ECOVACS DEEBOT T30S COMBO: One vacuum cleaner is good, but two are better! Review and test

One of the most unusual tandems on the household cleaning market is a robot vacuum cleaner and an upright vacuum cleaner housed in a single station. The device is called the ECOVACS DEEBOT T30S COMBO. This robot vacuum cleaner boasts top-of-the-line features for late 2024, and it maintains itself via an all-in-one station. The upright vacuum cleaner charges and automatically cleans itself at the station for additional handheld cleaning, assisting the robot. This combination will cost you from $900, currently priced at around $900, which is quite reasonable given its capabilities compared to its competitors. Below, I'll thoroughly test the ECOVACS DEEBOT T30S COMBO, highlighting its pros and cons based on my test results, and then express my personal opinion. Let's get started!

Equipment

The ECOVACS DEEBOT T30S COMBO arrived in this branded box:

The package includes:

1. The robot itself is at the station.
2. The main unit of the vertical vacuum cleaner.
3. Extension tube.
4. Basic floor nozzle.
5. Attachment for cleaning mattresses and furniture.
6. Attachment with sliding bristles.
7. Crevice nozzle.
8. Operating instructions.
9. Power adapter.

It's great that there's not only a vertical vacuum cleaner, but also additional attachments for different applications!

Appearance

Now let's take a look at the ECOVACS DEEBOT T30S COMBO's design. Let's start with the robot vacuum itself. It's round and comes in black and white.

The design is identical to the younger model. ECOVACS DEEBOT T30 Pro Omni, a review of which is available on the channel. The case height is 104 mm from the floor.

Wall sensors are mounted on both sides of the bumper. A central sensor system detects and accurately avoids obstacles in the robot's path. This technology is called TrueDetect 3D 3.0. Remote home monitoring is not supported.

Navigation is based on a lidar sensor, which is equipped with a spring-loaded cover to prevent it from getting stuck under furniture. Three mechanical buttons for controlling the robot are located next to the lidar sensor.

The removable top cover is held in place by magnets. Underneath is a 300 ml dust container. The filtration system consists of a HEPA filter, foam, and mesh. The robot also features a built-in 55 ml water tank. Water is automatically pumped into the tank at the station and dispensed onto the cleaning pads during cleaning.

The robot's underside is equipped with four anti-fall sensors and a carpet detection sensor. It also has a single, three-beam, quick-release side brush.

The central brush unit is floating. The unique, proprietary turbo brush is called ZeroTangle. The bristle inserts, each with a different structure, are positioned at a specific angle, providing protection against hair and fur tangling. Furthermore, a comb is located behind the brush to detangle tangled hair. This solution is effective, and I'll demonstrate it in my tests.

Two round cloth holders are located behind the turbo brush. Under the holder on the left, you can see the cloth extension mechanism, allowing for thorough cleaning along baseboards and furniture. Ecovacs calls this technology TruEdge. It's worth noting that the cloth not only presses against the baseboard while cleaning, but also fits snugly into corners, improving corner cleaning.

The wipes are also raised 9 mm when the robot enters carpets, when returning to the station, and when the robot moves to the selected cleaning zone.

The ECOVACS DEEBOT T30S COMBO station self-cleans, washes its cleaning pads with hot water heated to 70 degrees Celsius (168 degrees Fahrenheit), and dries them with warm air after cleaning. The station also charges and self-cleans the upright vacuum cleaner, and stores its attachments.

Another really cool feature is that the cover hides the connections for connecting the station to the sewer and water supply. You need to purchase a special module for this.

The clean and dirty water tanks are located under the lid on top. Each tank holds approximately 4 liters of water. Unfortunately, there is no separate compartment for detergent.

The robot's access ramp, combined with a napkin tray, is completely removable. This makes the station very convenient for maintenance.

The dust bag is located in the center of the station, behind the lid. This bag is used for self-cleaning by both the robotic vacuum cleaner and the upright vacuum. The bag holds 3 liters.

Let's take a closer look at the upright vacuum cleaner. Let's start with the main unit. The battery, unfortunately, is non-removable. The vacuum cleaner is turned on and off by pressing the button located under the index finger.

The power mode switch is located on top. The battery level indicator is located on the end.

A HEPA filter is located under the lid on top. The dust container opens for manual emptying and, more importantly, for removing the filtration system. The multi-cyclone and mesh are held in place by magnets. The dust container itself is not removable.

The main unit fits into the upright vacuum's self-cleaning and charging station. The vacuum automatically self-cleans. If needed, you can initiate manual self-cleaning by double-pressing the button on the station.

