Ecovacs Deebot N10 Plus review: good-value robot vacuum combo

When Ecovacs launched the Deebot N10 Plus recently, it had a primary goal in mind: to offer a good-value robot vacuum with an auto-empty station.

At an eye-catching $999, it sits between the Aldi-stocked Deebot Neo model and the top-of-the-range $2,000+ X1 Omni device. With a mid-range price, you’d expect incrementally better performance from the Deebot N10 Plus than its cheaper brethren. Which, pleasingly, is exactly what it produces.

An increasingly popular home appliance, robot vacuums come in all sorts of varieties. Many of them mop as well as vacuum, with the feature list generally expanding the more you pay. Until now, a device with an auto-empty station typically retailed for over $1,000, which is where the N10 Plus stands out in a crowded market.

It doesn’t matter how tantalising the value looks on paper, however, as you still want a robot vacuum that succeeds at its primary purpose: keeping your floors clean. With the Deebot N10 Plus, you get a decent robot vacuum that vacuums well and removes much of the manual work required for cleaning, even if some common robot vacuum issues linger

Deebot N10 Plus first impressions

Similar in appearance to the Deebot Neo, albeit with a clinical white finish instead of black, the Deebot N10 Plus’ first major difference is its included auto-empty station. This small vertical tower serves multiple purposes for your robot companion. Its predominant function is to charge the device between cleans while acting as the robot’s start and end point for cleaning runs.

Other than being robo-HQ, the station automatically empties the robot vacuum’s small dustbin when docked. Before doing this, its robot voice forewarns you, which is appreciated by this jump-scare-averse reviewer, because the emptying process is loud. All the dust and debris picked up by the vacuum get sucked up into a little bag housed in the station. When the bag fills up, all you have to do is press the lid to pop it open, remove and replace the bag.

Ecovacs estimates that you can go roughly two months before needing to change bags over, which depends on how frequently you set the device to vacuum. It does use bespoke bags that cost $29 for a pack of three, however, so there’s an extra investment to consider.

Like other Ecovacs devices, it’s easy to set up the Deebot N10 Plus. Its included instructions are clear and simple to follow, and the app, which acts as your remote control, walks you through each step. Before you get too carried away with fine-tuning the robot’s settings, you first send it on a recon mission to map your home. From here, with the map generated in the companion app, you can then customise each setting at a fairly granular level. It’s a straightforward process that’s easy to follow, letting you (or your robot, rather) get to the brass tacks of cleaning.

Deebot N10 Plus specifications

Suction power	Up to 4,300Pa
Features	Vacuum Mop Auto-empty station with 2.5L disposable dustbag App control TrueMapping 2.0 navigation
Battery	5,200mAh
Price (RRP)	$999
Official website	Ecovacs Australia
Warranty	2 years

Performance

Navigation

Before the Deebot N10 Plus, I tried the Deebot Neo and Deebot X1 Plus robot vacuums, so I’ve got a reasonable idea of what to expect at different price tiers. True to where it sits in Ecovacs’ pecking order, the N10 Plus navigates at a smarter level than the Neo but not as well as the premium-priced X1 Plus.

During the initial mapping run, I had to free the N10 Plus from a curtain it got stuck in. Its sensors clearly recognised the curtain as an obstacle but couldn’t find its own way out, amusingly pirouetting on the spot before I lifted the curtain out of the way. Granted, you should accompany any robot vacuum during this initial stage, or at least be home in case it gets stuck.

What was immediately obvious, though, was that the N10 Plus collides with objects on far fewer occasions than cheaper robot vacuums. For example, the Deebot Neo would gently bump into chairs and walls before course correcting. Conversely, the N10 was better at stopping itself before collisions and then turning away to continue cleaning. It still bumped into things on occasion, so be careful if you have anything precariously propped up around the home.

A great thing about robot vacuums is the in-built smarts available through the app. You can customise cleaning schedules to run at set times and go over specific rooms according to the saved map. When I wanted to just do a quick run of the kitchen, I selected it in the app, and the N10 Plus would reliably march directly from the dock to the set location before returning to base.

One of the handiest navigational features is the ability to set no-go zones. It’s particularly helpful when you have places around the home you don’t want disturbed or the robot vacuum struggles to navigate. For our home, we have a water dish our cat drinks from that’s places on a silicon mat to reduce spills. My first trial with a robot vacuum resulted in dragging the mat around the house and spilling water on the floor. To avoid future mishaps, I drew a no-go zone in the app which acts as a virtual boundary the device isn’t allowed past. The Deebot N10 Plus is excellent at adhering to these zones, so there’s no stress about messing up our cat’s sacred spot.

