Chinese manufacturer IMOU offers a wide range of consumer IoT products, including home security cameras. The Rex 3D is slightly unusual in that, unlike most indoor models, it has a camera that can move either manually or automatically from side to side as well as up and down.
As with most home security cameras, setup is relatively straightforward. Simply plug the camera into the mains (a relatively long power lead is provided) and download the IMOU Life app online before syncing the device to your home’s Wi-Fi (2.4GHz only, not 5GHz) and setting a strong password (essential for these devices). Alternatively, there is an ethernet connection for hooking up the camera directly to a broadband router if you prefer.
Where the IMOU really comes into its own is its dizzying array of features. I’ve been testing the Rex 3D in my kitchen for a couple of weeks now and I’m only just getting to grips with everything it can do. That said, you will need to pay for the IMOU subscription to be able to store footage in the cloud, share the device with up to 20 users, and access some of the AI-based features beyond an initial two-week free trial.
Prices start at around £2 (about $2.50/AU$4) a month for the basic plan if you commit to a one-year subscription, but you can pay up to £6 (about $8/AU$12) a month for the comprehensive plan (IMOU Protect Plus – see below). Alternatively, footage can be stored on a MicroSD card (not supplied). The slot is discreetly located within the camera housing underneath the lens.
Given the name Rex (a common dog’s name), I’d naively assumed the device was intended purely for pet monitoring. But actually, it can be used for human or pet detection. Footage is captured as soon as the camera senses movement, whether it’s human or animal. Clips are displayed within the app, either by going into the calendar view and clicking on the thumbnails within the live image or scrolling through a timeline. You can also set up the device to sound an alarm when motion is detected, though this is incredibly annoying if it’s an area of the house where there’s a lot of movement, such as the kitchen.
Captured video can be downloaded to your phone or a screenshot from the footage can be taken by pressing the camera icon. Up to 8x zoom is provided so you can close in on a particular part of a recording or live footage, while ‘smart tracking’ will automatically move the camera to follow, say, a baby crawling across the floor or a dog playing with a ball.
Other features include an ‘activity zone’ for excluding motion being captured in certain parts of the frame (for example, a road where it might capture moving cars) and a ‘detection schedule’ for selecting which hours you want the camera to be in operation – such as only at night if you want to monitor a child’s bedroom or external door.
The IMOU Rex 3D also works with Amazon Alexa, so you can say ‘Alexa, show me the nursery’ and footage from that camera will be displayed. When the device is put in privacy mode, it will place the lens down to deactivate some of the functionality, such as live view.
IMOU Rex 3D: price and availability
Prices start from $64.99/£36.99 (about AU$100)
Available now in US and UK
Given everything the IMOU Rex 3D offers, it is quite simply astonishing value for money. It’s even possible to find the model on special offer for even less than the prices displayed above. That said, it’s so cheap because, like most security camera manufacturers, IMOU makes its money from getting people to sign up for its subscription plans.
These enable you to view recordings in the cloud (after the free trial ends) and access additional features, such as enhanced AI detection that can send you an alert if a person, pet, vehicle, or package is detected. Alternatively, for more basic functionality you can simply store recordings on a MicroSD card up to 256GB, which you will have to buy separately. This can be used for streaming up to 24 hours of constant footage (once storage is full it will be overwritten by new footage).
Value for money score: 5/5
IMOU Rex 3D: subscription options
IMOU Protect Basic: Seven days of storage in the cloud, share devices with 10 users - £26 (about $30/AU$50) per year.
IMOU Protect Plus: Enhanced AI detection, 30 days of storage in the cloud, share devices with 20 users - £5.99 (about $8/AU$10) per month or £60 (about $80/AU$120) per year.
IMOU Rex 3D: design
Easy DIY setup
Long power cable provided
Can be mounted to ceiling
Given the low price, you might expect the IMOU Rex 3D to feel a bit cheap, but actually, it’s pretty solid and sturdy. It’s also not overly large, about the size and shape of a softball. I’m not a massive fan of the piano black finish but it’s largely a matter of personal taste.
Running the long 3m cable from a power supply in the kitchen, I mounted the camera in the kitchen facing the back door. A bracket and screws are provided for installing the device on the ceiling if you prefer. This is a good way of optimizing the 360-degree camera as well as keeping the device out of reach of sticky-fingered children and thieves.
Design score: 4.5/5
IMOU Rex 3D: performance
High quality 1080p image resolution
Extremely sensitive movement detection
Stable connection
It’s fair to say that the IMOU Rex 3D is one of the best security cameras I’ve looked at in terms of performance. Many are tricky to set up and don’t always offer a stable connection, especially if they are located some distance from the wireless broadband router. However, even though the router was on the other side of the house, the IMOU connected first time and has been working constantly during the two weeks of testing.
If I have one complaint, it’s that the IMOU Rex 3D is a little too good in that it seems to record every little movement it detects. Indeed, it’s so sensitive I’ve had to turn detection sensitivity down to 2 out of 5 so it isn’t triggered every time a leaf blows across the lawn or a spider scurries across the floor! Also, while the AI detection is very good for detecting humans, it’s not always reliable for pets. On numerous occasions, it told me it had detected a pet even though my dog wasn’t in the room at the time!
Finally, the picture quality is excellent. As well as offering 1080p resolution for high-quality images during the day, it has a night vision setting which is very accurate for IR recording in low light. If you are mounting the camera on the ceiling, it’s possible to flip the image 180 degrees so it’s the right way round. There’s also an HDR (High Dynamic Range) setting for capturing high-contrast scenes – for example, if the camera is indoors facing a window.
Performance score: 4.5/5
Should you buy the IMOU Rex 3D?
Buy it if...
You want to regularly track humans and pets Pan and tilt camera with smart tracking makes it a great choice for capturing movement.
You want two-way audio
Great for communicating with loved ones while you're away.
Don't buy it if...
You only need a simple security solution
The vast array of features and functionality could prove a little overwhelming for some.
You're looking for an outdoor camera
The IMOU Rex 3D is intended for indoor use, and isn't waterproof.
IMOU Rex 3D security camera: also consider
How I tested the IMOU Rex 3D security camera
I used the camera every day for two weeks
I set it up myself without any assistance
The camera was set up to focus on the kitchen
To really put an indoor security camera through its paces you need to put it in a well-trafficked part of a property. That’s why I opted to locate mine in the kitchen. Plus, I made sure it was in motion tracking mode so it followed any movement around the room from either a person or a dog.
While this may not be ideal in the longer term – it does feel a little intrusive with a camera whirring round the room – it meant that I could see just how good the camera is at capturing movement. Over the last two weeks, it must have recorded more than 1000 clips and while some of these were false positives, I don’t think it ever dropped the connection during the testing period.
Launched July 2024, the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra is a high-spec, feature-packed robot vacuum and mop with a self-empty base. For this model, Roborock has tweaked both its basic features to offer more efficient and effective cleaning, as well as adding fancier new bonus features. I put it to the test to see how it compares to the rest of today's best robot vacuums, and if it justifies its premium price tag.
Overall, I was impressed. In terms of cleaning, it did a very good job, delivering reliable suction and performing well in my tests with different sized debris. I found the mopping equally effective, with the extra side mop doing a good job of getting right up to the edges of rooms.
There are a lot of different options to offer precision cleaning, and useful features like the ability to sense carpet and boost suction accordingly, and the fact the mop pad can raise up to 2cm off the ground so you don't end up with damp rugs if you go for for the mop-first option. The rubbery rollers are great at gripping hair and propelling it straight into the dust cup before it has a chance to tangle, although the same cannot be said for the roller axles.
The base station offers automatic dust emptying and detergent dispensing, and will clean and dry the mop pads after every use, all of which mean less hands-on requirements from you. Mapping is accurate and fast, and the app is intuitive to use, making getting set up pretty speedy and straightforward.
The S8 MaxV Ultra is the first to feature Roborock's smart voice assistant, and while the chance to boss a robovac about is appealing, in practice I found it struggled to understand the most basic of commands. The extending side-brush designed to reach under furniture and into corners was equally unreliable. Like a shy turtle, it refused to emerge, even in scenarios when it was clearly needed.
Roborock says that this robovac is able to intelligently identify 73 different common household objects to avoid, and if you ask it to, it'll even send you photos of these objects for you to approve. On test, results were mixed – it correctly identified some objects, although not every time it came across them, and it seemed to have a specific problem with socks.
Another use for that on-board camera is to enable this robovac to embark on a 'pet patrol' while you're out. It'll find and photograph your pet, and you can even talk directly to it via the two-way mic.
Also in this range is the Roborock S8 Max Ultra (no 'V'). It's a little less powerful in terms of suction (8,000Pa vs 10,000Pa for the MaxV) and loses the intelligent voice assistant (although it does still have third-party voice control) and camera, which might appeal to those concerned about the privacy side of those features. It's also slightly cheaper.
I'd recommend the S8 MaxV Ultra robovac to someone looking for a high-spec machine that can deliver precise cleaning, and will work equally well on hard floors and carpet. However, if you don't want all those extra features – and especially given some could still do with a little refining – there are cheaper, less fancy options that will work perfectly well for general use. That's the short version; read on for my full Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra review.
At list price, the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra will set you back $1,799.99 in the US or AU$2,999 in Australia. In the UK, it's only available on Amazon at time of writing, at £1,725.63. This was the price provided by our Roborock contact, but it feels much more like a price that will fluctuate rather than an RRP.
While that price tag might make some wince, it's increasingly common for brands' range-topping robovac models to reach into the quadruple figures, and bear in mind too that anything that offers mopping and self-emptying on top of just vacuuming will be at the pricier end of the market, to start with. By way of comparison, the Roomba Combo 10 Max – another high-spec, self-empty robot vacuum and mop, launched in August 2024 – is $1,399 / £1,499.
You are paying a premium for features like the new smart voice assistant, though. If you don't need such a high-spec model, there are plenty of cheaper options about that will serve most people's needs perfectly well.
Robot vacuums often attract discounts around major sales events like the Black Friday deals, so it's worth keeping an eye out around then if it suits when you need to buy.
Value for money score: 3.5 out of 5
Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra specs
Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra review: design & features
Sleek design with matte and shiny plastic
On-board voice assistant, mics and camera
Chunky but smart-looking dock with water reservoirs and auto-empty
The Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra's body is a combination of matte and shiny plastic. That combination of textures is more noticeable on the black version, rather than the white I tested, but the overall look is still smart and stylish. On top are three multifunctional buttons: a power button, a mop button and a home button. However, more likely you won't use these buttons at all, but instead will use the companion app or your voice to set the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra about its tasks. At the back are your charging contacts, plus ports for water to go in, and dirty water and dust to come out.
At the front of the robovac you'll find an RGB camera, 3D light sensors and an LED headlight for illuminating the way in dark rooms. In the centre, there's a raised puck, protected with a bump sensor, and housing the LiDAR and microphones for the voice assistant. This is Roborock's first voice assistant. You wake it by saying 'Hello Rocky', and it's designed to respond to a wide variety of commands: Start cleaning, Skip here, Empty the dustbin, Pause, Vacuum harder, Mop softer, Clean the living room, and so on.
If you ask it to, the onboard camera will take photos of the objects that it has identified and elected to avoid. You can send it out to find and photograph your pet, and you can also conduct remote conversations with said pet via the microphones. (Sadly, I am lacking a pet to spy on / remotely harass, so wasn't able to test these features for my review.)
The addition of the camera and mics will be welcome to some, but perhaps not the most privacy-conscious of you. Note that while the mics are active by default, they can be switched off. The camera is not switched on as standard, and it's very difficult to activate accidentally as it requires manual pressing of the three buttons on the robot itself (rather than just an in-app toggle), and you also need to set up a password pattern.
If you don't want a robot that has an onboard RGB camera and microphones, the cheaper S8 Max Ultra version lacks the voice assistant and swaps the RGB camera for reactive 3D.
