The summer season is the season of recreational work and activities. Swimming in your backyard pool is one of them. But the culprit that stands between you and your pool is the trees surrounding your pool. They drop a massive amount of leaves into your pool all the time.
Using a suction pool cleaner is the best way to deal with those leaves to make your pool suitable for swimming. But the heck is not every suction pool vacuum can handle leaves in large numbers. Some of them even get clogged on tree-gunk and cause the motor to overheat. Indeed, it is a pain in the neck to choose a perfect suction pool cleaner for leaves.
Our editorial team enlisted some of the best suction-side pool cleaners for leaves after conducting thorough research, interviewing existing users, sorted out the customer reviews throughout the internet as well as available features and attachments. All of them are functional, deliver unmatched vacuuming power, and have the ability to climb up walls to keep your pool crystal clear. So, let’s get deeper into this guide to discover the best trait for you.
This article will only covered the suction-side pool cleaners, which are powerful enough for cleaning leaves. You may also check our article about best leaves cleaners, where we have picked a total of 11 best pool cleaners for leaves, those are specialized for cleaning leaves from a wide variety of robotic, jet vac, manual, pressure side, and suction side pool cleaners.
Things to Consider Before Buying A Suction Pool Leaf Cleaners
The market is flooded with thousands of pool vacuums. But not all of them come with the same features and cleaning ability. So, picking the right one from the crowd is not a piece of cake. However, the following criteria we discussed below will help you to choose the best vacuum to catch leaves from your pool.
Pool Type
Start from the root! Before purchasing a pool vacuum, consider what pool type you have. A leaf vacuum for an above-ground pool will not perform the best in an in-ground pool. The happy news is every suction pool cleaner is best for weird-shaped pools or uneven pool bottoms. Every pool sucker we included on the list is compatible with both the above and the inground pool.
Suction
How efficiently the pool vacuum sucks away dirt, debris, and leaves from the pool will depend on the suction. The more suction your pool sucker will deliver, the more power your vacuum gets to pick up filth. Regarding this, you can go for the Zodiac MX8. It features a dual-cyclonic suction system to collect from sticky dirt to fallen leaves and remove them out from your pool.
Smart Features
Imagine your old days of cleaning a pool with an extended pole attached with a net. It takes a lot of elbow grease and time to fish out leaves, dirt, and debris from the pool. But the recent pool vacuums on the market remove the nightmare of pool cleaning. Now, pool sucker includes smart features like max-Drive navigation, steering systems, and self-regulator flow. Due to these, the vacuum itself cleans and covers your entire pool. Indeed, they make the pool cleaning workflow a breeze.
Climbing Ability
Thorough pool cleaning doesn’t only depend on the suction your pool vacuum delivers. The ability to clean the walls, waterlines, and steps also matters a lot. In this case, a pool vacuum with climbing ability will be best. And the Hayward W3PVS20GST is the perfect bait to clean those hard-to-reach areas. It comes with robust tire treads, enabling this vacuum to climb up walls and steps to clean them.
Energy-efficient or Not
Energy efficiency is another important criterion you should take into account. You don’t want to get a pool vacuum that requires a lot of electricity to operate. In this case, Zodiac MX6 is the best pool suction cleaner for cleaning leaves. Its low-flow design requires less energy to run- even you can operate it with two-speed or variable speed pumps.
Scuff-free Hose
The scuff-resistant hose is also a criterion you should consider before picking up a pool vacuum. Due to this, your vacuum doesn’t get stuck with obstacles like fittings.
Our List of Best Suction Pool Cleaners for Leaves
Best Energy-efficient: Zodiac MX6 In-Ground Suction Side Pool Cleaner
“The innovative low-flow design of this pool vacuum makes it an ideal choice for two-speed or variable speed pumps to operate. You can run the pool sucker with the lower energy that saves you electricity bills.”
Best Multi-surface pool cleaner: Zodiac Baracuda G3 W03000
“Whether you have a pool with a concrete bottom or vinyl, the Zodiac G3 will be best to clean. It features a 36-Finned Disc that allows this robot to suck away debris from different pool surfaces without scratching them.”
