Roborock and Ecovacs are two of the biggest players in the robot vac market
Our experts meticulously test robot vacs’ cleaning performance, mopping ability, apps and more
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Vacuuming your home can really suck, so it’s no surprise many people are turning to robot vacs for reinforcement in the never-ending fight against festy floors.
With just a push of an app button, these high-tech helpers will patrol your home and vacuum and mop as often as you program them to.
Ecovacs and Roborock are two big brands in the Australian robot vac market. Both manufacture in China, and have multiple models vying for your wallet at similar price points. Ecovacs released its first robot vac way back in 2007, while Roborock followed ten years later in 2017 (under the Xiaomi brand).
Given their popularity, we’ve compared these two big brands to help you pick the best one for you. Which brand wins on price and packs the most features? And most vitally, which one cleaned the best on different surfaces in our lab tests?
We tapped CHOICE vacuum expert Adrian Lini to find out.
As long-time players in the robot vac market, both brands boast a big range of models sporting different price tags, features, and futuristic bells and whistles.
The Ecovacs range includes different incarnations of Deebots including the N, T, X and Neo series, with various versions and bundles available within each (such as the Pro, Pro Plus, Omni and OmniCyclone).
Roborock’s range encompasses the Q, S, Qrevo, Qrevo Curv and Saros series, with different sub-categories (such as the MaxV and Edge) reflecting different features, accessories and bundles.
“Both brands sell a lot of different models with similar names and sub-classes, so it can be confusing for shoppers,” says our tester Adrian.
“With robot vacs in general, we’ve found brands often release new models quickly and discontinue others just as quickly, which can make it hard to keep track of. Retailers often stock older models, too – for example, Aldi sometimes sell discontinued Ecovacs in their Special Buy sales.”
Prices compared
Ecovacs and Roborock offer a variety of price points, starting with basic models selling for a couple of hundred dollars all the way to high-end units costing well over $2500.
Ecovacs’ models range in cost from just over $250 (Deebot N20) to a hefty $3000 (Deebot X11 OmniCyclone), with multiple bots priced everywhere in between.
Similarly, Roborock’s entry-level bots start at around $250 (Q7B), although its most expensive automaton (Saros Z70) sells for a lot more than Ecovacs’ with a price tag as high as $3999.
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Features compared
In the past, robot vacs were relatively simple units consisting of a motorised brush, wheels and spinning side bristles, with an app available to control it from your phone. These days, almost all models will mop the floor as well as vacuum, and many come with more sophisticated upgrades if you’re willing to pay for it.
This Deebot T50 Max Pro Omni can traverse thresholds and obstacles. Image: Ecovacs.
“Usually, the more you spend on your robot vac, the more ‘intelligent’ it is and the more advanced features it comes with,” says Adrian.
“Depending on the model and price point, both brands offer very similar things like auto-emptying docks, stair detection, fast charging, simultaneous vacuum and mop functionality and hot water mopping.”
More expensive machines come with multifunctional docks (with auto-mop cleaning and drying and dust compaction to make bags last longer), the ability to traverse thresholds like sliding door tracks (where previous models would get stuck) and variable mop water temperature to tackle difficult stains.
Roborock’s Saros Z70 even comes with a mechanical arm that the brand claims can pick up items like socks or shoes and put them away. Sadly, it can’t feed your pets or fetch you a cold drink just yet.
Roborock’s Saros Z70 boasts a mechanical arm, which is pretty handy. Image: Roborock.
Comparing the feature sets of different models head-to-head can be tricky, especially when many of them boast hypey names that sound like they could belong to superheroes (please welcome Powerboost, OmniCyclone and HyperForce!).
For this reason alone, check out our full reviews to see their features in plain English and compare them side by side.
Whiz-bang features are all well and good, but in this robot vac rumble, the key question is: which brand actually cleans the best?
To date, our vacuum experts have tested 13 Ecovacs models including two in our latest round of testing – the Deebot T50 Max Pro Omni and X8 Pro Omni. They’ve also rated nine Roborocks over time, including the current Saros 10 and Saros Z70.
This isn’t every model released by any means, but it does give our experts a fairly comprehensive cross-section of each brand’s products and performance track record.
