ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The Eufy Clean E20 3-in-1 robot vacuum and handheld vacuum combination will be available for $550 on February 10.
- The Eufy E20 performed very well in suction testing, it offers up 8,000Pa of suction power and thorough edge cleaning; the robot vacuum’s dustbin doubles as a handheld vacuum that includes a floor attachment and a crevice tool.
- Unfortunately, the handheld vacuum doesn’t offer powerful suction like that of a standalone unit like a Dyson, and removing it from the robot isn’t easy with one hand.
Staying on top of cleaning is tough without the help of technology, so adding a robot vacuum to your routine is often a life-changing measure. Now consider how much your day-to-day life would change if your robot vacuum also had a handheld unit on top of it. I’ve tested several of these combination devices as a robot vacuum reviewer and learned to appreciate their strengths and recognize their weaknesses.
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Eufy launched the E20 3-in-1 robot vacuum and handheld combination to superpower your smart home. The handheld vacuum is the robot vacuum’s dustbin, which you can detach by pressing a red button on the device while simultaneously pulling the handle. The handheld vacuum has a crevice attachment on the robot and a floor brush to transform it into a stick vacuum.
This approach makes the robot vacuum perfect for cleaning your floors, while the handheld vacuum can clean stairs, pick up quick messes, and remove dust from places the robot can’t reach.
I tested the robot vacuum in a home environment and also did controlled testing. Regarding suction power, the Eufy Clean E20 robot vacuum scored 97.5% out of 100 on hard floors, which is outstanding. It avoided obstacles for a midrange robot, navigating and cleaning around furniture legs well and avoiding large toys, but it got caught on napkins and pieces of paper on the floor.
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Carpets proved to be a bit more challenging for the robot vacuum than hard floors, as the Eufy E20 wasn’t as effective on them, scoring 88% in suction.
The handheld vacuum has 30,000Pa of suction power, which is strong for a cordless vacuum, but its performance is underwhelming in the real world. While the vacuum is effective at picking up light messes like small crumbs, pet hair, and dust from floors and other areas, it isn’t strong enough to pick up larger debris.
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Removing the handheld vacuum is easy. Press a red button on the robot and simultaneously pick it up. Once you do, you must add an attachment, whether the crevice tool or the floor brush. The attachments don’t easily click on like other vacuums, often requiring both hands to install. There’s no obvious way to store the floor brush, so I’ve left it leaning against the wall beside the robot. This solution isn’t the easiest as attachment requires both hands.
ZDNET’s buying advice
I’ve used the Eufy E20 robot and handheld vacuum combination in my home office and living area for a few weeks. My high-shedding dog also sleeps and spends most of his day in the office, so this area needs daily vacuuming to remove the constant stream of pet hair. The Eufy Clean E20 3-in-1 has done a great job keeping this room dust-bunny-free.
The robot vacuum market is rapidly shifting to certain trends, and one of the biggest ones is to give robot vacuums the extra functionality of handheld vacuums, like the E20. Another trend is giving self-emptying robots a canister on the dock rather than a dust bag to empty their contents into, eliminating the need to replace the bag every other month.
The E20 self-empties its dustbin into a dustbag that can hold up to 75 days’ worth of dust and debris. I wish it had a canister instead of a bag, simply because I prefer the canister system that creates less waste, requires less maintenance, and is cheaper than the dustbag system. But if that setup doesn’t matter to you, this combo vacuum may be worth a look.