Yes, I’m lazy but also appreciate a job well done, and for this reason, I purchased a robot vacuum cleaner some years ago. A few years after purchasing the first one, I bought two more! I wasn’t starting a club for suckers or anything but wanted to upgrade and as we have a ground and first floor, thought it would be best to have one on each level. I had been carrying the first model up and downstairs; when buying the new improved, smarter, more powerful model that had a ‘stand up and beg’ charging base, I decided it would be better to have the two cleaners and leave the base in the same spot all the time.
That new improved smarter model was a Roomba i7 and was used for a few years but started to get fussy and would refuse to ‘empty the bin’ into the charging base. Both machines started to give other troubles so I felt it was time for a change, hence the Eufy E25 was looked at.
The Eufy E25 robot vacuum cleaner (RVC), being a much more recent design has numerous extra features that appealed to me. I’m a bit of a ‘sucker’ for technology and I think this model is a shining example of a good use for AI.
A search on the ‘net will bring up all the specifications of this model along with numerous reviews on YouTube so I’ll just give you my personal views… spoiler, I’m very Impressed!
When the first Eufy RVC arrived, it made quite an impression (and not just on the carpet the huge box sat on!). The packaging is very strong and all the components are well wrapped – at the top of the box, one finds a sheet of card with pictorial instructions for unpacking and assembly. All individual components have protective wrappers and there are numerous pull off tabs to guide the assembler to ensure correct positioning, etc.
Once unwrapped and assembled, the RVC is placed on the charger base. There is a voice guide that informs one of key stages of operation and this can be silenced if preferred. The first stage before use is to allow the system to map the entire area and one is advised to leave all internal doors wide open as this allows the LIDAR sensor to draw a complete map of the rooms and boundaries.
Afterwards, one can label areas, split them up, join several together and name them, (kitchen, bathroom, living room etc.) Other sensors will detect electrical cables and objects (shoes, toys, clothing and anything else that is strewn in the way). The E25 not only vacuums but mops hard surfaces too. The built in AI is guided by a multitude of sensors so that it caters for carpets and will switch to mopping when sensing tiles, wooden floors or whatever. There are sensors to prevent the RVC from doing a nose dive down stairs or any precipice it encounters. The unit is low enough profile to go under chairs, tables and some beds etc.
No device bristling with technology would be complete without the ability to be controlled from an ‘app’ on a tablet or ‘phone. There are IOS and Android variants of the app and they enable one to taylor the cleaning procedure to your individual needs. Regular or double cleaning and light or heavy scrubbing are two things that come to mind. Single areas or multiple areas may be selected for cleaning and in whatever oder one wishes, also, different settings can be applied to each if required.
If 2 x cleaning is selected, the machine will work through the length of the room on the first pass then carry out a second pass working across the room. We have named our two cleaners for simplicity of cleaning instructions: downstairs is in the capable wheels of ‘Jeeves’ and upstairs is looked after by ‘James’.
On occasions I have inadvertently left a lead or other item in the path of the RVC and it ‘politely’ informs me that there is an electrical lead or whatever on the floor – marks its’ presence on the map and works round it. The laundry basket causes an icon like a hazard cone to appear on the map!
The base station has stowage for a clean water tank, a dirty water tank that is filled from the returning RVC after a cleaning job, Eufy’s own cleaning solution (lightly scented) and a dust bag that the returning cleaner empties into. The base also has a ‘cleaning station’ of its’ own where the mop is washed and the rinse water is then sucked up into the dirty water tank. The capacity of the tanks is sufficient for several weeks of cleaning but it is wise to empty the dirty water every week or so to avoid smells.
The RVC itself is square with rounded corners; the front corners have rotating brushes; one of which extends to allow brushing right into corners. At the rear, there is the washing mop which rises up out of contact when over carpet. In the middle are several clever devices; the brush is divided into two components cleverly designed to dramatically reduce hair and fabric filaments from tangling up in the brush.
I haven’t found any tangling at all as yet but we do not have any pets and with me having no thatch on top, the challenge is not as great I suppose. The Eufy E25 has one of the strongest suction systems in any currently available RVC but nevertheless, is very quiet in operation. In fact to my way of thinking, the whole system is very quiet in operation other than when returning to base and emptying dirty water and dust and then the low(ish) level sound from the fan used to dry the mop as this process runs for a few hours to ensure the whole system is thoroughly dry again.
Maintenance: I have topped up the water supply tank once and have emptied the dirty water a few times. There are a number of built in filters that can be washed out under the tap and put aside to dry and the system seems to be well designed as all access points are clear, have handles to pull components out and cleverly shaped so they cannot be re-inserted the wrong way round! The base station has a dish base where the mop is washed that lifts out for cleaning. As yet, I have not had to change a dust bag that is stowed in the base station.
Pros and Cons?
Pros: The cleaner is the most effective and efficient I have ever tried, it is also the quietest but most powerful. The LIDAR system ensures that the cleaner does not go bumbling around and bumping into chair legs, skirting and door jambs etc. Whereas a previous RVC has marked the chair legs and argued with radiator pipes and the like) The mopping is very efficient and the floor behind the cleaner is fully dry within approximately 30 seconds.
Cons: The mop does not quite span the full width of the cleaning path but I have not experienced any problems caused by this at all. The unit sitting there and drying the mop for a few hours and the low level sound from the fan is ever so slightly irritating but I was an audio engineer for many years and am perhaps sensitive to such matters.
You may be wondering about ‘Renewable’ and ‘Recycling’ elements of the cleaners, well, I usually charge the units and power the base stations with the aid of solar power. With regards to recycling, the first cleaner we purchased has now moved on to its’ third home having left us to work for our daughter for a while first and the two Roomba i7s are still working their socks off for our daughter and for a neighbour of ours, though they do play up from time to time!