Best Overall: Hayward W3PVS20GST Poolvergnuegen Suction Pool Cleaner
“From ultimate cleaning efficiency to energy-saving features, Hayward W3PVS20GST beats every pool vacuum we enlisted. It will be your best trait to leave your pool dirt-free.”
Best for Suction: Zodiac MX8 Suction-Side Cleaner
“Picking up stubborn dirt to fall leaves from your pool bottom, the Zodiac MX8 is here to serve your needs. Its dual cyclonic suction system helps to suck away the toughest dirt from your pool surface.”
Best reliable: Pentair 360042 Kreepy Krauly Suction-Side Pool Cleaner
“Kreepy Krauly is the best reliable pool vacuum on this list. Unlike other vacuums, it doesn’t require repairing its parts after several years of use. Therefore, this pool sucker provides the suction you need to handle dirt and debris.”
01. Zodiac MX6 In-Ground Suction Side (Best Energy-Efficient)
Whether you have an inground pool or above-ground, cleaning the pool is a must for a healthy swim. And the Zodiac MX6 is the efficient robotic pool cleaner to leave your pool crystal clear.
This robot pool vacuum features an X-drive navigation system. Because of it, the robot itself maps your pool and cleans every area like floor, wall, and waterline automatically. Therefore, It provides powerful suction to catch & trap dirt, debris, and leaves and sucks them away from your pool.
For optimum cleaning, you can get the Zodiac Cyclonic Leaf Catcher as an attachment. It works with this Zodiac auto pool cleaner, and you can set it between two hose sections. Attached with this leaf catcher, the Zodiac MX6 can catch more leaves and allow you to clean the pool faster without losing suction.
The only downfall we spot out is- it features a short hose in length, and the hose material is not qualitative enough.
Key Features
Energy-efficient design: The robot features an innovative low-flow design. Due to this, you can operate with the lowest energy- even with 2-speed or variable pumps.
Optimum performance: Its cyclonic suction gives this pool vacuum enough power to pick off the dirt from floors and the walls. On top of this, the articulating turbine blade is perfect for ultra-efficient cleaning operation.
Easy installation: Quick-connect style hoses and twist locking hoses are responsible for effortless and hassle-free assembly.
Optimized Flow Control: It comes with a flow regulator to control the excess water flow. As a result, you no longer need to make any adjustments to your skimmer.
02. Zodiac Baracuda G3 W03000 (Best Multi-Surface Pool Cleaner)
Getting a multi-functional pool vacuum that can suck away dirt from every type of pool floor is challenging. But the Zodiac Baracuda G3 makes this simple. It features a 36-Finned Disc, offering you a wide cleaning path, and is friendly to every surface like concrete or vinyl.
Besides, this Zodiac automatic pool vacuum comes with FlowKeeper™ Valve. Due to it, the robot itself can regulate the water flow to maintain its ultimate cleaning performance. You can even run the pool vacuum with a lower horsepower pump to remove tiny to medium debris from your pool.
The notable downside we discover is- the diaphragm this robot includes gets clogged easily even with 2″ long slender debris. Sometimes the robot stops moving due to the faulty diaphragm.
As a remedy, you can invest in these Pool Cleaner Replacement Kits. It features two pieces of diaphragms and they will fit your Baracuda G3.
Key Features
36-Fin Disc: The 36-Fin Disc ensures the unit will be adhering to every pool floor and removes hang-ups on fittings, drain covers, and lines. It means you can use this automatic pool cleaner to tidy up your pools efficiently with no tangled up.
Wheel Deflector: By dint of wheel deflector, the robot can reach every nook and cranny of your pool and pick away dirt to leave your pool bottom debris-free.
Long-Life Diaphragm: This is the accessory of your robot that makes your pool cleaner move around your pool and picks up dirt, dust, and pollen.
Quick-Release Cassette: It offers easy & quick access to your robot diaphragm for an effortless maintenance workflow.
03. Hayward W3PVS20GST Poolvergnuegen (Best Overall)
Performance, Reliability, Simplicity! All these phrases only go with Hayward W3PVS20GST Suction Pool Cleaner. Like other PoolCleaner models, this Hayward Robot Vacuum features patented self-adjusting turbine vanes. Due to the flexible vanes, the robot can avoid clogs and maintain its max power to clean your pool at any flow.
