At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Outstanding cleaning ability given ample time Attractive pricing assuming coupons and discounts hold Amazing styling Cons Ineffective shorter cleaning cycles Overly complex controls Cleanup is more difficult than it needs to be Water gets into its charging port Our Verdict Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today This is a review of two pool robots, one which is the most exceptional cleaning device I’ve tested to date, and one that’s maddeningly frustrating and overly complex. You’ve probably already figured out the twist: Yes, they are same device, the iGarden Pool Cleaner K60. Specifications To start things off, just look at the thing: With its jet-black chassis and orange-trimmed wheels, the machine looks more like a sports car than a glorified leaf sweeper. Despite the evocative look, it still moves about courtesy of large wheels and treads that abut a pair of spinning scrubber. It’s a fairly classic, standard design. The control panel on the iGarden Pool Cleaner K60.Christopher Null/Foundry Its biggest selling point is under the hood: A fairly beefy 7500mAh battery powers the 30-pound robot to an epic running time of up to 6 hours, according to iGarden. (My testing achieved an even better maximum operating time of about 6.5 hours.) That’s so long that iGarden says it has a Guinness World Record for robotic pool cleaning longevity – though a quick search doesn’t quite bear that out, with Guinness noting a prototype robot from the same manufacturer hit the 40-hour mark in 2023. The iGarden Pool Cleaner K60 cleaned up 100% of the synthetic leaves in my first test. No matter though, 6 hours is mightily impressive, and what’s even more notable is that the robot achieved a feat that no other has done in my years of testing these devices: It cleaned up 100 percent of the material in my first synthetic leaf test, leaving behind absolutely no debris—even on steps, which few robots ever manage to clean properly. Even the very best pool robots tend to leave behind a few scraps during their run, but the iGarden scooped up everything on its inaugural run, a monumental first. (Subsequent runs did leave behind two or three tidbits, though that is still impressive.) Performance The rubber plug protecting recharging the iGarden Pool Cleaner K60’s battery repeatedly failed to prevent water getting into the port.Christopher Null/Foundry So, what’s the catch? Well, there are quite a few, starting with the fact that the iGarden K60 really needs those six hours to do all that work. The unit can be set to operate for shorter cleaning times (60-, 90-, or 120 minutes), and even the 120-minute mode wasn’t effective at picking up more than about 70 percent of my test debris, leaving large parts of the pool untouched. Even a second 120-minute run didn’t pick up what was left behind, and it was only when I set the robot to run on its undisturbed, run-until-the-battery-dies schedule that I was able to achieve that 100 percent pickup performance. That presents users with a quandary: Would you rather have a robot that picks up about 95 percent of debris in two hours, or one that gets 100 percent in six hours? I think it’s a fair compromise to select the former, as no one wants to drop a robot in the pool in the morning, only for it not to finish until the end of the day—especially if you’re planning on swimming that day. The iGarden Pool Cleaner K60 features a 4-liter debris basket.Christopher Null/Foundry The K60 is also marred by a wildly complex interface, both on its chassis and in its half-baked mobile app. The app’s control panel is a touchscreen festooned with icons, many of which are difficult to parse. A clock icon seems self-explanatory, but you’ll need to understand what the three lights next to that icon mean to use it properly. One light equals a one-hour cleaning time, two lights is 90 minutes, and three lights is two hours. No lights means it runs until the battery dies. An “AI timer” has a similar three-light system, corresponding to auto-cleaning cycle of every 24-, 48-, or 72 hours, presuming you leave the robot in the pool after each run. Additional controls are built for cleaning mode (floor-only or floor/wall/waterline) and “turbo mode” (which speeds up the robot considerably). Alas, none of this is intuitive, and even after a week of use I found myself referring to the manual to refresh my memory about what icon was what. Even turning the robot on is tricky. First, you’ll find a knob on the underside of the robot that must be turned as a sort of master power switch. Then the power icon on the touchscreen must be held down for three seconds until it starts flashing. At this point you can change your operating selections via the other buttons, and then you must push the power button again. Wait too long on any step and the robot will go to sleep and you’ll need to start over. When I attempted to run the robot on its inaugural run, I had to fish it out of the water with a hook twice because I’d messed something up. Frustrating. The iGarden app iGarden’s barebones app doesn’t log cleaning sessions or include a battery-life indicator.Christopher Null/Foundry iGarden’s mobile app is somehow no better. While it recreates most of the hardware experience, it lacks anything in the way of extras—including a battery monitor or a log of operations. I also found that my