The Mammotion Spino E1 might be the pool cleaner for those watching their wallets, but it's not exactly a splashing success. While its compact size and easy cleanup make it a neat addition to the poolside arsenal, its meagre battery life and subpar cleaning performance leave much to be desired.

Despite being marketed as a versatile option, the Spino E1 struggles with smaller debris and obstacles, leaving you with an unevenly clean water playground. The app, while basic, could use some upgrades, with features like Turbo Cleaning requiring manual activation before every session.

The robot's design is more toy than tool, with a busy colour scheme that belies its serious intentions. Still, for those looking to cut costs without compromising too much on performance, it might just do the job — albeit not as well as hoped.