The shiny panel on the top can be lifted off (it's magnetic, which feels like an elegant solution) to reveal a Wi-Fi indicator light and reset button, plus a 270ml dustbin and washable paper filter, and a 100ml water tank. You won't need to access this bit too often, because it's all self-emptying, but on occasion you may want to get in there to clean the filter.
A note for those with bigger homes: the onboard dustbin is on the small side. You can increase empty frequency, but minimum duration is after 30 minutes of cleaning, so if you have high dirt buildup, this might not suffice. The same goes for the onboard water tank.
Flip your Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra over and you'll find the dual rollers. These are similar to those on previous Roborocks, made from a rubbery ridged material designed to grip hair and debris efficiently, without getting clogged or tangled.
Corners and room edges are notoriously tricky for robovacs to tackle, but Roborock's approach is to add a spinning FlexiArm that reaches out, ET-style, when the model senses it's approaching a corner or some low furniture. It's designed to assist the vacuuming process by flicking debris in the corners and edges of rooms into the path of the vacuum. This is listed as being unique to Roborock, but it's actually an approach utilized by Dreame in its X40 Ultra (review in progress).
The main mop is a little smaller than found on previous Roborocks (another potential down-side for those with bigger homes) and sits on top of two vibrating plates that create the scrubbing motion – these vibrate at 4,000 times per minute, which is quite a difficult metric to visualize, but certainly faster than I could do it manually. The mop pad can lift a generous 2cm off the floor when going over carpeted areas, and if you activate the automatic re-mopping feature in the Roborock app, it'll go over very dirty areas again.
Note: if your priority is mopping, you'd perhaps be better off with the Roborock Qrevo Master, which has dual spinning mops instead.
The mop pad is attached at one side, so while you can pull the Velcro-ed on bit to see the plates beneath, you can't remove it entirely. This seems like an odd decision, because it prevents you from, for example, putting it in the washing machine, if you wanted a more thorough clean.
There's also a spinning side mop – a new addition with the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra, designed to enable you to mop closer to your baseboards. Within 1.68mm of the edge of your room, to be precise. The mop has its own dedicated water outlet, but it is fixed in place rather than extending when it senses the edges of rooms, like the FlexiArm does.
Finally, underneath the robovac is a set of cliff sensors to prevent your robovac from throwing itself down the stairs, plus a carpet detection sensor so it knows not to try and mop there.
Moving on to the dock. Note that this needs to sit on a hard, flat floor (the instructions suggest wood, tile or concrete) and obviously it also needs to be near a power outlet, too. Although it's still quite chunky – unavoidable with self-emptying, mop-and-vac models – the design has been streamlined compared to previous Roborock robovacs, with the various reservoirs hidden behind covers.
The dock houses a 4L clean water reservoir, with a silver ion block designed to discourage the growth of bacteria. New to this model is a separate detergent compartment, which distributes your floor cleaner evenly and removes the need for guesswork when premixing your cleaning solution. There's a 3.5L dirty water tank and a 2.5L dust bag.
Within the dock you'll find a spinning brush roller for cleaning the mop. It uses hot water (Roborock says up to 60C) to sterilize and remove grease from the mop pads, and heated air to dry. While the mop is being washed, there's a sensor to detect how dirty the pad is, and extend cleaning time if required. There are also different cleaning intensity options you can choose manually.
You will need to refill the water tank manually. If you want to avoid that, there is a version that comes with a refill and drainage system. Be aware that this will require you to plumb in the base station, meaning you won't be able to move it.
Design score: 4.5 out of 5
Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra review: performance
Overall, strong mopping and vacuuming performance
Decent obstacle avoidance, but did still get tangled in cables
Voice commands unreliable
Let's start with vacuuming performance. The MaxV Ultra promises extreme suction. Figuring out how to tell how much suction a vacuum cleaner has is easier said than done, but here it's measured in Pascal, and the MaxV Ultra has 10,000Pa of it – which Roborock says is 'industry leading', but the Deebot T30S Combo actually offers 11,000Pa on max mode. It's still very sucky though.
Generally, I found this robovac delivered a decent clean. There are sensors to detect when the robovac is on carpet and increase suction accordingly, and I found this feature worked reliably during my review period – I could hear the suction amping up when the robot trundled onto soft flooring in my home.
There are quite a few vacuuming options to cater for different cleaning needs and preferences. You can opt for a deep clean, where the carpets are vacuumed twice to form a checkered pattern, or Carpet First Mode if you want the robovac to tackle carpets first, before it does any mopping, so the mop pad will be dry for this part of the clean (the mop pads do lift when the vac is on carpet; it's just as a backup). You can also set it to boost suction power when navigating around pet supplies.
To test fine debris pickup, I sprinkled cornflour on my medium-pile carpet. It picked up the surface dust but nothing more ingrained. I had similar results from my large-debris test – the robovac got most of the oats sprinkled on my carpet, but left a few. So not perfect, but still very acceptable. This was after just one pass – it is possible to instruct the robovac to do a more thorough clean.
The extending side brushes, however, could be improved. I have radiators that sit slightly too low for the robovac to get under them, but the spinning side brush did not extend to clean these areas – particularly unfortunate, as dust often collects here. I saw another review from someone who had the same issue with low-sitting cabinets. I also found that pickup on the corners of rooms wasn't great – the robovac doesn't really linger long enough for the extending brush to do its work, often leaving debris.
Roborock promises a 99.5% hair pickup rate in carpet mode. I have long hair, and rollers did a great job of tackling this on the carpet; filtering it straight into the dustbin rather than letting it tangle around the rollers. However, I did find hair got tangled on both the axles of the rollers and the extending side brush, the former of which was particularly tricky to remove.
Looking for the best robot vacuum for pet hair? I think this would be a good shout, with the combination of powerful suction and those grippy rollers. However, the small onboard bin might prove problematic if you have a pet that sheds a lot.
Moving on to mopping. Again, I was impressed. I found the mopping effective, with the robovac tackling both wet spills (coffee) and sticky spills (dried on honey) effectively. The hot mop cleaning also seems to work well, with minimal stains left on the mop pads even after cleaning the coffee.
Navigation is excellent, as I'd expect from this brand. The Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra mapped my flat quickly and accurately, making setup nice and straightforward. It's smart enough to recognize which room it's in and promises to be able to identify 73 objects, including pet waste, shoes and mirrors (this last one has consistently been an issue for robovac owners with floor mirrors in the past, so is a welcome addition here).
On test, I found object avoidance was a little inconsistent. I left a sock (black) and a cable (white) on my light grey carpet. The Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra tried its very best to vacuum up the sock. And while it successfully identified and avoided the cable (providing a snapshot for me to approve in the app – shown above), it then went on to repeatedly got stuck on cables during general cleaning, needing manual rescuing.
Note that if you activate Pet Mode, the robot will exercise more caution when avoiding obstacles – so it'll be less likely to hoover up your cat, but might also provide a slightly less comprehensive clean as a result (your choice).
I also found the voice assistant to be unreliable. This robovac frequently failed to understand basic commands, included in the list of approved commands ('Return to dock', 'Mop here'). Not that it should matter, but I don't have what might be considered a 'challenging accent', so I'm a little baffled as to why it struggled to understand me.
Roborock is known to have one of the best robot vacuum apps, and the app for the S8 MaxV Ultra didn't disappoint. It's well-designed, fairly intuitive to use, and does a good job of organizing all the many different controls it needs to offer. However, if you're new to robot vacuums, you may still find it a little overwhelming and confusing.
Performance score: 4 out of 5
Should you buy the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra?
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
How I tested the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra
I used this as my main vacuum for 3 weeks
I tested all the different modes and features
I ran specific cleaning tests using different types of spillages
For my Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra review, I used this robovac as my main vacuum cleaner for three weeks to gain an idea of how it performs on a day-to-day basis, including how easy it is to control and how good it is at cleaning in general. I tried out all the different functions I was able to, as well as running a series of specific tests to assess cleaning powers. These included seeing how well the mop coped with wet and dried-on sticky stains, and if the vacuum could handle large and small debris. I scattered common objects like socks and cables on my floor to assess the reliability of its obstacle avoidance features. I measured my findings against our experiences with other robot vacuums, and the Roborock's own claims about this vacuum's performance.
The Eufy X10 Pro Omni is a quality robotic vacuum and mop. It has excellent suction power, while also being pleasantly quiet in all but its most powerful setting, navigates around obstacles very well indeed, and even reports back with photos of objects it has avoided. The mopping system is especially good, with two rotating pads that press down onto the floor with 2.2lbs of pressure and spin at 180rpm. The result is a top-notch clean with no puddles or streaking.
The base station is larger than some others, including that of the Eufy X8 Pro, but is nicely designed and houses tanks for both clean and empty water for the mop. The robot's navigation system uses a camera and LiDAR to precisely map your home and quickly creates a floor plan that can be edited in the Eufy Clean app – it's then easy to name rooms and create no-go or no-mop zones.
As with other Eufy robots, the X10 can struggle to climb over larger doorway thresholds. This in itself isn't a major problem, but the issue is how the robot sometimes manages (more often than not, to be fair), yet sometimes fails. Some adjustments to your thresholds might be required if your floors are particularly uneven.
Overall, the X10 Pro Omni is a high-end robotic vacuum with excellent performance, especially when it comes to mopping hard floors. The base station is large, but offers a complete, hands-off cleaning experience.
Eufy X10 Pro Omni review: price & availability
List price: $799.99 / £799 / AU$1,699.95
Availability: Available now
The X10 Pro Omni sits above the Eufy X8 Pro but below its new flagship, the Eufy Omni S1 Pro. At $800 / £800 it's a little more expensive than the X9, but falls comfortably below the S1, to the tune of over $500 / £500. The X10 Pro Omni’s list price is also comfortably below that of the four-figure Roomba Combo J9+.
Splashing out a four-figure sum on a robotic vacuum might sound absurd – especially when entry-level models start below $300 – but such figures have quickly become table stakes, and at $800 the X10 Pro Omni feels like fairly good value. Especially when the new S1, which is also a robotic vacuum and mop with self-emptying of both its dustbin and water tank, costs a whopping $1,500.
Value for money score: 4.5 out of 5
Eufy X10 Pro Omni review: design
D-shaped vacuum with single side brush
Two rotating mops
Charge station empties bin and water tank
The Eufy X10 Pro Omni is a D-shaped robotic vacuum with a roller brush and two spinning mops underneath, plus a single rotating brush on its side for flicking dirt out from the corners of your room. When in use, the two mops push down with a force of 2.2lbs (1kg) and spin at 180rpm to scrub dirt away from hard floors.
The robot’s vision system includes LiDAR technology, so it can see just as well at night as it can during the day, and the mops automatically lift when it drives onto carpets to avoid getting them wet. A specially designed comb is intended to automatically remove hair from the roller brush, preventing it from getting tangled up.
A base station is included and charges the robot and also empties the dustbin, dries the mops with warm air and swaps out the robot’s dirty water for clean. Eufy says the base station's 2.5-liter dust bag only needs replacing every two months, based on a three-person household without pets, or 45 days with one pet and 30 days with two. It also states that the 3-liter water tank provides enough water to mop a 1,500-2,000sqft home two or three times.
Everything feels well made and it’s easy to get the robot set up and ready for its first clean. The base station isn’t particularly attractive – and it's also quite large. That said, I prefer the X10’s simple design over the transparent, glowing water tanks of the Eufy S1 Pro Omni.
The base station measures 18.1in (460mm) tall, but requires an extra 13.7in (350mm) above that to access the dustbin and water tanks. The station is 14.4in (366mm) wide and 18.9in (480mm) deep, including the ramp used by the robot to drive into its charging dock. The robot itself is 4.47in (113.5mm) tall, including the sensor housing, and has a footprint of 12.87 x 13.9inc (327 x 353mm).
As ever with Eufy robots, the base station needs about 20in (50cm) of free space either side, so it can drive up against the wall, and 59in (150cm) in front, where it needs space to drive out from the charger and orient itself before each clean. In reality, you can get away with placing the charge dock in the corner of a room, right next to a wall. The robot still works just fine, but won’t be able to clean between the station and the wall.