Vacuuming

With a suction power of 4,300Pa, the Deebot N10 Plus is nearly double that of the Neo’s 2,600Pa. In practice, you get the most benefit from this when cleaning carpeted floors, rugs and the like. I noticed a reasonable increase in performance over cheaper models when the N10 cleaned our bedroom, which has an annoyingly tricky-to-clean carpet. The robot vacuum picked up a decent amount of dust, cat fur and long strands of my partner’s hair. It doesn’t make the carpets look brand-new, although it does do a satisfyingly good job.

On tiled floors, the N10 has little trouble gliding from room to room, picking up all manner of things: dust, dirt, crumbs, and pellets of kitty litter our cat loves to kick around. One downside to the vacuum’s prowess is its tendency to gobble up cords and things it shouldn’t. Where possible, it’s best to remove as much clutter off the floor as practical, although it’s easier said than done. When left unattended, I had to rescue a shoe being dragged along by its shoelace, a MacBook charging cable, and a small handbag that the N10 tried to run away with. The optimist in me sees it as a good motivator to avoid leaving stuff on the floor, although the realist in me sometimes gets frustrated.

Due to the Deebot N10 Plus’ shape and size, it can’t clean every nook and cranny. This is a limitation of all robot vacuums, however, not just isolated to the Ecovacs range. It can’t fit behind your TV cabinet or other tight gaps, so you can’t rely on it for everything. Regardless, it’s helpful to know that the majority of your floors will be kept clean, leaving only a comparatively small portion of the house for you to manually dust and sweep up.

Another point worth mentioning: there were a couple of times the auto-empty station didn’t fully empty everything from the robot’s dustbin, so some manual intervention is occasionally required. Granted, this infrequent hitch mainly occurred when the dustbin got really full, usually after cleaning our carpet or a spot where our cat decided to shed a bunch of fluff. Otherwise, the auto-empty station is a handy addition that helps you clean regularly without punishing you for forgetting to tip out the vacuum’s bin yourself.

Mopping

Here’s where most all-in-one robot vacuums tend to fall down. Based on my experience, the Deebot N10 Plus performs best as a regular maintenance mop. It doesn’t scrub deeply enough to clean away stubborn stains or the stickiest spots, but it’s handy for reducing the overall amount of manual mopping you need to do. Considering mopping is like vacuuming, only worse, I’m grateful for all the assistance I can get.

To put the N10 Plus’ mopping credentials to the test, I wiped some margarine on the kitchen floor alongside a streak of Vegemite. I shadowed the robot while it cleaned the kitchen and observed the results. On a lighter, less sticky substance like margarine, it cleaned the floor without hassle in one attempt. On the other hand, the N10 Plus struggled with the Vegemite; a combination of the spread’s density and stickiness proving difficult for the robot’s mop function.

Keen to experiment further, I tinkered with some settings to see if the device could win the Vegemite war. With the Ecovacs app, you can set different cleaning intensity levels for both vacuuming and mopping. Specifically for the mop settings, I set the N10 to do two laps of the kitchen and use more water. This means that it would take longer to dry but would be worth it for a cleaner floor. On the second attempt, the robot cleaned most of the Vegemite off the floor, although a stubborn smear remained. It only took me seconds to get rid of it with cleaning spray and a paper towel.

What’s clear here is that robot vacuums at this level can’t replicate the level of pressure a bit of elbow grease provides when mopping. It’s best to see an included mop as a bonus feature that gives your floors a regular touch-up in between deeper cleans. As logic suggests, it’s best to tackle a spill yourself immediately, lest it becomes more effort later, even with a traditional mop.

Who is the Ecovacs Deebot N10 Plus for?

A capable robot vacuum cleaner in various regards, the Deebot N10 Plus is a suitable cleaning companion for anyone who needs help regularly vacuuming the house. Whether your job or your family leaves little time and energy for much else, this is a helpful appliance for keeping on top of things.

At one of the most affordable entry points for a bundle that includes an auto-empty station, the N10 Plus performs to expectations, tackling the cleaning you’re happy to delegate. It’s nice not needing to worry about regularly cleaning the dustbin, and your floor’s noticeably cleaner after the robot completes a vacuum run. Just keep your cables off the floor or set no-go zones accordingly, and you’ll reap the benefits.