With the Rover X10, Mova has produced one of the few pool robots priced above €2,000. Yet it has no shortage of credentials: four thrusters, underwater LiDAR, 38 m³/h suction and a claimed seven cleaning zones. We put it through its paces for a month to find out whether such a hefty price tag can be justified.
At this rate, Mova will soon be running out of surfaces to clean. After our floors, lawns and even windows, in our recent test of the N1 window-cleaning robot, the Chinese brand is now diving into our swimming pools. This diversification is being pursued at speed, using the same familiar approach: rapidly cover each new category with several models.
Pools are no exception. Last March, Mova unveiled its first pool robots: the Diver R10 (€199), the Diver A10 (€699) and the striking Rover X10, priced at €2,499.
At this price, the Rover X10 occupies a very exclusive space. Once prices exceed €2,000, options become scarce. This ultra-premium segment is also largely occupied by Chinese manufacturers, including Beatbot with its €3,850 AquaSense 2 Ultra, and Aiper with its €2,499 Scuba X1 Pro Max.
To earn its place, the Rover X10 therefore needs to bring out the big guns. It offers four vertical thrusters, laser underwater mapping, 38 m³/h suction, inductive charging and a promise to clean seven areas, including steps and corners. Our 40 m² pool served as the ultimate test of this excess for a month.
A sea monster with its small buoy
Even before it enters the water, the Mova Rover X10 pool robot makes an impression. Alongside the Beatbot Sora 70 and Aiper Scuba V3, the other two robots that visited our pool this summer, it makes them look almost like toys. There is good reason for that: the Mova measures 54 cm long and 46 cm wide, while weighing 15.8 kg. That is almost double the weight of the Scuba V3.
Its build quality matches those imposing dimensions. A broad-shouldered anthracite shell surrounds a glossy black central panel, with the blue brushes providing the only splash of colour. On top, four vertical thrusters sit close to the robot's corners around a mapping turret.
Two thick tracks run along its sides, while small side brushes extend from the front to collect debris around the edges. The box contents are similarly substantial. Mova includes a large wireless charging station, its power supply, a retrieval hook, an ultra-fine 3-micron filter and, above all, an unusual companion called AquaSonar.
This is a small, round floating device, but its purpose is far from incidental. Floating on the surface, it stays connected to Wi-Fi and communicates with the submerged robot via ultrasound. This enables the app to continue monitoring its work, retrieve its battery level and display the water temperature.
The AquaSonar also lets you retain control of the Mova Rover X10 and steer it remotely, particularly to bring it back to the pool edge while it is working underwater. This is a major advantage, as most pool robots fall silent as soon as they are submerged.
Despite all this equipment, setup remains fairly straightforward. The MOVAhome app quickly detects the Rover X10 through Bluetooth before connecting it to the home's Wi-Fi network. The AquaSonar float must then be paired separately.
Underwater LiDAR, but temperamental mapping
Placed on the surface, the Rover X10 does not sink like a stone. In fact, it takes its time. During our tests, it regularly needed nearly ten minutes to take on enough water and reach the bottom. The app nevertheless estimates this descent at three minutes.
Its full array of technology only truly comes into play once the robot is underwater. The top-mounted AquaScan turret contains an underwater LDS designed to measure the pool's contours, assisted by 29 sensors distributed around the machine. Mova says it can then create a 3D map and adjust its routes to the pool's geometry.
Our experience on this front was mixed. As Wi-Fi coverage was rather poor at our pool, the AquaSonar itself struggled to relay anything. We therefore took the robot out after its first dive and moved it closer to the house. Even after three further attempts, we could not obtain the much-promised map displayed in the app.
The Rover X10 pool robot nevertheless appeared to have understood the dimensions of our pool perfectly. Its movements were steady, with no hesitation or erratic U-turns, and it correctly identified both our corner staircase and the return jets installed in the walls.
Otherwise, the app is particularly comprehensive. It lets you target the floor, walls and waterline, the surface, floor edges and shallow areas such as a sun shelf. Mova describes this as 7-in-1 cleaning, counting corners and steps separately even though neither has its own dedicated programme.
Three suction levels are available, alongside the option to select one or several passes depending on the mode. There is also weekly scheduling and a function to call the robot back to the pool edge.
Plenty of power for almost the entire pool
With 38 m³/h of suction, the Rover X10 is certainly not short of power. It is simply the highest flow rate we have tested so far on a pool robot. Its 5-litre basket also provides a generous capacity, although its size led us to expect more. The much more compact Beatbot Sora 70, for instance, has a 6-litre capacity. Mova makes up for this with dual 180- and 3-micron filtration.