Lastly, the robot’s dust bin is easily accessible by opening the lid (which is held closed with magnets) and pulling it out. From there you can retrieve any debris that's got stuck and access the filter, which requires occasional cleaning. Water is automatically fed in and out of the robot when docked at the base station, so there’s no removable tank (as there is with the cheaper Eufy X8), and the mop pads can be removed to be cleaned and eventually replaced.
Design score: 4.5 out of 5
Eufy X10 Pro Omni review: performance
Intelligent navigation
Scales uneven thresholds (most of the time)
Excellent cleaning performance
Before I tested the X10 with a set of specific tasks, I used the robot for a couple of weeks as any regular customer would. This included setting it up in my kitchen and using it to periodically clean individual rooms, along with the occasional whole-home deep clean.
Right away, the X10 impressed. The robot quickly and accurately mapped my apartment during its first exploratory clean, using the LiDAR sensor to work out where all the walls and furniture were, and even splitting the floor plan into rooms. I then used the app to name each room and set a no-go zone under the sofa, since there’s so much stuff back there I’m always worried about robotic vacuums getting stuck. The X10 never did, but I’d rather it doesn’t try picking a fight with the random DIY tools, paints cans and pieces of wood from our recent kitchen installation still lurking under there.
I also initially set no-mop zones for the carpeted bedroom and a large rug in the lounge, but soon learned to trust the X10’s ability to spot the difference between hard floors, carpets and rugs. A couple of weeks later, and it hasn’t once tried to inadvertently mop the carpet.
I’ve also been impressed with the robot’s navigation, and how it stops instantly if something gets in its way. Step in front of it and it stops on a dime, before quickly working out an alternative route. It’s also good at climbing over uneven doorway thresholds. Eufy’s newer and far more expensive S1 Pro Omni really struggled with thresholds and climbing from exposed floorboards to carpet; so much so that it sometimes completely failed to enter certain rooms.
The X10 is far better in this regard, but was still inconsistent in its ability to clear raised thresholds. When tasked with a whole-home clean it would manage just fine, but when asked to clean only the kitchen it would drive down onto the floorboards of the hallway, then repeatedly fail to climb back over the circa-2cm threshold. Sometimes it would succeed, only to drive back down and get stuck again.
As with the S1, I wouldn’t mind if the robot accepted defeat and admitted failure every time, but instead its ability to clear the threshold is inconsistent.
The vacuuming performance felt about on par with the S1, especially when turned up to Turbo or Max settings. While a fair bit louder than the Quiet and Standard modes, the more powerful settings produced a deep clean, reliably sucking debris, dust, hair and fluff out of carpets. I also found it works best when configured to vacuum each room twice with either the Standard or Deep intensity setting. I would say the X10’s vacuum performance is about on par with my Dyson V10, and I was especially impressed with its ability to pull fluff and hair out of carpet. That said, the Dyson still picked up some extra dust and hair when used right after the X10 had completed a job at maximum suction.
You’ll also still need a manual vacuum for areas that robots like the X10 simply can’t reach, such as tight gaps between furniture and the stairs. As ever, these robots are great for light, frequent cleans – and free up a nice chunk of your time in the process – but can’t replace a manual vacuum entirely.
I found a single pass with the Fast setting is fine for a quick daily clean, and I can see this working great for little-used spare bedrooms. But for my one-bed flat, where every room is used frequently, a more intensive clean works best. I also found it did a great job of avoiding all manner of obstacles. Eufy says the robot can recognize over 100 types of objects, from toys and cables, to clothes and the all-important pet mess. However, during one clean it mistook a small plant pot for a bin and a stray sock for a shoe. It also labeled a fireplace hearth as a "base" and steered well clear of it, missing a patch of carpet in the process.
The X10’s mopping performance is particularly good, thanks to how the mops press down and spin quickly. This is far more effective than the static mopping pad of the Eufy Clean X8 Pro, which is simply dragged around. The X10 gives hard floors a proper clean, and I like how it drives in a pattern that ensures the mops, which are at the rear of the robot, are pushed into corners and up against the walls at every opportunity.
Now for the specific tests, where flour, biscuit crumbs and oats are used to see how robotic vacuums perform in controlled conditions. First, I combine flour with biscuit crumbs and sprinkle the mix on a patch of hard floor, then ask the X10 to clean that area with its least powerful suction setting, which I recorded at about 62 decibels.
The X10 did an okay job, and took just a couple of minutes to vacuum the whole kitchen, but missed a few obvious patches of crumb mix. I tried again, this time using Standard suction (64dB) and with it set to clean the same area twice instead of once. I’ve found from other vacuum reviews that this makes a huge difference, as debris flicked around on the first pass is often collected on the second. The result this time was better, but some debris remained.
Finally, switching up to Turbo suction (66dB) and enabling deep cleaning, where it drives a more thorough route across each room, completely cleared the crumb mix and left the floor perfectly clean. As for other sounds, the vacuum briefly hit a rather loud 82dB while emptying its bin into the base station, then settled down to 62dB for a minute to clean the mop, and a barely audible 42dB while the mop was dried with hot air.
I then performed the same test on carpet and saw similar results. The less powerful suction modes are best for frequent, light cleans of lesser-used parts of your home (like the spare bedrooms), while the more powerful settings work great in higher-traffic areas or for spills. I was again impressed with how well the X10 sucks debris out of carpet.
I was less impressed by how it handled larger debris. Like other robot vacuums, it had a habit of flicking oats around the room instead of collecting them up. The rotating brush does a decent job at collecting dust and hair, but fails to pull larger debris, like the oats, away from the edges of a floor and into the robot’s path. Instead it often does the opposite, pushing debris into the corners and up against furniture where it is more difficult to reach, especially on floors where the carpet slopes downwards at the edges.
Larger debris like this requires maximum suction, as even Turbo mode struggled to pick everything up – not including the oats flicked to the corners of the room. As ever, the conclusion is that robotic vacuums are great for simple cleaning but can’t match a manual vacuum for clearing up specific spillages.
Finally, I tested the mopping function by spilling a sugary drink and some hot sauce on a wooden floor and leaving the mess to dry. I set the robot to mop the kitchen and it did a fantastic job, completely removing the stains and using just the right amount of water to clean the floor without leaving any streaks or puddles. It then took just a minute or so to clean the mop, and spent a couple of hours drying them. As with the Eufy S1, the X10’s mopping function is flawless, and far better than the static mop of the X8.
Performance score: 4 out of 5
Eufy X10 Pro Omni review: app
Easy to use
Lots of configuration available
Handy pre-set cleaning scenarios
Just like the X8 and S1, the X10 is controlled by the Eufy Clean smartphone app for iOS and Android. It’s one of the better smart home companion apps I’ve used, thanks to it being intuitive and easy to use, but with lots of customization available to those who want it.
Such configurability includes setting the X10 Pro Omni to clean whichever rooms you want, however you like. For example, you can ask it to vacuum and mop the kitchen with deep intensity, Turbo suction and medium water usage, and for it to make two passes on each stage of the clean, then head into the lounge and do a standard vacuum.
I especially like how you can create shortcut icons for specific cleaning scenarios. For example, you can create a scenario called Post-Meal Clean, where the robot will perform a quick, low-intensity clean of your kitchen (or whichever bit of floor space you want) with just a tap. There are also scenarios for deep or daily cleans for the whole home, and you can make your own too.
It’s also easy to split your home map up into sections and name each room accordingly, and to create no-go or no-mop zones to stop the robot doing anything wrong. The Eufy Labs section includes a couple of experimental features, including one called Smart Track Cleaning, where pressing the robot’s front bumper with your foot for three seconds turns it on and has it follow you, cleaning as it goes.
Lastly, the app can be used to manually control base station functions. This is handy for if you’ve had to pick the robot up and return it to its charger for whatever reason, or if you have disrupted its cleaning routine. With a couple of taps it’s easy to have the station empty the robot’s dustbin and wash then dry the mops – which it does very effectively by blowing them with air heated to 45C for around two hours.
App score: 5 out of 5
Should you buy the Eufy X10 Pro Omni?
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
How I tested the Eufy Clean X10 Pro Omni
I set up the X10 Pro Omni and used it as my only vacuum and mop for a couple of weeks. During this time I let it create a map of my own, then named rooms and created no-go and no-mop zones.
I then experimented with all of the various vacuuming and mopping modes, before conducting several specific tests to learn exactly how well each mode performs, and how buyers can get the most out of their robot.
Narwal Freo X Ultra robot vacuum two-minute review
If you have cash to splurge, the Narwal Freo X Ultra is an easy robot vacuum to recommend. That is, if your space isn’t an open floor plan. One of the main issues that I come across with a lot of the up-and-coming competition vying for best robot vacuum status is that they come with all sorts of interesting, cutting edge features and functionalities – and that’s certainly the case here – but somewhere along the line, they drop the ball on something fundamental.
And more often than not, that issue relies on how the app differentiates, or allows you to differentiate, between different rooms. In fact, if you look at most of my recent reviews, they all seem to have an issue with this whereas I didn’t have this issue with the mid-range Shark 2-in-1 robot vacuum I reviewed over a year ago.
Still, I’m not discounting the Narwal Freo X Ultra. I said it was an easy robot to recommend, after all. In fact, the only other real issue with it is that it’s pricey. In fact, if you don’t have an open floor plan, you might find it to be the best vacuum cleaner for your needs. It does a fantastic job of vacuuming and mopping, and, unlike most other models, comes with actual cleaning solution.
On top of that, it has an unusual space-age look that makes it a bit more attractive, or at least striking, compared with many of the other robot vacuums that come with a large base station in tow. So, anyone with an open floor plan, either skip this robot vacuum or be prepared to just run it throughout your whole space every time. Everyone else with the cash for it, you’ll be happy with the Narwal Freo X Ultra.
Narwal Freo X Ultra robot vacuum: price & availability
List price: $1,399.99 / AU$ 2,299.00 (about £1,110)
Available in the US and Australia
The Narwal Freo X Ultra is expensive. There’s no way around that. Sure, it might have some interesting incremental improvements over other models that come with a base station – it has two side brushes instead of one, it comes with cleaning solution, it washes and dries its own mop pads, and so on. But a lot of the models in this price range can do the same. so spending $1,399.99 / AU$ 2,299 (about £1,110) on this robot vacuum doesn’t necessarily offer the best value out there.
The Ecovacs Deebot T30 S Combo I recently reviewed does most of that and comes with a handheld vacuum, though it skips the cleaning solution and the second side brush (more on why that’s important later), and does a slightly better job of mopping. And it’s just a little cheaper at $1,199.99 (about £950 / AU$1,800), although it’s only available in the US at the moment.
You can spend even less on something like the more price-conscious and almost as fully-featured Yeedi Cube, approximately $699 (about £559 / about AU$1,054). Of course, that robot vacuum can’t manage edges nearly as well as the Narwal Freo X Ultra. If you want to push your deep cleaning as far as possible, that feature alone is worth the extra cost.
Value score: 3.5 out of 5
Narwal Freo X Ultra robot vacuum review: design
Robot vacuum has two side brushes instead of the usual one
Base station comes with LED panel for easy control
Comes with cleaning solution
The Narwal Freo X Ultra robot vacuum comes with a few design features that set it apart from the rest. To start, if you’re looking at just the robot vacuum itself, it comes with two side brushes instead of the typical one along with the two mop pads. Both mop pads lift up off the ground when just vacuuming, and the brush roll for sucking everything into its dustbin is made so that hair won’t get tangled around it.
The base station has a sleeker look than most, offering a deeper cavity for the robot vacuum so that the unit is completely engulfed when at rest. In my opinion, it has a bit of a space-age aesthetic.
