iRobot Roomba Combo J5 Plus two-minute review

The Roomba Combo J5+ is a combination robot vacuum and mop launched in summer/fall 2023. It is cheaper than many of the best robot vacuums, officially priced around $650 / £479 / AU$1,299, but often found on sale. The packaging is mostly cardboard, making components easy to identify. Setting it up involves unboxing, downloading the iRobot app, and mapping your home.

Its sleek design measures 13.8 by 3.6 inches and includes additional parts such as mopping cloths. The unit has bright green rubber brushes and a single-side sweeper, and the dustbin can be swapped for a mopping unit. It features an integrated light and camera for navigation. It is user-friendly but noisy, and you can control it via the iRobot app and integrate it into a smart home system if you use one.

Due to its single-brush design, it performs well on rugs but less so on hardwood floors. So, while it'll keep things generally clean on a day-to-day basis, you'll still need one of the best vacuum cleaners on hand to give your home a proper deep clean. 

The mopping function requires swapping the vacuum bin for the mopping one and, unfortunately, doesn't match traditional mopping in thoroughness. The vacuum also struggled with larger particles during our tests. While the vacuum navigates obstacles well, it may struggle with smaller objects and isn't flawless at obstacle avoidance. One helpful feature is its ability to return to its charging dock when the battery is low and resume cleaning afterward.

iRobot Roomba Combo J5 Plus review: price & availability

• List price: US$649.99 / £479 / AU$1,299 
• Launch date: September 2023
• Availability: UK / US / AU / worldwide

The Roomba Combo J5+ is available from most online stores, including Amazon, Best Buy, and iRobot's site. It is also available in the United States, Australia, the UK, and other regions where iRobot products are available. 

Because it's no longer the most recent model in iRobot's Roomba range, you can grab it slightly cheaper than the most up-to-date products that would set you back. In the US, the vacuum is just under $650, but you'll find it on sale periodically and during large sales events like Black Friday.

The J5+'s relative age doesn't diminish its features, as it still boasts all of the pros inherent in the Roomba range. It sits in TechRadar's mid-range price bracket for the wider robot vacuum, and is decent value for a self-empty robot vacuum from a well-known and highly respected brand.

•  Value for money score: 4 out of 5 

iRobot Roomba Combo J5 Plus specs

iRobot Roomba Combo J5 Plus review: design

• Not particularly lightweight
• Easy to set up
• Vacuum and mop bins need to be swapped for different functions

The Roomba Combo J5+'s packaging is mostly cardboard, with only the unit in a plastic bag. Smaller boxes neatly contain additional parts, including mopping cloths. This makes it easy to identify each component, which is particularly helpful for robot vacuum beginners. 

Setting up the Roomba Combo J5+ is a straightforward process that involves unboxing the vacuum, downloading the iRobot app, creating an account to link the device, and mapping your home for future navigation. The iRobot app controls the vacuum, letting you start cleaning sessions, view and edit your home map, and set specific room-based cleaning tasks. It can also be integrated with any smart home system, allowing automated routines.

The Roomba Combo J5+ looks great, with a sleek, contemporary design that mirrors the signature shape and style of other vacuums from the brand. Measuring 13.8 inches across by 3.6 inches high, it's the right height to navigate under sofas and cabinets. The top panel features a single clear button to avoid confusion. The black finish with a stocky dustbin adds to the premium appeal, even if the unit is quite large.

The underside features bright green rubber brushes and a single-side sweeper. Whenever you need to change modes, you can swap the bin for the mopping unit (included in the box).

There's also an integrated light and camera that help the vacuum intelligently navigate and avoid obstacles. The overall setup is user-friendly and intuitive, though the relatively compact size of the vacuum unit does not automatically mean this is an ideal choice for small spaces. The dustbin accounts for much of the footprint, but the unit is also heavy. The weight contributes to noise levels as the vacuum moves across rooms, particularly in homes like mine. These homes have lots of furniture, corners, and raised wooden dividers between rooms.

If you plan to use the mop function, you must first swap out the vacuum bin for the mopping one. Fill the tank with your chosen solution and attach the mopping cloth. This is a key difference between the J5+ and Roomba Combo J7+, which can vacuum and mop simultaneously without swapping out any parts. If you don't want the hassle of switching bins during your cleaning routine, you may want to opt for the newer model.

