Quick Answer: The Hayward AquaVac 250Li (about $179-$249) and Dolphin Liberty 200 (about $899-$949) are both entry-tier cordless robotic pool cleaners, but they aren’t really competing for the same buyer. Per Maytronics’ own spec page, the Liberty 200 climbs walls on inground pools up to 33 feet; per Hayward’s own product page, the 250Li never claims wall coverage at all and is built for above-ground pools or shallow, flat-bottomed inground pools under 5 feet deep. The price gap — the 250Li costs roughly 75-80% less — tracks that coverage gap almost exactly, so picking between them comes down to one question: does your pool have walls that need scrubbing?
Both robots turn up in searches for “cheapest cordless pool cleaner,” which makes it tempting to treat this as a straightforward price comparison. It isn’t — Hayward’s first-ever cordless robot and Dolphin’s entry-tier Liberty occupy genuinely different coverage tiers, verified directly against each brand’s own spec pages.
Hayward AquaVac 250Li vs Dolphin Liberty 200 at a glance
| Hayward AquaVac 250Li | Dolphin Liberty 200 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$179-$249 | ~$899-$949 |
| Cleans | Floor only (no wall/waterline claim) | Floor and walls (no waterline) |
| Pool type | Above-ground up to 30 ft diameter; shallow inground <5 ft deep, <15° slope | Inground up to 33 ft, no depth restriction published |
| Runtime | Up to 120 minutes | 2.5 hours (default cycle) |
| Charging | Standard charging dock | Magnetic-Connect inductive charging |
| App control | No | No |
| Warranty | 3 yr (RCH200CU via dealer) — unconfirmed online SKU | 2 years |
| Weight | 15.4 lb | ~17.9-18 lb |
By the numbers
- The price gap is bigger than the feature gap looks. The 250Li runs about $179-$249 against the Liberty 200’s $899-$949 — roughly a 75-80% discount — even though the actual capability difference is “floor only” versus “floor and walls,” not a difference in pool-size ceiling or build quality. Per each brand’s own spec pages, this isn’t a simple apples-to-apples price cut; it reflects a genuinely narrower coverage promise on Hayward’s side.
- Wall-climbing is the real dividing line, not price. Hayward’s own marketing for the AquaVac 250Li never claims wall or waterline coverage anywhere we could find, while Maytronics’ spec page confirms the Liberty 200 climbs walls (just not the waterline). If a buyer only compares sticker price, they’d miss that these two solve different problems.
- Runtime favors the Liberty 200 by about 25 minutes. 2.5 hours (150 minutes) per Maytronics versus 120 minutes per Hayward — a real but modest gap, not a dramatic one.
Hayward AquaVac 250Li: the budget pick for simple pools
Hayward AquaVac 250Li
- Floor-only cleaning for above-ground pools and shallow, flat-bottomed inground pools.
- Up to 120 minutes of runtime per charge.
- Large debris canister, floating retrieval string.
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Our full Hayward AquaVac 250Li review covers the RCH200CU vs. W3RCH200CU warranty naming trap in detail — worth reading before you buy, since the online-retail SKU’s warranty coverage isn’t confirmed to match the in-store version.
Dolphin Liberty 200: wall-climbing coverage for inground pools
Dolphin Liberty 200
- Scrubs floor and walls (no waterline) on a 2.5-hour cycle.
- Rated for inground pools up to 33 feet.
- Magnetic-Connect inductive charging, top-load filter access.
Our full Dolphin Liberty 200 review covers the waterline coverage gap versus the step-up Liberty 300, if wall climbing alone isn’t enough for your pool.
Which should you buy?
- Choose the AquaVac 250Li if: you own an above-ground pool or a shallow, flat-bottomed inground pool, don’t need wall-climbing, and want the cheapest cordless option in either brand’s lineup.
- Choose the Liberty 200 if: your pool has walls that actually need scrubbing — a standard inground pool with a deep end is squarely inside Maytronics’ stated coverage and outside Hayward’s.
- Don’t let price alone decide. The 250Li’s roughly 75-80% lower price buys genuinely narrower coverage, not just a smaller brand premium — check which coverage tier your pool actually needs first.
If neither fits, our best cordless robotic pool cleaner guide ranks the full field, including wall-and-waterline models like the Dolphin Liberty 300 and Aiper’s Scuba line.
The bottom line
The Hayward AquaVac 250Li and Dolphin Liberty 200 both advertise “cordless” and both target budget-conscious buyers, but they aren’t substitutes for each other. The 250Li is the cheaper, more coverage-restricted option built for above-ground and shallow inground pools; the Liberty 200 costs several times more but climbs walls on a standard 33-ft inground pool. Match the robot to your pool’s shape, not the price tag — a flat-bottom above-ground pool doesn’t need the Liberty 200’s extra capability, and a deep-end inground pool is outside the 250Li’s stated range entirely.