But it differs from other high-end base stations in more than just looks. For starters it'll wash and dry mop pads automatically. Then there’s a small, round LED panel on top that offers some control without having to whip out your phone or push a button on the robot vacuum itself. Just a press and off it goes to vacuum or mop. This panel also comes with a child-lock feature, which is nifty.
Probably even more important, hidden inside where the clean water tank resides is an area to put cleaning solution, which Narwal has thoughtfully included. If you do buy the Narwal Freo X Ultra, however, note that the cleaning solution container is inside the dirty water reservoir – something that’s not mentioned anywhere in the literature and I don’t make a habit of checking the dirty water reservoir until I need to empty it.
Regardless, it’s a nice feature that most robot vacuums seem to skip, going with just water to mop your floors. While I’ve had good results with those other robot vacuums with mops, I appreciate the ability to use actual cleaning solution on my floors to clean them.
Design score: 4.5 out of 5
Narwal Freo X Ultra robot vacuum review: performance
Excellent vacuuming, especially with edges
Almost as good mopping, though not as good with edges
Can take a long time since it washes its mop pads frequently
I may have come on a bit strong at the beginning of this review about the Narwal Freo X Ultra, but I can’t fault its performance one bit. It has multiple levels of vacuuming and mopping at its disposal, and can handle both hard flooring and carpeting.
When vacuuming, it’s able to get dust and debris just fine, but it’s also able to scoop up larger bits as well. I actually threw a handful of cheerios right in front of it to test. Some of them were scooped by a certain French Bulldog, but everything that was in its path was swept up in a single pass, probably thanks to its 8200 PA of suction power. Likewise, after running this robot vacuum, I don’t see any remnants left.
That includes the edges. Since it has side brushes on both sides and they stick out a bit more than I’ve seen on other robot vacuums, it’s able to sweep up debris on the edges of a room.
Its ability to avoid objects is pretty good. I haven’t seen it have any issues with anything other than cables and cords, which is kryptonite for every single robot vacuum I’ve encountered. Essentially, it’s as good as it’s going to get with a robot vacuum – it even avoids the dogs.
The mopping performance is almost as good. While I can’t confirm that it actually uses more pressure with its mop pads than other robot vacuums, it does an efficient job cleaning up stains and anything sticky. Besides using this robot vacuum to clean up after a couple of French Bulldogs who like to track in all sorts of stuff, I also poured a bunch of soy sauce in front of it (not to worry, it was the low-sodium stuff). It took about two passes to completely pick it all up. Plus, the floor didn’t smell like soy sauce after. This might be due to that cleaning solution that Narwal included.
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Where the mopping is not quite as good is on edges. Since this model doesn’t have one of those mop pads that extends out, it relies on the robot vacuum to angle itself in a way that the mop pad gets to the edges and corners of a room. However, I regularly saw that it didn’t quite get to those edges as it should.
While I was happy with the way the Narwal Freo X Ultra cleaned, it did take a long time as it regularly went back to the base station to wash those mop pads. Not that that’s a bad thing, though; just something to bear in mind.
Performance score: 4.5 out of 5
Narwal Freo X Ultra robot vacuum review: app
App is intuitive to use
Separating rooms in mapping is impossible in certain situations
Seems to have a mind of its own when trying to clean only certain areas
My biggest hangup with the Narwal Freo X is going to be here. First, however, I do want to mention that the app in general is intuitive and easy to use. Pulling up the menu to adjust vacuuming or mopping strength is a breeze, and it’s just as easy to create a schedule to have it clean on its own. In fact, adjusting all sorts of settings for the robot vacuum and the base station, such as drying intensity, is straightforward.
Where I have issues is in using the map. The robot vacuum does a fine job actually mapping the necessary space, but Narwal decided to make it so that you have to use a line tool when separating the space into different rooms. Just like every other app that does this, you can’t use one line to go across another, meaning I basically can’t separate the four rooms that make up the accessible space on the ground floor into those four rooms.
My workaround is to cut the space into two rooms so that I can just clean half if I need a more localized cleaning. My issue here as that, while the Narwal Freo X Ultra did a fine job cleaning that half of the space, or what I designated as “room one,” it decided that after it finished cleaning “room one” that it would continue to clean everything, meaning I and my family had to spend another two hours listening to it slowly mop its way back and forth.
When I run the Narwal Freo X Ultra, as well as the other robot vacuums that suffer similar issues, I end up just running it over my entire space.
App score: 3 out of 5
Narwal Freo X Ultra robot vacuum review: battery life
210 minute battery life
Due to the way it runs, you won’t see it run out of battery
The battery life on the Narwal Freo X Ultra is advertised as 210 minutes, but I haven't managed to run it for 210 minutes straight as it regularly returns to the base station to empty its contents and wash its mop pads. However I have seen it go for three hours without any issues or needing to stop for a significant time to charge.
The only time I’ve really experienced it running out of battery is just like I have with any other robot vacuum, in that it gets stuck somewhere for a few hours while I’m not around, and needs to be returned to the base station to charge back up.
Battery score: 4 out of 5
Should you buy the Narwal Freo X Ultra robot vacuum?
Buy it if…
You want to get to those edges
While it’s not great at mopping the edges, it does a great job of vacuuming them, something that many robot vacuums can’t do.
You want a fully featured robot vacuum
From the mop pad washing and drying to various other quality of life features, particularly that cleaning solution, you’ll get just about everything you could ask for here.
You want something unique-looking
The Narwal Freo X Ultra’s base station looks a little futuristic, giving it some character in comparison to a lot of the robot vacuums out there.
Don’t buy it if…
You don’t have the money
This is an expensive proposition. If it’s outside your budget, there are plenty of cheaper options that you’ll probably be almost as happy with.
You have an open floor plan
The way the Narwal Freo X Ultra deals with separating rooms when interacting with the map means that you basically won’t be able to do just that if you have an open floor plan.
Narwal Freo X Ultra robot vacuum review: also consider
Ecovacs Deebot T30 S Combo
The Ecovacs Deebot T30 S Combo has that extendable mop pad to mop edges, and extra handheld vacuum that auto-empties and stores in the same base station and is just a little cheaper. However, it doesn’t look quite as interesting and doesn’t come with cleaning solution.
The Yeedi Cube is not quite as good as the Narwal, but it gets you 90% of the way there for half the price. It still has very good mopping functionality and is one of the first robot vacuum and mops to do the whole mop pad drying thing to avoid mold and bacteria. Also note that it suffers from the exact same issues when it comes to the map.
To test the Narwal Freo X Ultra, I used it for a couple of weeks to vacuum and mop the hardwood floors and 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.
Seven years on from the release of the original Echo Spot, Amazon has surprised fans of its smart home ecosystem with a revival of its smart alarm product line, announcing the Echo Spot (2024) just a week ahead of Prime Day 2024.
Amazon is known for making some of the best smart speakers, but the original Echo Spot was discontinued just two years after release with little fanfare from Amazon. The new model differs from its predecessor in a few key ways, and elsewhere we’ve compared the original Echo Spot and the Echo Spot 2024 in detail.
For one thing, the original had a camera, video-streaming capabilities, and a 3.5mm audio jack, as well as a quirky round screen that really gave the device personality and played cleverly on its clockface inspiration.
The new model, on the other hand, feels a lot more streamlined, resulting in a lower list price, and offers improved audio quality and some fun customization options for its now-rectangular 2.83-inch display, as well as a more contemporary design and connectivity specs (although annoyingly it doesn’t offer a built-in Eero Wi-Fi extender like other devices in the Echo range).
I really want to love the Echo Spot (2024), and I think I would if its price didn’t feel so inflated for what you’re getting. I’m not upset to see the removal of its built-in camera, which felt out of place in a bedroom-based device, nor am I too bothered by the lack of video-streaming support.
However, its rethought design, while appealing, is missing the fun and character of the original, and the display is far too limited overall. The viewing angles aren’t great, especially from the side, and the fact that the screen doesn’t fill the top half of the ‘clock face’ makes the whole thing feel cheap and unfinished.
Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 review: Price and release date
List price: $79.99 / £79.99 / AU$149
Launched just ahead of Amazon Prime Day 2024, the newest Echo speaker is priced at $79.99 / £79.99 / AU$149, which makes it considerably cheaper than the original was at launch with its list price of $129.99 / £119.99 / AU$199. It’s available in blue, white and black.
That price drop sounds appealing, given there are plenty of similarities between the 2017 original and the new model; however, that drop does come at the expense of the camera (although that’s arguably a good thing, given it’ll be used mostly in bedrooms), video-streaming capabilities and 3.5mm audio jack, as well as the distinctive and appealing round screen.
Given that Amazon is pitching this more as a smart alarm than a smart speaker, I was unpleasantly surprised by the price of the Echo Spot, much as I was by the price of the Echo Pop when I reviewed it last year. The new Echo Spot is an improvement upon the original in many ways, especially its audio quality and more contemporary design. Still, its features, design and performance really don’t warrant the high list price when there are plenty of small, high-performing speakers available at a lower price point; and especially considering that the powerhouse Apple HomePod mini is just $20 / £20 more expensive, and the same price in Australia.
With its release coinciding with Amazon Prime Day we’re seeing immediate discounts on the Echo Spot – it’s available for $44.99 / £49.99 in the US and UK in an introductory deal, which feels like a more reasonable price. Still, it’s frustrating to see the continued trend of Amazon’s devices being overpriced outside of its own major sales.
Value: 3/5
Amazon Echo Spot (2024) review: Specs
Amazon Echo Spot (2024) review: Design
Three control buttons for volume and microphone control
Stylish semispherical design with bright and vivid 2.83-inch screen
No 3.5mm port, no camera
Amazon has hearkened back to the original in the Echo Spot (2024)’s angled, semi-spherical design, but with a few modernizations that result in a chic and clean look that’s a lot more contemporary than the quirky original.
The new Spot measures 113 x 103 x 111mm, making it a little larger than the original (104 x 97 x 91mm). Where the original featured a round 2.5-inch display on the device’s clock face with a 480 x 480 resolution and a thick bezel, the 2024 model has a rectangular 2.83-inch 320 x 240 resolution display that occupies most of the top half of the face, while the bottom section’s speaker grille is home to the 1.73-inch forward-facing driver, and is encircled by the thin bezel of the device’s plastic casing. There’s a motion sensor at the very top of the face.
Broadly speaking, the glossy top half and display make for a classy and attractive clock face, but it’s disappointing that the display doesn’t occupy more of the top half – especially given that you’ll often catch a glimpse of its rectangular edges.
On top of the device are three buttons for controlling the volume and toggling the microphone on and off, as is standard on most Echo speakers, as well as a pair of microphones. As a daily snooze-smacker I was initially disappointed that there was no snooze button, but – to my delight – you simply need to tap anywhere on the top of the Echo Spot (2024) to temporarily silence the alarm. At the rear is the power port, and the flat base is steadied by a rubber foot to stop it from slipping no matter how hard you hit ‘snooze’.
Overall, I think the redesign is largely effective. It takes the Spot from being a quirky product with a neat gimmick to something that feels a little more sophisticated and at home in non-techy households – but in doing so, the Spot loses much of the original’s charm. Still, it’s a more mature look and feel that befits its larger size and more slick display, and it looks wonderful in the white colorway I received for testing.
Design: 4.5/5
Amazon Echo Spot (2024) review: Display and features
Fun and vibrant customizable clock face
…but the viewing angles aren’t the best
Lacks features and functions from the wider Echo line and original Spot
As with all devices in Amazon’s Echo lineup, the Echo Spot (2024) houses the brand’s voice assistant, Alexa, and as such is designed to be mostly used hands-free. Under the hood is the same MT8519 processor as in the Echo Dot 5th Gen and Echo Pop, meaning Alexa’s responses are fairly zippy but still a little slower than on the standard Echo. The Echo Spot (2024) is also Matter-compatible but unfortunately doesn’t work as an Eero Wi-Fi as other Echo devices can.