The Roomba was tested in the household of a black cat who sheds hair absolutely everywhere. The vacuum doesn't disappoint in this regard, as it successfully picked up the abundance of pet hair from my floors. There was no issue with pet hair clogging the mechanisms, but I found that my longer human hair did wrap around the brushes, and they needed manual de-hairing after a while. I'd consider this one of the best robot vacuums for pet hair.

• Design score: 4.5 out of 5 

iRobot Roomba Combo J5 Plus review: performance

• Good at picking up larger particles but struggles with dust
• Obstacle avoidance feature only works for some items
• Mopping functionality has limitations

The Roomba Combo J5+ performed well during general use and specific tests, living up to the promise of its feature set. Dual multi-surface rubber brushes adjust to maintain constant contact with carpets and hard floors, and it promises to pick up everything from tiny dust particles to large debris, courtesy of a 3-stage cleaning system.

The device features a navigation system that maps your home, allowing it to transition smoothly between different floor types and navigate obstacles. The Roomba also boasts cliff-detection sensors that prevent falls down stairs or ledges, though I couldn't test this in my ground-floor apartment. Notably, it can return to its charging dock automatically when its battery is low and resume cleaning afterward.

One useful feature of Roomba vacuums is the audio error messages. These messages suggest why your vacuum stopped operating in the middle of the hallway instead of leaving you to guess. So, if you find your vacuum stuck in a corner, you can hit the button and have it tell you what the problem is.

It's worth mentioning that the Roomba Combo J5+ can be noisy during operation, especially when emptying the bin. It operates at an average noise level of 48dB, which is not overly loud but becomes significantly noisier during docking and emptying its tank.

Interestingly, the vacuum works more consistently on rugs than hardwood floors. This is mainly because robot vacuum brushes sometimes scatter loose dirt around the room, potentially missing some debris. However, rug cleaning performance remains stellar. Just note that the Combo J5+ might struggle with edges due to its single brush design, limiting its ability to reach corners and crevices.

Its obstacle avoidance feature is generally successful but not flawless. While it successfully avoids clothing, shoes, and pet droppings, it struggles with smaller objects like curtains and small toys. To be safe, you'll still need to pick up various items before letting the Roomba loose.

The Roomba Combo J5+'s mopping functionality is adequate for surface-level dirt cleaning of hard floors. However, it doesn't match traditional mopping thoroughness, especially for more stubborn or ingrained dirt.

In testing, the Roomba Combo J5+ struggled with fine dust while performing well with larger debris. For instance, it picked up biscuit particles easily but struggled with finer particles like flour. It also needed to empty itself multiple times when dealing with large amounts of debris, like rice spread across the floor.

After extended use, though, the Roomba Combo J5+ needs minimal maintenance. This included removing the main rubber brushes to clear them of hair and ensuring the side brush was obstructed. Occasionally, it should also be wiped down to keep its sensors clean. 

• Performance score: 3.5 out of 5

iRobot Roomba Combo J5 Plus review: app

• Easy-to-use interface
• Accurate and customizable mapping feature
• Real-time updates on the vacuum's progress

The iRobot app, available on iOS and Android, significantly enhances the Roomba Combo J5+ user experience with its various controls and features. Users can schedule cleaning sessions, view their cleaning history, and customize cleaning preferences in one place. It also offers access to Clean Map reports, where you can track the areas cleaned after each session.

The J5+ is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, offering voice-activated control for hands-free operation. The mapping feature accurately rendered the layout of my home. I regularly played with features like customizable room dividers and real-time updates on the vacuum's progress. The app also allows for specific room cleaning and virtual barriers.

The app works remarkably well, providing an estimated time frame for task completion. Once everything is set up, you can select which rooms you want and don't want to be cleaned. For example, if you command it to clean the kitchen, it will complete the task swiftly. It will send a push notification to your device and then return to its charging base.

• App score: 5 out of 5 

Should you buy the Roomba Combo J5 Plus?

 Buy it if… 

Don't buy it if…

How I tested the iRobot Roomba Combo J5 Plus

I sprinkled crushed digestive biscuits and flour on my kitchen floor to test the Roomba Combo J5+ on different surfaces in my one-bedroom apartment. The vacuum successfully picked up the biscuit particles but struggled with the flour, leaving some behind. I also spread rice on hard floors and carpets to simulate larger debris.

