HomeHouseGreenSmart Household cleaning is one of the fields in which technology has evolved the most over the last few years. If in the past the exponents on the scene could be counted on the fingers of one hand, today there are so many brands that deal with smart and automated cleaning. Among the brands that have established themselves over the years, Ecovacs is the one that has stood out for its quality and completeness of functions. Today we try the Deebot N8 +, complete with a charging station that automatically empties the dust tank. Here's what we think.
From an aesthetic point of view, Deebot N8 (it is also possible to buy it without the Plus of the self-emptying base), is presented in a rather traditional way, with the classic round shape, and the turret in which the lasers are positioned for mapping and movement control. It is slightly lower than other competitors, with me at 8 cm from the ground, plus 2 cm if we consider the turret with the sensors. On the upper part it reveals the button for starting and stopping cleaning, which, mind you, differs from the ignition button, which is hidden under the upper body. 
This type of keys makes us understand that the Deebot N8 is designed to remain always on, without the need to switch it off. The button in plain sight, then, is only used to start or stop a cleaning. If initially we had turned up our noses due to the fact that the power button was hidden and under the body, thinking that it was difficult to reach if you wanted to turn it off after each cleaning, then we totally changed our mind. The robot is optimized to never be turned off: when it arrives at the charging station and reaches 100% of the charge, no status LED will remain lit, so as to appear totally off. It is a perfect solution, and in the months of use we have never had reason to intervene on the on / off button, which in fact is totally invisible, and does not emit any light that could annoy during the night hours. 
On the lower part, in addition to the two wheels, there is a third one on the front, which serves to direct their movements, while the brushes that attract the dust towards the suction nozzle are two, and not one like in most of the competitors. We find this double brush solution preferable, because it undoubtedly provides a more thorough and thorough cleaning. 
The charging base is, of course, more cumbersome than others, because in the Plus model it is a real station capable of automatically emptying the dust tank, making it convey into a larger bag on the top. The self-emptying station is, as reiterated, a Plus, and Deebot N8 can also be purchased individually. It must be said, however, that the combined system is really very useful, because for about a month you can really do without manually emptying the dust tank. 
From this point of view we immediately prefer to anticipate a concept: Deebot N8 + is one of the vacuum cleaners that, more than the others, was able to ensure a particularly high degree of automaticity. In other words, after the first configurations, we did not have any need to intervene on the cleaning of the floor, which was managed very well, and in total autonomy, by the robot. 
And let's talk, then, of the first configurations, also because Deebot N8 + turned out to be one of the most complete in terms of functionality. At the first start the vacuum cleaner creates a map of the apartment, dividing it into rooms. The only precaution to have during the first start-up is to open all the doors of your home, so as to allow the robot to completely map the house. Our test immediately gave a positive result: already at the first start the robot perfectly recognized the perimeter of the house and managed to divide it correctly into rooms. 
It is not the first robot vacuum cleaner we test, but no one had ever made a precise cut of the rooms. In other competitors, including high-end ones, it was necessary to intervene manually to divide or join areas of the house, so as to have a distinction in correct rooms. Deebot N8, on the other hand, correctly recognized the rooms. In any case, even in the case of errors, there would have been the possibility to intervene manually to merge or divide rooms. Another peculiarity we have noticed is that the robot has also included areas of greater suction in the map, correctly identifying the position of all the carpets present. These are shown on the map with gray cross lines. 
Among the particularly appreciable functions, those that allow you to individually clean the various rooms, or even single areas within a room. In this way it is possible to carry out targeted cleaning: think after meals, when it is necessary to sweep under the table. Furthermore, the possibility of being able to select, during an automatic cleaning of the whole house, the order of the rooms to be cleaned is also particularly useful. 
This way you can choose to clean the kitchen first rather than the bedroom, or the bathrooms first and then the living room, and so on. The function, as trivial as it may seem, is extremely useful in everyday life. Think of wanting to lie down on the sofa in the living room to relax or to watch TV, without wanting to be disturbed: you can choose to have it cleaned at the end, or maybe immediately at the beginning and then be quiet. But that is not all.
Thanks to the support app, it is possible to program the type and method of cleaning for each room. For example, you can choose for each room how many times to vacuum the cleaner, with what intensity of suction, and with what intensity of the water flow. Thus, if you have a more delicate floor in one room, you can opt for a softer cleaning without water, while in other rooms where it is easier for dust and dirt to nestle, it is possible to opt for a double pass with a power of higher suction. This level of customization in cleaning is really a plus, which we have not found in many other high-end competitors.
Below is a gallery of what the app allows you to do, with the many possible customizations:
There is also the possibility to control the vacuum cleaner via voice commands, thanks to the support for the Google assistant and Alexa. During our tests, the cleaning and recharging start-up voice commands were always received correctly, and absolutely quickly. 
Of course, these customizations and this completeness of functionality alone would not be enough to make the Deebot N8 + one of the best robot vacuum cleaners on the market. Fortunately, the software side is accompanied by a really optimal cleaning. In fact, we have nothing to complain about the cleaning ability of the robot, which has managed to vacuum the surface very well. Furthermore, we tested this robot after a period of absence of other robots in the house. We have noticed that after daily use of this robot it returns a very high overall cleaning sensation. 
During the weeks without the robot it was easy to notice some residual dust on the floor, such as small filaments that perhaps nestle under shoes or slippers, and therefore recur frequently on the floor. After resuming the use of a robot, in this case the Debt N8, we have seen these residues literally disappear: the programmed passage of the vacuum cleaner is really tangible. 
N8 + also scrubs floors, and does it better than other competitors on the scene. We certainly remain of the usual opinion, namely that the damp cloth is not able to replace the classic cat, also because the vacuum cleaner will never be able to intervene on the most encrusted stains. In any case, the possibility of choosing a different water flow for each room is particularly useful.
We can't find a weak point with this vacuum cleaner. We could talk about a battery recharge that seemed slower than the competitors, but this would not be able to affect the overall quality of the robot. Also because, the charging system is completely automated, and we have never been short of autonomy. In fact, the N8 + was able to completely sweep the 100+ square foot home in just 75 minutes, with more than 40 percent battery remaining. Furthermore, we assume that the slower charging process will serve to safeguard the longevity of the battery over time. 
Conclusions
It is not cheap, but it is really worth the list price, certainly making it one of the best tested smart vacuum cleaners. Moreover, if you can do without the self-emptying base, the price drops drastically. It is one of the most versatile robots, which offers maximum customization possibilities in cleaning. There are many possible choices, including targeted cleaning and the possibility of diversifying the intensity of suction between the different rooms. Excellent room recognition and the possibility of targeted cleaning per room or single area. Very little, or even nothing, to complain.
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Prices and availability
At the time of writing, the Ecovacs Deebot N8 + kit costs 509 euros, while without the self-draining station it costs 339 euros.