There’s also no temperature sensor as on some other Echo devices to help create temperature-based automations, but a motion sensor on the clock face will allow for motion-based automation mapping, such as turning on your smart lights when you enter a room and turning them off when no motion has been detected for a given amount of time. Unlike on the original Echo Spo, there’s no camera in the newer model; however, the idea of having an inbuilt camera in a smart device designed for use in bedrooms never quite sat comfortably with me.
Broadly speaking, the screen is discreet in its semicircular housing, blending fairly seamlessly with the black glossy surface surrounding it; however at certain brightnesses and angles its rectangular borders become very clear, spoiling the effect somewhat. At the time of writing, there are no ads on the Echo Spot, but as with any service-based product you have to keep in mind the possibility that the service provider might at any point change the rules of engagement, whether that’s by gutting software or removing key perks unless you pay for a subscription.
The real standout is the Spot’s 2.83-inch touch display, which primarily services as a clockface. It’s sharp and smooth, even at its size and middling 320 x 240 resolution. There are six customizable animated clock faces in six different color themes available in the Alexa app, along with four new alarm sounds, giving you some freedom to express yourself with the Echo Spot.
The screen will also display different visuals depending on your queries; I particularly enjoy the music visualizer and weather animations, which feel a lot more understated and finessed than Amazon’s usual cluttered screens (I’m looking at you, Echo Show 5). There are also a handful of widgets for other functions like smart home control, including a brightness slider for smart lights.
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The screen is fairly bright, at least when viewed straight-on, but it’s a little hard to read if you’re at an angle to it, which will likely frustrate in larger rooms; mine lives in the corner of my bedroom, and I have a pretty good view of the screen at all times. With night mode activated (either manually or by setting a schedule), the display switches to a dark mode and the colors are muted, and you can also toggle settings like Do Not Disturb from within the Alexa app.
For me, it’s no great issue that the Echo Spot (2024) doesn’t offer video streaming or video calls, but I am disappointed that it doesn’t show video feeds from the best video doorbells. I appreciate that the Echo Spot isn’t intended to be one of the best smart displays, but there are some very simple and useful features, like recipes and location information, that l’d like to see added in the future – and I for one would like to know if whoever’s knocking at my door is worth getting out of bed for. The Echo Spot does, however, support voice calling.
Display and features score: 3.5/5
Amazon Echo Spot (2024) review: Sound quality
Decent audio for its size
Struggles with complex textures and mids
Great for spoken-word
While Amazon is branding the Echo Spot as more of a smart alarm than a smart speaker, that’s not to say you can’t reap the benefits of its 1.73-inch speaker and listen to some of the best podcasts, best music streaming services, or other audio broadcasts using the best Alexa Skills and commands.
As long as you’re in front of the Echo Spot (2024), as its speaker is front-facing, you can enjoy the improved audio quality compared to the original Echo Spot. This is definitely not a party speaker, and nor is it for audiophiles, but that’s generally to be expected from smaller speakers. You can expect a decent audio performance overall, though; Alexa’s voice cuts through crisply and cleanly, and in general spoken-word audio sounds very pleasant, which is good news if you’re a podcast-lover.
For music, the Echo Spot offers an energetic sound that’s impressive for its size, but not without fault. Without tweaking its equalizer settings in the Alexa app, the bass is fairly dominant, but lacks depth; Fleetwood Mac’s The Chain sounded hollow without its thumping rage and resonance, and the opening bass line of Led Zeppelin’s Dazed and Confused lacked its evocative trudging, bluesy depth.
The mid-range often becomes muddied, with pieces like Hans Zimmer’s Time from Inception sounding uncharacteristically unbalanced, while tracks like Radiohead’s 15 Step feel fuzzy and sluggish, with the Echo Spot (2024) unable to reproduce the track’s crisp and rich textures.
As highlighted above, none of this is really a surprise given this speaker’s size, but it’s worth noting if you’re passionate about hi-fi. Much like many of Amazon’s smart speakers, the Echo Spot is best enjoyed at low-to-mid volume, as from 70-80% volume and above it begins to distort.
Sound quality: 3.5/5
Should I buy the Amazon Echo Spot (2024)?
Buy it if…
Don’t buy them if…
Amazon Echo Spot (2024) review: Also consider
How I tested the Amazon Echo Spot (2024)
I tested the Echo Spot for a week
I used it as part of my Alexa-based smart home set-up, testing all of its features, functionalities and companion software.
I used it to play music, set alarms, control my smart home, and as a main voice assistant
To put the Amazon Echo Spot (2024) through its paces I used it as my main smart home speaker for a week; and given that I’m both constantly using smart home devices for work and chronically lazy enough to lean on voice control, that means a lot of testing.
I used all of its key features to test how well the device measured up against its marketing, ensuring that the audio, speed, voice controls and display all performed as expected. I compared it to the Amazon Echo Pop and Echo Show 5, as well as the Apple HomePod mini, to see how well it stacked up against the competition, as well as referencing it against TechRadar’s coverage of some of the best smart home devices.
I’ve been testing smart home devices for two years, but I’ve been an enthusiast for far longer. When testing tech, I try to consider not just the specs, but the lived experience I have with different devices, using this and my market knowledge, as well as a keen sense of value for money, to inform my opinions.
The Eufy Clean X8 Pro is a powerful robotic vacuum cleaner and mop with LiDAR for smart navigation and a self-emptying bin for hands-free cleaning. The setup process is seamless, with quick and accurate mapping. The app works very well indeed; it is quick, intuitive and makes it easy to adjust your maps and tweak settings, as well as create cleaning schedules and adjust the suction strength.
The vacuum performs well, with very high suction strength, intelligent navigation and the ability to drive over relatively high door thresholds and through medium-thickness carpets and rugs without getting stuck. However, the anti-tangle roller brush can’t handle human hair, and requires frequent manual cleaning.
We also encountered an issue where the robot got confused and added phantom rooms to the map, which required a factory reset. The mopping function is rather basic, since it requires manual fitting and doesn’t move or self-clean. It’s fine for frequent, low-intensity wipes of hard floors, but isn’t suitable for removing dried-on stains.
Overall, the X8 Clean is a compact but powerful robotic vacuum with a top-drawer smartphone app and impressive cleaning abilities, but it falls short compared to today's best robot vacuums when it comes to dealing with human hair.
Eufy Clean X8 Pro review: price & availability
List price: $649.99 / £599 / AU$999.95
Availability: US, UK, Australia
The Eufy X8 Pro hit the market with a US retail price of $649.99, but at the time of writing (July 2024) Eufy’s own website has $250 off, taking the price down to a far more affordable $399.99. At that lower price it feels like excellent value for money.
Elsewhere, the vacuum is priced at a rather steep £599 from Eufy’s own UK website, but at the time of writing it’s just £290 from Amazon. Eufy’s Australia website has it priced at AU$999.95.
As with other robotic vacuum cleaners – and non-robotic ones too – there are some ongoing costs to consider. This includes the dust bags used by the self-emptying system, as well as consumable components like the robot's side brush and roller brush.
In a world where four-figure robotic vacuums aren't uncommon, some of the deals we've seen make the X8 Pro feel like very good value for money.
Value for money score: 4 out of 5
Eufy Clean X8 Pro review: design
Self-emptying charge dock
Mop attachment fitted manually
4.5-inches / 11.4cm tall
The Eufy Clean X8 Pro is a circular robotic vacuum cleaner with an attachable mop. It can be bought on its own or, as reviewed here, with a self-emptying station for an even more hands-off experience.
As with many other robotic vacuums, the X8 Pro has a circular vision system on top. In this case the system is called iPath and it uses lidar and infrared technology to view its environment and work its way around your home. The top panel is also home to buttons for starting/pausing the robot, activating the spot cleaning function, and instructing it to return to base and charge its battery.
The robot measures 13.5 in (34.3 cm) in diameter and is 4.5 in (11.4 cm) tall, including the top-mounted sensor module. This makes it slightly taller than some other robotic vacuums, especially those with their vision system on the front instead of on top, so you’ll want to bear this in mind if you have any particularly low furniture. Eufy recommends creating no-go zones in the app to prevent the robot driving under furniture that is lower than 12cm. You'll also need to set no-mop zones in carpeted areas.
The hinged top cover lifts up to reveal access to the dust bin, which lifts out for manual emptying and filter replacement. Handily, the robot says 'dust bin removed' and 'dust bin inserted' to let you know what you’re doing.
Turn the robot over and you’re greeted by the centrally-mounted roller brush, single spinning brush for flicking debris out of the corner of your rooms, and two wheels.
Since this X9 Pro also works as a mop, the water tank is removed by sliding it out from the rear. You’ll need to fill and empty this manually, and also attach the included mopping pad when you want to use that mode.
The charging and self-emptying station measures approximately 15in (38cm) tall, and is 7.5in (19cm) wide and 6.5in (16.5cm) deep. It is designed to be placed up against a wall, and although not compulsory, it comes with a clear plastic mat onto which the robot and charge station can sit. The mat has sticky pads for fixing it to hard floors, or it can help protect carpets from the damp mop.
The station is more compact than some other models, not least that of Eufy’s S1 Pro, since that model also houses tanks for clean and dirty water. All you'll find in the X8’s base station is a compartment for the included 2.5-liter dust bag, which Eufy says should need replacing roughly every six weeks, depending on usage.
Design score: 4.5 out of 5
Eufy Clean X8 Pro review: performance
Powerful but quiet suction
Solid navigation capabilities, but sometimes fail to spot all debris
Mopping is basic
My first task for the X8 Pro was for it to map my apartment. It did this very well, and soon beamed a floor plan back to the Eufy Clean smartphone app (free for iOS and Android). From there it’s easy to split the floor up into rooms and name them accordingly, and you can also have the robot create a map for each floor of your home, if applicable.
After that, it’s easy to either start the robot right away, or create a custom cleaning mode for each room. You can, for example, tell the robot to always use Turbo or Max suction power for the kitchen, pass through the bedroom twice at Standard suction, then clean the lesser-used guest bedroom once with Quiet mode, the least powerful of the four vacuum settings.
A mopping mode can also be assigned to each room, with three options – low, medium and high – on offer. These refer to how much water the robot uses, but since the mop doesn’t actually move (the robot simply drags it around), water quantity is the only variable on offer.
Alternatively, you can draw a specific zone for the robot to clean in, which is useful when you need to vacuum a certain bit of carpet, or when perhaps only the rug needs attention on an otherwise clean hard floor. For the most part, you’ll likely just set the suction power, enable BoostIQ (which increases power depending on debris quantity and floor type) and hit the Auto button. The robot will then vacuum the entire floor plan, before returning to base to empty its bin and recharge.
The robot can even be driven manually, using directional buttons in the app, but you’ll likely only use this once for the novelty value.
Before performing specific tests with carefully measured amounts of debris, I used the Eufy X8 Pro as if it were my own for a couple of weeks. This meant setting it up, then having it clean my flat on automatic mode every couple of days – and let me tell you, its vacuum performance was seriously impressive.
Unlike the (much) more expensive Eufy Omni S1 Pro, the X8 never failed to climb up from the floorboards of my hallway onto the bedroom carpet. The S1 was a bit hit-and-miss in this aspect, and would sometimes get stuck in a relatively thick rug, but the X8 just soldiered right on, turning up the suction when it encountered said rug, or clambering onto the bedroom carpet from the bare floorboards of the hallway. It sometimes got stuck among the frankly embarrassing amount of stuff under the sofa, but never failed to eventually free itself and carry on with the job.
I was also impressed with the X8 Pro’s ability to judge tight gaps, as it would pass through a half-opened door with just 0.4in (1cm) of clearance on either side. That said, it likes to gently bump into its surroundings, seemingly feeling its way around. This is mostly fine, and didn’t cause any damage, but it had a habit of squashing shoes under a bookcase in the hallway.
