The French company e.Zicom presented, at the end of 2018, a range of three robot vacuum cleaners that also act as floor scrubbers. Among these devices, we tested the connected model Eziclean Sweeper Connect. Review.
Presentation
Released in October 2018, the Eziclean Sweeper Connect is one of the latest robot vacuum cleaner models from the manufacturer e-Zicom. Launched at €400, this hybrid product vacuums floors, but it is also capable of washing them thanks to a mop and a water tank. In addition to its two-in-one aspect, the Sweeper Connect can also connect via Wi-Fi to a smartphone (or tablet) equipped with the e.ziclean app in order to be controlled remotely. This model has an interesting performance/price ratio, especially when it comes to vacuuming fine carpet.
Convenient to use
The Eziclean Sweeper Connect has a rounded shape, like the vast majority of the robot vacuums in our comparison, with the notable exception of the Neato, which prefers a D-shape for better cleaning in corners. This device is covered with a black plastic coating that seems to be of good quality, the materials seem to be well assembled and the bumper is solid enough not to damage the device (nor the furniture) in case of shocks.
On the top of the shell, we find a single sensitive Auto button that turns on (and off) the vacuum cleaner which will then start a “default” vacuuming program. The camera that detects obstacles is placed near this button, but without increasing the height of the device which does not exceed 5 cm. It can pass under most furniture or coffee tables: a good point. In comparison, the Roborock S6 can not pass with its 9.65 cm height. The mapping tool (the laser rangefinder) is placed on the front, at the level of the bumper.
The Sweeper Connect not only vacuums but also cleans! To do this, simply attach a suitable mop (two are supplied with the vacuum cleaner) to the underside of the robot with Velcro fasteners and fill the small 0.3L water tank and cleaning solution (if needed) that is located at the collector. The mop will then automatically wet itself by capillary action to ensure a homogeneous and optimal cleaning of the floors. After using this function several times, we found it very useful in the bathroom or kitchen! Moreover, our fears of seeing the room flooded with water at the first use of the mop have completely evaporated when observing the result: the surface is just moistened as after a passage of “classic” mop.
The Sweeper Connect returns to its base to recharge the batteries when they start to weaken – after 120 minutes according to the data sheet.
Connectivity and application
In order to take advantage of the wide range of features available on the e.ziclean application, the robot must be connected via Wi-Fi. After downloading the e.ziclean application and entering your login information, press the robot’s Auto button until it turns blue. When you release the button, the Wi-Fi indicator light comes on, which means that the device is ready to be connected. And the application asks to enter the Wi-Fi network password. Once you’ve done this, you need to go to the settings to connect to the e.ziclean network. The vacuum cleaner is then paired with the smartphone. This operation only takes a few minutes.
Once the Sweeper Connect is connected to the smartphone, you can access a number of functions: you can launch the robot remotely, follow the progress of the cleaning, interrupt it or even pause it.
The interface also allows the user to see in real time the path taken by the robot according to the selected mode. The user can choose between four navigation modes: automatic, along walls, zigzag or intensive. The first mode is designed to cover the home during its entire autonomy and return to its base once the coverage area has been cleaned. The along-the-walls mode, as the name implies, allows the unit to pass along the walls of the room and then return to the base once the job is done. The zigzag mode is designed to cover a large room quickly and return to charge when its cycle is complete. Finally, the intensive mode will vacuum with maximum power for an intensive cleaning of the room, this last mode benefits from a navigation system similar to the Auto mode: it covers the surface to be vacuumed until it runs out and returns to its base.
The application also allows the programming of the days and times of cleaning of the vacuum cleaner. With this function, the user can define a unique cleaning time slot per day: for example, Monday at 8am, Tuesday at 4pm… Finally, one can also see what the robot’s camera sees in real time: a reassuring function that allows one to keep an eye on one’s home, of course, but which obviously does not replace a surveillance camera specially designed for this purpose.
All the features offered on the application are also available on the remote control delivered with the device, with the exception of video surveillance of course and the unique programming per day. Indeed, the remote control only allows the programming of cleaning at a fixed time for all days of the week.
Maintenance
The dust collector is not big enough, since it is only 0.2 l, so it will have to be emptied very regularly. In comparison, the Electrolux Pure i9’s dustpan has a capacity of 0.7 liters, which is much more comfortable.
