Niya Sonar Ray review

The Niya Sonar Ray (U.S. Product No. 9997500-US) is a compact cordless robot with a narrow, clearly stated assignment: clean the floor of a flat-bottom pool no longer than 26 feet. Maytronics lists both above-ground and in-ground pools, but the flat-bottom condition matters more than the broad pool-class label. This is a source-based assessment, not a pool test; the published limits should be checked against the actual pool and exact retail package.

A focused floor-cleaning fit

The Ray is not a general-purpose substitute for a cleaner that climbs walls or scrubs the waterline. Its U.S. product specifications say floor coverage, no waterline scrubbing, and no active brush. The page describes it for flat-bottom pools up to 26 feet and lists several shapes, including rectangular, round, free-form, and kidney. It does not publish a water-depth range or explain how shallow transitions, ledges, drains, or other floor features affect operation. If any of those details are important, ask Maytronics or the seller for the instructions for this precise U.S. model before buying.

For a routine that mainly collects settled floor debris, a cordless unit avoids a floating power cable. The manufacturer describes the Ray as lightweight and lists its robot weight as 7.056 pounds. It also says the cleaner stops near the pool wall when the cycle finishes or the battery is low, making it easier to reach. That parking feature is a retrieval aid, not a promise that every pool shape will leave the cleaner at a convenient spot or that no lifting is required.

What the advertised runtime and navigation do—and do not—tell you

Maytronics' U.S. page metadata describes 1.5 hours of cordless, sonar-guided cleaning. Its visible product description separately highlights automatic parking and floor cleaning. The detailed specifications do not explain the sonar system, list a mode selector, give a charge time, or promise a particular runtime under different debris loads. Treat 1.5 hours as a manufacturer description, not an independently measured duration or guarantee of complete pool coverage. I found no exact-model U.S. user manual: the product page's Documentation section has no document link, and the official manual search returned no product for 9997500-US. Until that bridge is resolved, operating and charging details should not be borrowed from another Niya model.

Sonar Ray versus Sonar 20: compare the documented package, not the name

The Ray and Sonar 20 share a 26-foot pool-length limit, floor-only coverage, a one-year warranty listing, and a cordless orientation. Their documented differences are more useful than the family resemblance. The Ray page explicitly describes flat-bottom pools in both above-ground and in-ground classes; the Sonar 20 U.S. product page lists above-ground pools, while its separate support FAQ also mentions small in-ground pools. The Ray weighs 7.056 pounds on its exact page, compared with 10.033 pounds for Sonar 20. The Ray promotes fine filtration but gives no particle rating; Sonar 20's product record calls its filter coarse and top-access. Sonar 20 has a linked F2 quick guide and model-specific FAQ, while I could not locate a Ray manual for the U.S. product number. Those differences do not establish that the models share parts, charging hardware, internal design, or box contents.

Do not confuse a filter headline with a specified micron grade or an included ultra-fine kit. The Ray product page advertises fine filtration and a high-capacity basket, and lists top filter access. It does not give basket capacity, filter media, a micron rating, or a list of what is in the box. A buyer who needs a particular particle size should verify the filter part number and package contents in writing rather than assume the marketing label answers that question.

What to verify before choosing it

First, match the U.S. Product No. 9997500-US and UPC 810071228421; similarly named regional pages are not a substitute for U.S. instructions or warranty terms. Next, confirm that the pool has a flat bottom and is within the 26-foot limit. The exact U.S. page names both above-ground and in-ground use, but does not publish a depth range. Ask for the exact manual and for written confirmation of any depth or floor-transition limits that apply to your pool.

Because the official U.S. page does not list package contents and the manual search had no result, check whether the offer includes the intended charger, filter basket, retrieval aid, and current user instructions. Confirm charging time, water-chemistry limits, cleaning and storage directions, and how warranty service works for the item being sold. The page lists a one-year warranty, but an offer from another market or an open-box seller may have different terms. Also check return conditions in case the pool's geometry or the supplied filtration is not a match.

The dated CPSC all-recalls dataset available for this research was searched by the Sonar Ray name, U.S. product number, and UPC; it returned no matching row. That bounded search is not a safety certification and cannot guarantee that a later or differently indexed notice does not exist, so recheck current recall information when evaluating an offer.

Bottom line

The Sonar Ray is most plausible for someone seeking a small, light, cordless cleaner whose priority is the floor of a flat-bottom pool within the manufacturer's 26-foot limit. Its advertised parking behavior and fine-filtration claim may be useful, but the page leaves practical buying questions unanswered: manual, charge time, water depth, exact filter grade, and package contents. Choose a different assessment if wall, waterline, or qualified step cleaning is essential; do not treat the Ray's sonar label or in-ground classification as evidence that it performs those jobs.