At one point it spent several minutes fighting with the power cable of a floor lamp. I can’t decide if it’s smart enough to repeatedly try and break free, or dumb enough to not realize what was going on. I suspect the latter, so while I admire the X8 Pro’s ability to keep on going without calling for help – as the S1 Pro does more frequently – I urge buyers to exercise caution and clear away cables before letting the robot loose. Incidentally, if it gets tangled up and needs your help, it stops cleaning as soon as you pick it up, then resumes when you tap the play icon in the app.
Eufy describes the X8 Pro as offering 'tangle-free cleaning', thanks to a roller brush and comb that 'detangles hair automatically', meaning there’s apparently 'no more need to manually clean the roller brush yourself'. This is not entirely true, however, as even in my pet-free home the brush became tangled with human hair after just a couple of cleans, resulting in the robot stopping and asking for help. This only took me a moment to fix, but had I not been at home it would have aborted its cleaning job and headed back to base.
Just 30 minutes later, and the X8 Pro again asked for its brush to be de-tangled, before failing for 15 minutes to find its way back to the charger. Even after I told it to head home via the app, it pondered around a couple of rooms before eventually finding the base station. I thought all was well, but the next morning realized it hadn’t parked properly, despite there being no obstacles, and therefore failed to charge.
I was disappointed by how the robot became tangled up with just a small amount of hair. It seems most hair manages to pass through the brush and into the bin successfully, but when just a small amount remains on the brush the robot stops and calls for help. Eufy promotes the X8 Pro as a vacuum for dealing with pet hair, but in my experience just a small clump of (admittedly long) human hair is enough to render it disabled. This is a shame, because it otherwise performed very well.
Now for the more specific tests, and to see how the X8 Pro’s twin, 4,000Pa turbines get on. My first test was to see how effectively the vacuum sucks up a dry, dusty mixture of flour and biscuit crumbs from a hard floor. The lowest suction mode (recorded at 65 decibels) did a respectable job and picked up most of the debris, but left a few patches. The X8 also managed to flick debris away with its rotating brush, rather than push it into its own path.
I repeated the test with the next most powerful setting, called Standard and recorded at 68 decibels. It did a better job, but still failed to collect debris from in front of its base station. This is a common theme with the X8 Pro, as it seems unwilling to produce any suction while maneuvering in and out of the charger.
The same thing occurred when using the Turbo (67db) and Max (69db) settings. I found the solution was to set the vacuum to perform each clean twice, which is easy to do thanks to a '2x' icon in the app. That way, any debris flicked around on the first pass is collected the second time around. Smartly, instead of just following the same route twice, the robot covers the majority of the floor by zig-zagging left to right on its first pass, then up and down on its second.
I then tried to repeat this test on carpet but, bizarrely, the robot failed to find its way from the charger in the kitchen to the neighboring bedroom, a journey it had made many times before. Instead it drove around aimlessly for several minutes and began adding new, made-up rooms to the map, compounding the confusion. Since map editing only goes as far as merging, dividing and naming rooms, I had to delete the map for my entire flat and create a new one. There’s a ‘revert’ button in the app, but since this was grayed out it couldn’t be used.
I don’t know what went wrong here, as nothing was relocated or otherwise interfered with between tests. I had to perform a factory reset and have asked Eufy for input on what they think went wrong. I’ll update this review if I get a response.
With the flat remapped, the robot did a great job of vacuuming up debris from carpet, with standard suction and the two-pass technique working a charm, even on hair.
Next, I tasked the vacuum with clearing up larger debris, in the form of oats. I repeated this on the same hard floor and carpet as before, and it did a good job. The rotating brush still had a habit of flicking debris around the room, especially on hard floors, but this is a fault of pretty much all robotic vacuums. Perhaps they should only use their rotating brushes when driving along a wall, instead of in open space.
Finally, the mop. Unlike the much pricier Eufy S1 Pro, the X8’s mop feels like a bit of an afterthought. It has to be attached manually and, unlike the S1’s, it doesn’t move or clean itself in any way. You also have to fill and empty the robot’s water tank manually. In my tests it did an acceptable job of keeping hard floors clean, but this robot should not be used to mop up fresh spillages, as it vacuums first, then mops. Also, because the center of the mopping pad is thicker than the outer edges, it doesn’t clean evenly.
Instead, this is a machine for frequent cleaning – a little-and-often approach, instead of being called upon to tackle something more substantial. I imagine most buyers will relegate the mop attachment to a cupboard and accept that that’s a job they’ll have to do manually for best results. If you want a great robotic mop, the Eufy S1 Pro is far better suited.
Eufy claims up to 180 minutes of battery life, but I found half that is more realistic. As an example, 30 minutes of cleaning took the battery from 90 to 62 percent.
Performance score: 3.5 out of 5
Eufy Clean X8 Pro review: app
Easy to set up and use
Can schedule cleans and target individual rooms
Offers lots of configurability
As with the pricier S1, the X8 Pro is controlled via the Eufy Clean app, which is intuitive to use and works really well. It’s easy to control how the robot functions (suction strength, which rooms to clean, etc.) and there are plenty of settings to adjust to help you get the most out of the robot. You can set a daily or weekly schedule, tell it to only clean a specific room, or clean a designated area of your choice. All that’s missing is the option to have the robot mop and not vacuum. Instead, no matter which setting you pick, it’ll first vacuum then mop.
The app also acts as a service center for your robot, clearly showing how far through their lifecycle each of its components are, including the dust bag, filter, side brush and rolling brush. The app tells you how many hours of cleaning each item is still good for, and there are links to purchase replacements. There’s even a tool to help find your robot, should it have somehow got itself lost under the sofa.
My only wish is that the phantom rooms plotted by the X8 Pro during my testing could be removed without creating a whole new map.
App score: 4.5 out of 5
Should you buy the Eufy Clean X8 Pro?
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
How I tested the Eufy Clean X8 Pro
I set up the Eufy Clean X8 Pro in my apartment and used it as my only vacuum cleaner for a couple of weeks. After this, I conducted several specific tests to see how well it worked in each of its four suction modes. I also tried out the mopping feature and recorded the volume of both the vacuum itself and the self-emptying bin.
I closely observed how the robot tackled different types of debris and how it navigated between rooms with different flooring.
The Eufy Omni S1 Pro (or just Eufy S1 Pro if you're not in the US) is a robotic vacuum cleaner and mop with a docking station that automatically empties the dust bin, replenishes the water tank with clean, ozonated water, dries the mop and charges the battery after each clean. It uses lidar to help with navigation around your home, creates accurate maps of every room (even across multiple floors) and employs the Eufy Clean smartphone app to let you set schedules and customize how you want the S1 to clean. I tested one out to see how it performs in practice, how it compares to the rest of today's best robot vacuums, and if it justifies its premium price tag.
On test, I found the S1 to mop hard floors incredibly well, thanks to its rotating mop that spins at high speed and pushes down onto the floor with 2.2lbs (1kg) of force. The S1 also does a good job of vacuuming, with four suction strengths available and two rotating brushes for getting into the corners of every room. The Eufy Clean app works very well, and so too does the docking station, which adds a cleaning solution to water before it’s pumped into the robot.
The S1 navigates effectively, driving close to walls without crashing into them and avoiding steps, while automatically raising its mop when driving over rugs and carpets. Its ability to clear raised room thresholds can be inconsistent, however, with the robot sometimes failing to enter rooms it has previously driven into without a problem. This can be fixed by turning off an anti-drop function. It also struggled a little when tasked with vacuuming up fine, engrained debris, and it sometimes failed to spot obvious, medium-sized debris.
The lower suction modes are quiet, the app is quick and responsive, and the battery life is excellent. Eufy insists that only its own cleaning solution is used with the mopping system, adding to the ongoing costs. It also sits in the premium price bracket –
Eufy Omni S1 Pro review: price & availability
List price: $1,499 / £1,499
Launch date: June 2024
Availability: US, UK,
Eufy took the unusual move of launching this robotic vacuum and mop as a crowd-funded Kickstarter project. It raised a whopping $3.5m from almost 3,200 backers at the time of writing, with many backers paying $999 for their S1 Pro. The actual retail price is significantly higher, at $1,499 / £1,499 (it's not currently available in Australia, but that's equivalent to AU$2,699) from when the vacuum robot went on sale on 19 June 2024.
Being a vacuum cleaner and mopping system, there are several parts that can be replaced over time. Eufy includes several spares in the box – more on which later – but buyers should bear in mind that they’ll need to pay for replacement dust bags, filters, mops and brushes when the included ones wear out. Eufy also insists S1 Pro owners buy the company’s own hard floor cleaner, which comes in a $19.99 bottle specifically shaped to fit the S1 Pro. Other cleaners, Eufy says, may cause 'irreversible damage' to the machine.
The idea of a four-figure vacuum might be shocking to some readers (and it does sit in TechRadar's premium price bracket), but it's not so unusual these days, at least when looking at flagship models. The Roomba Combo j9+ by iRobot costs a similar amount, while the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra isn’t far off $2,000.
Value for money score: 4 out of 5
Eufy Omni S1 Pro review: design
Self-emptying charge dock handles dust and water
Rotating mop applies pressure and self-cleans as it goes
3.78-inch / 9.6cm tall
With the S1 Pro, Eufy has gone against the trend for robotic vacuums with smaller, more compact docking stations. Instead, this is a robot with a large, imposing base station that houses the dust bin, as well as tanks for clean and dirty water, and a cleaning solution.
The base station is 67 cm tall and has a footprint of 38 x 47cm. I was able to tuck it into a corner of my small flat for a few weeks to conduct this review, but had to move a table to make sure the base station had the required 50cm of clear space either side. It’ll function without this clearance, but the robot won’t be able to clean between its charger and the nearby wall.
The robot itself is broadly similar to most other automated vacuums, albeit slightly taller than the Roomba Combo J9 Plus. The Eufy measures 9.6cm tall, 32cm wide and 34cm long. Turn it over and you’ll find a pair of heavy-duty wheels, a 290 mm rotating mop, a pair of spinning brushes for clearing dust and debris from the corners of your floor, and a rubber roller brush for scooping dust and debris into the suction system. This is all easily accessible without tools, by simply removing the top cover (which is held in place magnetically) then lifting out the robot’s dust bin.
Handily, the robot speaks aloud when items have been removed and installed. It’ll say things like 'dirty water tank removed' and 'dust bin installed' to help you quickly identify each component.
The charge base has a control panel on the top, complete with buttons for operating the robot and a display that shows animations to help with maintenance, such as how to replace the water tanks. It also says when filters and other components need cleaning. This means you can use the robot without even touching the smartphone app (once it has been set up, anyway). Printed instructions make the setup process very simple, and you’ll be up and running in just a few minutes.
The S1 Pro's design means it empties its dust bin into a larger bag in the base station at the end of each cleaning session. It also fills its onboard tank with clean, ozonated water from the base station’s larger tank before each session, then empties itself into the base’s dirty water tank when finished. Eufy says the dust bag should only need replacing every couple of months, while the water tank managed half a dozen mopping sessions before running dry. Naturally, this will depend on your floor space and how much is mopped.
I was impressed with the quality of the Eufy’s hardware. It all feels very sturdy, but takes up plenty of space. I would have liked to see storage space in the dock for spare parts, as with the iRobot Roomba Combo J9 Plus, but that isn't the case here. To its credit, Eufy suggests the taller base station makes it easy to pick up and replace the water tanks, since smaller base stations mean stooping over.
Lastly, there's no option to plumb the base station into your home’s water supply, but Eufy says 'water accessories' for the S1 Pro are currently under development.
Design score: 4.5 out of 5
Eufy Omni S1 Pro review: performance
Superb mopping abilities
Solid navigation capabilities, but could fail to spot even larger debris
Vacuuming is good but not great
As with any robot vacuum, its first task was to map my apartment. Our property has a lounge, hallway, kitchen and bedroom, plus a bathroom with a step, so the robot has access to every corner of the property, except for part of the bathroom. If I wanted to map that small section, I could have, since the app lets you save maps of multiple floors.