The main floor nozzle is equipped with a turbo brush, the design of which is similar to the robot's turbo brush. It also features a hair and pet hair tangle prevention system.

The front is illuminated to highlight the cleaning area. Small recesses have been designed to allow larger debris to pass through. The turbo brush itself is easily removed from the nozzle without any tools. Behind the roller, we see detangling combs, again, as implemented in the robot vacuum cleaner itself.

The upright vacuum cleaner comes with three attachments: one for cleaning upholstered furniture and mattresses (with a motorized brush), one with sliding bristles, and one with a crevice tool.

All of them are conveniently stored in the station itself, in a special pull-out compartment.

The pros and cons of the tandem vacuum cleaner design will be discussed in the final review. Let's move on!

Technical specifications

The main characteristics of the ECOVACS DEEBOT T30S COMBO, as stated by the manufacturer, are displayed on the screen:

Robot vacuum cleaner:

• Li-Ion 6400 mAh battery
• Suction power up to 11000 Pa
• Dust collector: 300 ml
• Water tank: 55 ml
• Obstacle clearance: up to 20 mm
• Dimensions: 353*104 mm

Station:

• Clean water tank ≈ 4 l.
• Dirty water tank ≈ 4 l.
• Garbage bag: 3 l
• Station dimensions: 450*725*520 mm

Upright vacuum cleaner:

• Dust collector: 300 ml
• Operating time: up to 60 min

It's worth highlighting the increased suction power, which will certainly be verified in tests. The other specifications are comparable to similar devices.

Functional capabilities

Speaking of the ECOVACS DEEBOT T30S COMBO's features, the robot vacuum is controlled via the proprietary Ecovacs Home mobile app. Connecting was straightforward, the menu is in Russian, and the robot also speaks Russian.

The main functions are displayed on the screen:

• Washing napkins with hot water at the station (70 °C)
• Napkin extension to the baseboard (TruEdge)
• Improved floor cleaning in corners
• Automatic detection of cleaning settings (Smart hosting)
• Foot touch control.
• Self-cleaning of the robot's dust collector
• Self-cleaning dust container of a handheld vacuum cleaner
• Drying napkins with warm air
• Identifying objects on the floor
• Saving multiple cleaning maps in memory
• 3D map of the room
• Automatic zoning of a room into rooms
• Selecting areas and rooms for cleaning
• Virtual walls and no-go zones (and for wet cleaning mode)
• Suction power adjustment
• Setting the frequency of washing napkins (10, 15, 25 minutes/by room).
• Cleaning log
• Setting up a cleaning schedule
• User mode
• Automatic power increase on carpet
• Carpet sweeping in wet cleaning mode
• Automatic lifting of napkins when driving onto carpets
• Voice assistant "Ok, Yiko"
• Yandex.Alice support.

What stands out here is the increased water temperature of 70 degrees Celsius when washing napkins. Another interesting feature is the automatic cleaning parameter detection mode, called Smart Hosting.

I'd also like to highlight a new feature: foot control. The idea is that you can tap the bumper with your foot to start cleaning, even if the robot vacuum was previously in standby or paused mode. This feature will probably be convenient for some. Just don't kick it too hard.

I can say that overall there are a lot of settings, and they allow you to flexibly adjust cleaning parameters to suit your individual conditions.

Testing

A detailed video review with all tests has already been prepared and published on the channel:

And finally, let's move on to the tests. First, we'll test the robot vacuum cleaner itself using the project's usual methodology.

Navigation

Let's start with navigating a room with obstacles. The robot vacuum first moves around the perimeter of the room, then cleans the entire accessible area in a serpentine motion. It carefully navigated around one leg of a dryer and crossed over the other. Interestingly, the mirror didn't introduce errors into the map, as is common with other lidar robots. The robot also separately swept around the chrome legs of a chair and a box, then returned to the station. No unusual maneuvers were detected, so the test was successful.

Speaking of navigation within the house, the robot vacuum cleaner cleans room by room, following the perimeter, then in a serpentine pattern. After each room cleaned, as I found, it returns to the station and washes the wipes, then resumes cleaning from where it left off. There are no uncleaned areas left; this model has excellent navigation!

Passing under low furniture

The minimum clearance height of the ECOVACS DEEBOT T30S COMBO was also tested. It was unable to fit into a standard 10 cm clearance, as its body is 104 mm high. However, it can easily fit under 105 mm clearance.

Identifying objects on the floor

Regarding the object avoidance system, in good lighting, the robot was able to identify and accurately avoid three of six objects on the floor. It chewed a wire and slightly moved a toy. Importantly, it avoided a dummy pet and a sock. It moved a scale and avoided a shoe.