On the pool floor, the Mova performs very well in any case. It progresses methodically and readily picks up leaves, sand and small gravel in its path. The little side brushes also do their part, sweeping debris along the edges towards the suction inlet.
Its four vertical thrusters come into play when the task becomes more demanding. They allow the Mova Rover X10 to regulate its thrust and stay pressed against the pool lining when it leaves the floor to tackle a wall. It is a fairly spectacular system that proves effective right up to the waterline. The robot climbs without hesitation and spends enough time on this area to leave it clean after passing.
Our corner steps proved more challenging. The Rover X10 detects them correctly, but its dimensions become a drawback here. It is not exactly slim, leaving it little room to position itself neatly on every step.
The result will naturally depend greatly on the design of your staircase. The wider and deeper the steps are, the more space the X10 has in which to operate. In a tight corner like ours, its size ultimately works more against it.
Endurance worthy of a nuclear submarine
With its 15,000 mAh battery, the Mova Rover X10 delivers endurance commensurate with its weight. The brand claims up to six hours of floor cleaning and as much as twelve hours on the surface. In our 40 m² pool, our various readings showed that a complete cycle used around one quarter of the battery.
In other words, the X10 could complete roughly four major cleaning sessions before needing a recharge. In peak season, when a pool is used regularly, two or three cleaning runs per week are generally recommended. At that pace, our Rover could therefore stay away from its station for more than a week.
A full recharge still takes 6 h 30. Fortunately, Mova has made the process more refined with an elegant wireless station. Simply place the Rover X10 on it to start inductive charging. It is a welcome convenience, although you first have to carry almost 16 kg to the base.
The AquaSonar also has its own battery and must be charged separately using the supplied adaptor. Used only occasionally to relay a few commands during cleaning, especially because the connection was poor, it lasted an entire month without needing to be plugged in.
An almost theoretical price for the Mova Rover X10 pool robot
At Presse-Citron, we always state a product's launch price, as pricing can change rapidly after release. In this case, however, a brief digression is worthwhile. Much like Xiaomi in the smartphone market, Mova is never shy about aggressive discounts, sometimes very soon after its products launch.
The Rover X10 is a fine example. Released at €2,499 last spring, it was listed at €1,299 on the manufacturer's website when we wrote these lines. That is almost half the price.
At this figure, the technology-to-price ratio changes completely. It is no longer merely competing with the handful of pool robots costing over €2,000, but instead goes up against models such as the Aiper Scuba V3 and Beatbot Sora 70.
Our verdict on the Mova Rover X10 pool robot
Sometimes, excess can be a good thing. With the Rover X10, Mova has piled on motors, sensors and functions in a way few manufacturers have done before. After a month in our pool, it is clear that this abundance of technology delivers genuine benefits underwater.
With 38 m³/h of suction, it cleans the floor effortlessly, climbs walls decisively and treats the waterline especially well. Surface cleaning was also convincing. Above all, its endurance is the best we have recorded so far from a pool robot. Add filtration down to 3 microns, weekly scheduling and an inductive charging station, and the Rover X10 makes complete sense for a large, frequently used pool.
Not all this equipment succeeds everywhere, however. We never managed to obtain the advertised 3D map, the AquaSonar relies heavily on Wi-Fi range, and the robot's 15.8 kg weight quickly becomes tiresome to handle. Its huge body is no better suited to narrow staircases.
Ultimately, the Rover X10 is chiefly intended for large, simply shaped pools, where its suction, endurance and level of automation can be fully exploited. In a smaller pool or one with a narrow staircase, its excess becomes much harder to justify. Its initial €2,499 price is therefore enough to give pause. Given Mova's fondness for substantial promotions, a little patience may be enough to settle the matter.
Mova Rover X10
€1499
9.1
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| ### Setup and build quality | 9.5/10 |
| ### Navigation and obstacles | 9.0/10 |
| ### App and features | 8.5/10 |
| ### Cleaning performance | 9.0/10 |
| ### Battery life and charging | 9.5/10 |
What we like
- Powerful 38 m³/h suction
- Excellent results on the floor, walls and waterline
- Exceptional battery life
- Supplied 3-micron filtration
- Comprehensive app and inductive charging base
What we like less
- Unable to obtain 3D mapping during our test
- AquaSonar dependent on Wi-Fi range
- Imposing size and weight
- Not very comfortable on narrow staircases
- High launch price
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