Hayward Pool Cleaner Review: We Tested it for Months, and Here’s How it Went

Pool cleaners can be expensive, and nobody wants to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on a product that doesn’t work. That’s why we’ve tested multiple pool vacuums for ourselves, so you can read honest, in-depth reviews from expert product testers before shelling out your hard-earned dollars.

Not only is the Hayward Poolvergnuegen Suction Pool Cleaner Family Handyman-approved, but it’s also relatively affordable. Whether you’re cleaning an above-ground pool or in-ground pool, an automatic pool vacuum is necessary to cut down on the back-breaking work of manually cleaning your pool.

So, if you’re shopping for a reasonably-priced pool cleaner, we’re here to help with a full review of the Hayward Pool Cleaner.

What is the Hayward Pool Cleaner?

The Hayward Poolvergnuegen is a two-wheeled suction cleaner that attaches to your pool’s pump for hands-off cleaning. Content Director Nicole Doster tested the cleaner in her own pool. She likes to call it the “set-it-and-forget-it” pool cleaner because of its simplicity.

“Of all of the pool cleaners I’ve tested, the Hayward Pool Cleaner was the easiest to install and maintain due to its simple design,” she says.

The pool cleaner is designed for pool floors and rounded corners. It cleans pools up to 16 by 32 feet in size. While it can handle uneven surfaces, it’s not intended for steps or walls and does not act like a skimmer.

NICOLE DOSTER/FAMILY HANDYMAN NICOLE DOSTER/FAMILY HANDYMAN

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Hayward Poolvergnuegen Suction Pool Cleaner

A simple yet effective pool cleaner with quiet operation

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Hayward Pool Cleaner Features

We initially decided to review the Hayward Poolvergnuegen because of its simplicity, reliability and affordability. Hayward has been known to make quality pool equipment for more than 80 years, and its 2-wheel automatic pool cleaner is consistent and easy to use.

While the Hayward Pool Cleaner doesn’t have as many smart features as some other pool cleaners on the market, it does come “pre-programmed” with different patterns for the cleaner to rotate and turn as it makes its way around the pool. Those patterns create a steady cleaning routine that cleans an entire pool within hours.

The Hayward Pool Cleaner cleans almost any size pool and has self-adjusting turbine vanes for maximum power and easy debris management. Its two wheels have deep treads, giving it extra traction as it spins and rotates across pool floors. The adjustable roller skirt, treads and programmed steering ensure it climbs walls and maneuvers around obstacles and uneven surfaces. During testing, the cleaner would move six to eight feet across the floor, then pivot its wheels to turn from 90 to 360 degrees; however, that made it harder for the cleaner to target specific areas and not repeatedly clean the same area.

The cleaner’s hose is easy to put together and customize to the size of your pool. The cleaner comes with 10 two-foot hoses that couple together seamlessly—no messing with long hose lengths or cutting required.

How We Tested It

Content Director Nicole Doster set up, installed and used the Hayward Pool Cleaner in her own backyard pool.

“Installation was very simple, which is one of the biggest perks of this product,” she says. “The hoses fit together in less than 10 minutes, and the cleaner head came fully assembled.”

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The cleaner also has multiple ways to attach the unit to the pool’s suction port. You can insert a valve adapter nose cone into the pool’s skimmer, use a vac lock that screws onto a designated suction port, or insert the hose directly into a vac lock.

“We already had a vac lock installed, so this was the option we chose,” Nicole says.

“Our initial tests for the pool cleaner involved placing the Hayward Cleaner side-by-side with our other pool cleaners,” Nicole explains. “We added four cups of dirt and debris—ranging from fine sediment to small pebbles—to the bottom of our 24- by 16-foot pool. We measured how quickly and thoroughly the cleaner cleaned up the debris.”

