I had the opportunity to test the Eureka J12 Ultra for the last two weeks. This is my honest review, where I try to be as precise as possible.
The Eureka J12 Ultra is a powerful vacuum robot for versatile cleaning. The J12 Ultra also comes with an upgraded docking station that automates tasks like emptying the dustbin, washing and drying the mop with its integrated water tank, providing a nearly hands-free cleaning experience. Its smart navigation system ensures efficient and thorough coverage of your home. The device was provided to me for free. Please keep in mind, that the device is still in beta and therefore some functions might be not completely “bug free” or ready yet. With some software updates, this rating could easily improve. I wrote down my pros and cons, and also my conclusion.
Pros:
- Design and Build Quality: The Eureka J12 Ultra and its station have a sleek design that blends well with my décor at home. Both the robot and the station feel sturdy and well-crafted, far from cheap. (even tho its made from plastic) The water containers are robust, leak-proof, and large enough to last several weeks without needing maintenance. The station itself fits easily into our living room, even with space to hide it behind our couch.
- Maintenance: The app notifies you when the dust container, water tank, or accessories need attention, and you can monitor wear and tear at any time. This allows you to order replacements well in advance and keep the device maintained.
- Automatic Mop Cleaning: The mops remains spotless, even after a week of daily use, thanks to thorough cleaning and drying after each cycle. No mold or Smelling issues so far after two weeks of testing.
- Suction Power: The robot’s increased suction on carpets is impressive, handling crumbs and cat hair on my carpets with ease.
- Noise Level: While the mop operates quietly, the noise naturally increases when suction is boosted on carpets. However, vacuuming on carpets and cleaning at the station are reasonably quiet. The station’s cleaning process only takes a few seconds, which causes some noise, but that’s normal.
- Hair Management: It handles long (human) hair well, with minimal tangling in the brushes, which are easy to clean using the provided cutter.
- Setup: The app installation and network integration were smooth, taking only a few minutes. While scanning the flat required a few attempts, the final map is accurate. Impressively, the robot adjusted to station movements during cleaning without needing to rescan the flat.
- App Functionality: The app is straightforward and user-friendly, though there are a few translation errors in the German version. Nevertheless, all functions are easy to locate and the app is easy to understand. Its also very similar to some other vaccum apps, which makes it easy to upgrade coming from an different robot.
- Speed: The robot cleans quickly without neglecting corners or leaving areas uncleaned.
Those were the most positive points, now to the not so good ones.
Cons:
- Brush Detachment: One of the small rotating front brushes occasionally falls off without any notification, requiring a search to locate it. I think in my case, my unit has a small defect, where the holder is not holding it strong enough. But this should be fixable by some glue
- Mode Configuration Issues: The modes aren’t correctly configured; the vacuuming and mopping mode (including on carpets) only mops, skipping areas only accessible via carpet.
- Limited Scheduling Options: The scheduling feature lacks the ability to specify whether to vacuum, mop, or do both. I hope this feature will come with an update, since for me its enough to mop the floor once a week and vacuuming everyday. For now it always mops the floor as well, which requires to change the water every few days.
- Inconsistent Carpet Detection: Carpet detection isn’t reliable, occasionally treating long-pile carpets as surfaces to be mopped.
- Obstacle Detection Problems: After just a week, the robot started driving over obstacles despite having obstacle detection. It seems like the AI Stuff is not working, yet
- Mirror Recognition Error: Mirrors are mistakenly recognized as separate rooms, which cannot be corrected as the robot considers these “rooms” too small. But to be fair, other robots have the same issue. It would be cool, to be able to add Mirros manually, to avoid wrong scannings.
- Zone Cleaning Limitations: Zones and positions cannot be saved, making zone cleaning ineffective.
- Room Cleaning Sequence: The robot doesn’t always follow the programmed room cleaning sequence, adhering to it only about every three or four times.
Conclusion:
The Eureka J12 Ultra shows a lot of promise, especially in terms of its design, build quality, and overall cleaning performance. The sleek appearance, robust construction, and effective automatic mop cleaning system make it a strong contender in the robotic vacuum market. Its ability to manage long hair, adjust suction power for carpets, and operate relatively quietly adds to its appeal. The ease of setup, intuitive app interface, and quick cleaning speed further enhance its usability, making daily home maintenance much more convenient.
However, the product’s potential is currently hindered by several software-related issues. The lack of proper mode configuration, unreliable carpet detection, and limited scheduling options significantly affect its functionality. The recurring problem with the robot’s obstacle detection and the inability to save zone cleaning settings are notable drawbacks that impact the overall user experience. Additionally, the inconsistent adherence to the room cleaning sequence can be frustrating, particularly for users who rely on scheduled cleaning routines.
Despite these challenges, the Eureka J12 Ultra is a solid product with a foundation that can be built upon. If these software issues are addressed in future updates, the robot has the potential to become a top-tier cleaning device. The ability to refine its features through updates gives me hope that these problems can be resolved, leading to a more seamless and efficient cleaning experience.
For now, I give the Eureka J12 Ultra a 4 out of 5 stars. However, with the right improvements, it could easily earn a full 5-star rating. I look forward to seeing how the product evolves and updates make the product bette