I observed how the vacuum and its accompanying app performed over several weeks, and thankfully, it only required occasional major cleaning interventions at this time.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed August 2024

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Narwal Freo X Plus two-minute review

The Narwal Freo X Plus is a budget-friendly robot vacuum and mop that does many things well, but a few things fairly badly. If you're just looking at the pros and cons list, the score of this review might not make sense as there are plenty more positives than negatives – but those few negatives can make for a frustrating experience. 

If you're willing to put in the time to understand this model, it could potentially be one of the best robot vacuums for you, especially if you're on a budget. After all, most of the best vacuums that include mopping ability are not going to be this cheap, unless you get something manual like the Bissell CrossWave OmniForce. When it comes to robot vacuums specifically, the price tag for great performance, feature set, and overall functionality goes way up.

The vacuuming performance of the Narwal Freo X Plus is very solid. However, like most budget models that just pull a single stationary pad across the floor, its mopping capability is just passable. Still, you'll generally end up with clean floors. 

However, the Narwal Freo X Plus seems to have a mind of its own. Unless you just set it to clean your whole space in the most thorough way possible, you'll end up with incomplete cleaning cycles. Or it might decide to head off on a different, unassigned job.

At least it has a tiny base station, so that the Narwal Freo X Plus is easier to place than most robot vacuums. Another added benefit is that it's possible to pair and use through a voice assistant like Alexa. All in all, the Narwal Freo X Plus is a somewhat capable robot vacuum that comes with some frustrating aspects, such as its erratic cleaning behavior. But they may be worth dealing with if you're on a budget, or just want to be able to do a basic, whole-home clean.

Narwal Freo X Plus robovac review: price & availability

• List price: $399.99 / AU$899 (about £310)
• Launch date: March 2024
• Available: US and Australia

The Narwal Freo X Plus is available in the US and Australia, with a list form of $399.99 / AU$899. That puts it in TechRadar's budget price bracket, which is particularly significant when you consider it offers mopping as well as vacuuming functionality. Of course, whether it's a good value buy or not will depend on whether you're okay dealing with its navigational quirks. It will still deliver fairly clean floors, but can be a pain to deal with.

This is not necessarily unique to the Narwal Freo X Plus, as the recently reviewed Ecovacs Deebot N10 Plus came with its own quirky frustrations, not to mention weaker suction power than the Narwal, and it comes with a higher $649.99 / £499 / AU$999 price tag. It is, however, available in the UK unlike the Narwal, and comes with better mopping ability.

One of the strange things about the Narwal Freo X Plus is the fact that the company's flagship, Narwal Freo X Ultra, offers much better cleaning performance along with a range of other bells and whistles. Granted, that one is far more expensive (the Ultra costs $1,399.99 / AU$2,299 – about £1,110), but it's strange to see issues with the software given that it's coming from the same company.

• Value for money score: 4 out of 5

Narwal Freo X Plus specs

Narwal Freo X Plus robovac review: design

• Compact base station
• Two side brushes and an anti-tangling brush roll
• Single, stationary mop pad

When taking a look at the Narwal Freo X Plus' design, the first thing that jumps out is in regards to its teeny, tiny base station. Since its only function is to charge the robot vacuum and give it a place to rest, it doesn't need to do a lot. Still, it's cute in its own way, not to mention makes it easier to find a good place in your space for the robot vacuum. Bigger models with self-emptying dustbins and water reservoirs, such as the flagship Narwal mentioned earlier, need a lot more space (although, of course, there are benefits of having these capabilities built-in).

As far as the robot vacuum itself, it has the typical rounded shape. There are two side brushes instead of one, giving it a leg up on the vacuuming front compared to models that only have one side brush. The main brush roll is of the anti-tangling kind so you won't find it wrapped with hair, something that's not always considered on budget robot vacuums.

The mop pad is of the single, flat variety that sits along the bottom back half of the unit. While it does apply some downward pressure, it doesn't do much in the way of scrubbing. I'll talk a little more about how this affects its performance below, but just know that this is normal for budget models and that more expensive ones seem to completely abandon this approach in favor of dual spinning mop pads.

Regarding the manual controls, there are just two buttons – a power button and a home button, each with a secondary function (start/pause/resume cleaning and child lock, respectively).

The Narwal Freo X Plus is a fairly sleek looking robot vacuum in its all-white aesthetic. That's partially because it covers its small water reservoir and dustbin with a glossy white top that stays in place due to some cleverly placed magnets. Both the reservoir and dustbin are easily removable and easy to fill up or empty, respectively.