Apart from these, the robotic pool vacuum comes with three easy-to-interchangeable throats. They improve the ability to trap larger debris, maintaining suction to ensure optimum cleaning performance.
Despite having a ton of upsides, it has a downside as well. The Hayward Robot fails to climb up walls more than two feet.
Key Features
Steering System: Unlike other pool cleaners, the automatic pool vacuum has several pre-programmed steering sequences. These cause the left wheel to reverse periodically and allow your robot to turn and move in another direction. Repeatedly doing this, this robot covers your entire pool and ensures optimum cleaning operation.
Robust Tire Treads: Now, large debris or barriers can’t make your robot stuck. Because of the tire treads, this robotic pool vacuum can move over the obstacle and enable the cleaning device to climb up your pool wall. Indeed, it ensures excellent maneuverability to leave your pool surface debris-free.
Maintain Consistent Suction: No suction loss will occur again due to the patented adjustable roller skirts. Your Hayward pool vacuum can pick away dirt & dust from uneven surfaces without sacrificing any suction.
04. Zodiac MX8 Suction-Side Cleaner (Best for Suction Power)
Get yourself ready to fight with the sticky dust & filth! The Zodiac MX8 will help you to defeat stubborn debris and particles and remove them from your pool. Its dual cyclonic suction provides your robot the unmatched vacuuming power to suck away dirt to leave your pool crystal clear.
On top of this, the low-efficient design allows you to operate this robotic vacuum with 2-speed, variable pumps, or even solar. It means you can clean your pool with 30% less flow, which saves energy bills.
Our only gripe about it is- it can only catch small leaves, but big leaves may choke this robot. However, you can overcome this issue easily by investing your money in this leaf catcher.
Key Features
max-Drive Navigation: For covering your entire pool, this robot has 360-degree directionality to leave your pool dirt-free with no hang-ups. Therefore, its x-Trax rugged track design enables your robot to climb up vertical walls or waterlines to clean your pool aggressively.
Adjustable Intake: Whether it is a tiny particle or leaves, the Zodiac pool vacuum with Convertible Inlet allows the cleaner to consume larger debris.
Wide Cleaning Path: Due to its wide cleaning path, you can cover your entire pool, and it offers a faster pool cleaning operation.
Energy-efficient: You don’t need a powerful pump to operate the pool vacuum. It comes with an innovative flex-power turbine, which requires low-flow pumps to run. Indeed, this robotic pool cleaner will be a perfect choice for two-speed or variable speed pumps. As it needs low power to run, it also saves your wallet by reducing electric bills.
05. Pentair 360042 Kreepy Krauly Suction-Side Pool Cleaner (Best Reliable)
Classic and reliable become synonymous with Kreepy Krauly. This pool vacuum from Pentair makes a big name & fame for its durability and ultra-reliable service life.
Its regulator valve customizes water flow to set the speed you need for maximum cleaning operation. With it, you can suck away tiny to sticky debris, dirt, and leaves optimally.
Above all, you don’t need to worry about replacing parts like wheels, gears, or diaphragms. Because of its durable & sturdy design, you can experience the best pool cleaning service years after years.
The only grief we carry is- it uses low-quality material to make the bumper roller strap. It may fall apart after several months of use.
Key Features
Dive Float Directional System: This feature directs and guides your Kreepy Krauly throughout your pool. There will be no place remaining unclean from pool bottom to waterlines. Indeed, it assures complete pool cleaning coverage.
Roller Straps: No matter it will be steps or ladders, this pool vacuum can climb up everywhere due to roller straps and clean the hard-to-reach areas optimally.
Cleaner Wings: Due to this feature, the vacuum cleaner lets the leaves, dirt, and dust go into the filtration system directly. So, you can empty the debris holder effortlessly to maintain its cleaning efficiency.
Budget-Friendly Suction Side Pool Cleaner You Can Consider
You can find a ton of affordable pool vacuum cleaners in the market or on Amazon. All of them do not come with practical and awe-inspiring features like the top-rated vacuums we enlisted above. But the one thing they do well is just getting your job done.
