the objects in it.

At the end of a cycle, or when the battery runs low, the robot stops near an edge. It does not surface, so retrieval means fishing it out with the supplied hook.

On everyday debris resting on the floor, the Ultramarine P1 performed well. Leaves, sand and small fragments were picked up properly, and floor cleaning is one of its genuine strengths, particularly in the dedicated mode with suction set to the intermediate level. Coverage across the test pool was satisfactory after a three-hour run.

Work on the waterline proved more convincing than expected. The roller brushes press against the wall and scrub the upper band properly rather than skimming past it.

The 3-micron fine filter is a real asset for the least visible particles, complementing the 180-micron basket that suits leaves and larger debris. Choosing between them matters: the 3-micron filter is aimed at slightly cloudy water and fine soiling, while the 180-micron basket on its own is preferable when the pool holds a lot of coarse debris. Ecovacs recommends using the fine filter only in Floor mode.

The basket is reached from above. Open the lid, press the release button and lift out the filter block; the process is simple, and a well-aimed hose does most of the cleaning on the main basket.

The fine filter naturally demands more care. Its tight mesh traps more small particles but also clogs faster, so it needs rinsing thoroughly and drying before the robot goes back into service or into storage. Ecovacs also recommends replacing this filter after a certain number of operating hours.

Ecovacs quotes up to three hours of running time, and testing confirmed it — a comfortable figure for a mid-sized pool. Floor mode is the least demanding, especially at moderate suction. Wall and All modes work the robot harder, particularly when it is climbing and holding position at the waterline; some durations in the app require a full charge before they can be selected.

A full recharge takes roughly four hours. That is longer than the maximum run time but fairly typical for this type of machine. For large pools approaching the quoted 180 m2, targeted cycles across several sessions will be the sensible approach.

The trait the P1 leans on hardest — floor cleaning backed by a 3-micron filter — can also be found elsewhere in the category. The Wybot C2 Vision adds a camera and AI-assisted mode that works well, while the Aiper Scuba X1 brings a charging station.