The Ecovacs Deebot N79 is one of the most notable robot vacuums that you could get for a fair price (For the latest prices and discounts, check here) and that still give you Wi-Fi connectivity, remote control, and good cleaning performance.
Is it any good? Let’s take a look at the features.
Three-stage cleaning
The Deebot N79 uses a wide v-shaped main brush that allows it to pick up hair, dust, debris, and dander. This v-shaped brush can also clean carpets.
Having a round shape means that the Deebot N79 might have problems with getting an efficient clean when it comes to wall edges and corners. But with its side brushes, that is no longer a problem.
The side brush can sweep dirt and dust that accumulate near the edges and then send it to the robot vacuum’s suction.
Sensors
The Ecovacs Deebot N79 comes with anti-collision sensors up-front that keep it from bumping into walls, furniture, and other obstacles. And on the rare occasion that it does bump into something, the bumpers will keep it safe from damage.
It also has anti-fall sensors at the bottom. When it reaches the stairs or any place where it could fall, the Deebot N79 would back off to avoid a drop.
High-efficiency filter
The Deebot N79 uses a high-efficiency filter that can trap airborne dust particles and keep them from going back into the air you breathe. This is good news for those who have allergies and asthma.
Cleaning modes
The Ecovacs Deebot N79 has several cleaning modes that you can specify to ensure a better clean.
- The auto mode is the most commonly used cleaning mode. When this is used, the robot vacuum would sweep your floors in a straight line until it encounters a wall or any obstacle and then change direction.
- The spot cleaning mode is most useful for dirtier areas. In this mode, the robot vacuum would move in a spiral, concentrating on a small area for around three minutes.
- The edge cleaning mode will tell the robot vacuum to follow along the walls and clean the corners of your room.
- The single room mode is great if you want the robot vacuum to clean only one room.
Mobile app
The Ecovacs Deebot N79 comes with a smartphone app that allows you to see the robot vacuum’s current cleaning status and its battery level. It also allows you to start, pause, or resume cleaning, and choose a cleaning mode.
You could also use the mobile app to create cleaning schedules easily and send the robot vacuum back to its charging base.
What’s more, you do not even have to be home to do all these. You can remotely control your Deebot N79, and start a cleaning run while you are out of the house.
Drive your robot vacuum
The app also allows you to drive the Deebot N79 and make it go anywhere you want. This feature is particularly useful when there are dirtier areas that you want to make sure is swept clean.
If you do not have your smartphone around, you can also use the included remote control to drive your robot vacuum.
Lithium-ion battery
The Ecovacs Deebot N79 uses a lithium-ion battery that gives you 100 minutes of running time before needing to recharge.
What’s in the box?
- The Deebot N79 robot
- Charging dock and power adapter
- Remote control and two batteries
- 4 side brushes
- Power adapter for the robot itself
- Sponge filter
- High-efficiency filter
- Instruction manual
What you would like about the Ecovacs Deebot N79
The Deebot N79 does a good job of getting itself out of entanglements, even effectively going over cords and strings. Â If it mistakenly picks up something that can tangle it, for instance, a shoelace, it will reject it and be on its way.
The robot vacuum could also Houdini itself out of tight spots. In short, you will spend a lot less time helping it get out of jams. This is actually a problem that you often experience with more expensive robot vacuums.
What could be better
The Deebot N79 does not have a solid cleaning pattern that would allow it to clean large rooms efficiently. Instead, it looks like it is moving in a semi-random fashion. In fact, it needs to complete multiple passes to clean a room comprehensively, which might make it unsuitable for large rooms.
And because it needs multiple passes to satisfactorily clean your floor, the Deebot N79 can take a long time to finish one cleaning session. This is not really a problem as you can just leave the robot vacuum running and go about your business.
The Deebot N79 is also not suitable for high-pile carpets. The fluffier the carpet, the less likely the Deebot N79 would be able to deliver a good clean. It also has problems moving from hardwood floors to carpets.
Another flaw? The Deebot N79 is designed to hug the floor, so bigger particles of dust and debris are not being suctioned, but are instead just pushed out of the way.
Also, the Deebot N79 might have Wi-Fi connectivity and can be operated using a smartphone app, but it does not support Amazon Alexa or Google Home. In fact, it does not work with home automation protocols such as Apple HomeKit or IFTTT.
Lastly, while other robot vacuums have virtual walls or boundary strips to restrain them and control where they can or cannot go to, the Deebot N79 does not. It does not have any means to control where it goes.
If you want it to stay inside one room, you would need to close the door. If you have pets, you should put away your pet’s dish bowl or else, the Deebot N79 would surely ram against it and even topple it over.
Alternatives to the Deebot N79
There are some budget robots that are comparable to the Deebot N79. One is the iLIFE A4 robot vacuum, which is also priced pretty good. The iLIFE A4 also has a three-stage cleaning system that uses a 1000 pa vacuum suction, side brushes, and the main brush.
This helps it clean your floor efficiently, as well as the wall edges and the corners. The iLIFE A4 uses a 2600 mAh battery that gives you a running time of around 110 to 120 minutes.
It also has a low profile that allows it to go and clean under furniture, as well as a full range of sensors that will keep it from bumping into walls and other obstacles.
However, the iLIFE A4 also suffers from poor cleaning performance. It has a difficult time cleaning carpets, hard floors, and pet hair. It can clean the edges and the corners with ease, but that’s about it.
The Deebot N79 remains to be the best robot vacuum in its price range when it comes to performance.
If you want something that is better at cleaning all floor types and leaves you with a cleaner floor without having to use an upright vacuum cleaner, then check out the Roomba 690, which is much more expensive. The Roomba 690 also has Wi-Fi connectivity and also applies a three-stage cleaning system.
And if you have carpets, it is definitely a better choice. It might struggle to clean up pet hair, but it delivers a better clean than the Deebot N79 when it comes to hard floors.
The final recommendation
The Deebot N79 is undoubtedly a budget robot vacuum. Like other robot vacuums in its range, it does not have visual mapping technology, navigation using a camera, and other more advanced features.  But it does have Wi-Fi connectivity and can be controlled via a mobile app.
The Deebot N79 is not the best robot out there, but it delivers great value for your money. While the Deebot N79 does not really impress with its performance, it does make sense for houses with small rooms.
You will still need to use an upright vacuum to clean your floors, but the Deebot N79 should do a good job keeping your floors clean in between.
This is not to say that the Deebot N79 is not a good performer because it is. It delivers above-average pickup and cleaning performance for a robot vacuum at its price range, although it can be very inconsistent.
If performance is important to you, you might want to consider getting a Roomba 690, which has a more comprehensive cleaning pattern and better cleaning performance.
But that would mean paying almost twice the Deebot N79’s price because the Roomba 690 costs a bit hefty (For the latest prices and discounts, check here).
Who should buy the Deebot N79
- People who want to buy an affordable smart robot vacuum that they could control via a smartphone app without having to spend more.
- People who live in studio apartments or needs to clean only a single room. The Deebot N79 can easy clean a 100-square-meter room in an hour and a half.
- People who have upright vacuums and just need a robot vacuum to keep their floors clean between sessions with the upright unit. The Ecovacs Deebot N79 could also reach more areas that an upright vacuum cannot reach, such as tight corners, narrow spaces, and under furniture.
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