Home CasaVerdeSmart ,,,,, Clean floor without lifting a finger? It is possible with a robot vacuum cleaner such as Eufy RoboVac 11, the latest addition to the editorial office that we have had the opportunity to try in recent weeks by completely replacing the manual vacuum cleaner.
It is similar in conception to many other competing solutions that we have had in the past, but it is particularly appreciated for the effectiveness in cleaning, for the autonomy and for the AI of the system.
The review
What it's in the box
Eufy RoboVac 11 is sold together with a large range of accessories. In fact, the package includes the charging base and the attached power supply, the remote control for remote control, a multipurpose tool for cleaning the dust collection tray and maintenance of the brushes, the two brushes + two spare parts, a filter and a spare filter cover and the user manual available in multiple languages, including Italian.
As did
Aesthetically, it does not differ much from the robot vacuum cleaners currently on the market. Circular in shape, it has a particular glass plate that covers the entire upper surface. In this regard, we do not yet know whether this can be considered an advantage or a defect. Certainly the glass makes it more attractive to the eye, but the past experience with another vacuum cleaner stuck under a radiator (luckily coming out of it only with a few superficial scratches) during the daily cleaning of the tanze cannot be overshadowed. Although the AI of the Eufy RoboVac 11 proved to be above expectations by keeping a safe distance from the offending radiator, nothing takes our minds off what could happen to the plate if the vacuum cleaner were to get stuck in the same way.
Due to its black color it is really very beautiful to see. The design is studied in detail, the two side flaps that help the device to avoid and circumvent obstacles are well thought out and hide the proximity sensors from view, for a rather minimalist look.
Not C 'is the scrubbing mode, but the rotating brush does not make you regret it
Compared to other similar it does not offer the floor cleaning mode, normally composed of a cloth that is added to the base and which is slowly moistened by the water inserted in a special tray. In fact, there is only one dust collection tray, wider than others and accompanied by an additional protection for the filter that minimizes the dispersion of dust when the tray is emptied.
Although this may seem like a flaw, in reality after having tried it thoroughly we can say quite the opposite. The company has decided to give up a functionality that for some users might be convenient, but at the same time it has totally concentrated the development of a single function which, in our opinion, is performed flawlessly and better than others.
First of all, it has a more powerful suction motor as it is equipped with a function that maximizes performance in use with the most demanding carpets. Furthermore, as we said, the tray is larger, so the risk of saturating the space even before cleaning all the rooms is reduced, a situation that can occur more in the presence of animals.
Completely new, at least based on our experience on the subject, there is finally a rotating brush that accompanies the suction nozzle. This add-on, cylindrical in shape, is characterized by multiple strips of brushes that alternate with as many rubber flaps, all to the advantage in cleaning floors, especially porous ones like the one we dealt with during our tests.
Wear I don't fear you
Another feature that we have noticed – and appreciated – concerns the ease with which it is possible to replace the battery and other components in the event of malfunctions or following normal wear and tear over time. The brushes are released in a flash, the rotating brush is disassembled with the simple opening of a door and the battery is closed inside a special housing with a lid locked by only two Phillips screws.
How does it work
Talking about operation is almost an affront to the simplicity with which the vacuum cleaner is managed. When the side ON / OFF button is turned on, it is sufficient to press the Auto button on the remote control – or the power button on the upper side – to start the automatic mode that will be chosen in 90% of the occasions.
If the vacuum cleaner is docked to the charging base, it will reverse far enough to then be able to turn and start cleaning the floor, otherwise it will automatically start forward to the first obstacle.
High level AI
Compared to others, the electronic brain seemed much more effective in general. In fact, Eufy RoboVac 11 seems to recognize obstacles even better, keeping a safe distance or slowing down, until it changes direction, in case it is in front of it.
If in the past other products have in some cases bumped our feet, albeit gently, while we were sitting on the sofa, with this vacuum cleaner situations like these are just a memory. In fact, it seems to recognize obstacles already about half a meter away, slowing down and then immediately changing direction at about 10-20 centimeters from them.
The same goes for inanimate objects, such as table legs, chairs, sofas, hat boxes, doors, shoes and anything else you may encounter along the way. The side flaps are actually activated only when it is necessary to recognize the edges, to follow the perimeter of a room or circumnavigate an obstacle: only when it is in very small spaces could it help by gently touching the edges with the flaps to recognize the limits of the area and behave accordingly.
In the first cleaning we chased him all over the house, not only to understand how he behaves but also to avoid the worst in case he got stuck somewhere. Only on one occasion did he manage to get stuck momentarily between the wall and the leg of the table: on that occasion, after noting that there was no space to pass or go around the pole, he changed his destination with a short reverse.