• Design score: 4 out of 5

Narwal Freo X Plus robovac review: performance

• Very good vacuuming
• Mopping is just okay
• Erratic behavior in how it cleans

There are a couple different factors to consider with a robot vacuum's performance, but the core one is vacuuming. Luckily, the Narwal Freo X Plus does a very good job here. Thanks to having two side brushes, it's able to get debris on either side of it. Since it has an anti-tangle brushroll, it's able to tackle aside from charge cords (the kryptonite of all robot vacuums).

I ran this robot vacuum in a house with two French Bulldogs as well as four adult humans, two of whom have long hair, and it did a great job keeping the floor clean, picking up everything from smaller dust-like particles to debris the size of a leaf. It also picked up hair without issue and without any tangling. I even tested it with a pile of sugar and cereal and it took one pass to suck it all up. 

I used it on tile, hardwood floors, and a small but thick bath mat. In terms of just vacuuming, this robot vacuum has the goods regardless of the surface. The Narwal Freo X Plus has 7800 Pa of suction power, which isn't the highest on the market, but based on my tests is still enough to deal with most household cleaning requirements. 

Its mopping capability is a little less stellar. I would actually describe it as okay. Since it has the one pad, it's only applying downward pressure. So, somewhat dried pieces of mud in the foyer that a robot vacuum with spinning mop pads would pick up are unaffected. More frustratingly, unless I used the highest mopping humidity setting, it didn't always wet the entire area it mopped, leaving slightly streaky results. If you are going to use this robot vacuum for mopping, my recommendation is to use the highest settings and be prepared to regularly refill the water reservoir.

As far as getting to the edges, it does well with vacuuming, thanks to those two side brushes, but doesn't really get all that close when mopping.

The object avoidance, on the other hand, is pretty good. It won't necessarily give a wide berth to any randomly placed object but it will brush up against it. When I placed the bath mat down, the Narwal Freo X Plus vacuumed right up to it on all sides before deciding it could tackle it. Only then did it vacuum it.

Where the Narwal Freo X Plus falls short is in how it decides to clean. When I use the Freo Advice setting in the app, it will take the strangest path. Maybe it's only picking up certain debris on its sensor, but it will clean up maybe 20% of the area that it should. Also concerning, when I run to only clean a particular room, it will decide to move onto another room after finishing its initial job and start vacuuming there instead of returning to the base station. It's frustrating enough that I would rather have it clean the entire space instead of attempting to do any kind of spot cleaning.

• Performance score: 3.5 out of 5

Narwal Freo X Plus robovac review: app

• Easy-to-use app
• Mapping has some shortcomings
• Works well with third-party voice support

The Narwal Freo app is pretty straightforward to use, from setup to choosing the kind of cleaning you want to accomplish (vacuum only, vacuum and mop, and vacuum then mop). It's also a fairly attractive looking app. I didn't ever feel lost navigating to various settings, whether it's adjusting the specific cleaning settings such as suction power or mopping humidity or opening up the schedule to plan a cleaning.

The map is pretty easy to use, and you can even see a 3D representation of your mapped space. Of course, it suffers from the same editing shortfalls of a lot of robot vacuum apps, where you're limited on how you partition your space. If you have an open or semi-open floor plan like the space that I often test in, you'll only be able to partition once as you can't section a partitioned space in half.

On the bright side, setting it up with third-party control – I tested it with Amazon Alexa – was fairly easy to do. The only quirk is knowing the very specific phrases that it can understand. “Alexa, run the robot vacuum” doesn't work, while “Alexa, ask my robot to start cleaning” does.

• App score: 4 out of 5

Narwal Freo X Plus robovac review: battery

• Very long battery life
• Will return to base when getting low

Possibly because the Narwal Freo X Plus is a bit lighter on features than more expensive units or possibly because it doesn't have spinning mop pads, its battery life of up to 254 minutes is quite a bit longer than what I usually see with robot vacuums. For reference, most units these days have up to 210 minutes of use.

While that's more than enough battery life for even fairly large spaces, the robot vacuum will return to its base when necessary for an extra charge before continuing on with its task if it's running out of juice.

