The choice of robot vacuum cleaners on the market seems to grow on a daily basis, but there are currently things — mainly the stairs — which they can’t tackle, leaving you needing a more traditional-style vacuum to keep things spick and span. That is until the Eufy 3-in-1 E20 robot vacuum hits the market. We got our hands on one and put it to the test to see if it solves the problem, or if it’s all a bit of a gimmick.
What’s Hot
+ Handheld option adds versatility
+ Self-emptying
+ Programmable, so it cleans while you’re out
What’s Not
– Docking station base is rather flimsy
– Attachments have no storage places
– Mapping needs some manual finessing
Eufy E20 robot vacuum: What is it?
As we unboxed the Eufy E20, it looked a lot like any other robot vacuum cleaner, with a rectangular charging station, into which it auto-empties, and a puck-shaped main body. A slightly flimsy clear plastic base sits under the charging station, protecting the floor or carpet underneath while the E20 sits and charges.
This model stands out from the rest because it’s the first robot vacuum to transform into a cordless stick and handheld vacuum. The handheld section detaches from the robot vacuum with the press of a button. It clicks into the wand with a detachable rotating floor cleaning head to create a fully formed stick vacuum or a smaller tool to make a handheld vacuum for more precise jobs. The crevice tool sits in a handy slot on the top of the robot vacuum body, but the other parts don’t have a dedicated slot or home attached to the base station, which feels like an oversight.
How does it work?
Using the Eufy E20 is pretty simple once everything has been set up in the dedicated app. To get started, the E20 maps out the floorplan using the LiDAR system to navigate and dual laser sensors to identify and avoid obstacles as small as 15mm in height, which it does well. Once it’s got the basics, you’ll need to fine-tune things and divide the floorplan into rooms so they can be individually selected for cleaning if that’s all that’s required.
In addition to choosing specific rooms for cleaning, the app also allows you to select the level of cleaning each room needs. From a light once-over on a lower level of suction, to a deep clean, twice round with the maximum suction level, it takes just a few button presses to get it sorted.
While initial mapping might not be quite on the money, the sensors do work well, with the E20 improving its map as it works. Happily, it detected the edge of the top stair on its first run and, although it looked perilously close to it, pulled back before we needed to dive to save it from tumbling. You can set the stairs (or any other area) as a no-go area on the map for peace of mind, but it isn’t necessary.
With the main floors done, attention turns to those niggly corners that need a little extra attention as the rotating brush doesn’t quite reach, and, of course, the stairs. Release the handheld section from the robot body, click the attachment into place, and you’re good to go.
The suction from the converted vacuum is pretty good. We pitted it against the Dyson V8 cordless vacuum with a similar attachment. The Eufy E20 3-in-1 stood up well to the competition, doing a decent job of removing rogue pine needles from the boot of a Genesis GV60 left behind after taking the Christmas tree to the recycling centre.
Once you’re finished using the handheld or stick configuration, you can either empty the waste cylinder directly into the bin or wait until it’s back in the base section and let it empty itself — something you can trigger via the app or the machine’s home button, or let it sort itself out. The manufacturer suggests that the three-litre dustbag should only need to be emptied every 75 days or so, but we haven’t used the E20 for long enough to confirm that. The app allows you to manually deep clean the dust chamber during emptying, applying extra suction as it empties into the base station, which we assume also gives the filters an extra blast to keep them as clean as possible.
The battery life is good, with the E20 able to cover our mid-sized, two-storey, three-bed semi using turbo suction on a single charge with enough juice spare to do it all over again. Recharge times are pretty quick, with a full charge taking around 2.5 hours, according to the manufacturer.
There’s a little maintenance needed, but the app talks you through everything. Filters, sensors and brushes need cleaning, generally after every 180 hours of use, but use it for a half-hour clean each day and that’s a year before you’ve got to go near it.
Eufy E20 robot vacuum: The verdict
If you’re looking to upgrade the tech in your home and save time and effort on household chores, the Eufy E20 3-in-1 robot vacuum cleaner covers a lot of bases. Keeping your floors and carpets free from dirt and dust is a simple process, and you can routinely use the E20 to maintain cleanliness, with a regular deep clean to keep things really neat.
The obvious bonus is that you no longer need an entirely separate machine to keep the nooks, crannies and stairs just as clean. Moving between the different vacuum modes takes a matter of seconds, and while storage of the additional parts might not be perfect, it is still easier than housing an extra stick vacuum. At an RRP of £549, the Eufy E20 undercuts the likes of the Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo
and SwitchBot K1+ by some margin, while offering just as much versatility and ease of use.
Reviewed: Eufy 3-in-1 E20 Robot Vacuum Cleaner
Price: £549
Average Joes Rating: ★★★★☆
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