EZViZ, a leading company in the home automation sector known in particular for its video surveillance devices for domestic and professional use, may not be a name you would associate with a robot vacuum cleaner. Having recently dived into the smart cleaning sector with some robot vacuum cleaner models, it boasts one of the best interconnection systems for its devices.
And the top of the range of this new market sector that it has decided to occupy fully integrates its concept of security and smart home.
The RS2 simplifies cleaning processes with its automated features. The multifunctional dock allows the RS2 to install and detach its dual spin mops when transitioning from hard floors to carpets. It also provides for the automatic washing of the mops, their drying, the automated removal of hair from the roller brush, the filling of the internal water tank and the recharging of the battery. It is certainly not the most advanced system in this particular segment, but for a company that has recently entered the domestic cleaning sector I must admit that what it does does surprisingly well.
Advanced technologies, such as D-ToF LiDAR, 3D structured laser and an RGB camera, allow the RS2 to precisely map the environment, with some rare smears, which emerged during tests in the most complex home scenarios, to navigate precisely environments and to avoid the most common household obstacles, such as cables, shoes and socks, scales and animals.
Although I don’t boast the precision of Roborock or Dreame, I would like to be clear on the fact that we are still at much higher levels than the average of other brands, which, despite having much more experience behind them, still struggle to give their users a software and navigation experience and equally solid efficiency.
Speaking of the base, which measures 580×452×472 mm, let’s start first with the shortcomings. It does not have self-emptying of dust but on the other hand the robot has a 0.4 liter container, equipped with a sensor that warns when it is full. Its generous dimensions still ensure a fair amount of autonomy.
The washing of the mops is very accurate, as is the filling system of the internal water container, its 150ml size represents almost a record as well as the tanks are of considerable size: 5.5 liters for clean water and 5 liters for waste water. The result is excellent washing autonomy. The absence of an automatic detergent dispenser which must be inserted directly into the water tank does not go unnoticed.
The company has decided to adopt the automatic release/attachment of the mops in the base without lifting them, a simple solution that proves effective in almost every situation. However, it will encounter difficulties if you have very large rugs or carpets in your home because if there is not enough space between the rug and the walls, the robot may not be able to access all areas of the house during washing.
I would also like to mention the presence of a generous LCD touch display which, in addition to giving useful information on the robot’s activities and any warnings, allows you to use the main functions directly from the base without the need for the application.
This is a choice that I hope they will have re-evaluated in the future RS20 Pro presented at IFA 2023, which I will probably present in the future and which from what has been announced will make the future top of the range more aligned with the competition.
Automatic dust collection with a 5 liter bag, hot air drying and a 6200pa motor have been implemented on the future model, as well as a more attractive aesthetic appearance.
We now come to the robot which also has generous dimensions of 365×103mm: this is where the majority of the technology and engineering effort is concentrated.
Thanks to its sensors, it navigates environments in a very intelligent and precise way, I have never seen it get lost or have uncertainties. The cleaning patterns were always precise and efficient thanks to the double side brushes and the good suction capacity. The mops that rotate at 180rpm implement good pressure on the floor, giving surprising cleaning and washing quality. And this is the aspect of main interest for those who purchase a robot vacuum cleaner and floor cleaner. RS2 vacuums and washes like a true top of the range: it’s a shame they didn’t also implement the rotation of the robot to reach the edges of the floor (a function that I highly recommend EZVIZ to include in the future given that it can be implemented via software). Furthermore It is not a particularly silent robot, during washing and mop removal operations it is quite audible.
EZVIZ’s approach to cleaning is aimed at simplifying use as much as possible thanks to completely autonomous management. It is in fact possible to select the water level but not how often to return to the base to wash the mops. The robot will do this automatically when it detects that the internal tank is empty, a solution that is decidedly restrictive for geeks like me but which will certainly make the less experienced or those who don’t want to set a thousand options happy. Every 30 minutes, when the robot returns to the base, it also carries out a self-cleaning cycle of the dust roller: a series of metal teeth positioned in the brush cover combined with the counter-rotation of the same at high speed and with maximum suction, is very effective in maintaining the brush clean and free from tangles of hair, greatly extending its inevitable maintenance.
Lastly, I left out the aspect which unfortunately I know less but it certainly appeals more to those who know the brand well. The unified APP and integration into home automation, advanced video surveillance and the excellent quality of the audio/video sector are significant pluses in an expanding ecosystem. The RGB video camera boasts a resolution of 2880×1620 pixels (Quad-HD) and is equipped with night vision. It impeccably recognizes the most common objects and photographs them to show the user the obstacles avoided, with a notable gem which is that of recording short videos when it detects people or animals during cleaning. Furthermore, there is a fully programmable surveillance routine, which makes the robot a real mobile sentry with impeccable vision. For the rest, the device has nothing to envy of the most advanced EZVIZ cameras. The robot can take photos, take shots with time and duration scheduling, can carry out a real-time video inspection of the entire house, make a two-way voice call, all managed by the same app which opens the doors to automation scenarios unthinkable with other robots (except for those who are a Home Assistant geek). For example, you can start a cleaning when a sensor detects that you have left the house, turn on the lights when the robot passes through the various rooms, or unleash the robot towards an intruder identified by the camera in another room, starting a certain unpleasant conversation complete with video!
And of course there is full integration with Google, Alexa and IFTTT.
For the rest, the app is complete as you would expect from a top of the range product, with the possibility of modifying the rooms and renaming them. Thanks to the ultrasonic sensor, the robot highlights the position of the carpets on the map, you can add prohibited areas, virtual walls and areas not to be washed or vacuumed. Interesting and new at least for me is the possibility of creating specific areas within the map, corresponding for example to the dining table, so as to be able to quickly indicate to the robot to clean only that specific area. It is possible to set suction and washing manually, customize the settings room by room and also in the limited areas that I explained to you previously, thus having the possibility of telling the robot to clean the dining room at medium settings but the table area with suction and washing at maximum, I found this to be a very useful function that I don’t think anyone has thought of yet (happy to be proven wrong). The functions continue with the possibility of programming weekly cleaning, setting drying times (there is also an energy saving function), setting different types of cleaning for more or less thorough carpets, updating the firmware,
the possibility of setting the charge outside peak times to reduce the bill as well as a menu to view the state of maintenance and wear of spare parts and a very detailed cleaning log.
Special mention goes to the care that the IT engineers have given to the usability and ease of use of the app. Every single aspect and function is well explained with informative pop-ups, image guides and even animated demonstration videos. It’s impossible not to master the app within a few days. Probably one of the best apps from a user experience point of view.
In conclusion, I was pleasantly surprised by the first top of the range EZVIZ, especially for the unexpected cleaning performance, the very refined app and some interesting software goodies. It is absolutely not a perfect robot and some youthful defects and shortcomings perhaps make it less attractive as a pure floor cleaning robot compared to the very fierce competition, especially at the current list price of 999 euros. But I feel I can do it for those who are looking for a robot that is truly simple and intuitive in management and use and have a house that is not full of rugs or carpets, or for those who already have a smart home and already use other EZVIZ products with which have fun creating integrations and routines of all kinds. If this is EZVIZ’s entry into the world of robot vacuum cleaners, we will certainly see some good ones in the future.
If you are interested in or own EZVIZ products, you are invited to join the new official Italian community. Currently you will find on the group an exclusive Amazon Italia discount code for members of 25% valid until 2024-5-19.
EZVIZ Robot Community Official
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