selections in the app didn’t always transition to the robot, requiring me to double-check the control panel before each run. I encountered other problematic, if less-severe issues as well. The iGarden’s filter basket is large but strangely designed, with multiple chambers and a relatively small access hatch that together make it difficult to clean out. You’ll charge the unit via a standard plug-in cable, and the charging port is covered via a thick rubber gasket when it’s in the pool. The problem is this gasket isn’t 100 percent waterproof, and each time I ran the robot, water got into the charging port, which in turn necessitated attempting to drain it by placing the robot at an angle with the port facing down, often overnight. Even the hook provided to retrieve the robot is non-standard in size. Retreival is doable with a more typical hook, but not as easy as it should be. And for that matter, a robot this expensive should be able to dock at the waterline when it’s finished running. The multi-chambered debris basket proved difficult to clean out.Christopher Null/Foundry The perhaps optimistically named turbo mode helps the robot get its job done slightly faster, but it’s also a little less effective. It runs out of battery life after five hours while collecting a bit less debris. A bigger issue is that while in turbo mode, the robot twice beached itself on a high step, unable to get back to deeper water without a push. It’s unclear if this is an anomaly of turbo mode or just bad luck during those test runs. Should you buy the iGarden Pool Cleaner K60? The iGarden K60 is billed at a heady $1,498 MSRP, but it’s currently on deep discount (with a coupon) if purchased directly from the manufacturer. You should also be aware that this robot is listed on Amazon as the model GT60. We checked with the manufacturer and verified that the G60 and the K60 are the same product. Finally, the iGarden model K40 and K20 are essentially the same robot, but they offer 4- and 2.5-hour maximum running times respectively. With the discount applied, the K60’s discounted price puts it within striking distance of some midrange robots, a price that merits consideration. While it’s an exceptional cleaner (given enough time in the water), its numerous quirks and foibles mean it’s ultimately an exercise in compromise that will require some serious thinking to justify buying. Read...

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At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Easy to clean Solid battery life, with an amazing magnetic charger Perhaps the best mobile app on the market Cons Remote is awkward, slow, and difficult to use Required a major firmware update to clean effectively Very, very slow Our Verdict With pool-mapping capabilities and other smart features, the Dreame Z1 Pro is one of the most intelligent robots I’ve tested to date. Unfortunately, erratic performance and extremely slow operation make it short of perfect. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: Dreame Z1 Pro Retailer Price $999.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket From the start, Dreame’s Z1 Pro robotic pool cleaner certainly seems to check off all the boxes. Its features list touts just about everything: The ability to clean floor, walls, and waterline. Big, dual, front-mounted brushes. Three hours of running time. Mobile app support. And a remote control in the box. I’m not sure what the touted “Triple Surround Fusion Perception System” is, but that sounds good, too. Specifications I’ll start with what I liked the most: After unboxing, I discovered that the 27-pound robot offers one of the most convenient charging systems I’ve seen to date, thanks to a magnetic charging mechanism that simply snaps onto the device’s chassis, with no plugs or rubber gaskets involved—and no need to hoist the robot onto a bulky charging station, either. There’s even a small microfiber cloth attached to the end of the charging cable for wiping off any moisture on the contacts; that’s a thoughtful touch. Dreame’s mobile app is maybe its coolest feature, the first I’ve seen that can visually map the pool after a run. The Dreame hardware looks tough, but it’s not garish: a silver-and-black device with large-wheeled treads and promised support for scrubbing up to 2,160 square feet of pool surface area. The included light-pulse remote charges via USB-C, and even the remote’s color and shape fit the Z1 Pro’s design theme. The magnetic charging system on top of the Dreame robotic pool cleaner is a game-changer when it comes to easy recharging. It even comes with a rag attached to the cord for wiping the terminals dry.Christopher Null/Foundry LEDs on top of the Z1 Pro provide a handy indication of battery-charging status and operating mode (floor, walls, waterline, or everything, accessed via a single selector button). A top-mounted hatch gives you access to a single-piece filter basket that pops out easily. The bottom of the filter opens on a hinge to allow for easy cleaning after a run. Dreame’s mobile app is maybe its coolest feature, the first I’ve seen that can visually map the pool after a run. With support for both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, the app also makes it easy to get a quick look at the robot’s status (provided it is turned on and out of the water), set cleaning settings remotely, and to configure a routine