Fortunately, the waste bin is easily accessible: just press the button on the back of the machine to remove it from its housing.
On the other hand, emptying it is a different matter: by unclipping the latch located on the side of the cassette, the collector opens in two to be emptied; not a very ingenious idea on the part of the manufacturer since our hands always come out full of dust.
The filter and the pre-filter are located at the level of the waste container and are easy to remove. Here again, the maniacs may get nervous during the operation as the filters are quickly saturated with dust…
Moreover, the collector is not hermetically sealed and has an opening system that is particularly conducive to waste falling onto the floor. You have to be particularly careful not to spill it when handling it. However, the Sweeper Connect cannot be blamed for this since many robot vacuums have this defect.
The Eziclean Sweeper Connect has only one main brush (some models have two), combining nylon bristles and a rubber blade, which makes cleaning easier.
This central brush is backed up by two side brushes that collect dust from corners and baseboards. These brushes can be removed without difficulty. The manufacturer recommends soaking them in very hot water for a few minutes so that they regain their initial shape.
In addition, it is recommended to regularly maintain the consumables: brushes and filters every 4 months, in order to gain in filtration and aspiration efficiency. The device is delivered with a filter and two additional brushes.
Autonomy
The manufacturer announces an autonomy of 2 hours for its robot vacuum cleaner. It is a promise kept since in automatic mode, the device even manages to stay in action for 2 h 10 min. The intensive mode uses more energy, as the Eziclean Sweeper Connect runs out of steam after 1 hour and 20 minutes of suction.
On the other hand, its charging time is 4 hours, which is quite long for this type of vacuum cleaner. In comparison, the Neato Robotics Botvac D6 Connected only needs 2 hours and 20 minutes to have a fully charged battery.
Navigation system
The Eziclean Sweeper Connect is equipped with a laser range finder like the Neato vacuums, which allows it to map its environment in order to find its way around the space to vacuum all areas, without forgetting any surface.
According to the manufacturer, this robot vacuum cleaner is equipped with a gyroscopic navigation called “Navig+”: a very complicated name for the simple fact that it establishes an optimized navigation path. Technically, once the robot has managed to map its environment, it navigates in a zigzag pattern after cutting the room into several zones. While we found the navigation to be methodical, the Sweeper Connect still had some difficulty in getting into the corners. In addition, we noticed that it regularly returned to the same places and that its autonomy suffered.
On the other hand, when we put it in difficulty (presence of electrical cables, curtains or small objects), the device does very well and manages to avoid obstacles.
It should also be noted that its small size allows it to pass under low furniture easily.
Vacuuming
While the Eziclean Sweeper Connect has several suction modes, we decided to focus on just two: the automatic mode (which is the default mode) and the intensive mode (the fastest). These are the ones we particularly recommend.
On hard floors, the suction performance is good in both cases, but in intensive mode it will take the Sweeper Connect only 6 minutes to absorb 95% of the waste, while in automatic mode it will take 3 minutes longer to recover only 90% of the detritus.
On fine carpets, this robot has demonstrated its great suction capabilities; and in 3 minutes in automatic mode, it has been able to vacuum all the waste! Important, it is imperative to install the mop on the robot on this type of surface: without that, the scratchs placed underneath the device cling to the carpet, and it is impossible to navigate!
It’s on thick carpet that the Sweeper Connect has a problem. In automatic mode, it takes about 15 minutes to collect all the waste and 10 minutes in intensive mode. In addition, we found that the vacuum was not very comfortable on this surface and had more difficulty moving forward than on the other two types of floors. It might have been a good idea to develop a “carpet” mode like the Roborock S6 so that it would not get caught up in the carpet as much.
Noise
E-Zicom promises to keep the noise level low, and the commitment is respected! The noise level of the robot oscillates between 55 dB(A) and 58 dB(A) depending on the modes and surfaces used, which is very low compared to the other devices in our comparison. In comparison, the Electrolux Pure i9 reaches 66 dB(A).
Nevertheless, these noise measurements are of little importance, as the robot vacuum cleaner is most often used when no one is at home, especially if the device is connected like the Eziclean Sweeper Connect.