Powerful suction, thorough washing, automatic maintenance. These are the features that are now almost indispensable for those looking for a floor robot that can really help with daily cleaning. The floor cleaning robot market now offers a wide range of models for every price range. We tried the Deebot N30 Pro Omni Of Ecovacsone of the latest arrivals in Italy, awaiting the innovations presented at CES in Las Vegas.
The robot
The robot has the classic round shape, but thanks to the side brush and the TrueEdge Adaptive Edge Mopping system, which allows one of the cloths to move laterally, it can also effectively clean corners and skirting boards. It is equipped with an anti-tangle rubber and bristle brush, easily removable and washable, and a drawer for collecting dirt. The navigation turret is not very high, but it still does not allow the device to pass under the sofa we have at home. The mapping was precise even in the areas where the furniture obstructed the passage somewhat. The two rubber wheels can overcome obstacles up to 2 centimeters high and do not scratch the parquet.
The charging station
Like many robots in this category, the Deebot N30 Pro Omni is equipped with a rather bulky multifunction charging station that may not easily find a place in all homes. This, in addition to the dust tank which automates the emptying of the robot, integrates two containers for clean and dirty water, an automatic cloth cleaning system and a compartment for a special solid detergent. The dimensions of the charging station are a factor to consider based on the available space, even if it is an appliance that is slowly becoming common in homes and is less and less perceived as an accessory to hide.
Vacuuming and washing
With its 10,000 pa of suction, the Deebot N30 Pro Omni is powerful and has never caused problems, even with larger elements. With a two-year-old girl at home, the time after the meal is certainly the most complicated, but the robot also passed the infamous “food test” brilliantly, completely vacuuming up the remains of polenta and crumbs that ended up under the table. And it even vacuumed up small objects such as stickers and a toy left around and which then obviously clogged the dust drawer. And not even an accidentally aspirated ribbon stopped the main brush. No problems even with washing: the mop that comes out of its seat comes very close to the edges and leaves no unwashed areas. And there were no stains left under the table either. Obstacle recognition is also good: the robot never got stuck, not even between the chairs arranged under the table.
The app
The Deebot N30 Pro Omni is equipped with a simple and intuitive application in Italian, which allows you to both map your home and manage cleaning. In particular, we liked the possibility of setting different cleaning modes: suction only, washing only or combined suction and washing, with the possibility of choosing whether to carry them out simultaneously or in sequence. In any case it is possible to choose between four different suction powers and three water flow levels. Furthermore, through the app you can manage the charging station, for example by starting the washing of clothes or emptying the dust drawer. But also by starting the automatic cleaning of the same station which will release water into the base to clean it thoroughly. You can also set a time when cleaning does not start or noisier operations are excluded.
Maintenance
The robot and charging station do not require daily maintenance: the dust drawer empties itself when necessary or at the end of each cleaning, the cloths are washed at 60° and dried completely. All we have to do is add clean water and empty the dirty one. And occasionally disassemble and wash the main brush. The dust tank, according to Ecovacs estimates, needs to be emptied approximately after two and a half months. Despite the presence of wet clothes and dirty water during our test we never noticed bad odors, a sign that the mops are sanitized and the tanks are well insulated.
What we liked
The robot is an excellent compromise for those who do not want to invest in a top of the range: it does its job very well and has nothing to envy of other more expensive models. The recommended price is in fact 699 euros, but it is on offer on the official store for 599. The possibility of washing only after vacuuming makes cleaning more thorough. The charging station is bulky, but overall more compact than other products in the same category. The possibility of choosing between the white and black models makes it more adaptable to environments. The use of a solid detergent avoids waste and the cloth that moves sideways really allows you not to have to go over with other tools.
What we didn’t like
When the charging station is connected to the mains, there is a background hum, very faint but constant and always present, which can disturb those with sensitive hearing.
The robot arrives equipped with cloths and a dust bag, but not with the solid detergent which must be purchased separately (at around 10 euros each for a promised duration of one month), although it is possible to use any non-foaming detergent to be dissolved directly in clean water. Furthermore, there is no LED to illuminate dark areas, although the robot moves quite well even without light.