cleaning schedule if you leave your robot in the pool for multiple days at a time. (The non-Pro Dreame Z1 loses a few features, including the remote, and costs $200 less.) Dreame’s app is the first I’ve seen that can draw a reasonable representation  of my swimming pool’s shape once it completes a cleaning run. Christopher Null/Foundry So, there’s plenty to like here, which was all the more saddening when my initial experience with the device didn’t go very well. Performance My first issue involved the remote control. Out of the box, it didn’t work at all, unable to turn on. Some troubleshooting with Dreame ultimately ended with the company sending me a new one altogether. The new remote did work, but not overly well. A powerful green light must be aimed fairly precisely at a sensor on top of the robot, with pulses directing the robot to pause/restart its task, clean around a certain spot, or return to the surface for retrieval. But getting the robot to respond to any of these commands was an exercise in both frustration and trial and error, often requiring up to a minute of repeatedly stabbing at buttons, waving the remote around, and hoping something would finally stick. The good news was that eventually, it usually would, though I ultimately found the remote useful only for telling it to climb to the waterline so I could retrieve it from the pool. It’s just too erratic to use for much else. The bottom of the Dreame Pro Z1 debris basket opens on a hinge for easy cleaning.Christopher Null/Foundry My next issue with the Z1 Pro was its initially poor cleaning quality. As I do with all robotic pool cleaners I test, I put the Z1 Pro to work in both organic and synthetic conditions to gauge its performance. After a particularly big storm one night, I woke to find the perfect testing conditions in a pool full of debris. I dropped the Z1 Pro in the pool and watched it get to work. Three hours later, I retrieved the robot to find its filter basket less than half full, and the pool looking like next to no cleaning at all had occurred. (I then dropped in another robot, which took care of things much more effectively.) I saw similar results with synthetic leaves scattered in the pool: The Z1 Pro was only able to scoop up about two-thirds of the leaves, leaving the rest behind and large areas of the pool clearly untouched. That’s about the worst performance I’ve ever seen in a premium-priced pool robot like this one. A fortuitous firmware update Fortunately, Dreame pushed a firmware update during my testing, and after a total of six complete cleaning runs (plus several shorter sessions), I was finally able to see performance improve significantly. Eventually I was able to achieve a cleaning rate of about 90 percent. That’s good but not great, and it still left behind visible debris even on its best days, particularly on and around steps. The Dreame app can control and report on the Z1 Pro over either a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connection.Christopher Null/Foundry Observing the Dreame in action reveals a little about what might be going on, as operations didn’t always make a lot of sense. At one point, about halfway through the run, I found the robot stopped in the middle of the pool, spinning around and around in one spot for nearly 10 minutes. Was it mapping the walls? Pondering the future? Plotting against me? Eventually it did at least get back to work, finishing the rest of the cleaning task without incident. That said, the robot is one of the slowest—if not the absolute slowest—I’ve ever seen, literally crawling across the floor of the pool at a turtle’s pace. Its lack of speed may be a contributing issue to its performance, as debris is always moving in a pool. When finished, the robot climbs to the waterline and waits for retrieval (still chugging away to keep itself moored in place, as it can’t float otherwise), but only for five minutes, after which it sinks back to the bottom and will have to be retrieved via the included hook or via remote control. If you want to grab it when it’s docked, keep a close eye on your mobile app notifications. The Dreame Z1 Pro is one of the most intelligent robotic pool cleaners we’ve tested. But intelligence alone doesn’t make for a top-tier performer. Christopher Null/Foundry The Dreame app was surprisingly successful at mapping my pool, providing a reasonable facsimile of what my L-shaped pool looks like, at least once. Again, this was the first among the pool robots I’ve tested over the years to do this. But subsequent runs weren’t as solid, leaving me with a map that looked more like a dunce cap. This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best robotic pool cleaners. The report issued at the end of each run was usually accurate, though again, not always: Once I received a note that a near-two-hour run had cleaned just 3 square meters of the pool. Other odd errors, like a mysterious “charging error” in the log while the unit was 100-percent charged, defied explanation. Should you buy the Dreame Z1 Pro? At $1,099, the Dreame Z1 Pro has a premium price, and consumers would be well justified to demand the highest tier of performance from it. Some of its features are extremely compelling, especially its app. But to merit a wholesale recommendation, I’d need to see another step up in cleaning performance. Might another firmware update deliver it? Read...

