ECOVACS Robotic vacuum cleaner with mop and water tank review
With iRobot no longer focusing on their Scooba models, there is an obvious gap in the floor mopping robot market. ECOVACS endeavors to fill that gap with a robotic vacuum cleaner with full mopping features and a water tank. How does this surprisingly affordable robot mop measure up? The occasional hydroplane and poor navigation skills aside, we think it’s an expensive middle of the road option for those looking for a full-service mopping robot.
The ECOVACS Robotic Vacuum Cleaner (Link)
The ECOVACS Robotic Vacuum Cleaner with Mop and Water Tank is far from affordable retailing for around several hundred dollars. We should note, however, that this is still cheaper than the comparable Scooba units from iRobot. What does the ECOVACS offer for this price? Multiple cleaning modes that sweep and vacuum, the option to fully mop the floor, and…well, that’s about it.
The Basics
The ECOVACS Robotic Vacuum Cleaner with Mop and Water Tank is promoted more for it’s mopping feature, however, it also does a relatively good job at vacuuming up every day “dirt”. We have always been quite partial to the Roomba for simple vacuuming, and the ECOVACS unit is quite comparable in terms of picking up dirt from various carpet and hard floor surfaces. Following up with the ECOVACS mopping feature ensures a thorough floor cleaning. Even better, the ECOVACS mops the whole floor without your having to change out and rewet mopping cloths – a definite plus.
The Nitty Gritty
Affordability
The ECOVACS Robotic Vacuum Cleaner with Mop and Water Tank is not an affordable floor mopping option, but with the Scooba off the market, it’s one of the only full-service mopping robots available. Unfortunately, it seems that if you want a true “full mop” service out of any floor cleaning robot, you have to pay big bucks.
With that large price tag under consideration, just how well does the ECOVACS Robotic Vacuum Cleaner with Mop and Water Tank perform?
Sound
At 56db, the ECOVACS Robotic Vacuum Cleaner with Mop and Water Tank is a relatively quiet robot mop option and one you can run in the house while you are home without much of a concern.
Navigation
The ECOVACS Robotic Vacuum Cleaner with Mop and Water Tank features both object detection technology and stair safety technology to keep it on track while cleaning. Three cleaning modes also ensure that the floor gets cleaned according to your plans and not those of a great robot overlord. The auto mode uses the robot mop’s built in sensors to navigate the room intelligently and clean as it goes. The spot cleaning mode cleans using a circular spiral motion that focuses on the main area that needs cleaning. Then the edge cleaning mode focuses only on the edges of the room using the machine’s edge sensors to navigate.
But how does the ECOVACS Robotic Vacuum Cleaner with Mop and Water Tank deal with obstacles? Object detection stops the robot from bumping into large things like furniture, but it doesn’t do well with room to room transitions. It seems that the smaller “obstacles” pose much more of a problem and we challenge you to run your ECOVACS without having to “carry it over the threshold” at least once during each cycle. If you don’t mind carrying out newlywed rituals with a robot mop, however, the cleaning functions of the ECOVACS Robotic Vacuum Cleaner with Mop and Water Tank are quite redeeming.
While all in all, the ECOVACS Robotic Vacuum Cleaner with Mop and Water Tank gets the job done, it doesn’t always take the easiest route to get to the finish line. This is a floor mopping robot that can easily clean an entire room (or two), but it sometimes has difficulty taking direction which can lead to it taking the “scenic route” to get the job done. Fortunately, the battery life on the ECOVACS is good enough that these detours rarely take away from the cleaning process.
Speaking of battery life, the ECOVACS Robotic Vacuum Cleaner with Mop and Water Tank also has a “home” feature that returns the unit to the charger after every clean…unless the charger is in another room and then you’re out of luck.
Cleaning Cycles
The ECOVACS Robotic Vacuum Cleaner with Mop and Water Tank uses the auto cleaning mode for everyday cleaning jobs, the spot cleaning mode for spills and stains, and the edge cleaning mode for touching up the edges of the room. Each of these cycles can be used with or without the mopping feature, but you have to remember to attach the mopping cloth if you want to use the mopping option.
Cleaning Ability
How well does the ECOVACS Robotic Vacuum Cleaner with Mop and Water Tank actually clean? As we mentioned above, the vacuum feature is comparable to that of the Roomba. What doesn’t get picked up by the vacuum’s suction is picked up using the rotators. When it comes to the mop, don’t throw out your traditional mop, but you can certainly cut down to twice a week mopping if you use the ECOVACS Robotic Vacuum Cleaner with Mop and Water Tank regularly.
Don’t get us wrong, there are a few hiccups with this pricey mopping machine. The ECOVACS Robotic Vacuum Cleaner with Mop and Water Tank can get a little carried away when wetting the floor and while it mops this up eventually, it does take a little slipping and hydroplaning to get to that point. Our thoughts on the matter are that if you’re not home to see it (you probably should see it at least once, it’s a little amusing), then no harm, no foul, you’re still coming home to clean floors.
Is the ECOVACS Robotic Vacuum Cleaner with Mop and Water Tank Worth It?
If you are in the market for a mop replacement, the ECOVACS Robotic Vacuum Cleaner with Mop and Water Tank isn’t what you’ve been looking for. If, however, you’re looking for something to touch up the floors between twice a week moppings, then this is exactly what you’re looking for. Add in the option to vacuum the floors automatically EVERY day while you’re out of the house, and this might just be worth the investment. We still stand by the Braava Jet 240 as our best robot mop pick, but if you’re looking for a more comprehensive mopping robot, you might want to consider the ECOVACS Robotic Vacuum Cleaner with Mop and Water Tank.