Smallest Window Robot Cleaner
Smart home tech that changes the way we clean our homes
Ecovacs launched the first robotic window cleaner in 2011 and with it, changed the way people live and work. The new Winbot Mini is Ecovacs’ most compact robotic window cleaner, measuring just 21.5 cm on all sides and 5.5cm thick. It is 37% smaller compared to Winbot W1S, making it ideal to clean windows of small apartments in Singapore.
The thought of machinery crawling vertically on windows can be disconcerting, but being a mature technology of more than 13 years, Ecovacs offers strong assurance of user safety with a 9-stage protection system. Winbot Mini features fall protection measures like a 7500Pa suction power that ensures a firm hold on the window surface, automatic air pressure compensation that detects air leaks in just 0.04 seconds to maintain constant suction, a gravitational acceleration sensor that will sound alarm if it detects any slippage, an octocoupler sensor detects the edges of frameless glass in just 0.02 seconds. In case of a power outage, the backup battery keeps the robot attached to the window for over 30 minutes while sounding an alarm. A durable nylon and latex wire safety rope with a tensile strength of at least 1900N provides an extra layer of security.
The Winbot Mini might not be as convenient to use as the Winbot W2, which has a portable battery-powered station that also stores the robot cleaner, but it is much more compact and takes up much less space. The 3.5-metre power cable length is more than adequate to use in my apartment.
The companion smartphone app connects to the Winbot Mini via Bluetooth and not Wi-Fi, so the app needs to be within the 10-metre range to communicate with the robot cleaner. The app provides a few essential functions like selecting one of the three cleaning modes, remote control, adjusting audio volume, selecting the auto spray option, and cleaning driving threads. There are only two consumables that you need for the Winbot: the cleaning solution and the cleaning pad, both are included in the package.
The Winbot Mini does the cleaning by moving forward and backwards, unlike the floor cleaner, where the robot moves forward all the time to do the cleaning. The ultrasonic spray is located at the front and rear, and will squirt the cleaning fluid based on the moving direction of the Winbot Mini. The spray area is rather small, so hopefully future versions will have more nozzles to spray a larger surface area.
When the Winbot Mini encounters obstacles like the window handle, it will just reverse in the opposite direction. The app does not support window-mapping, unlike floor cleaners, but neither is there a need to map the window panels since Winbot Mini cannot move across window panels and track the cleaning progress for the whole house.
We say: The Winbot Mini is an essential home gadget if you have windows and large glass areas that are hard to reach.
Rating: 4/5
S$1,199
www.ecovacs.com
Technical Specifications
Spray Mode Ultrasonic Water Spray
Suction Power 7500Pa Maximum
Cleaning Mode: Fast Cleaning, Thorough Cleaning, Spot Cleaning
Cleaning Solution 230 ml (included)
Solution Tank 60 ml
Minimum Window Size 22 x 25 cm
Power Cord Length 3.5 m
Safety Rope Length 3.3 m
Power Mode Plugged-in Operation
Power Off Protection Tim:e 30 min
Charging Time hoursur
Dimension 215 x 215 x 55 mm
Weight 1.3kg