With a brain that’s swimming in a cocktail of neurodivergence, one of my most persistent enemies has always been procrastination. I was once told that my attention span is, on a scale of 1 to 10, either 15 or random. But as hard as it is to overcome—a condition that feels more nature than nurture—it’s something I’m learning to manage. Weeks ago, I decided I couldn’t get arbitrary brain chemistry get in the way of productivity, and so I took matters into my own hands. I needed to stop being so distracted and to change some habits, but I wasn’t going to do it alone. I was going to use technology to help me. Now, a couple of weeks on from implementing these tweaks, I feel like it’s been moderately successful. Here’s what I did. Stop procrastination dead in its tracks The first and most impactful change I knew I could make was to cut out a bunch of social media usage. I’m no voracious user, but I’m a sucker for scrolling through subreddits and diving into deep discussions on the minutiae of my various hobbies and interests. As much as I’ve learned doing that over the years, I’ve also developed unhealthy habits of following politics far too closely—and the news cycle is nothing but a doomscroll hole waiting to happen in 2025. So, I took drastic measures. I installed the BlockSite extension on every web browser (except one, in case I need to check Reddit or Twitter for work) and completely blocked the most distracting sites. I did the same on my phone too, as it’s that little black mirror that’s probably to blame for most of my procrastination. I also installed NoScroll on my phone to block shorts and reels. That stuff is crack to an ADHD brain. I use the BlockSite extension to block distracting sites. The block screen is mildly mocking, but I don’t mind it. I probably deserve it.Jon Martindale / Foundry If you’d rather take a less puritanical approach to managing the sites and services that tempt you to procrastinate, extensions like StayFocusd can make it easier to limit your time rather than block entire sites permanently. If you’re like me, though, excising the whole habit cold turkey is an easier change to make than having a lesser drip feed of it. Whatever the case, cutting out distractions leaves me with little to do but focus on the task at hand—and it works to encourage greater focus. The carrot alongside the stick The first time I sat on the toilet after blocking everything, I had a bizarre moment where I was staring at my phone with my mind telling me there’s something interesting there to do. But I’d blocked everything I usually do. What was I even looking at this thing for? That was a prime opportunity to not just hinder my bad habits but to reward the good ones. How am I going to improve my attention span? By doing things that require greater attention. Mozilla So I stocked my bathroom with a cheap e-reader with a few novels I’ve been neglecting. I also installed Pocket on my phone. While Firefox recently announced that it’s discontinuing Pocket, there are similar alternatives and the premise is all the same: save articles and web content to read or watch later when you have time. Now when I have time to kill, it’s with something more mentally nourishing than Reddit or TikTok. At the very least, I come out of it with less brain rot; at best, I’m developing better attention. Boring and silent are friends of focus Modern electronics and software are designed to grab and hold our attention with colors, lights, quick hits of compelling content, snazzy animations, etc. For me, it wasn’t enough to avoid social media and other distracting sites. A part of me was still drawn to the pretty icons and animations on my phone—so I decided to make it boring, too. Enter Minimalist Phone, a paid app (with a free trial) that turns your phone into a boring brick of black, overhauling the entire OS to look as dull and uninteresting as possible. That means no more icons, only text for everything, and it’s all black and white, yet you can still manage apps and services with ease thanks to its intuitive navigation. Check out my minimalist phone. It isn’t pretty, but that’s the point.Jon Martindale / Foundry But Minimalist Phone goes further than that. It also has an app blocker that lets you restrict certain apps to a schedule, or set mindfulness pauses before running certain apps, or even create an entirely separate work profile with different behavior when you’re “in focus mode.” It can also filter unimportant notifications so you aren’t distracted by alerts. I personally made a point of disabling all unnecessary notifications on Teams, Slack, and other work communication tools. For the ones I kept, I made the notifications monochrome and silent. That means I only know if someone sent me a message when I choose to check in—not when the app wants me to know—and that makes it easier for me to stay on task. Speaking of staying on task, I also have ChatGPT send me occasional reminders using its scheduled tasks feature. It’s just little things like a notice in the morning to start my day or a prompt to make sure I get done a certain task by a deadline. Could I use a traditional reminder app? Sure, but ChatGPT’s organic variations make me less likely to skip them. Plus, I’m already paying $20 per month for ChatGPT Plus. Might as well use it! A better way to procrastinate Breaking old habits isn’t easy. Even with blocks in place, I still feel the urge to procrastinate—and even when I’m reminded not to, I still want to find workarounds. For me, it isn’t plausible to never procrastinate. That’s why I allow myself to procrastinate in better ways. Maybe when I complete a task, I fire up my Chess.com account for a quick game. In between writing projects, I might give myself a few minutes with my preferred idle game: Ropuka’s Idle Island. Yes, it’s still a game, but at least it’s designed for drip entertainment. It doesn’t hook me for hours and hours, and the chill lo-fi soundtrack keeps it mellow. Jon Martindale / Foundry On dog walks, I’m making myself listen to audiobooks rather than shorter-form brain-rot content. And don’t underestimate the power of analog activities! I took up a new hobby in knitting. I won’t pretend it doesn’t feel like a whim for now, but I’m giving it a go as a way to detox from tech and procrastinate in a more productive way. Every second away from my phone helps to train away my urges to procrastinate. Jon Martindale / Foundry Overcoming procrastination is a long-term project, one that will probably remain a struggle for the rest of my life. But I already feel some of the positive benefits of these mitigating techniques. I’m less hooked on scrolling and more content overall. I’m a little more focused and a little more effective. We’ll see how long it lasts. Read...

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