Polaris ATLAS XT vs Hayward Aquanaut Which is the Best?

 My favorite pool cleaner over the years has been the Hayward PoolCleaner 2X or 4X otherwise sold under the name Hayward Aquanaut 200 & 400 and the Hayward Phoenix (referred hereafters the Hayward cleaner). These are all the same cleaner branded for different wholesale, retail, and eCommerce outlets. With the new Polaris ATLAS, ATLAS XT, and MAXX hitting the market (referred to here as the Polaris cleaners), is the Hayward cleaner still the best?

I think it all comes down to preference still. The Hayward cleaners require very few part changes. All you will be changing over the years are the rubber tires. That is it. So it is more or less a, “put it in the pool and forget it” cleaner. That is what makes it such a great purchase. Along with the fact that the V-Flex turbine is designed to pick up large leaf debris without getting jammed. 

The only real downside to the Hayward cleaners is the lack of wall climbing ability. You can tell the customer that 90% of the dirt is on the bottom but still they want a cleaner that cleans the walls. The redesign of the Hayward cleaner right before it was purchased from Poolvergnuegen was the addition of two raised plastic parts on the bottom to prevent it from climbing the walls past the slope. The reasoning was it would climb out of the pool and suck air, much like what the Pentair Rebel does now. When the old version of the Hayward cleaner would climb to the waterline it would suck in air and cause the pump to lose prime. 

The Polaris cleaners on the other hand are exceptional wall climbers. They will climb most pool surface types up to the waterline. Since the throat of the cleaner is on the back bottom area, even if it comes up to the water line the Polaris cleaners will not suck in air and cause the pump to lose prime. The Polaris cleaners win hands down in this category. 

The Polaris cleaners do have a lot more wear parts than the Hayward cleaner. But the parts have been beefed up and made to last much longer. The tracks now should wear out on the outside before the inside teeth wear out. The directional devices have also been upgraded and the new Halo engine looks very durable as well. Yes, you will be changing more parts in the Polaris cleaners, but it will now match the Hayward cleaner in debris ability and best it in wall climbing. 

The new Halo turbine will allow the Polaris cleaners to go head to head against the Hayward cleaners. Long string-like debris jamming up the engine of the previously designed Zodiac MX8 and MX8 Elite is a thing of the past. The one advantage the Hayward cleaners had is now gone and you will see large debris passing right through the Polaris cleaners. For debris pick-up ability both cleaners now excel in that category. 

The last advantage the Polaris cleaners have over the Hayward cleaners is the scrubbing brushes on the bottom. It may look like a gimmick but these scrubbing brushes work. They will scrub off algae and dirt, something the Hayward cleaners can’t do. 

So both cleaners have their pros and cons as you can see listed below. 

Hayward PoolCleaner,Aquanaut & Phoenix

Fewer part changes

Great for large debris

Easy to operate and install

Affordable and reliable

Poor wall climbing ability

Long-lasting parts 

Polaris ATLAS, ATLAS XT & MAXX

Great for large debris

Climbs walls to the waterline

Scrubbing brushes

Moderate to set up and install

Many wear parts

Pricey but extremely well made

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