When Ecovac released the Deebot D77 in 2014, they pioneered the world’s first ‘three dimensional cleaning and self emptying robotic vacuum family.’ Three dimensional cleaning? You may be wondering.
Ecovacs Deebot D77 isn’t only an automated robotic vacuum cleaner, it also comes with a handheld supersonic cannister, allowing you vacuum hard to get surfaces whilst the Deebot D77 works it’s magic. Essentially the Deebot D77 allows you to vacuum, whilst it vacuums. Makes sense, right?
The Deebot D77 doesn’t only coerce you into joining the vacuuming party either, it also empties it’s own dustbin automatically, and cleans until it runs out of battery. You read that right, the obsessive-compulsive Deebot D77 vacuums until it’s completely out of charge.
Unlike similar robotic vacuum cleaners, like the Roomba 880, who return to their charging docks when they’re running low on battery.
If you do notice the Deebot looking a little tired, you can sympathetically send the Deebot D77 back to it’s docking station by pressing the “Home” button on the Deebot D77’s remote, otherwise you may end up with a completely flat Deebot wedged under a dining room chair at the end of the day.
Running out of battery and leaving your living room floor covered in dust might not be the least of your worries either. Unlike other robotic vacuums, think Roomba 880, the Deebot D77 simply doesn’t have the same smart-sensory mapping technology as it’s competitors.
When placed into a room, the Deebot D77 doesn’t have the capability to map out boundaries like walls, furniture or other obstacles that might obstruct its path – so be mindful if your worried about paint being chipped off the bottom of your walls or pieces of furniture being nudged.
A Closer Look at the Deebot D77
| General Specs | Deebot D77 |
| Warranty – Parts | 1 year |
| Warranty – Labor | 1 year |
| Carpet Height Adjustments | Yes |
| Compatible Floors | All types |
| Dimensions | |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 13.25 inch x 2.5 inch x 13.25 inch |
| Weight | 6.5 pounds |
| Cleaning Specs | |
| Edge Cleaning | Yes |
| Pet Hair Vacuum | No |
| Filter Type | HEPA Media |
| Multi Surface | Yes |
Key Features of the Deebot D77
It doesn’t all come bad with the Deebot D77, the Deebot is fitted with a self emptying canister, comes with a handheld vacuum addition (which attaches to the canister) two heavy duty dirt spinners, is fitted with 3 cleaning modes and is known to be slightly quieter than other robotic vacuums.
Pros of the Deebot D77
- The self emptying dustbin is a considerable plus when it comes to a robotic vacuum. After the Deebot D77 has finished it’s cleaning job, the Deebot will return to it’s charging dock and will automatically suck the dirt from the Deebot’s dust box into the cannister. The cannister on the Deebot D77 is quite large, so you can expect a couple of days vacuuming in a medium size home before having to empty the cannister.
- The Deebot D77’s cannister doubles as a handheld supersonic vacuum too, which you can fit with the additional parts provided by Ecovac, to vacuum surfaces the Deebot can’t reach like – curtains, the sofa, covers of dining room chairs, essentially any vacuumable surface that isn’t the floor. This is what Ecovac are dubbing ‘three dimensional cleaning.’
Drawbacks of the Deebot D77
- Limited, clunky interface. Companies like iRobot have mastered digital interfaces for their robotic vacuum cleaners and it’s one of the many facets of robotic vacuums that Ecovac will need to improve on. We purchase household robotics, like robotic vacuums, to make our life’s simpler, to save us a little time and to remove a daily hassle. Unfortunately, the clunky interface on the Deebot D77 creates a major hassle as it’s hard to use and has often been know to resemble a Pacman watch from the 1980’s.
- Hefty price tag. At the time of writing, Ecovac have the Deebot D77 priced aggressively here, the price of the Deebot D77 doesn’t come cheap given its lack of features and is a comparable price to the top of the line Roomba 880, current pricing here.
- No mapping system. A smart-sensory mapping system is a critical component in a robotic vacuum, it allows the vacuum to map out the room and avoid obstacles, it allows you to create invisible barriers so that you can select rooms you’d like vacuumed and it allows the vacuum to go about it’s cleaning without getting confused and stuck. Unfortunately, the Deebot D77 hasn’t been fitted with this technology and it has been reported by numerous users that the Deebot will often get confused, wedged in odd positions (think between dining room chairs and walls) and will continue running until it runs out of battery – leaving you with unvacuumed floors.
- Gets Stuck: The thought of the Deebot D77 going about it’s business vacuuming your floors, before getting stuck on an obstacle like a piece of furniture, rug or wall is enough for me to avoid employing this house helper in my home.
- Runs until empty. The fact that the Deebot isn’t smart enough to return to it’s charging dock when it’s getting low on battery really makes the product unattractive to me, not only does this waste electricity but it also means that you have to ensure the Deebot D77 is back at it’s charging dock before it can commence its next clean. Forget to the return the Deebot D77 to its docking station after a hard day at the office, and you’ll end up with dusty floors the next day.
- Often caught on obstacles. Despite the fact that Ecovac have fitted the Deebot D77 with a carpet height adjustment setting, the Deebot D77 can often need help getting onto rugs. If you’re like me, and expect your robotic vacuum to be fairly (if not completely) autonomous after the initial set-up and a trial run or two, you may be disappointed to learn that when the Deebot D77 comes across a rug it’s having trouble with, it will often remain turned on and stuck on the side of the rug before running out of battery.
Final Recommendations – Alternatives to Consider
With a multitude of robotic vacuums on the market, leading companies like iRobot, Neato, Samsung and LG are taking charge of the space, there’s a lot of competition for Ecovacs Deebot D77 out there and it appears to pale in comparison to robotic vacuums in its price range.
With the Deebot D77’s low-grade technology, hefty price tag and limited automation, I wouldn’t recommend the Deebot D77 as your next home robotic purchase.
The home robotics industry is powering along, with increasingly powerful and efficient technology becoming available to millions of people across the globe who don’t like vacuuming. I’ve got a couple of great robotic vacuum cleaner alternatives that I’d recommend in place of the Deebot D77:
- iRobot Roomba 880 – Read our full review here
- Neato Botvac 85 – Read our full review here
- Roomba 960 (with WiFi capability) – See review here
Despite the fact that I wouldn’t recommend the Deebot D77 when you are comparing price and technology to it’s competitors, the Deebot D77 may be suitable if you have a deep wallet, a relatively small home with limited obstacles and you like the idea of a three dimensional vacuuming experience.
If that’s the case, then the Deebot D77 may be the perfect robotic vacuum for you.
Have you had experience with the Deebot D77, what are your thoughts on Ecovacs 3D vacuuming system? Let me know in the comments!
are you planning to review the ilife robot?
Yes – It’s on the agenda!