Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus Review

Shorter warranty. Fewer features. Less automation. The new Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus is here, and it isn't the deal it used to be. So before you hit that buy button, here is everything you need to know — from performance to comparisons.

Introduction to the Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus

Hey there, I'm Justin, your resident pool aficionado, and today I'm diving into the newest version of the Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus.

If you've followed me for any length of time, you know we love to test pool robots here at the Pool Nerd. I've tested over 40 robotic pool cleaners in the last five years in our test pool — and Dolphins have consistently been at the top. From the top-of-the-line Dolphin Premier to the entry-level Dolphin Escape, there is a robot for everyone.

So when the new Nautilus came out, we were excited to try it.

Instead, I'm sitting here disappointed.

Because Dolphin took what used to be one of the most loved budget pool robots ever made… and quietly stripped it down.

Shorter warranty. Fewer features. Less automation. And honestly? In my opinion, it feels like they did it on purpose to push buyers up the lineup.

Let me walk you through it.

Before We Dive In

Before we even get into the new Nautilus CC Plus, I gotta say this: this is exactly why I keep warning people about buying pool robots on Amazon. The problem is the Nautilus CC Plus name has been around forever, so people watch an old review online and think they're getting that same robot. But this newer version? It's not the same cleaner anymore. Shorter 1-year warranty, fewer features, no NanoFilters — it's way more stripped down than the older CC Plus models that made this robot famous in the first place. And a lot of people don't realize that until after they buy it.

Then you throw Amazon into the mix and it gets even messier. Random third-party sellers, weird model variations, grey market units, and confusing listings all using the same "Nautilus CC Plus" name.

And now that Dolphin cut the warranty down to just 1 year on these newer Nautilus models, buying from the wrong place matters even more. At that point, you're way better off slowing down for five minutes and making sure you're actually getting the right robot before dropping several hundred bucks on one.

What Changed — Starting With The Color

Let's start with the most obvious change: the color.

From the previous model, Maytronics changed a few of the blue highlights to black. Nothing crazy, but it is worth noting.

Now beyond the appearance, this updated Nautilus CC Plus really feels more like a simplified refresh of the existing platform rather than a major redesign. A lot of the core DNA is still here — same general body style, same overall cleaning philosophy — but some of the features and extras found on higher-end Dolphin models are still missing here.

The Warranty

Here's the kicker.

The old Nautilus CC Plus came with a 2.5-year warranty. The new one? One year.

And it gets worse. Dolphin didn't just shorten the warranty on this model — they quietly cut the warranty on every single Nautilus model down to 1 year. The Nautilus CC, the Nautilus CC Plus, the Nautilus CC Pro, the CC Supreme, and the Titan — all of them. One year, across the board.

Warranty Comparison

Here is a quick comparison of the warranty across the Dolphin lineup:

Model	Warranty
Old Nautilus CC Plus	2.5 years
New Nautilus CC Plus	1 year
Dolphin Cayman	2 years
Dolphin Quantum	2 years
Dolphin Premier	3 years
Dolphin Sigma	3 years

What's Missing on the Nautilus CC Plus

Let's get into the meat of what's missing on the new Nautilus CC Plus, because the list is long:

• 1-year warranty — down from 2.5 years

• No NanoFilters — fine debris like pollen, algae, and dust will pass right through

• No waterline cleaning — the dirtiest part of your pool is now skipped entirely

• Passive brushes — no active scrubbing like the HyperBrush on the Cayman or Quantum

• Smaller filter cartridges — compared to the newer Max-Series MaxBins

  

The robot feels stripped down in comparison to other Maytronics robots.

The Positives

To be fair, it's not all bad. There are still things this robot does well:

• Smartphone app — you can start a cleaning cycle from your phone

• Corded power — still way better than any cordless robot under $1,000

• Affordable entry-level Dolphin — lower upfront cost than the rest of the lineup

• Reliable Maytronics platform — the company behind Dolphin makes some of the most reliable robots on the market

• Simple setup — plug it in, drop it in, press start

• Anti-tangle swivel

  

So it's not a bad robot. It just isn't the robot it used to be. But there are a lot of better alternatives out there.

The new one feels more like an entry-level upsell robot. A foot in the door, engineered just bare enough that most buyers will wish they'd stretched their budget.

Pool Coverage

The Nautilus CC Plus still does one thing really well: basic full-pool cleaning. It cleans the floor, climbs the walls, and handles everyday dirt and debris pretty well for the price. In my pool, it had no issue climbing and vacuuming the walls, and for a lot of pool owners, that alone is a huge upgrade over manually vacuuming or using an old pressure-side cleaner.

