In 2011 Steven Yang created Anker Innovations, which specialized in the design, manufacture and sale of power banks, charging cables, and USB charging hubs. The growing popularity of its products ensured the rapid development of the young company. Within a few years, Anker had subsidiaries in the USA, China, Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Today they make excellent portable Nebula Mars and Nebula Capsule projectors, Soundcore bluetooth earphones and speakers, ROAV car accessories, security gadgets and smart home appliances, including the very popular Eufy RoboVac robot vacuums.
The start of Eufy RoboVac popularity was due to the phenomenal success of RoboVac 11S (Slim), which became bestseller of 2018. Today this model already has about 26,000 positive reviews on Amazon.
Its unprecedented success is due to several factors. First, the developers were able to create a model with a height of only 2.85 inches, significantly expanding its cleaning capabilities under low-profile furniture.
Secondly, at just over $ 200, the model has excellent specs including max suction power of 1300 Pa, only 55dB noise level, 0.6L dustbox capacity, 100min maximum running time, etc. What’s more, the bot effectively cleans carpets using BoostIQ technology. As a result, this model became the leader in popularity in the budget segment.
Of course, the 11S isn’t the only decent model in the RoboVac range. Today, the company offers nearly 20 robotic vacuums with prices ranging from $ 200 to $ 500.
All Eufy RoboVac models support auto-dock and recharge feature, use triple-layer filter and patented BoostIQ technology. Many models support Wi-Fi connectivity and work with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. In addition, the company offers two hybrid models called Eufy RoboVac G10 and RoboVac L70 Hybrid, which combine sweeping and mopping.
Anker Eufy RoboVac series
On its website, the company classifies models by type of navigation, subdividing them into Easy Clean (Bounce Navigation), Smarter Clean (refined Gyro-navigation Smart Dynamic Navigation 2.0) and Laser Navigation (Laser iPath) Series.
Probably, this is logical. Of course, the suction power, dustbox capacity, runtime and various additional features like mopping mode or auto-emptying docking station for iRobot Roomba remain the main directions for further improvement of robot vacuums. But the importance of navigation is quickly catching up with them, increasingly affecting the price, cleaning efficiency and the level of its automation.
Budget Easy Clean series based on RoboVac 11S contains 12 models. The mid-range Smarter Clean series includes the RoboVac G30, G30 Edge (Verge – Edge US-Version), and RoboVac 2-in-1 G10 Hybrid with sweeping and mopping. Top-end series contains only the $ 500 RoboVac L70 Hybrid with Laser iPath technology.
This robot causes the greatest interest as the first Eufy model with lidar.
Modes:
– auto – the robot builds a map, moves along the plinth, cleaning the corners, divides the room into small areas and cleans them along a zigzag path;
– spot – intensive cleaning of contaminated area 1.5 x 1.5 meters with a double pass along a zigzag path;
– zone – cleaning a rectangular area selected using the EufyHome app (AI Map technology).
– mopping – wet cleaning with the turbo brush turned off.
A set of additional functions using the app includes the selection of No-Go zones and suction power (4 modes – quiet, standard, turbo and max), manual movement control using an analog joystick and programming weekly scheduled cleaning. In addition, the model supports the “PinPoint Return” option, which remembers the stop point in case of cleaning interruption for recharging.
Eufy RoboVac L70 Hybrid
The list of the main differences includes:
– price increase up to $ 500;
– increase in height to 4 inches;
– increase in power (2200 Pa) and battery capacity (5200mAh vs 2600mAh;
– mopping mode;
– supports Zone cleaning and real-time mapping (Laser iPath), No-Go Zone, sheduled cleaning weekly, WiFi connectivity, work with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
Specs of the new model differ slightly from other series. For example, the lidar increased the height of the L70 from 2.85 in to 4.03 in, limiting its ability to clean under low-profile furniture.
The noise practically did not change and does not exceed 57 dB. 5200mAh instead of 2600mAh Li-ion battery increased runtime from 100 to 150 minutes. According to spec, the Eufy L70 provides a combined cleaning of almost 2,700 ft² (250 m²) for any type of floor.
Of course, RoboVac L70 uses BoostIQ technology, supports WiFi connectivity, work with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, and supports sheduled cleaning weekly by app. Moreover, it can work in Auto, Spot, Zone cleaning modes, has No-Go Zone option and provides 2200 Pa max suction power. Additionally, the developers have increased its Climbing Threshold to 0.79 in (20 mm) instead of about 0.59 inches in previous models.
Unfortunately, the water tank reduced the dust collector capacity from 20.5 oz (600ml) to 15.22 oz (450ml). However, this is sufficient for 1-2 cleaning cycles.
Key features
The model has a traditional circular design with a lidar over the top panel.
Bottom bevels increase the Climbing Threshold. Controls include only two touch buttons (return to base and start auto mode) and a Wi-Fi indicator.
The front cover on the hangers covers the inner compartment with the combined dust collector and water tank.
A set of working elements includes a turbo brush and one side brush for raking debris to the suction inlet.
Navigation is based on lidar, which scans the room and determines the exact coordinates of obstacles. During the first pass, the robot draws up a map of the room, which it corrects if necessary in the future. The navigation system also uses a front IR (obstacle control) sensor, a touch sensor on the bumper, ToF (time-of-flight) sensor for the perimeter and cliff sensor.
Vacuuming uses a traditional algorithm, including:
– a side brush sweeps debris along the walls and in the corners to the suction port;
– the hard silicone bristles of the turbo brushe scrub debris from the surface. On the carpet, the robot uses soft bristles;
– the electric motor creates a vacuum under the turbo brush, ensuring the suction of debris. On the carpet, the robot automatically increases the suction power to a maximum of 2200 Pa (BoostIQ technology). In this mode, the noise increases to a maximum of 57 dB;
– washable mesh, foam and paper HEPA filters trap up to 99.7% of particles, cleaning the air from dust, allergens, mold spores, etc.
The app provides a choice of mopping zones and the intensity of water delivery (three levels).
Conclusions
In general, the RoboVac L70 can be positioned as a budget robot in the premium segment. The list of its main pros includes the traditionally high assembly quality, modern laser navigation (Laser iPath), zoning (AI Map technology), 5200 mAh battery (runtime up to 150 minutes), suction power up to 2200 Pa, BoostIQ for carpet cleaning, PinPoint Return option, automatic and manual adjustment of water supply and low noise level up to 57 dB. The lack of self-cleaning, dirt detection sensor and dust collector fill indicator can be positioned as its cons.
In fact, the RoboVac L70 has become a successful experiment, expanding the company’s range to the premium segment. First of all, it’s interesting for consumers who have a positive experience of using RoboVac models. The robot has a fairly wide functionality, excellent specs and a relatively low price. But of course, it has to overcome a hard competition with great analogs, including Xiaomi Roborock S5 max, T7, 360 S6 Pro, Proscenic M7 Pro, Okami U100 Laser, Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo 960, Viomi V2 Pro, Gutrend Echo 520.
This video review presents the Eufy RoboVac L70 Hybrid robotic vacuum.
