Beatbot Sora 70 in test – 4-in-1 pool robot that puts the landing net out of work

The Beatbot Sora 70 test had been on our list for some time: At CES 2026, Beatbot had promised a pool robot that cleans the floor, walls, waterline and surface in a single device – and does so wirelessly, without a hose. That sounds like the promise that pool owners have been wanting to hear for years. The crucial question: Does the Sora 70 deliver what it promises on paper in practice?

We took a close look at it – with a view to cleaning performance, battery life, app operation and the question of who should really buy it. First of all: The result is more differentiated than the marketing image, but overall convincing.

Technical data & scope of delivery

Characteristic	Value
Cleaning areas	Floor, walls, waterline, water surface, shallow water from 20 cm
Max. Cleaning area	300 m² (approx. 3,230 sq ft)
Suction capacity	25,700 liters/hour (6,800 gal/h)
Filter fineness	150 µm standard; optional: 3 µm ultra-fine filter
Filter volume	6 liters (capacity: approx. 800 sheets)
Battery capacity	10,000 mAh
Running time	up to 5 h (floor mode) / up to 7 h (surface mode)
Charging time	approx. 4.5 hours (65 W charger)
Weight	approx. 10.4 kg
Dimensions	434 × 430 × 25 mm
Cleaning modes	6 (floor, surface, standard, eco, pro, wall/waterline)
Obstacle detection	SonicSense™ (ultrasound, 18 sensors)
Connectivity	WLAN + Bluetooth
Suitable for salt water	Yes
Protection class	IP68, UV-protected, corrosion-resistant, frost-resistant
Warranty period	3 years
Price (at the time of testing)	approx. 1190 €

Scope of delivery: Pool robot, 65 W charger, standard filter basket (150 µm), removal hook for extension pole, quick start guide. The Ultra-Fine filter (3 µm) is available separately.

Design & finish

Beatbot has made a conscious aesthetic decision with the Sora 70: lavender-purple or midnight blue instead of the usual black and gray of the competition. Those who prefer to keep their pool robot discreet will have to live with this. Those who see it as a statement will be pleased.

The choice of materials is consistently high quality. The housing is IP68-certified, UV-protected, corrosion-resistant and frost-resistant – the Sora 70 is therefore built for year-round use. The titanium charging connection is a particularly positive feature. Anyone who has ever thrown a pool robot in the bin after two seasons because of a corroded charging contact knows why this is not a marketing detail.

Another well thought-out feature is revealed when lifting out: the integrated quick-drain valve. The water runs out of the housing within seconds instead of having to dig 10 kilograms of soaked robot out of the tank. Practical, and back-friendly in the long run.

Practical test: cleaning performance

Floor & walls

The Sora 70 works with an S-shaped path planning: it moves along the pool in parallel paths, similar to a lawn robot – only under water. Four brush rollers and a suction capacity of 25,700 liters per hour are impressive. The Sora 70 reliably removes sand, coarse debris and clinging algae from the waterline.

What is striking: The robot works noticeably quietly. Compared to noisy competitor models – especially corded vacuums with an external power unit – the difference is clear. This is a real plus point for pools near terraces or in busy garden areas.

There is one limitation when it comes to corners: In pools with many right angles, the Pro mode occasionally leaves residue in the area of narrow angles and edges. The sensors work well, but physics sets limits. If you have an angular pool, you should plan a second short floor cycle if necessary or occasionally rework the affected areas manually.

Shallow water: The Sora 70 cleans steps and benches from a water depth of 20 cm without any problems. This is not a matter of course – many pool robots completely ignore the shallow water area.

Surface cleaning: the unique selling point

This is where the Sora 70 clearly separates itself from the field. The JetPulse™ system combines four water jets: The inner two suck dirt towards the inlet side, while the outer two prevent debris from escaping to the side. Leaves, insects, pollen and even thin oily surface films are actively captured – not just displaced.

One difference to older generations of pool robots that is noticeable in everyday life: many classic models have a cleaning hose that splashes rhythmically on the water surface during operation – the so-called tail splash. The Sora 70 does not need a hose and therefore works unobtrusively. The water remains calm, even when guests are sitting or swimming by the pool.

It is important to understand how it works: The Sora 70 cleans the surface in a dedicated cycle – it works the surface in a targeted manner and is then finished. It does not skim permanently like a permanently installed skimmer. If you have a pool into which fresh leaves are constantly falling, you will therefore need to schedule regular short cleaning runs. A rhythm of every three to four days has proven to be useful in practice. Very fine, light particles such as silk poplar wool or thin petals can sink through the water jet before they are caught – this is a physical limit, not a malfunction.