But this is where you really start seeing the difference between the CC Plus and the higher-end Dolphin lineup. It does not clean the waterline, which is one of the dirtiest parts of the pool where oils, sunscreen, and grime build up.

So while it climbs the walls, it stops short of giving you that full "top-to-bottom" clean you get from robots like the Dolphin Cayman, Quantum, Premier, or Sigma.

Now if you see your CC Plus climb up to the waterline, it can do that. Just like the Dolphin Cayman, which has wall climbing, they can go to the top. The big difference is that it does not move horizontally across and scrub it like other Dolphin cleaners.

Filters

This is probably the biggest downgrade on the Nautilus CC Plus. It uses the cartridge-style filters and does not have NanoFilters with it.

The Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus keeps things pretty basic. You're getting standard mesh filtration — which is fine for larger debris like leaves, bugs, and dirt — but it struggles with the really fine stuff like dust, pollen, algae, and super fine sediment without the ultrafine filters.

While the listing on Maytronics sites says it uses an ultrafine filter system, we only received the mesh filters from our order on Amazon.

And once you've used NanoFilters on something like a Quantum, Premier, or Sigma, it's hard to go back. The difference in water clarity is immediate. Those filters grab the tiny particles that standard mesh filters completely miss, and your pool water just looks noticeably cleaner.

The basket itself is also smaller than the newer MaxBin designs on the Max-Series robots. So during heavy debris season, you'll end up emptying it more often. It's still easy enough to clean, but it definitely feels like an older-generation filter system compared to what Dolphin is putting in the Cayman and Quantum now.

That's really the theme with the Nautilus CC Plus overall: it still cleans pools well, but Dolphin removed a lot of the features that used to make it one of the top cleaners.

Comparing the Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus

Once you compare the Nautilus CC Plus to other cleaners is when it really falls apart.

For not much more, you can step up into Dolphin's Max-Series or ProLine — and the gap between the new Nautilus CC Plus and the rest of the modern Dolphin lineup is enormous. Staying inside the Nautilus family doesn't fix much either: the CC Supreme and Titan add waterline cleaning and the app, but they carry the same one-year warranty and still skip NanoFilters. I lay out all five models in my Dolphin Nautilus lineup guide.

Dolphin Escape — The Entry-Level Max-Series

If your pool is small or above-ground, the Dolphin Escape is the better starting point.

You get HyperBrush scrubbing at twice the speed, a top-loading MaxBin that's larger and easier to clean than the CC Plus, SmartNav 2.0, and a 2-year warranty.

It doesn't climb walls, and you'll want to add the $99 weekly timer upgrade — but even with that upgrade, you're getting a modern Max-Series robot with a longer warranty at a lower cost than the Nautilus CC Plus. We break the two down side by side in our Escape vs Nautilus CC Plus comparison.

Dolphin Cayman — The Best Value In The Lineup

For pools up to 33 feet, in my opinion the Cayman is the smartest buy in the entire Dolphin lineup.

You get the Weekly Smart Timer with AutoStart built in — no upgrade required. You get HyperGrip tracks for real wall climbing, not the basic climb of the Nautilus CC Plus. You get the top-loading MaxBin that's 60% larger and rinses out in seconds. And NanoFilters are a free upgrade at most Authorized Dealers — that's ProLine-level filtration on a Max-Series robot. And you get a 2-year warranty.

Dolphin Quantum — The Only Robot That's Both ProLine AND Max-Series

If you want one of the best of the best, the Quantum is it. Newly updated this year, it combines the smartphone app, NanoFilters, and the larger XXL MaxBin all in one robot.

It's the only Dolphin that's both ProLine AND Max-Series — the best of both worlds. You get the XXL MaxBin with 225% more capacity than standard cartridges. NanoFilters included in the box. Weekly Smart Timer with Automation Plus scheduling. PowerJet 3D Mobility jets that move the robot horizontally along the tile line for active waterline cleaning. SmartNav 2.0. HyperBrush. 60-foot anti-tangle swivel cord. 2-year warranty.

The Quantum cleans floor, walls, and waterline for any inground pool up to 50 feet. And when you factor in the warranty alone, in my opinion the Quantum delivers better long-term value per year of ownership than the new Nautilus CC Plus. Here's the full Nautilus CC Plus vs Quantum breakdown.

