ECOVACS ULTRAMARINE P1 Review: leaves, walls and value

A pool floor covered in leaves is a useful way to find out whether a robot is doing the cleaning or merely going for a swim. In our ECOVACS ULTRAMARINE P1 review, the cordless cleaner got to work on the debris and climbed the pool wall to scrub the tiled area. Those two jobs made a stronger impression than the long list of smart features on the box.

The Australian P1 is advertised at A$999 and combines four roller brushes, a 3.5-litre basket and selectable floor, wall and All cleaning programmes. We found the basic routine easy to follow: pair it with the app, choose a plan, charge it and put it in the water. Its appeal lies in taking over a repetitive job, although retrieval, filter care and some app limitations remain part of ownership.

ECOVACS ULTRAMARINE P1 review: leaves, walls and daily cleaning

Our test started with leaves and debris spread across the bottom of the pool, giving the P1 a useful workload. It collected leaves as it worked across the floor, then climbed the wall and moved along the tiled area. The combination of floor pickup and wall contact is the strongest part of the experience: the robot was doing useful cleaning beyond simply travelling around the bottom.

ECOVACS rates its UltraPure system at 18,200 litres per hour and uses an S-flow channel intended to resist clogging. That number describes flow, while the useful result in our test was the collection of visible leaf litter. We have not turned that observation into a laboratory pickup percentage, and ECOVACS’ claims of up to 99 per cent coverage or pickup should be read as manufacturer figures.

SmartNavi uses an IMU to organise movement, with S-shaped floor routes and V-shaped wall paths listed for the Australian model. The wall-climbing behaviour was convincing in our test, but it does not establish that every pool bench, stair or tight corner will receive the same attention. ECOVACS’ quoted 5.5cm obstacle-crossing height is aimed at features such as drains and lights; owners with complicated pool layouts should check suitability for those specific features.

Setup is straightforward, with a limit on remote control

Pairing the P1 and selecting a cleaning plan were straightforward. The app offered Floor, Wall and All programmes, along with Eco, Standard and Max suction settings and selectable run durations. A firmware update was offered during setup, so it is worth allowing time for that before the first clean.

Selecting All mode prompted for a full charge during our setup. That is manageable when planning a clean, although it limits the flexibility of starting that programme with a partly charged battery. The app makes the available options clear enough; the more significant Australian ownership detail is that connectivity is Bluetooth and the retailer specifies ground control only.

Configure the cleaner before putting it into the pool rather than relying on the broad promise of remote app control. Single and recurring cleaning plans are listed, but they do not eliminate the need to retrieve, maintain and recharge the robot. For us, the practical benefit was choosing the job and then letting the machine get on with it.

An easy basket routine, without claiming a hands-off pool

Routine basket maintenance was simple, and the inner filter fits inside the outer basket when finer filtration is wanted. The Australian specification is a 180-micron outer mesh with a 3-micron inner filter, confirmed on ECOVACS’ local product page. We did not independently measure particle-capture size, so the micron ratings remain specifications rather than a measured result.

The 3.5-litre capacity gives leaves somewhere to go, but owners still need to check and empty the basket as debris builds up. A heavily littered pool can demand more attention than an ordinary maintenance clean. The P1 made that routine approachable, which matters when the basket will need cleaning again long after the fun of watching a robot climb the wall has worn off.

Cordless operation removes a trailing hose or power lead during cleaning, while retrieval remains manual. The Australian retailer lists the robot at 10.5kg and includes a hook, making pool-edge access and lifting ability sensible buying considerations. ECOVACS also claims UV, chemical and corrosion protection through its 10-tier Durability System; our cleaning test does not establish several summers of durability.

Australian specifications and battery expectations

The Australian battery listing is 4,600mAh typical and 4,400mAh rated, rather than the 5,200mAh figure found in some overseas material. ECOVACS quotes up to three hours in Eco mode, and that should not be read as three hours at maximum suction. We did not record a complete timed discharge result, so the runtime below is the rated maximum.

Specification	Australian ULTRAMARINE P1
Australian model	ECOVACS ULTRAMARINE-P1; white
Advertised price	A$999 at The Good Guys
Cleaning coverage	Floor, walls and waterline
Cleaning programmes	Floor, Wall and All
Suction settings	Eco, Standard and Max
Maximum suction flow	18,200 litres per hour
Roller brushes	Four, positioned front and rear
Navigation	SmartNavi / IMU; S-path floor and V-path wall routes
Obstacle crossing	Up to 5.5cm (manufacturer claim)
Filter basket	3.5 litres; 180-micron outer mesh and 3-micron inner filter
Runtime	Up to 180 minutes in Eco mode (manufacturer claim)
Battery, Australian retailer specification	4,600mAh typical / 4,400mAh rated; 95.04Wh, 21.6V
Coverage per charge	Up to 180m² of pool floor (ECOVACS claim)
Listed working area	600m² (retailer listing; not a per-charge result)
Connectivity	Bluetooth; ECOVACS HOME app; ground control only
Scheduling and software	Single and recurring plans; OTA firmware updates
Parking and protection	Automatic parking and low-power return listed by Australian retailer
Water protection	IP68 on ECOVACS AU; IPX8 water-resistance listing at retailer
Dimensions	466 × 393 × 238mm (Australian retailer listing)
Product weight	10.5kg (Australian retailer listing)
Listed noise level	60dBA (retailer specification; not a TDP measurement)
Manufacturer’s warranty	Two years

These Australian specifications draw on The Good Guys’ ULTRAMARINE-P1 listing and ECOVACS’ local product information. The 600m² working-area listing and the manufacturer’s up-to-180m² floor-coverage-per-charge claim describe different figures; neither is a TDP-tested coverage result. Large-pool owners should confirm that the intended programme and pool layout suit their cleaning requirements.

Is it good value at A$999?

The P1’s A$999 advertised price buys a useful combination of leaf pickup, wall cleaning and straightforward upkeep. Our test supports those core benefits, and we would recommend it to owners who want to hand over regular floor and wall cleaning while keeping a manageable maintenance routine. The price is good rather than a reason to skip comparing alternatives.

Competition is keen in this bracket. At the time of writing, Aiper’s Australian store lists the Scuba S1 (2026 Upgrade) at A$799.99 on sale, against A$999.99, so the P1 is not automatically the cheapest route to cordless pool cleaning. Those advertised prices may change. TDP’s earlier Aiper Scuba S1 review offers further ownership context, with current-model specifications worth checking separately.

The P1 earns its recommendation through the work we saw it do: collecting leaves, climbing the wall and making the basic cleaning routine easy to manage. Ground-only app control, manual lifting and the full-charge prompt keep it from feeling completely effortless, and its battery and longevity claims still need to be distinguished from our observations. For the right pool, though, watching the robot tackle the leaf litter is a much better use of a weekend than volunteering to do the same job yourself.