If you want to clear debris manually – such as an accumulation of leaves in a corner – you can steer the Sora 70 to the desired spot using the app. However, this only works as long as the robot is working on the surface.

Surface Parking: always at hand

At the end of a cleaning program or when the battery drops below 12 %, the Sora 70 automatically moves to the surface of the pool and remains floating on the edge. This makes it easy to lift out with the removal hook supplied – no fumbling around.

A note for pools with a running circulation pump: If the pump is running in parallel during operation, the robot may drift slightly when parked on the surface. This is not a malfunction, but the result of the water flow. If you want to park it exactly at the edge, switch off the pump briefly before the end of the cycle.

Filter basket: generously dimensioned

The 6-liter filter basket is one of the largest currently available in this appliance class. It holds up to 800 leaves – which in practice means that it does not have to be emptied after every run. However, a week of intensive use in a pool close to the leaves fills it up measurably.

When the basket is full or blocked by large leaves, the suction power drops noticeably. The solution is simple: empty it regularly and rinse the filter insert. What you shouldn’t expect from the Sora 70: It is a maintenance robot. If you have a pool full of winter dirt after the winter break, first grab the landing net yourself for basic cleaning – only then will the Sora 70 take over the ongoing maintenance.

Battery performance & charging time

The 10,000 mAh battery delivers what Beatbot promises. A complete cleaning cycle is easily enough for a typical household pool of up to 80 m². Larger pools of around 300 m² are feasible, but require a full charging cycle and corresponding time. The floor-only mode draws more power than the surface mode – if you use the device intensively, it is best to plan: charge in the evening, use in the morning.

The charging time is approx. 4.5 hours using the 65 watt charger supplied. A charging station is not included in the scope of delivery – for the price of €1,499, this should have been expected.

Firmware update on first use: Early delivery batches contained a software bug that caused the robot to switch off after around three hours instead of the full running time. Beatbot has fixed the problem with a firmware update. The update loads automatically the first time it is set up via the app – this takes around 5 minutes. If you are unsure whether your device is up to date: check the firmware version in the app under device settings.

Software & app

The Beatbot app makes a good impression. The interface is tidy and the cleaning modes can be selected and started intuitively. If you want to control the robot manually, you can – but only as long as the Sora 70 is on the water surface. The WLAN connection is interrupted under water for physical reasons. This is the case with all pool robots of this type and is not a defect.

A practical note: Select the mode and start the program before the appliance goes into the water. Subsequent changes to the current mode are only possible when the robot resurfaces. If you don’t know this, you will be annoyed the first time.

Price-performance ratio

At the time of testing, the Beatbot Sora 70 costs €1,499 RRP; it is currently available on Amazon.de for around €1,189. In a market comparison, this is premium territory – but far below Beatbot’s own AquaSense Ultra, which starts at around €2,700.

If you regularly commission a cleaning service – typically €80 to €120 per visit – you can recoup the purchase price in one to two seasons if you use it twice a month. There is also a less obvious advantage: because the robot actively keeps the water surface clean, the circulation system does not have to work as hard. This saves measurable amounts of electricity over the course of a season.

If you have a smaller pool or consider surface cleaning to be of secondary importance, the Beatbot Sora 30 or Sora 10 are cheaper alternatives from the same company. The MOVA Rover X10 is worth a look as a competitor model.

Conclusion

The Beatbot Sora 70 is not a panacea, but it is a convincingly well thought-out device. Anyone who fights leaves, pollen or insects in the pool on a daily basis will immediately notice the difference compared to a pure floor solution. JetPulse surface cleaning works – not perfectly for the finest particles, but reliably for what pool owners typically have to deal with. In addition, there is a 6-liter filter basket that does not fill up annoyingly quickly, a battery that does what it is supposed to, and quiet operation that is hardly noticeable in everyday life.

What you should realistically plan for: The Sora 70 is a maintenance device. It doesn’t do the basic cleaning after the winter break – that’s work you do yourself or delegate once. After that, it takes over. Corners are sometimes not completely covered, and if you have a heavily overgrown pool, schedule a short run every few days instead of a long one once a week.

Recommended purchase: The Beatbot Sora 70 is worthwhile for pool owners with a pool area of around 40 m² or more who regularly have to deal with surface dirt and would like to give up the manual cleaning routine. For small pools without a significant amount of debris, it is better to opt for the cheaper Sora 30.