Hobot 388 Review | A Great Robotic Window Cleaner

In our Hobot 388 review, you’ll find out if the Hobot 388 is the right window cleaner for you

Hot off the success of the loveable robot vacuum cleaner comes the next domestic robot looking to play an essential role in our homes. And if you have ever wished you could make your window cleaning automatic, keep on reading. In this Hobot 388 review, we want to showcase one of the newest and best robotic window cleaners on the market right now.

Although it may seem like pretty new technology, robotic window cleaners have been around for quite a few years, although as with most robots for the home, it takes a bit of time to refine.

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The first automatic robot window cleaners were expensive and crap. They cost a lot of money and smeared your windows. However, as the years have ticked by the technology has improved and become cheaper and now it feels like this is the beginning of a boom in the robotic window cleaners market.

In this post, we are focusing on Hobot 388. It is the latest robotic window cleaner and it builds on the success of the previous versions — the Hobot 188 and the 198 as compact window cleaners.

As an upgraded model it certainly comes with some exciting premium features. This Hobot 388 review covers all you need to know about the cleaning robot.

So grab a cup of coffee and find out how you can automate your window and glass cleaning.

You may also enjoy reading Hobot 388 vs 298 where we compare two of the best window cleaners from Hobot.

1-minute Hobot 388 review

The Hobot 388 is a premium window cleaning robot designed to polish off dust and cleans large rectangular windows. Using a suction force it vertically attaches itself to a window pane while a forceful vacuum sucks off dust particles and the soft synthetic fibers of the cleaning cloths thoroughly wipe the windows clean.

Two cleaning wheels help it work its way from left to right and around the windows, these wheels are wrapped with microfiber cleaning pads to prevent the robot from leaving tracks and marks as it moves around the windowpane.

Unlike other window cleaning robots that require you to spray copious amounts of cleaning solution on the pads, the HOBOT-388 has a reservoir with an ultrasonic spray head that efficiently applies a uniform mist on the very dirty windows. 

It also has a 4.5-meter long safety rope with the sole purpose of attaching the robot to an indoor fixture while in use, which is an anti-falling control in case of an accidental fall. This smart home gadget is designed to use Biomimicry Technology Ultrasonic Water Spray to nebulize water to dense mist and spray through a zigzag nozzle to clean windows.

A Hobot 388 quickly pays for itself when you compare it to hiring a professional window cleaning service. HOBOT-3888 can quickly pay for itself It’s loaded with features that’ll soon make manual window washing a thing of the past.

It is excellent at edge cleaning as the pads protrude slightly outside the body and get right to the edge. It cleans all bar a small part of the top and bottom corners

With a water tank and an ultrasonic water spray nozzle, it evenly wets the window for the cleaning pads to smoothly glide over leaving a spotless glass, and it can be controlled remotely via a smartphone app.

Last update on 2024-04-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Hobot 388 robotic window cleaner – full review

Chores become fun when you have home robots to do them and the Hobot 388 is just the robot for having fun while your windows are cleaned. With this robot, the tedious household chore becomes one less thing to worry about. It’s designed to get your windows from dusty to shiny and spotless, with a smooth cleaning process. Instead of caterpillar tracks or rubber wheels, the Hobot 388 uses cloth-covered moving wheels that won’t leave behind tracks on the cleaned surface.

The five-foot power cord allows the HOBOT to work on a large area even when the power outlet is far from the window. When coupled together, the power cord coming out of the power supply and the extension cable is about 16 feet long. This should be sufficient to let the bot move on most windows. 

However, the connection between the power and extension cable is only a simple press-on connection. You might want to wrap the connection with electrical tape to make sure they stay together during operation. Works on Other Surfaces The HOBOT window robot isn’t only for cleaning windows. It can also clean mirrors, tiles, and mosaics. The HOBOT works on surfaces other than windows because of a high-volume centrifugal pump that creates negative pressure.

If the power goes off, an integrated UPS (Uninterrupted Power System) will act as battery backup and power the robot for another 20 minutes to prevent it from falling off the window before you come to take it off. It also has a 4.5-meter long safety rope with the sole purpose of attaching the robot to an indoor fixture while in use, which is an anti-falling control in case of an accidental fall.

