Optus Mobile Review ALDI Mobile Review Amaysim Mobile Review Belong Mobile Review Circles.Life Review Vodafone Mobile Review Woolworths Mobile Review Felix Mobile Review Best iPhone Plans Best Family Mobile Plans Best Budget Smartphones Best Prepaid Plans Best SIM-Only Plans Best Plans For Kids And Teens Best Cheap Mobile Plans Telstra vs Optus Mobile Optus NBN Review Belong NBN Review Vodafone NBN Review Superloop NBN Review Aussie BB NBN Review iiNet NBN Review MyRepublic NBN Review TPG NBN Review Best NBN Satellite Plans Best NBN Alternatives Best NBN Providers Best Home Wireless Plans What is a Good NBN Speed? Test NBN Speed How to speed up your internet Optus vs Telstra Broadband ExpressVPN Review CyberGhost VPN Review NordVPN Review PureVPN Review Norton Secure VPN Review IPVanish VPN Review Windscribe VPN Review Hotspot Shield VPN Review Best cheap VPN services Best VPN for streaming Best VPNs for gaming What is a VPN? VPNs for ad-blocking The Ecovacs Deebot U2 is a lower-cost robot vacuum that doubles as a robot mop and fits in seamlessly to any smart home setup. But how good is it in practice? Let’s find out. When it comes to choosing a robot vacuum, it’s much like any other tech purchase, where spending more money generally equals better quality and more features. However, overall, the Deebot U2 does a pretty good job of balancing bells and whistles with its budget-friendly price. As one of the better-known robovac brands, Ecovacs Deebot vacuums can be found in most brick-and-mortar stores, including The Good Guys, JB Hi-Fi and even Bunnings Warehouse. The Deebot U2 also mops, which is something I never thought I needed in a robot until I actually tried it. It’s a game-changer. No, it can’t get into every nook and cranny, and it’s not going to do as good as a job as a human and some old-fashioned elbow grease, but scheduling it to mop once a week or so will significantly reduce the frequency with which you need to enlist the services of your old mop. For both vacuuming and mopping, the Deebot U2 has three cleaning modes. First up, there’s ‘auto’. It’s the default program which sees your robot buddy cleaning in an S-shaped pattern, turning when it hits obstacles. Next is ‘edge’ mode, which targets just the corners and edges of the room. Finally, there’s ‘spot’ cleaning mode, which cleans in a spiral around a specific area. You can also schedule the Deebot U2 to clean whenever you like, so you can set up a regular routine (I set mine to 12pm every Monday and Friday) or simply a one-off. It’s also compatible with Google Home and Alexa, so if you’ve got another compatible device (like a smart speaker), you can use it to control your robo friend with your voice. Otherwise, it’s super easy to set up control from the Ecovacs app (available on both iOS and Android). Instead of the more advanced LIDAR sensors found on pricier models, the Deebot U2 makes its way around using infrared sensors and soft cushion bumpers. It’s smart enough to avoid stairs, chairs and other obstacles, but since it doesn’t know exactly where it is in relation to your home’s floor plan, you might find it going over the same spot multiple times while neglecting others completely. It managed somewhat well with rugs, but on occasion, it would only be able to mount them on one side, thus getting stuck on the other side and turning in a circle as a result. This would also happen if the robovac went over any power cords, which effectively screwed up its sense of direction. In theory, the Deebot U2 should be able to return to its charging station on its own, however, because of these navigation issues, I often had to pick it up and take it back to its home. If you, like me, shed hair like a Husky (or if you actually have a Husky), you may find yourself needing to untangle the main brush more often than usual. It’s a pretty simple process, but something to keep in mind nevertheless. If you’re really struggling, Ecovacs offer a compatible Pet Care Kit, which comes with a tangle-free brush and extra-large dust bin. Speaking of the dustbin, it can hold a maximum of 400mL, which in my experience is just big enough to hold one clean’s worth of dust. As such, you’ll need to empty it after every clean, otherwise, you may find clumps of dust overflow left in your robot vacuum’s path. Ecovacs claims the Deebot U2 can run for up to 110 minutes on a single charge with standard water levels and standard suction power. As I left mine on max+ power for essentially the entire time, I didn’t quite reach the 110-minute mark, generally maxing out at about 45 minutes, which is to be expected given its power and still pretty decent.