Below, we included a budget-friendly pool vacuum that can suck away dirt from your pool though it doesn’t offer breathtaking features like other vacuums.
Budget Product: VINGLI Pool Vacuum Above Ground Automatic Swimming Pool Cleaner
If you are on a tight budget but want to get a functional pool cleaner, Vingli Pool Vacuum will be your go-to option. It provides enough suction to pick away dirt, leaves, and debris from your pool bottom. On top of this, the vacuum includes a scuff-resistant hose to remove scuffs from every surface for optimum cleaning.
Therefore, you can install the pool vacuum with ease. This pool sucker comes with every attachment like a hose, regulating valve, and diaphragm.
The only downfall we spot out is- it can pick up almost every dirt type except leaves. In other words, you can’t suck away leaves using this vacuum the way other cleaners on this list do.
What is a Suction Adapter for a Swimming Pool?
A suction adapter is a type of device that helps you to connect the hose to your robot cleaner or pool vacuum. Sometimes the pool cleaner you purchase comes with a low-quality hose. Consequently, it gets broken after several months.
But getting a new hose from the manufacturer will cost a lot of bucks. In this case, investing your money in a suction adapter will be best. With it, you can attach any aftermarket hoses to your pool sucker and clean the pool without emptying your pocket.
What is the Best Suction Adapter for a Swimming Pool?
By so far, Zodiac Pool Systems X77094 Suction Adapter is the best suction adapter for a swimming pool. Unlike the original product, this adapter is durable and lasts for a long time.
This adapter is best as it fits every standard hose and allows you to connect any aftermarket hoses to your robotic pool cleaner. It saves you a lot of money.
How to Clean the Bottom of a Pool with a Suction Cleaner
Using a suction pool cleaner is the best way to leave your pool crystal clear. It doesn’t only help you to catch and fish out the dirt from your pool bottom, but the vacuum also allows you to clean sticky dirt. The best part is- you don’t need to use the pool sucker manually.
If you don’t know how to clean your pool bottom with a suction cleaner, here are some tips for you.
First off, choose a suction pool vacuum from the list.
Secondly, attach your pool vacuum to the skimmer. Once you connect your suction cleaner to the skimmer, it’s time to put your pool vacuum into the water.
Make sure you fill the hose of your suction cleaner with water and attach it to the top lid of your skimmer. The movement of water in the hose and the pool pump provides enough suction to let the vacuum propel. In this way, your suction vacuum moves around your pool automatically and picks up dirt from your pool bottom.
When you notice the vacuum moves slowly, don’t forget to inspect the basket under the lid of your skimmer. If there is a lot of dirt in your pool, you need to do this a few times.
How Does a Suction Pool Cleaner Work?
A suction pool cleaner gets powered by your existing pool’s filtration system. You need to attach the suction pool vacuum with the existing system. The pumps will create the suction and give your suction vacuum enough power to move around the pool and clean the pool bottom.
What is the Difference Between a Suction and Pressure Pool cleaner?
A pressure cleaner uses the pressure of water to move it around your pool. In simple words, it requires a separate pump to boost its power to clean your pool.
On the other hand, a suction pool vacuum uses your existing pool filtration system. You can connect it with the existing pool pump and operate it to clean your entire pool.
Final Verdict
After performing thorough research, we enlisted these 6 best leaf suction pool cleaners. But the heck is- you are not going to pick every pool vacuum from the list. So, there is a little bit of confusion about which one you should choose.
Well, we are here to help you. You can choose the Hayward W3PVS20GS if you are looking for the best overall leaf catcher vacuum. It is functional, easy to maintain, and provides the power you need to tidy up your pool.
On the other hand, Zodiac MX8 will be best if you need unsurpassed vacuuming power to deal with the toughest dirt & debris.
You can go for Zodiac MX6 if you have a low-pump filtration system as it requires less energy to operate.
Pentair 360042 Kreepy Krauly will not be the worst choice if you are looking for a dependable pool vacuum that offers a consistent cleaning performance.
Therefore, you can end your buying session by getting the Zodiac Baracuda G3 W03000 for cleaning any type of pool surface.
Finally, we recommend you have the VINGLI Pool Vacuum if you are on a tight budget.