Moreover, in complete darkness, I only moved the scale, which in turn moved the sneaker. So, I actually identified and navigated 5 of the 6 objects. Interesting! Let's see what happens next.

I made the test more challenging by laying out six traps on the floor in the shape of pet surprises. He ran into all six, either by running over them, chewing them, or pushing them out of place.

And again, in complete darkness, I identified and avoided 5 of the 6 traps.

In good lighting, I was able to carefully remove all three socks. In complete darkness, it only chewed the black sock and avoided the other two.

And as for the wires, to his great surprise, he was able to carefully navigate around them both in good light and in complete darkness. All four wires.

So, I can say that the object detection system, while not perfect, is still a significant help to the robot, and it cleans more accurately than robots without such systems. And most importantly, this system doesn't become blind in the dark; in fact, it sometimes performs better!

Suction power

The suction power is good. In Quiet mode, the ECOVACS DEEBOT T30S COMBO was able to partially clean a 2 mm gap. In Standard mode, it cleaned 2 mm better and partially cleaned 4 mm. In Medium mode, the robot partially cleaned 6 mm, and in Maximum mode, it even partially cleared 10 mm. So yes, this is a truly powerful robot vacuum! Test passed!

Dry cleaning

The collection performance of various types of debris on laminate floors is good. Only a small amount of debris remains in corners, where round robotic vacuums can't reach. In reality, the central brush barely picked up any hair or fur. All debris is collected in the dust bin. Test passed!

Carpet cleaning

The same debris was scattered on a low-pile carpet. And I can say the ECOVACS DEEBOT T30S COMBO thoroughly cleaned the carpet. It can also clean medium-pile carpet, but not as effectively.

Self-cleaning

Immediately after the "dirty tests," I checked how well the robot vacuum cleaner self-cleans. Before returning to the station, the dust bin was completely full of dirt. After the self-cleaning test, the dust bin was completely empty, so this robot's self-cleaning is excellent! The results are excellent.

Wet cleaning

The cleaning performance is also excellent. The cloth adheres well to the floor and absorbs dirt. And thanks to the station, after the first pass, the robot can return, wash the cloths, and re-mop the floor, finishing the job with clean, hot cloths. I'd also like to point out that there's no blind spot between the cloth edge and the baseboard, thanks to the wall-mounted holder.

When it comes to scrubbing tough stains, the robot even managed to remove dried-on coffee and sauce stains. Granted, it didn't do it on the first try. It took the twelfth, to be precise. But it was still up to the task. For some reason, it didn't quite reach the stains in one corner, likely due to the station's proximity, but we'll count the results where it did reach them. Many similar and predecessor models in the line couldn't achieve even this result. It's worth noting that the test was conducted with regular water, as the included detergent isn't included. However, its identically designed sibling, the Ecovacs Deebot T30 PRO, was tested with the included detergent. And with it, similar stains were removed in just six passes. This demonstrates the effectiveness of mixing in detergents!

Wet cleaning and carpets

When it comes to wet cleaning on carpeted floors, the robot offers several different modes of interaction. It can carefully navigate around the carpet in wet cleaning mode, or it can enter and touch the carpet with its cleaning pad if you want to clean it with the robot. It can also clean carpets during wet cleaning, automatically lifting the cleaning pads when entering the carpet. This is the most optimal cleaning option.

Washing quality of napkins

And right away, I'd like to talk about the efficiency of the station itself. In a domestic setting, after washing the floor, the wipes are thoroughly rinsed at the station. A minimal amount of dirt is washed away under the pressure of warm water. That's a plus.

The station itself is very easy to clean. We remove the drain, rinse it in the sink, and then return it.

Obstacle clearance

The robot has excellent maneuverability. It can easily cross a 2 cm threshold!

Driving on black surfaces

Driving over black carpets is no problem. The robot glides over the black carpet as if nothing had happened.

Noise level

As for the noise level of the robot vacuum cleaner itself, it ranges from 65 to 72 dB, depending on the selected operating mode. The noise level is average, which is quite normal given its high actual power.

The noise level of the station during self-cleaning reaches 75 dB, and this is also a normal result!

Well, I immediately checked the noise level of the vertical vacuum cleaner; it is in the range of 72-75 dB, which is also average.

Overall, the robot vacuum cleaner is not loud.

Testing an upright vacuum cleaner

I'll briefly tell you the most important things about the upright vacuum cleaner and show you how it works in tests.

The first thing we'll start with is weight. The main unit weighs 1,264 grams, the extension tube 390 grams, and the main floor nozzle 800 grams. In total, the fully assembled vacuum weighs 2,454 grams. It's lighter than most similar vacuums.

