Why Haven't You Got a Robot Vacuum Yet?

In a matter of months I've gone from never even considering a robot vacuum cleaner to never ever wanting to live without one. I'm a total convert.

Why?

Well, a lot of reasons actually.

Firstly, there's nothing like not having to do the vacuuming yourself.

Secondly, as a human being, there's something immensely satisfying about finally having an actual robot in the house that knows what it's supposed to do and just gets on and does it. Evolution, baby.

And thirdly, it's fun to watch.

I'm not kidding. And I'm not just being some weirdo tech nerd. Everyone who's seen one agrees. It's cool as.

But which one should you get? Do you need to go top-of-the-line? Or can you save a few bucks and still get the job done?

The DEEBOT N8 PRO is ECOVACS' midrange offering, priced at NZ$899.00. A few months back I tested the pricier T9+ - and I have to be honest, when I first took the N8 PRO out of the box, it was kind of tricky to tell the difference.

The drive wheels, main brush, filter and side brushes all appear to be identical, which is fine by me as I found the build quality, functionality and durability of all these components to be first-rate on the T9+ - especially the dual side brushes which seem to be less likely to tangle than on other brands of robot vacuum I've tried. On the odd occasion they do get caught up in something, I've found it a simple matter to free the brushes and set the device going again.

This hardly ever happens though because the N8 PRO's TrueDetect 3D Technology does an impressive job of avoiding pretty much any object and the vacuum will back and fill patiently to make sure it doesn't run over that prized teddy bear or half-constructed Lego city.

Just like the T9+, the N8 PRO uses lasers to map your home on its first use. I was surprised to discover its map appears somewhat differently in the ECOVACS app though - there isn't quite the same level of customisations and options available - but almost.

You can still configure the automatically generated map, naming or even merging rooms. You can designate the order you want to clean the rooms in or select a specific area you want to clean. Just as with the T9+, you can also create virtual boundaries (invisible walls) to lock off spaces where you don't want the N8 PRO to go and declare certain areas "no mop zones".

Oh yes, don't worry - just because this device is hundreds of dollars cheaper than T9+, it still offers the same OZMO mopping function. This is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Actually, I like it even more than sliced bread. Just fill the water tank - with water only, no cleaning chemicals required - slot it into place and the N8 PRO is ready to mop and vacuum simultaneously. I have both tile and timber floors in my home and both surfaces come up gleaming every time.

My only frustration with the mopping process is having to manually attach and remove the water tank - due to the N8 PRO's carpet detection abilities, it simply won't venture onto or over any carpeted areas when the mopping attachment is in place. This basically means you can't mop and vacuum your whole house in one go without stopping the process to change attachments.

On the bright side, that auto-detection means no wet carpets or rugs. It also means the N8 PRO knows to increase its suction power when it moves from hard to soft floors. There are drop detectors too, to ensure the vacuum won't drive itself down the stairs or off your balcony. In fact, the N8 PRO is so safety conscious, it'll stop and notify you if these sensors get too dusty to work properly.

If this happens, there's a handy on-board tool to brush that dust away. This is the same cool tool I've used on the T9+ with the angled blade for detangling hair from the main brush head in seconds.

In general use, I've found the N8 PRO performs every bit as well as the more expensive T9+ except for two departments; firstly, battery life is not as good. I have a pretty big house and there's no way it can clean the whole thing in a single run. Not to worry - there's a setting to restart automatically when charged up again. Still, something to consider if you have a large home like mine.

Secondly, unlike the T9+, the N8 PRO doesn't include the DEEBOT Auto-Empty station. Instead, it simply returns itself to a small dock to recharge and it's up to you to lift out the dust bin and empty it. If this sounds too disgusting for you to even contemplate (it really isn't - it's a very simple, fuss-free process, but what-evs) you can buy the Auto-Empty station separately. It'll set you back NZ$399.00 though, meaning the whole caboodle will work out just a hundred dollars shy of the T9+ bundle.

Personally, neither the battery life or manual emptying are game-breakers for me. While the total cleaning time may be a bit longer due to a mid-clean recharge, given you can set the N8 PRO to run on a schedule when you're not around, it doesn't have to be an issue. Emptying out the dustbin takes a grand total of about thirty seconds. And while the deodorising attachment that comes with the T9+ is a nice-to-have, I certainly wouldn't label it a must-have.

What that all boils down to is the N8 PRO is a very full-featured device. Its abilities to mop, avoid obstacles and drops and automatically change suction depending on the surface far exceeds its mid-range price tag. For much less than the cost of other high-end stick vacuums you can snare yourself a robot that literally cleans the house while you're not home. So what are you waiting for?

    

Click here for more information on the DEEBOT N8 PRO.