Hayward Wanda the Whale Above-Ground Suction Pool Cleaner

Our take

The Hayward Wanda the Whale Above-Ground Suction Pool Cleaner is a suction-side cleaner driven by your pool pump from Hayward. It cleans the floor, navigates at random, turning when it bumps into a wall, and has no app.

On paper it scores 4.4 out of 10 (basic) against other suction-side cleaners. Its strongest areas are filtration (7.0) and pool size (5.0). Where it gives ground: cleaning coverage (3.5) and navigation (4.0). Random navigation: it can miss spots and take longer to cover the pool.

The best price we found is $219 at INYO Pools. The typical suction-side cleaner we track costs $459, so this one is cheaper than most. For what it does, its value score is 8.0 out of 10.

If you want waterline scrubbing, the cheapest we track with it is the Zodiac MX6 Suction-Side Pool Cleaner at $349.

Bottom line: a basic pick for above-ground pools, buyers who want the most features per dollar and low running cost and nothing to charge.