The S1 Pro quickly plowed into a relatively thick rug and got stuck, before calling for help. My bad. I’d not reviewed a robotic vacuum in this property before and, while the style of rug isn’t uncommon, it’s a little higher than the 25mm maximum carpet height Eufy says the S1 Pro can cope with.
Lesson learnt, rug rolled up and robot restarted, it quickly mapped the entire flat and returned to base, having not slipped down the bathroom step.
The Eufy Clean app now shows a very accurate map of my home, and it takes just a few seconds to separate the rooms into different zones and give them each a name. That way, you can tell the robot to go clean one room, or vacuum all rooms but one.
Eufy claims 8,000 Pa of suction power, which is the same as some of the brand’s cheaper robotic vacuums, like the Eufy X10. There are four suction levels to pick from, called Quiet, Standard, Turbo and Max, plus mopping settings of Soft, Standard and Deep, and the option to clean an area once or twice in each session.
You can also tell the robot to vacuum and mop an area, or just vacuum – since you won’t want it to mop your carpets. And on that note, the robot automatically detects carpet, then lifts the mop to keep it clear of the floor. There’s no option to mop only, so it shouldn’t be used to clear up large liquid spills, since it’ll try to vacuum the floor first.
Before giving the S1 Pro a set of specific challenges, I used it for a week as a normal robotic vacuum and mop. I found it very easy to use and the mopping results were fantastic. It really does a great job of cleaning wooden floors, administering just the right amount of water to not leave puddles or streaks, and cleaning the mop as it goes. Eufy says the mopping roller spins at 170 rpm and pushes down onto the floor with a force of 2.2lbs.
My varnished floors shone clean and, if more proof were needed, the murky contents of the waste water tank looked like it had been scooped out of the River Thames.
After vacuuming and mopping, the S1 Pro returns to its charger and empties its dust bin and water tank, then dries the mop. The emptying takes just a few seconds (but is rather loud, peaking at 79dB, compared to just 62dB when vacuuming on the quietest mode and 76dB on max suction), then the mop is cleaned and dried over a period of about 4.5 hours. There’s a quiet humming during this time, but at just 50dB it isn’t really noticeable.
As for intelligence, the S1 Pro’s ability to drive around obstacles is good. It uses what Eufy calls its 3D MatrixEye Depth Perception System to understand its environment. This comprises a camera with a 120-degree lens and a lidar system. I found the Eufy does a great job of driving close to walls and furniture while very rarely crashing into anything. It even uses a set of icons on the map to indicate where it has avoided some common items, like shoes and cables.
Moving to more specific tests, and the results were mixed. First up, I tested the S1 Pro on a mix of biscuit crumbs and flour. It had no trouble picking this up from a hard floor, even with the lowest and quietest suction mode, but had a habit of flicking debris into the corners of the room with its spinning brushes, which it then failed to collect. It also struggled to clear a floor threshold strip that had previously caused it no problems; I noticed how the robot tried a few times to drive over it, then drove more quickly and succeeded.
I repeated this test on carpet but the higher Turbo and Max suction settings were needed, and even then some of the flour and crumb mix was left behind.
During these tests the robot sometimes failed to enter one room. There’s a small, ~2cm threshold to clear between the wooden hallway and carpeted bedroom, and the Eufy managed this just fine on numerous previous cleans, but failed on this occasion, before succeeding on a subsequent clean.
I later learnt this hesitancy is solved by digging into the settings pages of the Eufy Clean app and disabling a function called Visual Anti-Drop. After that, the robot drove over thresholds with more confidence.Pictured below, this must be right on the threshold, so to speak, of what it’s capable of clearing.
I expected a little more from its vacuuming abilities during this test, and was left with the impression that, while good at performing a daily clean of an otherwise tidy home, the S1 Pro can’t be relied upon to clean a specific area of dirt, or a recent spill of food or other debris. I instead reached for my Dyson V10 and had the carpet spotless in just a few seconds.
Next up, I tasked the Eufy with clearing larger dry debris from the same wooden floor and carpet as the previous test. For this I used oats, and thankfully the Standard mode was enough to pick up almost every single piece from a wooden floor. The rotary brushes still flung some dirt into the corners, but it was mostly a success.
It performed similarly well on carpet, with most of the oats picked up and just a few left behind. Frustratingly, the robot declared the clean complete and shut down the vacuum with a bunch of oats right in front of it.
The large oats also highlighted a problem with the S1 Pro’s self-emptying system. It appeared to have done everything correctly, but when I picked it up a couple of hours later a load of oats, dust and fluff fell out from under the robot. I couldn’t see an obvious blockage and the dust bag in the base station was only around 20 percent full, but contained only half the oats it should have. The rest were caught up in the rotor, having not made it to the bin, and fell out.
I’ve now realized you need to set the robot to empty its dustbin every time it returns to the charger (an option in the app), instead of less frequently. Otherwise, debris will spill out when you pick it up, for example to move it to a different floor.
All that said, I need to reiterate just how good the mop function is, and how thoroughly it cleans both the floor and itself. I hope a future software update will suggest owners turn off the Visual Anti-Drop function if the robot struggles with thresholds.
Finally, the battery life seems very good indeed. On one particular clean, the charge level fell from 100 percent to 94 percent after 22 minutes of vacuuming an area of 140 square feet. Eufy says the robot can run for 3.6 hours and cover a space of up to 1,976 square feet on one charge.
Performance score: 4 out of 5
Eufy Omni S1 Pro review: app
Easy to set up and use
Can schedule cleans and target individual rooms
Offers lots of configurability
The Eufy Clean app is impressive and makes it easy to control the vacuum, create schedules and split your home into zones. The latter works especially well, with the robot quickly mapping our flat and correctly splitting up the rooms and hallway. Once that’s done, it’s easy to tell the robot to clean an individual room, or draw a box over a specific area that needs vacuuming or mopping.
The app gives access to all four suction modes, both mopping modes, and lets you tell the robot how you’d like each room cleaning. For example, you could ask it to do an extra thorough job of the kitchen and hallway, while going easy on the spare bedroom. There are lots of settings to fiddle with, but it’s all intuitively laid out and neatly explained. The app is also used to create virtual walls and set up no-go zones to stop the robot entering certain areas of your home.
App score: 5 out of 5
Should you buy the Eufy Omni S1 Pro?
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
How I tested the Eufy S1 Pro
I lived with the S1 Pro for a few weeks before writing this review. I let it map my home, then used it to keep on top of the vacuuming and mopping, leaving to clean every room on the standard setting every few days. After this, I carried out several specific tests to see how well it picks up different types of dry debris from both hard floors and carpet.
I observed how the robot navigated, how it avoided objects and steps, and how it managed with raised thresholds. I also kept tabs on battery usage and used an app to test how loud it is in all of its various cleaning modes.
If you’re in the market for a smart lamp with a bit of personality, look no further than the Nanoleaf x Umbra Cono Portable Smart Lamp. With interest in smart bulbs growing, many of the brands behind some of the best smart lights are moving towards different form factors, but such lamps have, thus far, been broadly uninspiring.
The Cono Portable Smart Lamp, on the other hand, not only offers some decent specs and lots of different software applications for immersive gaming, film and audio to help you make the most out of your smart lighting, but its unique design also makes it stand out from the competition.
Still, it’s not for everyone; when I first saw the Cono at CES 2024, I wasn’t quite sure what the fuss was about. However, seeing it ‘in the flesh’ and using it around my home has completely won me over. Available in both grey and orange (listed as Sierra), the Cono features cross-shaped feet that support the cone-shaped light casing, topped off with a beautiful, curved surface through which the light shines. Above the stem of the feet are its USB-C charging port and a simple, discreet, and touch-sensitive button, which you can use to control the light if you don’t fancy using its smart controls. These touch controls are a little disappointing, sadly, with a cheap finish that belies the lofty list price of $95 / £110.
Like other smart lights in Nanoleaf’s sprawling range, the Cono offers 16+ million colors, tunable whites, and 0-100% brightness control, and can be operated either with its physical controls, by using the Nanoleaf app or by using voice assistants in one of the best smart speakers or best smart displays. Out of the box, the device is compatible with Apple Home, Google Home, and Razer Chroma, but also plays nice with Matter, meaning it’ll work in tandem with most of the best smart home devices. It’s super easy to pair the Cono in Nanoleaf’s app, and just as easy to add it to any compatible smart home ecosystem. In the app, you can change the color with a color wheel or with one of eight customizable presets, create your own scenes, or select one from Nanoleaf’s sprawling library.
It’s not the kind of lamp that will entirely illuminate an unlit room; nor would I expect it to be at its size and price point, but it throws a decent spray of vibrant color into the room when turned on. However, the fact that you can angle it in so many directions (or even hang it off of things!) makes it excellent for setting the mood, highlighting a design accent in your room, or just for using it as an objet d’art lamp that you can control with your voice or phone. I’d like for it to be a little brighter, though, as the output lumen sits at just 130 lumens.
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My only real qualm is its battery life. Depending on the brightness and color, the lamp lasts roughly four hours when unplugged, and only comes with a cable, meaning you might have to buy a USB plug if you were planning on having the lamp on regularly. Compared to something like the Philips Hue Go portable table lamp which offers up to 48 hours of battery life, or even the Philips Hue Go 2 which offers up to 24 hours, its marketed four-hour battery is measly. Thankfully, however, I found during my testing that it regularly exceeded this by a couple of hours. Still, I’d love to see it at least hit the 10-hour mark like the Wiz Luminaire portable lamp can for the price.
Overall, the Nanoleaf Umbra Cono Portable Smart Lamp is easily my favorite smart light in my setup right now. During my three weeks of testing, I found myself reaching for it instinctively rather than as a necessity for this review, and it’s one of my most commented-upon fixtures when I have guests. However, would I pay $95 / £110 for it? No, I would not. As much as I appreciate its design, performance, and ease of use, this is the kind of light I’d be keeping an eye out for during seasonal sales.
Nanoleaf Umbra Cono: Price and availability
List price: $95 / £110
As mentioned above, the Nanoleaf Umbra Cono Portable Smart Lamp will set you back $95 / £110, and is available directly from Nanoleaf as well as third-party retailers.
That’s a lofty price point for what is broadly speaking an aesthetically pleasing albeit middling portable smart light. If you adore the design and want it for exactly its intended use (being good-looking and as an additive light), it might just be worth it. However, considering there are plenty of (admittedly blander) smart lamps out there for far less that offer more brightness and additional features, I’d wait for seasonal sales before jumping on the cone-shaped bandwagon.
Out of the box, it comes with the lamp itself and a USB-A to USB-C charging cable, and there is no power supply included. Its lifetime is 25,000 hours.
Should I buy?
Buy it if...
You want something simple and sweet for your setup
Not only is pairing super simple and easy, but the Cono portable smart lamp itself is easy to use even for smart home beginners.
Don't buy it if...
Nanoleaf Umbra Cono review: Also consider
How I tested the Nanoleaf Umbra Cono
I tested the Nanoleaf Umbra Cono for a month
I used it as part of my smart lighting setup
I paired it via Bluetooth and Alexa via. Matter
I used the Nanoleaf Umbra Cono portable smart lamp for three weeks, using it throughout my home for mood lighting, spotlighting, and general use. I tried positioning it in various locations, leveraging the full potential of its versatile design and used the full range of its brightness, color, and tunable white settings to test how well it performed in different situations.
I paired the Cono in my Nanoleaf app as well as my Alexa-based smart home (possibly thanks to the light’s Matter compatibility) and found the device worked as expected and was easy to control.
I’ve been testing smart home tech for a living for two years now, but I’ve been passionately writing about all things smart and the Internet of Things for over five years. I’ve spent hours learning the ins and outs of Alexa, throwing shade on smart lights, and reading up on new technologies that matter, all of which helps to inform my review approach and buying advice.
This is review is part of TechRadar's Smart Home Week 2024, where we're giving you all the latest news, tips and tricks to help you make the smart home of your dreams.