Text-only accessible version
Robot vacuums compared: Ecovacs vs Roborock
Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni
Price: $2499 Claimed suction power: 18,000 Pa (pressure) Main features: Mop function Self-cleaning mop heads Self-emptying Variable water temperature control Pros: Rated very good for hard floor cleaning Very easy to connect the robot to the app Over an hour of battery life Cons: Rated poor for carpet cleaning Rated OK for mopping Only 1-year warranty
Roborock Saros 10
Price: $2999 Claimed suction power: 22,000 Pa (pressure) Main features: Mop function Self-cleaning mop heads Self-emptying Variable water temperature control AdaptLift threshold clearance Pros: Rated excellent for hard floor cleaning App is clear and intuitive for its multiple functions Over an hour of battery life Cons: Rated poor for carpet cleaning Rated borderline for picking up pet hair Rated OK for mopping Only 1-year warranty
Hard floors and carpet cleaning
Our CHOICE lab experts test robot vacs by evenly sprinkling a measured amount of sand on designated hard floor and carpet areas and measuring the bots’ performance at intervals throughout (it’s extremely meticulous work!).
We use measured doses of espresso, jam and soy sauce to test each model’s mopping chops.
“In general, we find robot vacs across most brands do a pretty decent job on hard floors, but struggle on carpet as they don’t have the suction power or vacuum head agitation of a stick or barrel vac,” says Adrian.
“In our hard floor tests, we’ve found Roborock models consistently pick up more sand and perform better on hard floors than Ecovacs. Some Ecovacs models do score highly but others really let the team down.
“On carpet, models from both brands really struggled – none scored over 50% in that test – but Roborock’s bots do a slightly better job in that department.”
A good robot vac can be a godsend in the fight against flying pet fur. To test a machine’s mettle, our lab experts embed a specific amount of cat hair into our test carpet and run each model for six minutes to assess its performance.
“Historically, both brands have done a fairly ordinary job picking up pet hair on carpet, although on average, Roborock does rate higher,” says Adrian. “That said, the two newer Ecovacs models we’ve tested performed strongly.”
Fur flying at your home? A robot vac can help.
CHOICE has only recently started testing robot vacs’ mopping skills as the function has become more common, but already Adrian has seen some wildly uneven results from Roborock and Ecovacs.
“Both brands have had some models that have tested dismally for mopping, while others have performed very well. Interestingly, some cheaper units from each brand outscored their more expensive counterparts, which is a good reminder that a higher price doesn’t always guarantee a better clean and it pays to compare our full reviews.”
You can have a great robot vac, but if the app to control it is confusing or a nightmare to program easily, chances are you’re going to use it less.
That’s why Adrian and his team evaluate how easy it is to set up each model’s app and use it on a daily basis, assessing key functions like changing settings, creating cleaning schedules and saving room maps.
“On the app side, Ecovacs and Roborock rate equally well with apps that are well-designed, intuitive and easy to use when it comes to its main features,” says Adrian. “Personally, I favour Roborock’s app, but the Ecovacs app is also very solid so it’s hard to split the brands.”
Ecovacs vs Roborock: Our expert’s verdict
This battle of the bots is a close one, but Adrian says there’s one brand that definitely edges ahead .
“On paper, both brands’ products and specs look very similar and promise great results, but in our years of testing, Roborock has generally rated higher for cleaning hard floors and pet hair,” says Adrian.
“Both really underperform when it comes to carpet cleaning, but that is common across the category. As for mopping ability, we’re seeing some big variations in models across both brands so it’s probably too early to make a call just yet.
Overall, Adrian says that Roborock comes out on top, but if you can get a good Ecovacs model for a great price on sale, that could also be a smart option.
“Just remember performance can vary between individual models, so it’s always best to check our test results before you buy.”
Jason Treuen is a Content producer and editor at CHOICE. Previously at CHOICE, he worked as a Content specialist and Audience engagement editor.
Find Jason on LinkedIn.
Jason Treuen is a Content producer and editor at CHOICE. Previously at CHOICE, he worked as a Content specialist and Audience engagement editor.
Find Jason on LinkedIn.
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