Can you believe it’s been 25 years since the debut of the world’s very first robotic vacuum? The Electrolux Trilobite was more of a novelty when it hit the scene in 1996, but a lot has changed since then.
For nearly 20 years, iRobot’s Roomba has been the name associated with robotic vacuums, but plenty of other manufacturers have entered the game since then and often at lower price points. That includes Anker eufy and its line of RoboVac cleaners.
One of the companies recent releases has the modern amenities of internet connectivity and app control, along with the bonus of a mopping function. Even with the upgrades, is the eufy RoboVac G30 Hybrid worth it?
Eufy RoboVac G30 Hybrid
Among eufy’s lineup, the G30 Hybrid is an upper-tier model meant for hard floors and up to medium-pile carpets with some pretty impressive specs, including:
- Smart Dynamic Navigation 2.0: It’s equipped with a sensor that’s supposed to help it map, thus better navigate your home instead of randomly bumping off of walls.
- App control: In the EufyHome app, you can set schedules, have the RoboVac spot clean and even take manual control of the vacuum.
- Works with Alexa and Google Assistant: Have your robotic vacuum start cleaning simply by using your voice.
Those are the standout features (aside from the hybrid mopping feature), but it also has what you would expect from any modern robotic vacuum, like boundary sensors that keep it from falling down the stairs.
It also has the ability to return to its base when complete or when it requires a recharge. What’s nice about that feature is if it does stop in the middle of vacuuming to recharge, it will resume the job where it left off once it gets back up to 80%.
Getting it ready and setting it loose on the house
Anker sent one of these hybrid vacuums to me for review. To start, unboxing and setting up this single-brush RoboVac was not all that complicated. Remove a few pieces of tape, install a couple of included parts and you’re good to go on the hardware. It’s actually a nice-looking vacuum and far less bulky than an old Roomba we had a few years ago.
The next step is to download the app, create an account, connect the vacuum to Wi-Fi and set up the dock, which by the way, requires a lot of clearance. Be ready to spend a little time finding that perfect spot for the vacuum’s home base, which is six feet of clearance in the front and at least three feet on either side.
Once you turn on the vacuum (and wow, is it quiet), obviously, it’s not going to know your home’s layout on its first outing, so it did spend some time figuring things out. And there was a learning curve as the RoboVac seamlessly worked across the wood flooring and tile but had a little trouble on a couple of thicker rugs.
The trouble didn’t necessarily end there. Cruising underneath bed frames and entertainment centers, this RoboVac either didn’t see cords as a threat or just plain didn’t see them. This would lead to getting stuck and notifying me via onboard speaker and through a push notification on the app that it needs a little help.
That’s the main limitation — that this vacuum lacks object detection. So instead, you get 6.6 ft. of boundary strip included that you can use to mark certain areas as off limits. As you can imagine, placing any type of adhesive strip is not ideal on carpet.
News Director Ben also reviewed this hybrid vacuum/mop on Kim’s show. Check it out:
Yeah, yeah, but did it actually clean the floor?
Take away those situations and this vacuum did a pretty good job at actually picking up debris — and it really loves hugging corners to get some of the harder to reach stuff.
I say pretty good job because it did leave a few tiny bits of paper and plastic in the middle of the floor. Since suction was only set to Standard in the app, I kicked it up to Turbo (the middle option) and set it loose again. It finished the job that time around.
As far as intelligent navigation goes, it did seem to eventually “learn” the basic layout of the ground floorplan and efficiently vacuum in zig-zag patterns before running out of power.
Oh yeah, it has a mop
This little robot mops, too … sort of. In this case, that consists of a small water tank and a cloth pad. You cannot add any cleaning chemicals, so it really just tries to halfway shine the floor with a little water. That’s fine in a pinch but won’t get surfaces sparkly clean — although the RoboVac might try to mop your carpet and rugs, too, if you’re not careful.
As limited as it is, I can live without the mopping on this particular robot.
The good and bad
This isn’t my first robotic vacuum, but it’s definitely newer by several years and much smarter than our old and very dumb Roomba. For the most part, the eufy RoboVac G30 Hybrid is a solid cleaner made even better with a stellar app.
What I like:
- Great design, with a small form factor.
- Easy-to-use app that also includes cleaning history and reminders to replace parts.
- It’s so quiet that you don’t even have to turn the TV volume up.
- A reasonable price compared to similar options.
What I don’t like:
- The mop doesn’t quite cut it.
- It can really get hung up on cords and easily gets stuck in less-than-convenient locations.
- You need a wide-open space for its dock.
Is the RoboVac G30 Hybrid worth it?
For its faults, this gadget still has a lot going for it. But don’t buy one if the biggest draw for you is the mop. For me, it’s a vacuum that quickly (and quietly) gets the job done, along with a handy and full-featured app.
The eufy RoboVac G30 Hybrid retails for $369.99, which is already more affordable than similar products, and at the time of this review’s publish date, is on sale for less than $300.
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