The Earzz sensor uses a microphone, smartphone app and AI to alert you to specific sounds, from a baby crying or a dog barking, to a doorbell, the beep of an appliance or broken glass. The result of a successful Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign, the Earzz is designed as much for the smart home (with IFTTT integration) as it is for helping carers respond to dependants and their needs in a reliable but anonymous way.
It offers around eight hours of battery life, so for most use cases you’re best leaving it plugged in with the included USB-C cable. You can set the Earzz to listen out for up to six of the 20-or-so available sounds. Phone notifications come through quickly, often in just a couple of seconds, and the app keeps a record of every time the device is triggered.
Imagination is key to getting the most out of Earzz. It can buzz your phone when there’s someone at the door, or let a care home worker know when a resident might have fallen. Add IFTTT integration and the Earzz could flash a smart light when your washing machine is finished.
The hardware is pretty basic, but it feels well made. It’s simple to set up and use, and there’s plenty of functionality to be explored. However, it doesn’t always perform as well as I'd hoped, and cannot always be relied upon to deliver accurate alerts promptly. A work-in-progress for now, but the AI will surely improve with training.
Earzz: Price and availability
How much is it? £79.99 (about $100), plus subscription
When is it available? Available now
Where is it available? In the UK, with shipping to US available
At £79.99, or about $100, the Earzz isn't cheap, especially when you factor in the subscription; the company advertises this as £7.99 a month but it's billed at £95.88 annually (about $120). The high costs means this perhaps isn't the sort of gadget you'd buy on a whim to experiment with in your smart home.
Instead, it's aimed at people who are perhaps hard of hearing and need a way of being notified about things such as knocks at the door or a smoke alarm. Naturally, there's a lot of value in such a product, but the high price means casual smart home fans might think twice.
Earzz: Specs
Should I buy Earzz?
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
How I tested Earzz
I lived with Earzz for a couple of weeks
I tried out almost all of the 20 different sound alerts
I connected the Earzz to my IFTTT account
I created an Earzz account and connected the device to my Wi-Fi network. I then went about testing the Earzz using a variety of real and recorded sounds. This included my intercom buzzer and washing machine; but, unfortunately, the Earzz failed to recognise either. To help things along, I sent a recording of my buzzer to the Earzz team, which added it to their sound catalog. It now works perfectly, but I appreciate this isn't the sort of service a regular customer can expect.
In better news, it responded quickly to two different smoke alarms and a carbon monoxide monitor. It also worked well with IFTTT, and it was easy to create a routine where my Hue lights turn on when the door buzzer is rung.
The app lets users provide feedback for every sound the Earzz hears. I dutifully did this, telling the app what it got right and, more importantly, when it got things wrong, and what the sound should have been. This should help the AI improve over time.
I also played a range of doorbell sounds and dog barks from a computer. These were mostly recognised – but, sometimes, the notifications arrived slowly. I’m told Wi-Fi strength is a factor here, but since the app claimed the Earzz never had more than around 65% signal strength, even when right next to a router or network extender, I couldn’t improve this.
Smart Home Week
This is article is part of TechRadar's Smart Home Week 2024, where we're giving you all the latest news, tips and tricks to help you make the smart home of your dreams.
Ring Spotlight Cam Pro Solar review: One-minute review
The Ring Spotlight Cam Pro Solar takes some of the best features from its range of video doorbells, and combines them into a device that can keep watch over more than just your front door.
I've been reviewing it for the past couple of months. At first I was dubious about how effective the solar panel is; would it actually keep the Cam charged? And it absolutely did. Not once did I need to remove the single battery for recharging, even after a rainy week. I am also a fan of the wide-angle, 140-degree horizontal, 80-degree vertical field of view because it consistently monitored the entire width of my front lawn. This is much the same as the top-of-the-range Ring Video Doorbell Pro, formerly known as the Video Doorbell Pro 2.
Another familiar feature to this doorbell is that the Cam also boasts the two-way talk and siren. Thankfully I didn't need to use either of these to scare away intruders, but I did have some fun communicating with my husband from inside the house.
It's these advanced features that make the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro Solar a candidate for one of the best home security cameras but also the most expensive security camera in Ring's range. The security camera can either be bought bundled with the solar panel as the power source, or as a battery, plug-in or hardwired option.
While I did find the solar-panel to be bulky and the loss of footage in the app after 30-days annoying (because I didn't fancy paying $4.99/£4.99/AU$4.95 every month), having rolling surveillance where and when I wanted it was extremely helpful. I could watch live footage in the app, and I received notifications each time motion was detected – even it was just a spider on its way across the lens to build a web.
Ring Spotlight Cam Pro Solar review: Price and availability
List price: $249.99 / £249.98 / AU$418
The Ring Spotlight Cam Pro Solar is available from Ring for $249.99 / £249.98 / AU$418 and is available directly from both Amazon and the Ring website.
The best comparison is to the Ring Spotlight Cam Plus Solar, which will save you $80 / £50 / AU$99 when it's not in the sale. The key points of difference is that the Plus Solar lacks 3D Motion Detection (which enables more accurate detection), Bird's Eye View, and Audio+ and Noise Cancellation. Aesthetically the Plus Cam Solar looks a little less bulky than the Cam Pro Solar, measuring 3.01 x 3.2 x 4.96 inches rather than 3.1x 3.2 x 5.7 inches, although I'd still personally take the upgrade for better specs.
You can opt to receive the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro with one of four power sources, not just solar – including battery powered, wired and plug-in – giving you more freedom to choose the best fit for your household.
If you already own the battery-powered Cam Pro and don't fancy having to keep recharging it, then you can always add a Solar Panel USB-C for $59.99 / £34.99 / AU$59.99 at a later date. This is also compatible with the Stick Up Cam, Stick Up Cam Pro and Spotlight Cam Plus.
Price score: 4 out of 5
Ring Spotlight Cam Pro Solar review: Specs
Ring Spotlight Cam Pro Solar review: Design
Two-part set
Compact cam, bulky solar panel
Weather-resistant
Spec-wise, the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro Solar is at the top of its game. However, it's not the most refined to look at
It's a two part set with the cam being one half, and the solar panel being the other. The cam measures 7.8 x 8.1 x 14.4cm (3.1 x 3.2 x 5.7 inches) and the solar panel measures 17.5 x 11.1 x 1.2cm. The two are connected via a 2-meter, USB-C cable that discreetly plugs in to the backend of each part, but when mounted in position and in use the cable is visible.
The Cam is relatively compact with a centrally positioned lens, light strips either side of it and what looks like an upside-down mic on the base. This lookalike mic unclips to reveal two available slots for a battery – only one is supplied, but a back-up can be purchased for $34.99/£24.99/AU$49 direct from Ring.com if you feel you need.
Comparatively, the solar panel is bulky. This is a case of function-over-style, though, because the panel needs to be broad and flat enough in order to capture enough daylight to keep the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro fully charged. It needs to be positioned in direct sunlight for at least a couple of hours. I'd suggest thinking about the mounting position carefully because it'll be a nuisance having to keep moving the panel around; secure the Cam and the panel in the same space, where there's enough sunlight throughout the day. I secured the panel to a hefty stone and positioned it on an unobscured, flat roof of the garage.
Both the Spotlight Cam Pro and panel are well protected against the elements; the former has an IP65 rating, while the latter is just listed as 'weather resistant'. Either way, on testing, they withstood snow, frost, heavy rain and a couple of storms and remain unscathed.
At checkout when buying the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro Solar, you can select your preferred choice of color: black or white. I tested it in white. When you receive it, you'll get the following inside the box; Spotlight Cam Pro (Battery), Solar Panel (2nd Generation), a camera mount, quick release battery pack, installation accessories and screws and a USB charging cable.
Design score: 4/5
Ring Spotlight Cam Plus Solar review: Performance
Consistently clear HDR 1080p Video, with occasional color night vision
Security siren, two-way talk and LED spotlights
No need to charge the battery, ever again
There are few key things that one would expect from a security camera, and the Ring Spotlight Cam Plus Solar has them all – and more.
The footage, day and night, is crystal clear. It's captured in 1080p with HDR, which meant I could work out what caused a motion notification easily, and clearly watch "live view". Its lens has a 140-degree horizontal, 80-degree vertical field of view, and is super sensitive – I watched a spider that was hanging around the right-hand side and under-side of the Cam build its web for brief spell .
The color night vision is not always a given, though. It can only be activated when you turn on the spotlights of the camera, which will only be for 30 seconds before automatically switching off. I'd find it helpful to have this color night vision without having to switch on the Cam lights. Recorded footage is only in black and white during the night, too.
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For the purpose of this Ring Spotlight Cam Plus Solar review, I tried out the security siren and two-way talk; without any security incidents, I fortunately had no other need to use them. That said, if the Cam does alert you to a trespasser, or you want to quickly communicate to a friend, family or neighbor, then don't hold back using these features. The siren is piercing and has a sound meter reading of 92dB, equivalent to a high-pitched food blender, and the two-way talk enables you to have a conversation, wherever you are.
And as for the battery, I set up the Cam with 80% charge and, with the solar panel plugged in, it maintained a battery reading of between 98 - 100%. However, I do note that on the Ring website it says that "with maximum sunlight, the device’s battery will not exceed 80%" in order to extend the battery life. Other Ring devices I've either owned or tested have achieved 100% battery charge, too, so this statement is surprising.
Regardless, this means that the solar panel is positioned perfectly and charges my Cam adequately. Unlike other battery-powered Ring devices I've used, there will be no need for me to (ever) remove this security camera to recharge it, which will save me some hassle.
Performance score: 4.5/5
Ring Spotlight Cam Plus Solar review: App
Easy to use and follow
Free plan expires after 30 days, and you lose all recorded footage
Share device access, and add other devices to the same app
The Ring app is the hub of activity for the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro Solar. It's where you set up the device, check the battery status, monitor and record footage as well as engage the siren and two-way talk.
By following the instructions, the set up is super easy. You will just need to ensure that you are connected on a 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi connection at 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz, and a stable one. Any Wi-Fi drop-outs can delay the set-up process, and hinder the overall performance of the Cam should the connectivity issues continue.
All the main functions, such as activating the siren, two-way talk and lights, only appear when you "tap to go live" in the app. When you end "live view", these functions become hidden again.
It is here in the Ring app that you can review recorded footage, too. All new Ring devices come with a free 30-day / 1 month trial to Ring Protect, which grants access to that recorded footage, as well as enabling you to share and save videos and claim an extended warranty. When this free trial period ends you either have to pay a starting price of $4.99/£4.99/$4.95, or you lose all event history. For security purposes you may feel more comfortable to pay this monthly fee, but remember that it is an ongoing cost.
Additional Ring devices can also be used in the app, and you can share access to devices with other members in your household. When sharing access, users won't get all the settings as the main user, such as the ability to share access, access event history and tweak mode settings, but you will have everything you need for day-to-day surveillance. To share, just follow the on-screen instructions in the app for the additional user to review an email notification inviting them to join. It's that easy.
App score: 4.5/5
Ring Spotlight Cam Pro Solar review: Should I buy?
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
Also consider
If the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro Solar isn't for you, below we've listed some alternatives to consider.
Want to expand your Ring network? Try adding a Ring doorbell so you can keep a look out for deliveries making their way to your door...
Ring Spotlight Cam Pro Solar review: How I tested
I directly used the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro Solar
I viewed live footage and historic footage, and used the Ring app
I used it as our main security camera for two months
I installed the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro to the side of our adjoined garage, and securely positioned the solar panel on the top of garage roof. The positioning meant that we had the best view of the wrap-around yard, while keeping the battery sufficiently topped up with charge – even on cloudy days.
I also used the Ring app to control the Cam Pro. It was here that I tweaked settings such as the spotlight and two-way talk, and watched live or historic footage (before the free trial period expired). I shared access to the camera with my husband who although didn't have all the functions as I did, such as event history, power settings, shared accesses and mode settings,was still able to get notifications and view footage.
The Cam Pro was used in the same app I used for the Ring Pro 2 Wired Video Doorbell.