Today, I’ll be comparing two entry-level models: Eufy 11S vs. Roomba 675. You might expect Roomba to clean up, but surprisingly Eufy 11S is a superior model.
I love Roomba as a company, but the Roomba 600 Series is very disappointing. The Eufy 11S won in all categories (navigation, suction, design) except for the app and that’s only because Eufy doesn’t have an app. If you want a robot vacuum under $300, then the Eufy 11S is the clear winner.
Remember that these are entry-level vacuums, so don’t expect all the premium features. However, for basic cleaning, they both work quite well in most respects.
I’ll go over my experience with these vacuums and show you why Eufy is the best.
Eufy 11S
Navigation
For an affordable option, the 11S navigates around the home quite elegantly. The battery lasts for several hours and it cleans a 1,000 sq ft in about 1 hour and 40 minutes, which is pretty good. It also does a good job of returning to the charging base once the cleaning cycle is complete.
There are several modes to choose from, like max mode. This is supposed to give you extra power for the trade-off of faster battery consumption. However, the suction difference isn’t very apparent and it gets much louder, so there’s no point in using this mode. The robot will slow down near walls, which ensures it doesn’t scuff the baseboard, but it also has a harder time cleaning corners.
Cleaning under most couches and beds is easy because of the slim design. Like most robot vacuums, there is a chance it will get stuck. Most vacuums will shut off and wait until their human companion (ie: you) retrieve them. However, the Eufy rocks back and forth to save itself. Sometimes this works, but other times it will waste battery life. It can be very bad around stairs, but otherwise, this could prove useful.
Make sure you prep the house before running the vacuum. Pick up small objects and cords. There are no magnetic boundary strips (the Eufy RoboVac 30C has them), but you can use objects to make a barrier.
Suction
Eufy 11S features a strong suction of 1,300pa and I tested it thoroughly on both carpets and hard floors. On carpet, the Eufy picked up 50% more debris than the Roomba during staged tests and real-life testing with debris like rice, dust, and other materials. Eufy is supposed to have BoostIQ that gives it extra suction around carpets, but I didn’t see a difference on either low or medium carpets.
It did just as good on hard floors. It picked up double the debris compared to Roomba, and honestly, it’s one of the best robot vacuums under $300 for hard floors. From wood to other materials, it surpassed my expectations.
Design
This is the slimmest robot vacuum I’ve used at 2.85” tall and it comes in white or black. However, the shiny surface prominently shows fingerprints. Despite its small size, the dust tray holds lots of dust and it’s easy to access and empty.
The remote is just as good. The precision controls allow you to edge and spot clean with ease, and you can even schedule cleaning or change suction power from the remote. This is the quietest robot I’ve tested, but the wheels sometimes squeak on wood floors.
In general, this is a beautiful and slim robot vacuum that’s quiet, allows you to watch TV without it overpowering your favorite shows, and it’s simple to control.
Software
There’s no app, which is disappointing, but not all that bad. Most apps make scheduling a little easier and have phone notifications, but the remote allows you to schedule with ease. Just be sure that you’re in range of the robot since the remote uses IR, so it needs to be in view.
You can’t use Alexa or Google Assistant to set the schedule either, which some smart home users may dislike but it’s not terrible. Scheduling is usually easy, but sometimes the timer goes off for no discernible reason. If this happens, remove the batteries from the remote to reset the clock and start over.
Company
Eufy found their groove now, but there are some disappointing factors to bring up about them. Eufy is owned by Anker (known for cables and power banks), and they are reliable. However, there was some deception regarding Eufy and Ecovacs (an outsourced manufacturer that made the same vacuums under a different name).
They initially released the Eufy RoboVac 11 in 2017 and it was great. However, Ecovacs stopped manufacturing Eufy and the RoboVac 11 was discontinued. Not long after, the Eufy RoboVac 11+ was made by Eufy itself. The 11+ makes it seem like an upgrade, but it was an inferior product and was placed alongside the 11 on their website, which got confusing for buyers.
Eufy has gotten better since then, but this deception has left a sour taste in my mouth.
Roomba 600 Series
Navigation
The Roomba 600 lasts about 60 minutes, which is OK, but the big problem is that it’s not a mapping robot. This means it rarely returns to its charging base when the battery gets low. It just goes until it stops (which often means before it finishes). There’s also no custom modes. The algorithm tells it where to go and how to function. That’s about it.
According to Roomba, the 600 series uses iAdapt Responsive Navigation. This is supposed to take the “smartest route,” but I didn’t see anything special about the navigation. You’ll see a green light come on when the Roomba detects dirt and it will go over the spot continuously until it’s clean. Sounds great, until you remember the short battery life.
Unlike the Eufy that slowed down around walls, the Roomba goes full force and bumps into walls and objects. This may leave scuff marks, so be careful. Roomba has Virtual Walls to keep the vacuum out of certain areas, but the 600 doesn’t come with any and they must be purchased for $40 each. These IR walls are great, but I don’t think the extra cost is worth it.
Suction
After hearing tale and seeing for myself, I can say the Roomba 600 is the worst budget robot vacuum in terms of suction. It’s hard to say if it’s poor suction, bad dirt detection, or the lone brush, or maybe it’s all of the above. Plus, the Roomba gets stuck on certain spots with its dirt detection, so it rarely finishes your whole home before the battery dies.
On carpets, the Roomba picked up 50% less rice than Eufy. It was disappointing to see how little it picked up when compared to the Eufy. Things were pretty much the same on hard floors as the Roomba picked up half the rice of the Eufy. It did suck up some debris, but not nearly enough to be effective.
Design
It’s an inch taller than the Eufy, is quite bulky and heavy, and gets stuck more often than it should. There’s also no remote, so scheduling can only be done from the app or on the Roomba 600 itself.
The dustbin is very small and hard to empty, which you’ll have to do often if you have pets. On top of that, the filters are hard to access and clean.
I hope you schedule the Roomba to run when you’re not around because it’s very loud. It’s the loudest I’ve tested at the entry-level price point. You can hear it through a shut door and downstairs neighbors (in an apartment) might complain about the loud noises. It’s noise pollution.
Software
The Roomba app is pretty good (much better than the non-existent Eufy app). Both the Roomba 675 and 690 connect via WiFi and you can control the vacuum or set individual schedules for different models. While getting the app synced can be difficult at first, it shouldn’t take too long.
The app logs information about previous cleanings, warnings, device health, battery life, and scheduling features. It also gives you notifications when cleaning is finished. The app also updates the vacuum itself, which could lead to better cleaning algorithms or extra features (potentially, that all depends on Roomba).
Plus, you can integrate the Roomba 600 with Alexa and Google Home. This is a cool feature that makes the Roomba easier to use.
Company
iRobot introduced Roomba in 2002 and has been going strong since. They’re wonderful at customer service and have replacement parts if needed. Their products are made to be repaired and last a long time, which can’t be said about many other brands.
Every Roomba 600 series model has the same body, but there are different features. The Roomba 614 is the base model without WiFi, the 650 and 652 are about the same. The 675 has WiFi and allows for scheduling through the app and smart assistants. The 690 is the same as the 675 and comes with a virtual wall.