Vacuum cleaners are probably the only product category for which the phrase “they suck” is a compliment, certainly the only ones that are worth commenting on here, given that this is a family friendly platform! At the same time, they are part of a device category that I don’t really like, primarily because I don’t like doing chores. I mean, who does? At the same time, in news that will come as a surprise to absolutely no one, I love gadgets, and the premise of a gadget that can make chores easier for me is a siren call I simply cannot ignore for long.
Enter robot vacuums. It’s a product category that has fascinated me for years, both as a gadget and sci-fi nerd. However, for the longest time, these robots were simply outside of my financial grasp. It wasn’t until 2016 that I got my first taste of these things in the shape of Pavlov, a Vileda branded robot vacuum that my dad had scored as a “middle aisle special” at Lidl. It was a simple contact-only robot without any proper smart sensor or navigation capabilities, or even an app to control it. Even in this rudimentary state though, it was enough to get e fully hooked on the concept.
It wasn’t until 2023 though that the subject of this particular review entered the picture. By this point, I was clearly feeling the effects of a number of health issues, including a building burnout and a series of other issues that would eventually lead to a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, and staying on top of my chores was getting increasingly difficult. After a lot of prevarication, humming and hawing, and battling with my innate reluctance to splurge on anything that could be seen as an indulgence, I finally decided to take the plunge and get a proper “smart” robot vacuum: The Robovac G10 Hybrid from Eufy.
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| The G10 in action. Am I the only one who thinks these things look like some ancient creatures such as trilobites when they scurry about? |
As robot vacuums go, the G10 Hybrid is pretty affordable at 279€. It’s also an older model and no longer listed on Eufy’s product page. I got mine at a local Apple reseller, which is one of the few places in Cork city centre that still sell proper electronics. The robot itself is a hybrid vacuum & mop, with 2000W of suction power, a 450ml dust reservoir and something that’s Eufy calls “Smart Dynamic Navigation”. What this marketing speak actually means is that it has inertial navigation and can track its position and how far it has travelled without external help. It lacks any LIDAR or visual obstacle detection systems though, relying only on its front mounted bumper/collision sensor. The G10 does sport a side-mounted infrared sensor, but I suspect this is primarily to detect the IR beacon on the base station. The “Hybrid” part in the product name stems from the fact that the robot can also serve as a robot mop. It comes with an external tank and mop that are simply attached to the underside of the dust collector. There’s no special program for the mop, the robot simply does its usual thing, wiping the floor in the process.
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| The base station does nothing other than charge the robot. |
Setting up the G10 is about as easy as it can be. You just plug in the base station, power on the robot and put it onto said base station and then open the app to complete the setup. The whole procedure took only a few minutes. There’s no mapping to consider, as the robot does not have any mapping function that I could find. Once it’s set up, you just start the cleaning program by either tapping the button in the app or pressing the button on the top. Despite the lack of any documented mapping function, the G10 is actually pretty good at finding its way around my living room and kitchen without running into too many obstacles, running in straight lanes until it finds something blocking its way. It can sometimes get trapped in tight corners but is generally pretty adept at extricating itself from most predicaments. Interestingly, despite some dire warnings in the app and on the packaging, the G10 is actually able to handle my rather shaggy living room rug without much trouble. I had to extricate Asimov, the name I gave to my own G10 in honour of Isaac Asimov and his Laws of Robotics, a few times when its side brushes got tangled in the rug, but that pales in comparison to the number of times it’s completely cleaned that same area without issues. More importantly, its relatively low height makes it easy for Asimov to navigate into areas that are difficult to clean with more conventional vacuums. I’m telling you, the area underneath my sofa has never been this clean! And all of this happens pretty quietly too, far quieter than either my regular vacuum, or the old robot I mentioned earlier. The voice feedback takes a bit of getting used to though, I haven’t quite come to terms with the fact that Asimov talks to me.
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| Whilst the battery is a bit on the small side, the G10 automatically returns to base to charge when it gets low, which goes some way toward easing battery anxiety. |
Having said that, there are naturally some downsides, most of which are par for the course for a robot vacuum though. The biggest issue for me is the navigation system. Whilst it generally works pretty well, it tends to get confused in the wake of getting freed from entanglements or other navigational entrapments. Also, rather than systematically working its way from one end of the room to another, Asimov at least has the tendency to finish working on one section before motoring over to a completely unrelated part of the room and cleaning there. Just yesterday, as I was completing the notes for this review, my G10 spent a good twenty minutes orbiting my coffee table without any indication of stopping. I’ve heard of circular logic, but this takes the biscuit!
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| The rug underneath my coffee table has been given quite the treatment thanks to some of the G10's peculiarities... |
The other issue is the size of the dust collector, which is definitely on the small side. My living room and kitchen are pretty large, and the dust collector tends to get full halfway through. Unfortunately, there’s no sensor to warn users that this is the case, leading to my G10 sometimes liberally redistributing dust, rather than clearing it. This is one of those cases where robots with an integrated bin in their base station definitely have an advantage. The biggest issue for me though is the fact that the app has a rather limited set of functions available. Granted, the vacuum itself is rather limited, so it’s not really surprising that the app follows suit, but it’s still annoying. I also need to come clean (see what I did there?) about the fact that I never really tested the mop function. The large rug in the middle of my living room precludes me from doing so, and removing it isn’t really an option, given how heavy my coffee table is.
All of this is par for the course for an entry level robot vacuum though, and I don’t want to come across as overly negative. The G10 Hybrid is good value for money and I absolutely love it. It is one of the few smart home gadgets out there that truly make life easier, even with its inherent shortcomings. Yesterday, as I was typing up the notes that form the basis for this review, Asimov was busy doing its thing and helping me keep my place looking at least somewhat presentable. Three years in, there’s still no trace of buyer’s remorse. I for one welcome my new robot overlords!
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