Does A Window-cleaning Robot Actually Work? I Tested One To Find Out (and I'm Pleasantly Surprised)

2 days ago

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

The Winbot W2 Omni is typically disposable for $700.
The robot useful indoors aliases outdoors and cleans seamlessly, picking up ungraded without smearing it astir aliases smudging your glass
It besides navigates nan span of nan glass, cleaning nan afloat model without missing spots.
I wish nan instrumentality worked while plugged successful and cleaned nan edges of windows much effectively.

I've conscionable vanished testing a instrumentality that makes maine consciousness for illustration I've stepped into a clip instrumentality from nan future. The Winbot W2 Omni is simply a window-cleaning robot pinch a portable position that cleans windows wrong and out.

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Ecovacs has been making window-cleaning robots since 2011, but this is nan first clip I've tested 1 -- and I'm gladsome I did. Sometime during those 13 years, Ecovacs perfected nan creation of model cleaning; I telephone it an creation because nan Winbot W2 Omni turns nan chore into a shape of intermezo for nan owner.

The Winbot's setup is beautiful straightforward. The robot comes pinch a lightweight position wherever you support everything: nan robot that is connected to nan artillery wrong nan station, 2 mopping pads, a compression vessel to adhd water, a rope, and a charging cable.

There's a artillery wrong nan portable station, truthful you tin bring nan robot extracurricular to cleanable exterior windows. Ecovacs estimates that nan artillery lasts up to 110 minutes, translating into a 592-square-foot sum area.

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For reference, an mean location successful nan US has 22 windows and 440 sq ft of model area (indoors). The Winbot W2 Omni is frankincense designed to cleanable nan wrong of each nan windows successful an mean location connected a azygous charge.

The Winbot W2 Omni has a compound cablegram that useful arsenic a information statement and powerfulness cord, which is automatically coiled wrong nan position pinch nan property of a button.

After charging nan robot and mounting it up successful nan Ecovacs app, nan Winbot W2 robot needed maine to instal 1 of nan 2 included microfiber mopping pads. I bedewed excavation pinch h2o and wrung it retired truthful it was damp but not dripping earlier attaching it to nan robot's Velcro backing.

I past filled nan vessel pinch a cleaner. The Winbot W2 Omni instruction manual recommends utilizing h2o arsenic nan robot's cleaning liquid, truthful I didn't want to usage a model cleaner that whitethorn erode nan robot's mechanisms. I tried h2o but yet opted for nan Force of Nature all-purpose cleaner, a hypochlorous acerb and sodium hydroxide that disinfects but is gentle capable connected nan skin.

After filling nan robot pinch cleaner and attaching nan mop pad, I turned connected nan station, held nan robot against nan window, and pressed nan fastener connected nan robot. The position announces erstwhile nan robot is firmly attached, truthful you tin fto go.

Just for illustration that, nan Winbot W2 attaches to your model and effortlessly glides crossed without smearing particulate and dirt, a interest I had erstwhile mounting it up. Instead, nan Winbot sprays nan h2o connected nan model arsenic it goes, and past nan microfiber pad picks up nan dirt, leaving you pinch cleanable windows and a soiled pad.

I gave my Winbot nan eventual test: my sunroom's sliding solid door. My canine likes to nap successful nan sunroom erstwhile nan weather's nice, and we put him successful location while nan kids are eating truthful he tin person a cool spot to relax pinch entree to nan yard. My one-year-old canine besides likes to jump, particularly erstwhile nan kids effort to play pinch him done nan door.

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The operation of a muddy yard, an energetic dog, and messy kids regularly results successful layers of barren mud extracurricular nan solid doorway and mini sticky handprints inside. It takes maine astatine slightest 2 passes pinch a window-cleaning solution to cleanable conscionable nan dog's muddy broadside of nan sliding door, pinch nan first walk mostly smearing ungraded astir and leaving a cloudy mess.

When I group up nan Winbot W2 Omni, I thought it would person akin troubles. I was expecting a first walk to swipe up dirt, a region to lavation nan microfiber pad, and a 2nd walk to decorativeness nan cleaning. To my surprise, nan robot tackled each nan mud and ungraded successful a azygous pass, giving maine a clear position outside.

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We besides person a ample arched model astatine nan second-story level successful our entryway that we person ne'er cleaned because we don't person a decease wish. My hubby climbed a ladder and group nan robot connected nan portion of nan model he could reach. The Winbot W2 Omni besides cleaned that window, but it alerted america that it was slipping and told america to cheque nan app erstwhile it was clip to cleanable nan arched edge.

The Winbot W2 Omni didn't scope nan edges completely, arsenic shown successful nan image below. A mini sliver of model area didn't get wiped down, which shouldn't beryllium a large woody unless your windows are very dirty.

When I opened nan app, I was told, "Remote cleaning is recommended for nan existent window." My hubby and I took turns driving nan robot astir nan model pinch nan Ecovacs app, and it sprayed while cleaning. The consequence was conscionable arsenic effective arsenic autonomous cleaning.

ZDNET's buying advice

The Winbot W2 Omni is 1 of those devices I wouldn't person gotten earlier testing it, but now that I have, I'm sold. As soon arsenic I turned excavation on, I thought to myself, "Where person you been each my life?"

As acold arsenic cons, I only person a couple. I wish nan robot worked while plugged successful alternatively of needing a complaint earlier cleaning a window, and I besides wish it gave a louder alert erstwhile it's done cleaning. Right now, nan robot dings and says nan cleaning is finished, but it remains connected arsenic it must enactment attached until it's safely removed. Unfortunately, nan robot's operating sound drowns retired nan sound of nan alert unless you're opinionated correct adjacent to it.

These inconveniences are insignificant compared to nan benefits of having cleanable windows successful return for a mini fraction of nan work, particularly if you unrecorded successful an flat aliases person galore windows. The Winbot W2 Omni is priced astatine $700, which seems adjacent for a portable window-cleaning robot that performs this flawlessly.