Ecovacs Deebot M88 Product Review

The Ecovacs Deebot M88 robot vacuum is one of our most popular robot vacuums.  Ecovacs is an excellent brand with an excellent reputation, and the M88 has a reputation for being an aggressive cleaner compared to its peers.  It can both vacuum and mop for you.  Its greatest strength is its vacuuming power and versatility.

Today we'll give you a Pros and Cons breakdown of the M88 as well as a couple of guidelines for maintaining your Deebot to keep getting the best clean every day with the least amount of work on your part.

Pros of the Ecovacs Deebot M88:

Aggressive & Versatile

Like I said initially, the Deebot M88 is an aggressive vacuum in comparison with its counterparts.  It has dual brushes on its sleek white shell, and it tries very hard to get them into small spaces.

The M88 is also able to vacuum and mop at the same time.  That said, I generally remind people that the M88 is a damp mop robot, so it's kind of like a moist Swiffer, not a mop and bucket.  If you spill milk on the floor, let the M88 take care of it.  If you spilled juice all over yesterday, and now it's dried and has dirt building up in it, don't let your robot try and clean it!  I don't know if there are any robots that can handle that heavy of a mess.

Another really common question that we get is whether robots can transition well from one room to another and from one surface to another, like going between hardwood and carpet.  The Ecovacs Deebot M88 can easily handle both of those situations.  In fact, the M88 will clean multiple rooms by default in auto mode.  It has a setting to clean a single room as well.

Four Functions

Since we're talking about the multiple settings available with the M88, I'll just lay them out for you here.  First, the Auto mode.  The M88 will just do its thing on a schedule, keeping your floors neat and clean.  Next, Room mode.  The M88 will clean only 1 room, using the walls as indicators for initial boundaries.  In Edge mode, the M88 will hug close to the wall (or whatever is against the wall) to get a nice clean around the perimeter of a room.  It doesn't just drive in a straight line against the wall though - it rotates its brushes inward toward the wall as it goes for a superior clean.  Lastly, in Spot mode, you can place the M88 in any location, and it will spiral outward from that spot to clean a given area.  This is perfect if you happen to spill something off the kitchen table and just want your robot to clean that single area instead of doing the whole room.

Smart Features

We get a lot of questions about battery life and charging.  The Ecovacs Deebot M88 battery lasts for about 90 minutes, and when the battery runs low it will automatically return to its charging station, dock, recharge, and then resume cleaning once it has finished.

You can schedule the Deebot M88 to clean on its own, even when you are away.  You can use the remote control (or your phone) to set daily and/or weekly cleaning schedules, cleaning paths, cleaning modes, and you can also easily view battery and vacuum status information.

As I just mentioned, another great feature of the M88 is that it can be controlled from your phone via an app.  All of the scheduling and control features from the remote can be accessed from the app.

Cons:

The M88 has a nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery, as opposed to the lithium ion batteries you have heard about frequently.  NiMH batteries are negatively impacted by what is called "battery memory", which just means it can lose battery capacity if it doesn't run its battery all the way down each time.  It's not a deal breaker for most people, but it's worth knowing.

Some customers have said that the edge detection features of the M88 are not sufficient, so their vacuum has fallen off the stairs before.  It isn't a universal complaint, but it has come up before, so we want to make you aware of it.

Caring for Your Ecovacs Deebot M88 Robot Vacuum:

Like any machine, the Deebot M88 needs a little TLC now and then to keep it working its best for you.  Here's a quick list:

• Clean the brushes off.  Also clean the brush roll if you use it.
• When cleaning on hardwood/laminate/tile floors, remove the brush roll and just use direct suction.  It's a great way to manage pet hair and other debris and enjoy a tangle-free clean.
• Check the water reservoir and make sure you are giving it enough water for the job.  You'll find the right frequency at which you need to refill the reservoir.
• Give at least 1.5 feet of clearance on each side of the dock and at least 4 feet in front of the dock.  The vacuum needs a few feet in front of it to back out from the charger before starting cleaning cycle.
• When you first start using the vacuum, empty the dustbin frequently.  Once you have a feel for how often it needs to be emptied, then just set yourself a quick reminder to change it.  The M88 does not have a large dustbin, so make sure you set a reminder in your phone to just empty it out.  It's definitely easier than doing the whole vacuuming job yourself.

If you do those things, you'll be off to a great start with your Deebot M88 robot vacuum!  If you want more information and would like to read customer reviews, visit the M88 product page.  Or, if are ready to purchase, just click below to add the M88 to your cart!