Robot vacuums may have seemed like a fad at first, but as more models continue to come out, it looks like they’re here to stay. These vacuums run on their own, reducing your cleaning time. Some have programmable schedules, internal GPS systems, and various suction modes. My four kids trample in and out of the house all day, bringing in dirt, rocks, and leaves with them. I tested the Eufy RoboVac 30C MAX and its BOOST IQ to see if it could keep a busy house of six clean in between major vacuuming sessions. At first, it felt like the RoboVac was testing me rather than the other way around. The first step is connecting the vacuum to Wi-Fi. I live in a rural area where the Wi-Fi connection is sketchy on a good day. To say I was a little bit worried about this step would be an understatement. You make the connection using the EufyHome app, and it wasn’t easy. It took four or five tries—about an hour to get it connected. I thought the weak internet caused most of the setup issues. However, as I learned later in the testing process, this vacuum’s Wi-Fi setup process is glitchy. Fluffy ran for a solid 60 to 90 minutes every evening. If it spent more time on the carpet, the battery wore down faster. The vacuum didn’t have any problems moving from hard floors to medium-pile carpet, transitioning smoothly to heights up to 1/2 inch. And, when I activated the BOOST IQ technology, suction automatically increased on the carpet. Dirt filled the dustbin after each cleaning, so it needed to be emptied after each scheduled cleaning. As far as cleaning settings and directional controls, I used the remote more often than the app. The app didn’t always work, and some of the features were labeled differently between the app and remote, making it confusing as to what each control button actually did. Also, the app occasionally froze. I had to close, exit, and re-enter to get it working again. As much as I loved Fluffy for general cleaning, there were some issues. It didn’t take much to tangle the wheels or get the vacuum stuck. For example, I told my children to make sure their device cords weren’t left where Fluffy could get tangled. Well, kids are kids, and cords got left out. When I heard Fluffy rev its motor, I’d run around the house picking up cords, toys, hidden socks, and forgotten shoes, shutting doors to rooms it couldn’t enter (like the bathroom, water is a no-no), and the laundry room where there were too many hazards. It felt like I was baby-proofing the house every night. And still, it got stuck on things. One night it dragged a shoe around the house with the lace tangled around the wheel. Amazingly, the vacuum was strong enough to keep going. A week into the testing process, Fluffy started having problems with stuck wheels. The app sent a notification if the wheels or brushes got tangled, the vacuum lost the Wi-Fi connection, or if it got stuck under something. Every night I used the (included) cleaning tool to cut hair or string caught around the wheels or brushes. It wasn’t hard to clean, but detangling the wheels was an annoying daily chore. Eufy includes two magnetic boundary strips to help the vacuum avoid hazards and off-limit places. However, I didn’t really want magnetic strips surrounding my wood stove or other home areas. Also, it would have taken several strips in an open floor plan to keep the vacuum from going into all of the potentially hazardous places. The strips worked, but I needed more of them and didn’t like how they made the house look. Finally, three weeks into testing, Fluffy suddenly stopped the scheduled cleanings. It lost its internet connection and couldn’t find it without going through the setup process all over again. Without the internet connection, it wouldn’t run at all, even with the remote. I wasn’t thrilled at reconnecting it to the internet when the process was such a hassle the first time. Even though the vacuum did a good job, the combination of getting stuck/tangled and internet issues made me wonder if my home was the right place for this robotic vacuum. I already wanted to see how it handled pet hair, so I asked a friend who has three dogs and a cat in her house to try Fluffy in her home. Overall, Fluffy did a great job vacuuming regular household dirt and dust, including along the wall and under the dining table. In fact, the vacuum has a perimeter setting that hugs the baseboards really well. The dual brushes reach out beyond the vacuum’s round body to sweep dirt into the suction area. The other settings include an auto setting (Fluffy spent most of his time on this setting), 30-second cleaning (didn’t really use this much), spot cleaning (useful in a small room), and perimeter. My friend had a stronger Wi-Fi connection, but the setup process was still a problem. It took 30 minutes to get the vacuum connected, which included turning it off at least twice and re-entering the internet password several times. Despite the setup difficulties, the RoboVac was meant for a pet home without corded, shoe, or sock booby traps. The vacuum ran three times a day, filling the good-sized dustbin each time. It handled pet hair beautifully and even better on the MAX rather than the BOOST IQ setting. Fluffy even pulled pet hair away from the baseboards and out of the carpet. The RoboVac made a significant difference in the amount of vacuuming and sweeping needed to remove daily pet hair. Overall, a pet home is best suited for a robotic vacuum of the RoboVac’s caliber.
How well does this vacuum handle pet hair?
Eufy advertises the RoboVac 30C MAX as one of their most powerful models. On the MAX setting, I believe it. It did wonderful at picking up pet hair from hard floors and low-pile carpet. The dual brushes pushed the hair in the suction area, and the air vents didn’t blow the hair away.
Does this vacuum map out my house?
This model does not contain a GPS like some of the more expensive robot vacuums. However, I swear that it learned the layout of the rooms. At first, it bumbled around like a 1-year old just learning to walk. But with time, it turned before running into the couch or stools and seemed to follow a regular cleaning pattern.
How long does the battery last?
The RoboVac 30C MAX’s battery lasted anywhere from 60 to 100 minutes. The more time it spent on the carpet and the MAX setting, the faster its battery died. It took 4 to 5 hours for the vacuum to recharge.
Is the Eufy RoboVac 30C MAX worth the money?
For the right home, the RoboVac 30C MAX is worth it. That ideal home looks like one with pets, an open floor plan, and a few obstacles. If you don’t mind the magnetic strips on the floor, you can block it out of areas where it will easily get tangled. The RoboVac’s impressive performance with pet hair would definitely make it a great addition to a home where pets run wild.
Eufy RoboVac 30C MAX vs. iRobot Roomba 675
These two vacuums have similar features and prices. The Roomba 675 has an additional dirt detection feature that focuses on high traffic areas and suggests cleaning patterns based on sensor data. However, the Eufy edges out this major brand with its two cleaning brushes (versus the 675’s one) and better performance and reliability. The RoboVac works well in a pet home that stays clear of random obstacles like cords, toys, and lost socks. And, it absolutely needs reliable Wi-Fi. If you don’t have strong Wi-Fi throughout your home, this is not the model for you.
