There are so many robot vacuums out in the market right now that it can be difficult to choose one. Manufacturers have to make sure that what they offer stands out in terms of quality, affordability, or uniqueness. But why not all three? Roomba may be the robot vacuum brand on everyone’s lips, but when it comes to true value for your money, Ecovacs is hard to beat. Need a solid robot-vac that only costs $150? The Deebot 500 is perfect for the frugal but wise shopper. How about a robot vacuum that can also mop? Look no further than the truly innovative Deebot 661. Save up to $210 when you get these robot-vacs on Amazon today.
ECOVACS DEEBOT 500 – $150, was $280
The Ecovacs Deebot 500 robot vacuum measures 2.9 x 12.9 x 3.1 inches so it’s slim enough to go beneath and between furniture. It has a single multi-function button up top to power it up/down and let it start/stop auto cleaning. Underneath, a single bristled roller brush and two rotating brushes are extremely capable of removing dirt and debris off your floors. On the rear is a retractable 0.5-liter dust bin that’s easy to clean.
Through the Ecovacs Home mobile app (available for download on both iOS and Android), you can set up cleaning schedules, remotely control the robot, check its battery life, and determine whether it’s time to do some light maintenance. This robot also has the ability to pair with Alexa and Google Assistant so you can order it to clean through voice command, a next-level convenience hard to find in a robot vacuum of this price.
When the Deebot 500 is about to lose power, it will automatically return to its charging dock, recharge itself, and resume cleaning. It has three cleaning modes: Auto, Spot, and Edge. These modes have varying degrees of suction intensity and are meant for certain types of floors and areas. Auto mode is optimized for carpets. Edge mode will make the Deebot travel the perimeter of a room and clean its edges and corners. Spot mode is meant for thorough cleaning of concentrated dirt, cleaning in a spiral pattern (the device usually travels in a straight line with the first two modes) on a specific area. You also have the choice to double the suction power by activating Max mode on the app for any of these modes.
The Deebot is equipped with anti-collision sensors that allow it to smartly navigate its surroundings without hitting anything. It also has anti-drop detection, so it won’t fall down the stairs. Unfortunately, the Deebot does have the tendency to get itself tangled with cords that are just lying about. You need to make sure that the floor area that it’s going to clean is clear. Other than that, there’s no real issue with how well it performs.
The Deebot 500 is a superb robot that comes at a very reasonable price. Make this little gizmo do the cleaning unsupervised for just $150 instead of its normal retail price of $280 on Amazon.
ECOVACS DEEBOT 661 – $190, was $400
At first glance, the Ecovacs Deebot 661 looks like any other robot vacuum. It has the same puck design, which allows it to clean dirt from under the furniture and other hard-to-reach places. But unlike other robot vacuums, the detachable dust bin of the Deebot 661 can be taken out so you can put in the water tank. This simple and effective design converts it from a vacuum to a mop, and vice versa. Pretty neat, right?
Let’s talk about its vacuuming prowess first. The Deebot 661’s suction is powerful enough for any type of mess. Using the smartphone app or Alexa, you can take control of the robot to do the cleaning by activating three cleaning modes, which work for both vacuuming and mopping modes. Choose “Auto Mode” for it to rely on its sensors to move around your home freely. This is the most basic mode with the least amount of suction/mopping power and is ideal for a quick clean of your entire home. “Spot Mode” makes the robot focus on a particular area for a more vigorous clean. Finally, “Edge Mode” allows the robot to target the edges and corners of your house where dust and dirt stubbornly collects.
Onto the main event: The Deebot 661’s mopping capability. We’re happy to report that it’s actually pretty good. Not as good as a steam mop or a high-powered mop, but if you just need to remove surface stains, it works wonderfully well. Simply fill up the water tank, pour in some cleaning solution, and Deebot 661 will take care of the rest. We must mention though that it isn’t mind-blowing when dealing with deep-seated stains. For that, you still have to use a regular mop, some detergent, and maybe even a brush.
When fully charged, expect the Deebot 661 to clean for approximately 110 minutes, depending on the intensity setting. If it’s about to run out of power, it will return to its charging dock by itself to do even more cleaning.
The Evovacs Deebot 661 as a vacuum cleaner is excellent. As a mop, it’s quite good, but not powerful enough for exceptionally tough and dense stains. Get yours today for the very reasonable price of $190 instead of $400.
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