ECOVACS DEEBOT 600 robot vacuum – Cheap and effective

ECOVACS has rapidly become a huge player in the robotic vacuum market. Personally, I’ve had a number of opportunities to test a number of brands, however these devices are often priced north of $1000.00. Now ECOVACS has offered up a budget alternative, it’s called the DEEBOT 600 and to be honest I’m very surprised by the performance it offers. 

The DEEBOT 600 retails for $399 so firstly let’s cover what you miss out on over the more expensive units such as the OZMO 900. It lacks the Lidar beam that maps and then saves a blueprint of your home for future reference, there’s no mopping capability plus it’s also smaller and has less battery life. But aside from that the DEEBOT 600 seems to be just as capable as the $1000 OZMO 900 in terms of suction power and some other features. 

All the smart connectivity features are there via compatibility with Google Home and Amazon Alexa. The process of connecting to your Wi-Fi network is simple via the Ecovacs Home app. There’s also a remote control if you don’t have your smart phone with you, or you’d rather just bypass the app all together. 

Whenever someone asks me about robot vacuums, they usually want to know if they really can pull off a proper clean. Well the answer to that really depends on what you regard as a proper clean. 

I’ve found most of these products excel at hard floor cleaning but struggle to deeply clean carpets. However, with daily use that can be set via a schedule carpets are at least being cleaned more regularly than normal. 

There’s a Max Mode that ramps up the suction power for a deeper clean. Three cleaning are accesed via the app. Random Mode allows you to set it free to clean the entire house, Edge Cleaning concentrates on all corners and edges while a Spot Mode is designed to clean a specific area. 

The DEEBOT 600 has the brands familiar 3-stage cleaning system, which sweeps, lifts, and vacuums using spinning brushes. I must say the DEEBOT 600 absolutely flies around the house, it’s the Ferrari of the Ecovacs range. One benefit I did notice is the fact it can fit under our lounge in the living room. The more expensive DEEBOT OZMO 900 can’t as it has a circular disc on top that houses its mapping system. 

Now when you let the DEEBOT 600 loose, that’s exactly what happens. There’s a level of systematic, back-and-forth cleaning but it does act more like a dodgem car. However, there is a method to the madness. It has Obstacle Detection Technology that uses anti-collision sensors to prevent taking out your two-year old, well that was my experience anyway. It can also detect stairs and high edges and won’t plummet to its demise by accident.

The charging dock is much smaller than others I’ve seen. It’s designed to return back to base, but I’d strongly recommend placing the dock in a very obvious space. I tried placing the dock in another room, purely because I know my son Henry will attack it. But the DEEBOTT 600 lacks the true smarts to make a complicated journey back home. 

At the end of the day The DEEBOT 600 is a solid budget alternative from a very reputable and reliable brand. It’s better suited to small apartments or rooms free of complicated obstacles. Just be prepared to occasionally nurse it back home. But as a daily cleaner I think it’s great value. Check it out at Godfreys, Bunnings and JB Hi-Fi.