Roborock Debuts RockAqua P1 Pool Cleaner at IFA 2026

There are very few brands that set the bar so high that we, as journalists, remain unconvinced by their new creations unless they introduce something extraordinary. Roborock is no exception. The Beijing-based brand that spent years mastering the art of building robot vacuums has decided to dive deep into your pools as well.

At IFA 2026, Roborock unveiled RockAqua P1, its first pool cleaner, marking its foray into pool maintenance, a category long dominated by the likes of Aiper and Beatbot. The move isn’t a surprise, considering that once Roborock mastered climbing stairs and picking up items with robotic arms, expanding into new categories felt like a natural inclination.

The result was the arrival of the lawn mower IFA in 2025, and the pool cleaner followed suit in 2026. The water vacuum is engineered to clean pool floors, walls, waterlines, and shallow platforms. Roborock’s press release adds that the P1 reaches ledges as shallow as 5.9 inches and covers everything from the floor to the waterline, using its ClearVision Smart Patrol mode to prioritize dirtier spots.

The cordless pool cleaner features a dual-stage filtration system that moves 6,800 gallons of water per hour and collects debris in a four-litre basket. CNET, the first to get hands on a unit, reports that the machine can automatically adjust suction based on the debris it encounters. To put that into context, the P1 pool cleaner lowers suction initially so the water flow doesn’t push the debris away. As it moves closer, it increases suction to pull the debris in.

The RockAqua P1 runs for up to 3.5 hours on a full charge, about average for high-end models. Once a cleaning cycle ends, it floats to the surface instead of sitting at the bottom like some pool cleaners do, so there’s no hauling it out by hand. That makes it easier to grab, empty, and recharge. That said, CNET also flags some important points. The outlet reports that the model lacks in proactive leaf, bug, and stone hunting, but it makes up for it with a lot of suction power. 

Nevertheless, the push beyond the living room puts Roborock in direct competition with ecosystem heavyweights like Aiper and Beatbot. Interestingly, both these names were never in direct competition with Roborock before, since they operated in separate spaces, but that’s about to change as all these companies now compete for the same pool.

Also Read: Top-Rated Pool Vacuums to Keep Your Mini Oasis Pristine This Summer

Roborock’s expansion into outdoor spaces also challenges Mammotion and Dreame, brands that have long set the standard for premium, perimeter-wire-free yard robotics. By moving into both lawns and pools, Roborock is aiming for a fully automated ecosystem that covers the entire property, indoors and out. We look forward to reviewing the pool cleaner in the coming days; check back for more information.