• Battery score: 5 out of 5

Should you buy the Narwal Freo X Plus robot vacuum?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Narwal Freo X Plus robovac review: also consider

How I tested the Narwal Freo X Plus

To test the Narwal Freo X Plus, I used it for a couple weeks to vacuum and mop the hardwood floors and a bath mat (to simulate carpeting) in my house. I also tested all the features listed in the app, from mapping to scheduling. I took note of how well the vacuum cleaned the edges of a room as well as around obstacles, not to mention running how the handheld vacuum performed.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed September 2024

Ecovacs Deebot N10 Plus two-minute review

I’ve generally been a fan of Ecovacs robot vacuums, so I was a little nonplussed testing the Ecovacs Deebot N10 Plus. It’s not a bad vacuum by any means – its 4 out of 5 rating here should make that clear. It’s just that it’s much more stripped-down than a lot of other options out there, whether from Ecovacs or otherwise.

Some of the compromises made to keep the price down mean that it's hard to recommend this as one of the best robot vacuums for those working with a limited budget. Now, its cleaning prowess is pretty good as is its mopping capability. And, the fact that you have to remove the mopping pad if you only want to vacuum , then put it back on if you want to both vacuum and mop, is par for the course for something in this price range.

However, its operation is on the louder side, the robot vacuum gets stuck exiting its base station if it’s too close to any furniture, and its vacuuming prowess is not ideal if you’re trying to clean up an actual mess (I’ll elaborate on that later).

Still, it does share some characteristics of the best vacuum cleaners in this form factor, such as a long battery life and smart home features through Google Assistant or Alexa. It’s not bad for the price, and, being an Ecovacs product, you’re certain to find it with a pretty decent discount sooner or later.

Ecovacs Deebot N10 Plus specs

Ecovacs Deebot N10 Plus review: price & availability

• List price: $649.99 / £499 / AU$999
• Available: US, UK, and Australia

If you’re new to the world of robot vacuums with mopping capabilities, the Ecovacs Deebot N10 Plus’ list price of $649.99 / £499 / AU$999 may seem expensive. However, if you look at some of the more fully featured models we’ve reviewed, it becomes clear fairly quickly that this is actually a pretty good price.

Realistically, you’re going to have to pay $500 / £500+ for anything with mopping functionality. For example, the Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum and Mop has an almost identical form factor, including a similar clip-on mopping pad, and will set you back just a little more with an MSRP of $699 (about £559 / AU$1,054). That said, the Deebot N10 Plus has a much better battery life, although it runs a little louder.

If you want an example of a more fully-featured model to really get an idea of the Deebot N10 Plus’ value (or you’re considering splurging), take a look at the Narwal Freo X Ultra. It’s much pricier at $1,399.99 / AU$ 2,299 (about £1,110), but it has double the suction power, quieter operation, and a clean and dirty water reservoir in the base station. The base station auto-fills the robot vacuum's water tank as well as self-emptying its dustbin, and it'll also wash and dry the mopping pads. Also worth noting is the fact that the mopping pads retract so that it can just vacuum carpeting areas and then vacuum and mop hard flooring without having to swap anything out, unlike the Ecovacs Deebot N10 Plus.

If you want to stay in the Ecovacs family but want to opt for a more expensive model, the Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo is an impressive unit for $1,199.99 (about £950 / AU$1,800), but at the time of writing it's only available in the US.

• Value for money score: 4.5 out of 5

Ecovacs Deebot N10 Plus review: design

• Has two side brushes and a brush roll that gets tangled in hair
• Mopping pad clips on
• Base station needs a good amount of clearance

The Ecovacs Deebot N10 Plus, available only in all white, doesn’t really break any molds. The actual robot vacuum has two side brushes, which makes it much more effective at sweeping up debris at the edges of a room, an obvious improvement over the single side brush that a lot of models come with.

The brushroll underneath that actually picks everything up is easily accessible, thankfully, since it does collect hair easily and will need to be untangled regularly. That said, even when wrapped in hair, it still seems to get the job done.

Though this is a robot vacuum with mopping functionality, the Deebot N10 Plus requires a bit of manual labor that you won’t find on more expensive units. Not to make it sound like hard work because it’s not, but you have to clip on the mop pad when you want to utilize that feature, then you have to unclip it whenever you want to use it on carpeting. It will however avoid any kind of carpeting when the mop pad is in use. You also have to fill up the water reservoir in the vacuum itself regularly.

In fact, I learned that lesson the hard way when I originally set up the base station in a room with carpeting and the Deebot N10 Plus would get stuck on the carpet every time it tried to run. While it’s not that much work, this is not the set-it-and-forget-it type of robot vacuum. Of course, that’s to be expected at this price point when you add in mopping.