Dolphin Premier — My #1 Overall Pick

If you've got leaves — the Dolphin Premier is the answer.

The Premier is the only Dolphin with the Multi-Media system. You can swap between an oversized leaf bag, standard cartridges, or NanoFilters depending on what your pool is throwing at you that week. Commercial-grade motors built on the same platform as the $2,000+ Dolphin Wave 75. Weekly Smart Timer with Media Alert. Waterline cleaning. SmartNav 2.0. 60-foot swivel cord.

And here's the kicker — the Premier comes with a 3-year warranty. That's three times the coverage of the new Nautilus CC Plus.

USA Today named the Premier the "Best Robotic Pool Cleaner," and it's my #1 overall pick for a reason. You can also see it head to head with the CC Plus here.

Dolphin Sigma — The Most Advanced Pool Robot You Can Buy

And then there's the top of the line — the Dolphin Sigma.

The Sigma is the only residential pool robot on the market with three commercial-grade ProLine motors. It uses a gyroscope paired with SmartNav 3.0 — the most advanced navigation system in any Dolphin. Quad scrubbing brushes with independent bi-directional tracks. NanoFilters included. 60-foot anti-tangle swivel cord. Waterline cleaning. 3-year warranty.

But the real game-changer is the myDolphin Plus app. Wi-Fi connected, control from anywhere. Set exact days and times for cleaning. Use remote drive to steer it to a dirty spot from your phone. You can even tell Siri, "Hey Siri, clean my pool," and the Sigma starts working.

Commercial power with residential intelligence. Nothing else on the market checks all these boxes.

Other Brands To Look At

I know after this latest move from Maytronics, not everyone wants to buy another Dolphin. And honestly? I get it.

If you want a corded robot with all the modern features and something completely different — check out the Clear UV.

In my testing, this is one of the most innovative robots I've ever put in a pool. It's a commercial-grade corded cleaner with something I've never seen on a pool robot before — built-in UV sanitation. The same technology used in Olympic pools, now built right into the robot.

It also comes packed with:

• 4 motors — one of the most powerful robots I've tested
• Top-loading UltraBasket for easy maintenance
• Quad scrubbing brushes
• Weekly timer with multiple cleaning modes
• Manual control via a polished app
• Pickup mode — brings the robot to the wall when it's done
• UltraFilters for fine-particle filtration

This is the most exciting new pool robot I've seen in a long time. If you want something modern and powerful, you should definitely look into the Clear UV.

My Final Verdict

So what's my final verdict on the Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus?

It's Pool Nerd Disapproved.

It just simply isn't the robot it used to be.

Look — this isn't a terrible robot. It's still corded. It's still Maytronics. It'll still clean your pool better than any cordless cleaner under $1,000.

But it's not the robot it used to be. The warranty was cut in half. The features were stripped. The price didn't drop accordingly. And in my opinion, you'd be happier spending just a little more on the Cayman, the Quantum, the Premier, or even taking a look at the Clear UV.

Most people shopping the Nautilus CC Plus are first-time robot buyers. I've talked to a lot of you over the years. And nine times out of ten, the people who buy the entry-level robot end up wishing they'd gone one step up. Don't make that mistake.

If you want a real automatic pool cleaner — one that actually cleans your pool while you're at work, on vacation, or sleeping — skip this one and step up.

Find The Best Deals

If you want to keep nerding out over your pool, head on over to ThePoolNerd.com/deals — where I post the best deals on the Cayman, Quantum, Clear UV, and every other top robot I recommend.

Until next time, enjoy that pool — I'll see you in the next one.

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Related Reading

• All Dolphin Pool Cleaner Reviews — Every Dolphin review in one place
• Compare Every Dolphin Model — Side-by-side breakdown of all Dolphin pool cleaners
• Best Dolphin Pool Cleaners — Our top Dolphin picks
• Best Robotic Pool Cleaners — Our overall top picks after testing 40+ robots
• Stop Buying Pool Robots On Amazon — Why the listings are such a mess
• Dolphin ProLine Guide — Everything about the ProLine series
• Dolphin Nautilus Lineup Guide — Every Nautilus CC model compared
• Dolphin Nautilus CC Review — The smaller, simpler sibling
• Dolphin Nautilus CC Supreme Review — Adds waterline cleaning and the app
• Dolphin Nautilus Titan Review — The top of the Nautilus line
• All Robotic Pool Cleaner Reviews — Every robot we've tested