Aiper Scuba N1 Review (2026): Is It Just a Cheaper Scuba S1?

Quick Answer: The Aiper Scuba N1 is a budget cordless robotic pool cleaner covering inground pools up to 1,600 sq ft, running 150 minutes (2.5 hours) per charge with an 80 GPM brushless suction motor and caterpillar treads. Price varies widely by retailer — $479.99 at Costco versus $599 in RoboticReviews’ independent test — and that same independent review scored it a middling 64/100, flagging weak vacuuming power and frequent recharging. It’s priced close to Aiper’s own Scuba S1, which has a clearer wall-climbing spec and a stronger track record on this site, making the N1 hard to recommend over its sibling.

Aiper’s lineup has grown crowded enough that even dedicated pool-gear shoppers lose track of which Scuba model does what. The Scuba N1 sits in a confusing middle tier — cheaper than the Scuba S1 at some retailers, priced above it at others, with retail listings and independent reviewers disagreeing on whether it climbs walls at all. Here’s what’s actually confirmed, where the sources conflict, and whether it beats the S1 you might already be considering.

Aiper Scuba N1 at a glance

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By the numbers

• Runtime: 150 minutes (2.5 hours) per full charge, confirmed by both Aiper’s retail listings and RoboticReviews’ independent hands-on test — with roughly a 4-hour recharge between cycles.
• Suction: An 80 GPM (300 LPM) brushless drain motor, per Aiper’s spec sheet on its Costco and Best Buy listings.
• Price spread: $479.99 at Costco versus $599 in RoboticReviews’ own test purchase — a roughly 25% gap on the identical SKU, with Best Buy and Home Depot both around $499 and some Walmart listings closer to $548.
• Independent score: RoboticReviews rated the Scuba N1 64 out of 100 (2.7 out of 5 stars), citing “insufficient vacuuming power” and a cordless motor that trails corded alternatives on suction.

What it does well

Real suction spec, not just marketing copy. The 80 GPM brushless motor rating comes directly from Aiper’s own retail listings, and caterpillar treads give it the mobility to work pool floors without getting stuck on drain covers or steps the way wheeled designs sometimes do.

WavePath Navigation Technology 2.0. Aiper’s path-planning system runs deliberate lanes rather than random bouncing — the same underlying navigation approach used across its Scuba lineup, including the well-reviewed Scuba S1.

Genuinely cheap at the right retailer. At Costco’s $479.99 (occasionally discounted further), it undercuts most cordless competitors, including Aiper’s own step-up models.

Plug-and-play simplicity. Top-loading basket filtration and a straightforward single-brush setup keep maintenance simple for a first-time cordless-robot buyer.

Where it falls short

• RoboticReviews found the suction genuinely weak. Its independent test called out “insufficient vacuuming power” that leaves debris behind — a real-world result, not a spec-sheet number, and the clearest reason this isn’t our top budget pick.
• Frequent recharging. A 150-minute run needs about 4 hours to recharge, and RoboticReviews’ review flagged “frequent recharging” as a daily-use annoyance rather than a set-and-forget appliance.
• Eco mode isn’t a longer single run. Per RoboticReviews, Eco mode splits into three 45-minute cycles spread across 48 hours — useful for light maintenance, but not the “one long clean” some buyers expect from an eco setting.
• Wall-climbing claims genuinely conflict. Aiper’s own model-comparison page groups the N1 with its floor-only tier, but RoboticReviews’ independent test and some retailer listings describe wall-climbing. We could not resolve this discrepancy from public sources — verify with your specific retailer’s current listing before assuming either way.
• Retailer price spread makes list price meaningless. A 25% gap between Costco and RoboticReviews’ test-unit price means shopping around matters more than usual here.

Aiper Scuba N1 vs the alternatives

Side by side with the Scuba S1, the N1 doesn’t win clearly on price (Costco’s $479.99 is genuinely cheap, but Best Buy and Walmart pricing lands close to or above what Aiper regularly charges for the S1), and it loses on documented capability — the S1’s floor-plus-wall-plus-waterline cleaning and 180-to-270-minute runtime are unambiguous, while the N1’s wall-climbing claim is contested across sources. Unless you’ve found the N1 specifically at Costco’s low price and only need floor cleaning, the Scuba S1 remains the safer buy — see the full breakdown in our best Aiper pool cleaner guide.

Who should buy the Aiper Scuba N1

Buy it if you’ve found it specifically at Costco’s low price (~$480), have a standard-size inground pool up to 1,600 sq ft, and mainly need floor cleaning rather than guaranteed wall-climbing. It’s a legitimate budget option when the retailer pricing lines up in your favor.

Skip it if you’re paying anywhere near $550-600 for it — at that price the Aiper Scuba S1 offers unambiguous floor-wall-waterline cleaning, a longer runtime, and a stronger independent track record for roughly the same money. See the full field in our best cordless robotic pool cleaner guide or best budget robotic pool cleaner guide.

The bottom line

The Aiper Scuba N1 is a real, currently-sold budget cordless cleaner with a genuine 80 GPM suction spec and a legitimately low price at Costco — but RoboticReviews’ independent 64/100 score, the conflicting wall-climbing claims across Aiper’s own materials and retailers, and a price that creeps close to the better-proven Scuba S1 at other stores keep this from being an easy recommendation. If you find it discounted at Costco specifically, it’s a fair budget buy for floor cleaning. Otherwise, the extra clarity and capability of the Scuba S1 is worth paying the same or slightly more.