The runtime at maximum power is 17 minutes and 38 seconds. This is also a good result. The average runtime for vertical machines is between 10 and 12 minutes.

The cordless vacuum cleaner demonstrated decent suction power: at its lowest setting, it was able to clean a crevice 12 mm deep, and at its highest, it reached 18 mm. While not record-breaking results, the suction power demonstrated is sufficient for everyday use!

Now let's test how well the upright vacuum cleaner picks up floor debris. I scattered various types of debris on the laminate flooring: hair, fur, grains, and other small household debris. It performed admirably, picking up even the largest debris without a problem. There are no blind spots in corners. The turbo brush, like with a robot vacuum, doesn't tangle up fur and hair. Test passed!

The vacuum cleaner does a good job of cleaning carpets, including both carpet and medium-pile carpets. This is thanks to the elastic bristles in the turbo brush, which thoroughly clean the pile.

It's also worth noting that the two additional attachments allow you to clean a sofa, areas the main attachment can't reach, and even the inside of a car. Overall, this vacuum cleaner is suitable for a variety of applications.

Finally, we test the self-cleaning function. After all the tests, the dust bin is full of debris. We place the vacuum cleaner on the station, and the self-cleaning function automatically starts. Almost all the debris is emptied into the station. A few hairs are caught in the cyclone mesh, which sometimes happens with similar self-cleaning vertical vacuum cleaners. You can also manually empty the bin if desired. Press the appropriate button, and all debris falls out through the bottom. If any debris remains, you can manually remove the filter system and shake out the remaining contents from the dust bin.

Personal opinion

The ECOVACS DEEBOT T30S COMBO robot vacuum cleaner has been thoroughly reviewed and tested. our evaluation system he managed to gain 220 points, entering the top three in overall ranking of tested robotic vacuum cleaners As of the end of December 2024! It's worth noting that the robot itself scored 205 points, but an additional 15 points were awarded for the upright vacuum cleaner located at the station, as Ecowax was the first to offer this idea to the market, and it will, in fact, be convenient for many.

I'll highlight the pros and cons, and then share my own opinion about the new robot vacuum cleaner.

I liked the following:

1. In fact, it's one of the most multifunctional stations on the market. It features a hot-water washcloth, warm-air drying, a self-cleaning dust bin for the robot, and even a self-cleaning dust bin for the upright. Moreover, the station is ergonomic and convenient: the bins are spacious, and the platform is removable.
2. The best-performing combo as of late 2024 is a fully featured robot vacuum and upright vacuum. While there are robot vacuums with uprights on the market, their functionality is very limited, and less reputable brands have replicated Ecowax's idea.
3. The station can be connected to the sewer and water supply by purchasing the appropriate module.
4. High-quality waste collection on both hard surfaces and carpets.
5. Capable of removing difficult stains from the floor.
6. High suction power.
7. There is no blind spot near the baseboard, thanks to the pull-out holder with a napkin.
8. Improved cleaning in corners thanks to the robot's rear entry with the cleaning cloth extended.
9. A system that prevents the turbo brush from getting tangled in hair and fur. This applies to both robotic and upright vacuum cleaners.
10. Automatically lifts the wipers when entering carpets. Moreover, the wipers lift higher than many similar products.
11. A large number of functions in the application.
12. Smart automatic cleaning mode, in which the robot independently selects cleaning parameters based on artificial intelligence algorithms.
13. Not afraid of black coatings.
14. Good cross-country ability.
15. High quality assembly.
16. The built-in proprietary voice assistant, "Ok, Yiko," currently doesn't understand Russian, but there's hope this feature will be added. It understands English commands well.
17. Availability of warranty and service from official distributors.
18. I'd also like to add that the upright vacuum cleaner itself is lightweight, self-contained, and comes with all the necessary attachments.

Speaking about the disadvantages, there are the following comments about the robot:

1. The system for identifying objects requires improvement.
2. There is no automatic supply of detergent in the station.
3. Doesn't sweep out debris in the corners.
4. There is no function to remotely monitor your home through the robot camera.
5. And again, a separate note about the upright vacuum cleaner: non-removable battery, non-removable dust collector and the lack of a fully informative display.

Ultimately, I can say that this robot vacuum cleaner is versatile, effective, easy to maintain, and quite unique, thanks in part to its built-in upright vacuum. It's truly a cleaning machine that can automatically keep your home clean and allows you to gather all your essential cleaning tools in one place. In my opinion, it deserves such a high spot in the overall ranking and is definitely worth considering, especially considering its very reasonable price compared to its competitors.

On that note, I'd like to end this review. If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments. Happy shopping, everyone. Bye!