NO MORE SWEATING TO CLEAN THE WINDOWS?
The category of autonomous domestic cleaning robots is rapidly taking over our daily lives, with machines that are increasingly advanced and efficient; after conquering the world for cleaning floors, it is now the turn of vertical surfaces.
I am one of those people who would rather do anything, really anything, than wash windows, so you can understand my excitement when I was asked to review the W2 Omni. The way it works is not dissimilar to most robot vacuum cleaners, but as it is not yet a very popular type of robot, I will try to explain how it works, what its advantages and disadvantages are, and how far it can be used.
DESIGN AND FEATURES
The W2 Omni is presented in an attractive case with a total weight of 5.2 kilos that contains the robot, a 4500mAh battery that allows it to clean up to 110 minutes or 55 square metres of surfaces, a compartment for the detergent bottle (already included) and another compartment that contains the spare cloths, the charging cable and an extra safety cord; under the base there is a large suction cup that makes the station very stable when placed on flat and smooth surfaces. On the top of the station there are 3 buttons, one to switch on/off, one to change the wash mode and one to rewind the cable, there are also 5 LEDs to indicate the battery charge.
The great innovation of this Omni version, unlike the basic version and the W1, is that the battery is integrated into the case, so there is no need for an electrical outlet or bulky extension cords. The robot is connected to the base by an 5.5 metre cable, which extends automatically and retracts at the touch of a button. All these features make it extremely convenient to use, easy to move around the house and beyond, and easy to store.
The robot is square, measures 27.1×27.1×7.7cm and weighs 1.6kg. It has a comfortable handle on the top and a single button to switch the cleaning on and off. It adheres to many smooth surfaces, not just glass, thanks to the vacuum effect created between the robot and the surface by the powerful motor, which can switch autonomously from 2800 to 5500 Pa, and moves thanks to two self-cleaning rubber tracks. Ecovacs has integrated no less than eight hardware anti-fall devices to ensure that the robot remains anchored even in difficult situations or when the battery is low. It also integrates two types of sensors, a gravity acceleration sensor and an edge detection sensor, it can overcome height differences of up to 4 mm and, thanks to sensors on the sides and in the body it is able to detect and avoid obstacles.
There are three wide angle nozzles at the top and bottom that spray the detergent solution, the cleaning and polishing work is then done by the square cloth mounted on a tilting holder that exerts good pressure on the surface, I note that it is the movement of the robot itself that allows the cleaning, as the cloth remains stationary without any movement or vibration mechanisms, very similar to rubbing the cloth when cleaning manually. The integrated 60ml detergent tank is more than adequate for cleaning around 30 square metres, and the level can be checked via a small porthole, although it would have been useful to have a sensor to indicate when the tank is empty.
APPLICATION AND INTELLIGENT FUNCTIONS
Like any modern robot, the Winbot W2 Omni can be connected to the Ecovacs Home app, but the connection is via Bluetooth and not WIFI. This has the advantage that you do not need a router or an Internet connection to use it (although this is necessary for firmware updates), but it does not allow you to operate the robot outside the Bluethoot range. You can switch between the four modes in the app and using the button on the case:
Full cleaning
Deep cleaning
Quick cleaning
Edge cleaning
There is a manual mode that allows you to move the robot manually using a joystick, which is useful for cleaning particularly difficult areas. In the settings you can change the volume and language, activate automatic detergent dosing which detects the size of the surface and automatically adjusts the quantity, activate manual cleaning of the drive belts and update the firmware.
PERFORMANCE AND EFFECTIVENESS
To get to the heart of the review, is the W2 Omni really effective at replacing hand washing? I tested the robot on various surfaces of different sizes, from ordinary windows to large French windows, mirrors, shower cubicles and even on a hanging mirror and bathroom tiles, where it remains incredibly well anchored.
It managed to clean all the surfaces tested more than satisfactorily, pointing out that very dirty glass required several passes with the deep mode, while for normal dirt the full mode was sufficient and for simple dust removal the fast mode was enough. The W2 Omni only shows its limitations in a few places, around the edges, where dirt remains for a few millimetres and where, if you want a good clean, you should start a new cleaning in the edge cleanig mode, and it is a good idea to keep the rubberised tracks well cleaned and to replace the cloth when it starts to get too dirty; the cloth is made of good quality microfibre and can be washed in the machine without softener, the microfibre is on both sides so that the cloths can be turned over to continue cleaning without wasting time.
The W2 Omni manages to stay anchored even on sloping surfaces of up to 120 degrees, surprisingly even on slightly irregular surfaces such as bathroom tiles, provided they are smooth and without wide joints, and even where there are no obvious edges, such as in some shower cabins, the sensors do an excellent job of never letting the robot leave the perimeter.
To start a cleaning operation, simply place the robot on the surface, the sensors will detect it and the robot will remain attached and start the cleaning operation, at the end the robot will return to its starting point and emit a sound, it will remain attached until we press the start button for a few seconds, the suction will stop after 5 seconds, giving us time, if we have not already done so, to hold it firmly with the dedicated handle.
THE GOOD
- The all-in-one station is really handy and allows freedom of use.
- The very long cable allows it to be used on very high and wide glass surfaces
- Can be used on countless surfaces, not just ordinary glass windows
THE BAD
- Given its overall autonomy, a larger detergent tank would have been useful.
- I would also have preferred a WIFI connection to receive alerts and give commands from a greater distance.
- The price for all these conveniences is high.
CONCLUSIONS AND FINAL VERDICT
A positive verdict for this new helper in household cleaning, the comfort of being able to leave it safely to clean glass, mirrors and windows, while we can devote ourselves to other things, is almost as priceless as that of the robot vacuum cleaners, but the comfort of having a practical case to carry around and being completely autonomous comes at a high price. The build quality is excellent, giving the impression of a solid and durable product, with good performance even if the real breakthrough would be achieved by introducing a mechanical scrubbing system.
I would undoubtedly recommend it to those who have a lot of glass surfaces, especially very large or high ones that are difficult to reach. For those who do not have these problems, the W2 without case and the W1 model can definitely make up for it, neither of which are recommended for round windows, where there are other types of robot that are more effective, especially on the edges.
The cost of the Omni version with case is currently 599 euros, while for the regular W2 version the current price is 499 euros. As usual, I leave at the bottom the links.
NonSoloRobot
Ecovacs Robots Italia
Amazon Link
Ecovacs product page
