DOLPHIN Proteus DX4 Review (What We Love & HATE)

By Shiloh McGinley

June 17, 2023


  • The Pros
  • the cons
  • Works within in ground pools up to 50 feet in length. Can handle a variety of surfaces such as concrete, plaster, fiberglass, vinyl.
  • This pool cleaner comes with a two year warranty. 
  • No additional pipes and cables required. Just place it in the pool, connect to a power supply and press play.
  • Even the best of pool cleaners really struggle with walls – the Dolphin Proteus DX4 cleans walls, floors and waterlines and does it very well
  • Doesn’t get tangled up
  • Easy to clean. Basket is accessible from the top.
  • Just schedule cleaning cycles beforehand and 90% of pool maintenance is taken care of!
DOLPHIN Proteus DX4 Review

Intro

At first glance, the Dolphin Proteus DX4 looks like it can do no wrong. It’s ideal for pools up to 50 feet, can climb vertical pool surfaces with ease, provides intense scrubbing and is 8 times more energy efficient than your average pressure and powerful suction pool cleaners.

When it comes to robotic pool cleaners, Dolphin (Maytronics) has been in the game for over three and a half decades now and there’s definitely an element of mental peace when a person chooses one of their products to clean their swimming pools.

Swimming pools are an expensive investment after all, you don't want to invest more in a cleaner just to be less than satisfied with it. This dolphin robotic pool cleaner seems near perfect on paper. But how does it fare in the real world? Read on to find out.

From our firsthand experience of trying and testing the Dolphin Proteus DX4, we bring you an authentic review that reflects our expert understanding of robotic pool cleaners. All the insights and assessments shared here are based on our rigorous testing procedures and years of expertise in the field

A More Detailed Look At The Dolphin Proteus DX4

Let's go over what makes this pool cleaner tick!

1) Lightweight & Ergonomic Design:

The Dolphin Proteus DX4 robotic pool cleaner is light enough and can be lifted with just one hand, plus it has an ergonomic carry handle.

The basket loads from the top, which makes it easy to access and clean.

It looks like a smart little tank with its treads that make light work of walls and provide superior vertical and waterline cleaning.

2) Easy To Operate:

DX4 is easy to use

Simply plug the dolphin pool cleaner in and hit play! There’s no complicated settings to contend with. Everything is very straightforward and intuitive. 

There’s also a weekly timer that enables you to select how often you want to clean the pool (depending upon usage). There are 3 settings to choose from – daily, alternate day and every third day.

Unlike the more budget friendly Dolphin e10, you can just Just set the weekly timer on this pool cleaner up once, and forget it!

It’s great to be able to schedule everything beforehand and to know that the pool will always be sparkling clean and ready for entertaining.  You'll find you have more free time in no time at all! 

3) Extremely Efficient:

We all know how tricky and cumbersome pool cleaning contracts can be. This Dolphin pool cleaner may seem a little expensive in the beginning but it’s indeed a quality, tested product that makes a whole lot of sense in the long run.

It costs just 5 cents per hour to run. With a standard cycle of 2 hours, this amounts to just a meager 10 cents per clean. Even if you clean the pool everyday, you can do it for less than a dollar per week! That’s just phenomenal energy efficiency – impossible to beat that.

4) PowerStream Mobility Handle:

Why are some vehicles such as the Range Rover so good off-road? Well, they have a four wheel drive system, which means that the engine delivers power to all the four wheels (usually, cars are either front or rear wheel drive). 

Not only this, but thanks to a good bit of technical wizardry, the computer actually detects which wheel has the most traction and sends more power to it. This ensures that the vehicle almost NEVER gets stuck.

The Dolphin Proteus DX4 does something similar.

While most cleaners have a single directional water flow, the DX4 has multi directional

This means that it has sufficient and constant grip on all surfaces, even walls!

Here's a video of it cleaning walls with ease!

This is what dolphin calls it's "powerstream mobility system", and we absolutely loved it in our testing!

No matter the angle at which the cleaner is situated at, it doesn’t run out of power. The result – exceptional wall and waterline cleaning and improved navigation.

5) Fine and Ultra Fine Filtration:

Proteus dx4 filters

The pool cleaner is equipped with two filters and this enables it to tackle everything from leaves and twigs to dirt, algae and other debris.

The filters snap apart and this makes it convenient to clean them.

6) Patented Swivel Cable:

The 60 foot swivel cable with patented anti-tangle technology ensures smooth and uninterrupted cleaning. wa

Some cleaners have a tendency to get stuck as the cable gets all tangled up (their swivel systems are not 100% reliable). This causes the unit to go round in circles or to just hover around a small area. Honestly, it is such a pain to resolve a knotted cable. 

Often, you have to pull the entire thing out of the water, set everything right and then start the cycle all over again.

This is such a colossal waste of time, energy and money! A pool cleaner is meant to provide peace of mind, not to make the user anxious regarding whether the cable is knotted or not.

