The Ultimate Pool Step Cleaner: Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra Tackles a Stairway Struggle

I’m Nathanael Greene, a pool pro with over 15 years of experience designing, building, and maintaining pools, now channeling my expertise as a blog writer for Beatbot. My pool passion kicked off with childhood summers cannonballing into my granddad’s Georgia backyard oasis, and it’s since evolved into a career of cracking aquatic conundrums. 

In Tampa, Florida, where pools are backyard staples, steps can turn into slippery nightmares if neglected. Since the Beatbot AquaSense 2 Series launched in February 2025, I’ve been testing the AquaSense 2 Ultra , and on March 8, a client’s step-choked pool gave it a real-world showdown. Here’s why it’s my top pick for pool step cleaning, fused with a client case and standout selling points that make it shine.

My client Linda owns a 22,000-gallon in-ground pool—gunite, freeform, with an 8-foot deep end—in Tampa’s Bayshore area. Her pride? A wide, curving set of steps perfect for lounging—until she skipped maintenance during a month-long trip. By March 8, 2025, I arrived to find her steps coated in a slick algae film, pine needles wedged in crevices, and gritty sand from kids’ feet turning it into a hazard. “I nearly slipped yesterday!” she exclaimed, arms crossed on her patio. Steps over 0.98 feet deep are robot territory, and Linda’s fit the bill. I’d been testing the AquaSense 2 Ultra since February, so I rolled it out to see if it could conquer her stairway mess.

The AquaSense 2 Ultra, unveiled at CES 2025, is Beatbot’s step-cleaning ace. I dropped it in, tapped Pro mode on the Beatbot app (5G/2.4G WiFi), and it dove in. Its HybridSense™ AI Pool Mapping—27 sensors (AI camera, infrared, ultrasonics)—scanned her freeform layout, zeroing in on those 1.5-foot-deep steps like a hawk. The 13,400mAh battery (bigger than the 10,400mAh AquaSense 2 Pro ) fueled 8.5 hours of skimming or 5 hours of 5-in-1 cleaning: floor, walls, waterline, surface, and water clarity. Eleven motors churned 5500 GPH suction, while dual-side brushes and a 265mm roller scrubbed algae and grit off gunite. The ClearWater Clarification System dropped chitosan to clump fine debris for the 150μm+250μm filters.

After 3 hours, the 3.7-liter basket brimmed with step gunk—outpacing the 2.5-liter AquaSense 2 Pro’s haul. By March 9, after a second pass, Linda’s steps gleamed—algae gone, needles cleared, sand banished. Most robots skip steps; the Ultra nailed them.

Steps are robot kryptonite—too narrow or shallow, and they’re ignored. The Ultra’s AI adapts, with Multi-Platform mode (OTA-updated by March) targeting Linda’s wide steps, a feat the AquaSense 2 ($1,499) skips (3-in-1, no step love) and the 2 Pro ($2,499) struggles with due to less precise 20-sensor navigation. Its brushes dig into crevices—Linda’s pine needles didn’t stand a chance.

Linda’s a busy exec who’d rather sip coffee than scrub. The Ultra’s cordless, 5-in-1 design hit her steps, walls, and floor in one go—no hose hassles, no step-specific tools. Smart Surface Parking floated it to the edge for retrieval, making operation a breeze. The AquaSense 2 Pro matches the 5-in-1 but lacks the Ultra’s step-honing finesse.

Built for gunite, vinyl, or tile, the Ultra’s corrosion-resistant guts handled Linda’s saltwater traces (3400 PPM from a past setup). Its 13,400mAh battery and the spot cleaning function on the bottom kept her steps pristine between deep cleans—outlasting the 4-hour AquaSense 2. Chitosan cut chemical use, leaving steps safe and slip-free.

Newbies like Linda hit some snags. “It got stuck!” she said—debris (a kid’s toy) jammed a brush mid-step on March 8. Pop the filter, clear it, and it’s back in action—check weekly in debris-heavy pools. “Why’s it skipping spots?” she asked next; she’d set Standard mode, not Pro, missing full step coverage. Switch modes via the app—problem solved. Battery woes? Linda ran it half-charged; it quit early. “Full 4.5-hour charge first,” I coached, docking it. Last hiccup: “It’s slow!”—app signal lagged in her oak-shaded yard, tweaking navigation. Move closer or reboot; it’s a 5G/2.4G quirk across the series.

By March 9, Linda’s steps were a triumph—no slips, no sweat—the AquaSense 2 Ultra ruled. At $3,450, it’s pricier than the AquaSense 2 ($1,499) or 2 Pro ($2,499), but for step-heavy pools, it’s unmatched. Rookie hiccups—jams, mode mix-ups, battery blips, signal dips—fade with simple fixes against its smarts, ease, and stamina. Linda’s thrilled—“My steps are safe again!”—and I’m sold. Childhood me would’ve slid down those steps in awe; adult me crowns the Ultra the best pool step cleaner around. Beatbot’s got a winner.