An ominous warning on the packaging of the Beatbot Sora 30 reads: “For routine cleaning only. NOT for first-time seasonal cleanup.” That’s a perhaps worrisome message to receive before you’ve even unboxed the product, but I’m here to assuage most of your concerns. Sure, the Sora 30 may not be ready for the aftermath of a hurricane, but most homeowners are likely to find it more than adequate for daily needs, even if the level of debris in the pool is on the heavy side.

The Sora 30 is available in two color options. I was sent the orange version for review (the other is a more conservative blue), and it’s quite a striking design. If you’re the type of homeowner who wants to imbue your electronics with a bit of invented personality, this orange color scheme is the way to go. At the very least, you won’t have any trouble at all tracking it while it’s underwater.

At just under 20 pounds, it’s noticeably lighter than the Sora 70—and more compact. Losing the skimmer function makes it quite a bit shorter, which is surprisingly helpful for getting the robot in and out of the pool without a struggle. Another major design change is the use of a filter cover that is completely removable rather than attached with a hinge, which is much more commonplace. In fact, I don’t think I’ve seen another pool robot with such a design in years of testing this category. On the Sora 30, this cover hatch pops off the robot entirely, giving you easy access to the 5-liter, open-top filter basket underneath. Otherwise, the Sora 30 maintains Beatbot’s standard treaded design, with two roller brushes mounted on the front of the device to do the scrubbing.