7) Active Brushing System:

Powerful brushes get rid of even the most stubborn debris. Often, it can be noticed that cleaners do a superficial job. Yes, they get rid of some of the dirt and debris but struggle to do corners, walls and other tricky areas. They splutter upon encountering bigger leaves and fail miserably over steps.

DOLPHIN Proteus DX4 Brushes

The Dolphin Proteus DX4 is in a league on its own – it has ample power and traction at all times. It has a superb navigation system and the vigorous brushing mechanism ensures a sparkling clean pool, every time.

8) Precision Navigation:

During the first 20 minutes of a cycle, the smart scanning system maps out the most efficient route for complete and thorough cleaning. Cleans the pool floor, walls and waterline with zeal and enthusiasm.

Check out this Video to learn more & see it in action!

4.5/5

As we have been saying throughout the article, it’s hard to go wrong with a Dolphin product.


The Dolphin Proteus DX4 is a smart and efficient cleaner for private pools. The fact that it can climb walls with ease helps it to earn a lot of brownie points.


Quality

We've had zero issues with build quality in testing this over the past 5 months.


BUT - Just in case something does go wrong though, it comes with a two year warranty!

Speed

The dolphin proteus is super easy to use, right out of the box.


Just place the robotic cleaner in the pool, connect to a power supply and press play to begin your pool cleaning, no additional cables or wires are needed!

Cost

REVIEW & FINAL VERDICT

The dolphin proteus dx4 is not exactly a budget pool cleaner. But being that pool service can be $100+ per month, it pays for itself pretty quickly! Good performance always comes at a cost, and that's fine by us!

It does all the hard work for you, and cuts your pool maintenance time and costs significantly!  

What's not to like? the dolphin proteus works great with in ground pools, climbs walls and vertical surfaces with ease, has an ultra fine filter basket to get those fine particles and small debris which make pool cleaning a breeze.

How It Stacks Up To Similar Pool Cleaners

The Dolphin Proteus DX4 is a swift cleaner, zipping through your pool in minimal time and boasting an energy-saving advantage, operating at a mere 5 cents per hour. Its high-quality filtration system grapples with all sizes of debris, rendering your pool immaculate.

  • In comparison, the Dolphin Triton PS mirrors many of the DX4's features, such as Powerful Active Scrubbing and Energy Saver capabilities. It's designed to clean pools of various shapes, up to 40 feet in size, just like the DX4.
  • Moving onto the Dolphin Quantum, it's designed for larger pools, capable of cleaning up to 50 feet. It also provides a slight edge over the DX4 with the inclusion of two filters, enhancing its ability to tackle debris of varying sizes.
  • Lastly, the Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus, another formidable contender, is renowned for its superior cleaning capabilities and advanced scanning technology. It is designed to clean swimming pools up to 50 feet, similar to the Quantum, but what sets it apart is its dual scrubbing brushes and fine and ultra-fine filters, making it a tough competitor for the DX4.

Here's a comparison table to make this data easier to digest!

Feature
Dolphin Proteus DX4
Dolphin Triton PS
Dolphin Quantum
Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus
Pool Compatibility
Up to 40 feet, Various Shapes
Up to 40 feet, Various Shapes
Up to 50 feet, Various Shapes
Up to 50 feet, Various Shapes
Cleaning Capabilities
Floor, Walls, Waterline
Floor, Walls, Waterline
Floor, Walls, Waterline
Floor, Walls, Waterline
Filtration System
Single Filter
Single Filter
Two Filters
Dual Scrubbing Brushes with Fine and Ultra-fine Filters
Energy Efficiency
5 cents per hour
Not specified
Not specified
Not specified
Ease of Use
Intuitive, User-friendly
Convenient, Straightforward
Simple Operation
Plug-and-play Functionality
Automation Features
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Durability and Warranty
Not specified
Not specified
2 Years
Not specified
Where to Buy
Amazon
Amazon
Amazon
Amazon

These impressive specifications and features truly set these Dolphin pool cleaners apart from other brands in the market.

My TOP choice of these is the Nautilus CC Plus, you can read more about the CC Plus on Amazon, or read my detailed review here: Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus Review.

I've also got a detailed comparison of cleaners here: 

All in all, The Dolphin Proteus DX4 is a great pool cleaner - it's reliable, and provides a comprehensive clean and hassle-free operation.

Our RecommendationPick it up here, we know that you'll love it!

If you're still not sure of the Dolphin Proteus for your robotic cleaner needs, check out the Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus, as it's not only our favorite dolphin pool cleaner, but one of our favorite models, period.

The Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus


Our #1 Recommendation

Check out the Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus, our #1 Recommended Robotic Pool Cleaner with over 11,000 positive reviews!

Shiloh McGinley

About the author

Shiloh McGinley has been in and around swimming pools her whole life. She's seen a lot of products come and go, and she wants to share with you the best products that really work!

Shiloh is passionate about helping people stay safe in the water, and she loves educating others on how to choose the right pool products.

When she's not working, Shiloh enjoys spending time with her family and friends, and swimming - of course!

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