Pat PilcherSummary
Deebot N10 Plus REVIEW
$1199
PAT PILCHER embraces the wonders of robotic vacuuming with the Deebot N10 Plus and lets his inner lazy bastard fly free.
If the thought of splurging on a robot vacuum cleaner has your piggy bank trembling, I’ve got some good news for you. Ecovacs, which makes the well-regarded Deebot line of robo-sucky machines, has launched the Deebot N10 Plus, which automates vacuuming and mopping, for a wallet and purse-pleasing sub $1200 sticker price.
The Deebot N10 Plus sports a sleek design that’s on par with robot vacuum cleaners. Its low-profile round body has a white-on-white finish, and its low-profile build allows it to manoeuvre underneath furniture and around narrow areas. As you’d expect from an Ecovacs widget, its build quality feels sturdy and built to last.
Blaze, my much-loved greyhound, has a quirky but very messy habit. He loves to take his morning dog biscuit out of his bowl and transport it to a random location in our house, where he’ll chomp on it, leaving a huge pile of crumbs in his wake. While he tries to hoover up every last crumb, messy bits are always left behind. I used to have to get the vacuum out and hoover up his leftovers, but now I can ask Alexa to get the N10 Plus to clean up or schedule a clean. Meanwhile, I’m free to focus on important chores such as crafting reviews for your reading pleasure.
So, does the N10 Plus do a good job? It might be affordable but boy, does it suck! (This is a very good thing when you’re a robot vacuum cleaner!)
Would you like to support our mission to bring intelligence, insight and great writing to entertainment journalism? Help to pay for the coffee that keeps our brains working and fingers typing just for you. Witchdoctor, entertainment for grownups. Riveting writing on music, tech, hi-fi, music, film, TV and other cool stuff. Your one-off (or monthly) $5 or $10 donation will support Witchdoctor.co.nz. and help us keep producing quality content. It’s really easy to donate, just click the ‘Become a supporter’ button below.
Thanks to a decent 4300Pa of suction power and efficient brushing action from both side brushes and the main brush on its underside, the Deebot N10 Plus proved to be a surprisingly efficient vacuum, leaving next to no dog bikkie crumbs in its wake. Its low-profile design and side brushes also mean it thoroughly cleans under kitchen benches and other spaces that a conventional vacuum cleaner can’t reach. Attaching the bundled mopping pads also saw it do a good job mopping – another chore I hate with a passion.
With much of my home comprising Rimu floors and rugs, the N10 Plus passed muster by transitioning seamlessly between vacuuming wooden floors and the many rugs scattered around my house. Where earlier robot vacs sometimes got tangled in rug tassels, I’m pleased to report that the N10 had no issues. Its adaptive cleaning system also adjusts suction power, increasing suction when it encounters a carpet or a rug.
Getting set up took several cleans, which saw the N10 using its built-in LIDAR (laser radar) to scan each room and create a comprehensive digital map. With the Ecovacs app, I could name each room and even make a 3-D version of rooms, complete with furniture, to further enhance the N10’s cleaning smarts. Doing so allowed me to send the N10 to specific rooms to clean. As it uses machine learning, it got the layout of my home down pat after 3-4 cleans, making for a largely intervention-free vacuuming/mopping job. While other robot vacs I’ve previously reviewed would be thrown off and have tantrums if they encountered socks, cords, and other objects on the floor, the N10 usually navigated around them and continued cleaning. Add to this its ability to schedule cleaning (and auto-resume) and there’s lots to like.
The Deebot app deserves special mention. With it, commanding the N10 Plus to do my bidding is effortless and intuitive. From seeing battery levels, and status messages, scheduling cleans, or setting up virtual no-go zones, the Ecovacs app enhances the robo-cleaner without needing a degree in advanced rocketry.
Ecovacs also bundle mopping pads. These need to be pre-wetted before they’re attached to the N10, and a vibrating action ensures they scrub floors rather than merely dragging them around as many competing brands do. Instead of lifting the mop pad when it encounters a rug, it simply chooses not to go near the carpet if the mops are attached. If mopping is likely to be a big part of your automated cleaning chores, you’ll need to locate the bundled empty/charging station away from the rugs so the mop-equipped N10 can navigate back to its charging station once it has finished mopping.
One design perk of the charging station is its generously large 2.5L disposable dustbag which reduces the frequency of replacing vacuum bags. (Ecovacs estimate it’ll need emptying every 60 days with moderate to heavy use). Another good touch is washable filters, which ensure greater longevity and less money spent on costly replacements. Off a single charge, its 200mAh battery managed to tackle almost the entire ground floor of my home – a sizeable villa – before it declared “returning to base for charging” and trundled back to its charging dock for a power-up. This stacks up well with Ecovacs’ claim that a full charge gives five hours of cleaning.
The Deebot N10 Plus definitely impresses. Considering its sub $1200 sticker price, decent cleaning capabilities and intelligent navigation features, household grime doesn’t stand a chance. And even better still, your inner lazy bastard can relax and bid farewell to tiresome manual cleaning chores as you embrace the wonders of robotic cleaning.