Friend rugs
Even with the carpets he managed to surprise us favorably. In the past others have sometimes got stuck, unable to climb over them (at home we only have two, one of which is just over half a centimeter tall), or in some cases, insisting, they have curled one corner during the run.
The vacuum cleaner in question, on the other hand, never struggled in climbing and this, after a brief consultation of the instruction manual, seemed even more obvious to us since the MAX mode , which can be activated by remote control, specifically designed to enhance the suction of carpets.
In this regard, for a correct use of this function it is advisable to first place the vacuum cleaner in the center of the carpet as, by activating it, it will begin to move in a spiral, from the center towards the outside, cleaning the entire surface as best as possible.
Single room mode
In addition to the Max mode there is the one for the cleaning of a single room . Other robot vacuum cleaners make use of an external accessory that must be positioned at the entrance of the room as, by emitting some ultrasounds, it will help the robot in its movements avoiding it from crossing the threshold.
In this case, there are no extra accessories. Probably the sensors, combined with better AI, are enough to make sure you clean only one room without the vacuum cleaner wandering around the house. In this regard, we did some tests by starting the mode in the kitchen, where there is no door to separate it from the living room.
Well, although we tried to force the exit from the room by piloting it manually, the vacuum cleaner strongly resisted with a turnaround every time we approached it to the threshold. Apparently it orients itself through the sensors that detect the distance from the walls: when two walls very close to the sides are detected, they are probably translated by the system as the “doorway”, forcing the vacuum cleaner to go back to fulfill the his task.
Spot and edge cleaning
Among others there is the Borders mode which automatically directs the vacuum cleaner towards a wall, then making it follow the entire perimeter of the room and, leaving the doors open, of the whole house. The side brushes touch the skirting board and clean even the corners with precision, thus going to finish the entire perimeter of the house.
With the Stain mode you can instead use the vacuum cleaner to clean a particular area of the house. For example, at the end of dinner we could shake the tablecloth setting the crumbs aside in a corner, and at that point use this particular function to collect them in a few seconds. The vacuum cleaner, similar to the Max mode for carpets, will move in a spiral, cleaning the entire area in question.
Scheduled cleaning
The advantage in the display on the remote control emerges when the need arises to use the a mode of scheduled cleaning . With Eufy RoboVac 11 it is in fact possible to program the start of automatic cleaning at a particular time of day, without necessarily activating it manually.
This feature comes in handy on two occasions. One, more common, is when you simply decide to clean the floor every day (for example) at 10:00 in the morning. Once the cleaning is scheduled, you will no longer have to think about anything. The vacuum cleaner, every day and at the same time, will detach from the charging base, clean the house (making sure to leave the doors open) and return to the base with the battery almost empty.
Scheduling could also be used to clean the floor twice a day. For example, we could schedule cleaning around 16:00 but at the same time start cleaning at 8:00 in the morning, just before leaving the house. In this way the vacuum cleaner will have enough time for the first cleaning lap and to recharge before leaving for the second scheduled lap.
How are you doing? Video answers
We were generally satisfied with this vacuum cleaner. It does only one thing but it does it well and in some cases better than others. In this regard, we attach a demonstration video, where it is also possible to appreciate the step recognition system, useful to prevent the vacuum cleaner from falling ruinously along a staircase in the case of use in multi-storey houses (not having any available, we have a test by starting the automatic cleaning from the table top).
Autonomy and battery
Really good autonomy. With the battery fully charged, the vacuum cleaner ensures about 2 hours and 20 minutes of cleaning, while charging the battery (from 0% to 100%) takes around 4 hours. In this case, there is no possibility of knowing the percentage of battery charge, at least during the recharging period. If in others it is in fact possible to know the battery charge in 25% increments by eye, here it is necessary to adjust only with the flashing of the LED incorporated on the upper button. If it blinks blue, the battery is charging, when the light is solid, the battery is full. Similarly, when it flashes red, the battery is low.
Conclusions
If the goal is to throw away the old vacuum cleaner to definitively take off a task in cleaning the floor, it is difficult not to recommend Eufy RoboVac 11. As we said initially, power and brush system win the comparison with others for precision and final result.
It is slightly higher than others so it will not slip under furniture and radiators that are too low and is perhaps slightly noisier, to the advantage in this sense of a more powerful and effective suction.
Pro
Against
Retail price
Eufy RoboVac 11 is on sale on Amazon for 199.99 euros.
,,