The Hayward Pool Cleaner was Nicole’s favorite of the bunch. “It was slow and steady and picked up most of the debris,” she says. “It picked up so much dirt and sediment that it filled up the pool’s filter very quickly (within minutes) to the point where it kept getting stuck. Luckily, we don’t usually have that much debris in the pool, so it just showed the cleaner’s suction power. Overall, the pool cleaner is very hands-off and easy to use.”

NICOLE DOSTER/FAMILY HANDYMAN

Nicole continued testing the cleaner for over three months. She also phoned a veteran pool owner, Bobby Attonito, who has over thirty years of pool cleaning and maintenance experience. After using the Hayward Pool Cleaner in his own 15-by-30-foot kidney-shaped pool, Bobby said, “I’ve owned Hayward products before, but this is the most sophisticated by far.”  

Bobby noted that the cleaner does not go far up the sides of the pool—only about two feet before dropping down, but that it is not an issue for him. He also said cleaning the entire pool takes roughly three hours. While he didn’t have any issues with broken parts or repairs, Attonito was pleased to note that Hayward always offers parts and repair guides for its products, making them easy to fix if something breaks in the future.

“I think I will have this product for the rest of my life,” Bobby says.

After three months of daily testing, Bobby said the cleaner didn’t clog. It even picked up small stones that his past pool vacuums would get clogged with.  

FAQ

Is Hayward a good pool vacuum?

After months of testing pool cleaners in real people’s backyard pools, the Hayward Pool Cleaner is one of our favorites if you’re looking for an affordable, easy-to-use and effective pool cleaner.

Why is my Hayward pool cleaner not moving?

If you find that your Hayward Pool Cleaner isn’t moving, there is probably an obstruction in the cleaner. The brand recommends removing the inspection plate at the bottom of the cleaner to see if a large piece of debris is wedged between the bearings and the turbine.

What Other Reviewers Had to Say

With over 2,000 five-star reviews on Amazon, here’s what reviewers said about the Hayward Pool Cleaner.

Verified purchaser Douglas Wilson says, “Excellent pool sweeper! I find this one the best I’ve had for my pool. Really does what you want with no tangles and a strong suction. Once my pool pump is activated the job gets done! Really helps my pool man so my worries for a clean pool throughout the week are gone! I love this unit and I highly recommend it!”

Five-star reviewer Chuck Miller says, “This checks all the “must have” boxes that everyone complains about on other cleaners. And it checks all my boxes, so no brainer… This is my second one. First lasted 4+ years, with 2 minor repairs: the rubber tires eventually wear down (about 2 years), and it has gears inside that also eventually wear down (2-3 years). Pretty easy to replace gears and away it goes… Very happy with it, and not only would I buy it again, I just did buy another.”

Hayward Pool Cleaner: 2-Wheel vs. 4-Wheel

If you have a pool larger than 16 by 32 feet, then you may want to purchase the four-wheel version of the Hayward Poolvergnuegen. The four-wheel version is just $30 more and cleans pools up to 20 by 40 feet. It also comes with a hose about seven feet longer and weighs about 1.5 pounds more than the two-wheeler. Apart from those things, virtually all of the specs and features of the two-wheeler and four-wheeler are the same.

Final Verdict

After testing the Hayward Pool Cleaner daily for over three months, our Content Director Nicole Doster confidently recommends this easy-to-use, automatic pool cleaner. It effectively cleans dirty pools and doesn’t get caught or clogged on typical debris. While its cleaning method is slow and steady, Nicole thinks it’s a good value and effective at cleaning standard-sized pools.

Where to Buy the Hayward Pool Cleaner

NICOLE DOSTER/FAMILY HANDYMAN NICOLE DOSTER/FAMILY HANDYMAN

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We Tried It

Hayward Poolvergnuegen Suction Pool Cleaner

An affordable, efficient automatic pool cleaner

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Shop the Hayward 2-Wheel Poolvergnuegen Suction Pool Cleaner and other Hayward pool cleaners on Amazon. The Poolvergnuegen Suction Pool Cleaner 2X sells for $429, while the 4X retails for $459.