Speaking of the base station, it’s kind of cute in its petite, somewhat slim design. It has just enough room for a dust bag, since it does have a self-emptying capability. The only other thing worth mentioning is that the bottom plate that the robot vacuum sits on when at rest is at an angle.

And when you have the base station too close to a piece of furniture (a chair in my case), the robot vacuum will try to exit off to the side of that bottom plate instead of going straight back, which results in it getting stuck. It’s frustrating, but easily fixable if you give the base station a good amount of clearance on either side.

• Design score: 4 out of 5

Ecovacs Deebot N10 Plus review: performance

• Good for maintenance cleaning
• Vacuuming gets to the edges, mopping does not
• Runs a bit on the loud side

Most robot vacuums are great for keeping the daily buildup of dirt at bay, while not providing true deep cleaning. That’s certainly the case with the Ecovacs Deebot N10 Plus. You’re still going to need to deep clean from time to time, and you'll still need to grab a more traditional vacuum when dealing with unforeseen messes.

When vacuuming, for instance, the Deebot N10 Plus does a great job of keeping the floor clean, picking up dander and hair. As mentioned above, hair does get tangled in the brush roll, so you’ll have to clean that out from time to time. However, I didn’t find that that affected its ability to suction up debris.

I did also test this robot vacuum with a bunch of cereal and, while it managed to suck up a good amount of it, it didn’t get it all, seemingly not detecting that there was still debris on the floor. It did, at least, get edges.

Mopping is pretty good with its single mop pad that vibrates on the floor as it moves along, but again, you’re not going to get a deep clean – models I’ve tested with spinning mop pads seem to get a little deeper (they’re also twice the price usually). But it’s good enough. However, the mop pad, being in a static position, isn’t able to get to the edges of rooms the way the side brushes are.

Be aware that you’re going to have to wash the mop pad every now and then as there’s no automatic cleaning on hand. Also of note is the fact that it runs a little bit on the loud side, registering around 65dB at full power.

• Performance score: 4 out of 5

Ecovacs Deebot N10 Plus review: app

• Straightforward in setup and use
• Accurately maps and can save maps for multiple floors
• Limited partitioning can be an issue for open floor plans

Whether it’s going through the setup or just running the Deebot N10 Plus remotely, the Ecovacs app is fairly straightforward to use. There are a small amount of additional settings you can work with, such as adjusting when it self-empties into the base station, or creating a schedule.

It’s worth noting that, unlike most apps I’ve used for robot vacuums, adjusting cleaning modes is hidden behind a “cleaning preference” button instead of being right on the front page. However, once you’ve pulled that page up, it follows the same format.

Since I tend to get stuck on mapping features with these apps, I want to dig into that a little bit. Not only does the robot do a good job of mapping out the space, but the app will automatically break up what’s been mapped into rooms. On top of that, you can save different maps so that you can use the Deebot N10 Plus on different floors without having to remap when you move it.

Merging and dividing rooms in the app is easy, though it suffers from using a line tool for dividing, meaning that you’re limited in how much you can partition what it considers to be a single space. That can be an issue with those with open floor plans.

• App score: 4.5 out of 5

Ecovacs Deebot N10 Plus review: battery life

• Can last up to 300 minutes
• Still plenty of battery life on highest settings

The battery life on hand here is pretty impressive as it lasts between 200 to 300 minutes (or three and a half to five hours) depending on the intensity of the cleaning mode and whether it’s also mopping. Since the Ecovacs Deebot N10 Plus uses a static mop pad for the mopping functionality, it doesn’t even seem to impact the battery life all that much.

Since it does have such a long battery life, it does take a while to charge back up: about six and a half hours. That can be a pain if you find yourself in a similar situation as I have, where the robot vacuum gets stuck on an area rug with tassels and runs down the battery trying to escape / waiting for rescue. That said, when I was faced with that situation, it still had some juice left unlike other robot vacuums that I’ve found in similar situations (and they all get stuck on tassels, too).

• Battery score: 5 out of 5

Should you buy the Ecovacs Deebot N10 Plus?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Ecovacs Deebot N10 Plus review: also consider

How I tested the Ecovacs Deebot N10 Plus

To test the Ecovacs Deebot N10 Plus, I used it for a couple of weeks to vacuum and mop the hardwood floors and carpeting in my house. I focused on how well the vacuum cleaned the edges of a room as well as around obstacles, not to mention pick up different sized debris. I also tested the features listed in the app, most notably the mapping.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed August 2024