This smart home gadget is designed to use Biomimicry Technology Ultrasonic Water Spray to nebulize water to dense mist and sprays through a zigzag nozzle which dissolves dust while two specially-designed rotating pads wipe the surfaces without leaving watermarks or streaks. Also, this robot has an AI technology that draws on human intelligence to ensure high cleaning performance. Hobot 388 can work on different surface types, thanks to a high volume centrifugal pump which consistently creates negative pressure to enable the robot to attach to and move over rough surfaces despite small air leakages.

How the Hobot 388 works

The 388 window cleaning robot is a simple but somewhat sophisticated gadget. It comes equipped with a vacuum motor, two specially-designed cleaning wheels wrapped with a microfiber cloth, and together they enable the Hobot 388 to smoothly move over glass windows polishing away dust and stains.

This automatic cleaning robot follows a simple cleaning process, it gradually moves horizontally on the window surfaces and from top to bottom wiping off dirt particles and a forceful suction power sucks off a large proportion of dust particles. The robot first goes over the window to clean with dry cleaning pads, while moving horizontally on the surface, from top to bottom in a clever cleaning pattern. The soft fabric of the cleaning pads absorbs dust particles and thoroughly wipes the surface.

Then it proceeds to clean with water or a cleaning solution. It uses the new patented ultrasonic water spray nozzle that can nebulize water to 15-micrometer mists then sprays the specially-formulated Hobot Window Detergent on the glass, this looks just like when a human exhales on a glass surface and allows the robot to glide over it without leaving streaks.

It has 3 kinds of automatic operation modes for cleaning the entire window and you can either control it via an iOS app and Andriod app or with the included remote control. This Hobot has a noise level of 70dB which may be not very quiet, but not so loud as to disrupt your normal home activities. Most of the noise comes from the motor that creates the vacuum that holds the robot tightly against the pane. The Hobot 388 automatically stops once it has thoroughly and completely cleaned the window.

Cleaning Performance of the HOBOT-388

It is important to realize that despite being a premium robotic window cleaner, the Hobot 388 still has its limitations. It’s designed for only rectangular windows since it cleans horizontally from left to right and from top to bottom, and it works perfectly on window edges. An in-built pressure change detection module enables it to automatically change direction when there is a big change in pressure.

It’s also worth remembering it is also a robot, so it won’t do the job as well as you would do it yourself. While you will certainly have cleaner windows, they are unlikely to be as perfect as a bit of elbow grease can give. But, temper your expectations and you may be pleasantly surprised.

On triangular or circular windows, the result will be less-than-perfect because the robot will be unable to reach some areas on the window pane. It also doesn’t work on just any glass, the ideal glass thickness needs to be at least 3 mm and a minimum surface size of 13×13 inches. The HOBOT-388 works best on low humidity days with lots of suns because glass surfaces must be completely dry before the robot can do its thing.

Also, it will struggle to find the edges of frameless windows and mirrors, so it is best not to use this model on glass without frames.  So if you have a lot of large windows this is simply a must! Hobot works best on sunny and low humid days because the surface to be cleaned needs to be completely dry before you introduce the robot. If there are water molecules on the window surface, this will negatively affect the result because the surface will be slippery for the robot cleaner and it may leave visible streaks.

For very dusty windows, this window cleaning robot will first need to use dry pads to clean off dust particles before using the cleaning solution to wipe a second time. If you let the robot clean a very dusty surface with wet pads you’ll get a messy result because the dust particles will mix with the water or cleaning solution and both the glass surface and cleaning cloth will get mucky.

Ease of set-up and use

Setting up and using the Hobot 388 is as easy as pushing a button, it requires absolutely no special skill. To get a Hobot 388 working on your window, first, you’ll have to charge it fully, then place it on the surface to be cleaned and plug it into a power source, attach the safety cord to it and fasten it to an indoor fixture, then push the start button on the robot and watch it get to work.

This robot also comes with intuitive remote control and a user-friendly smartphone app (which is available for Android and iOS) with auto-cleaning buttons for easily controlling the robot, and it will automatically stop once it has finished cleaning the window. A user manual is included in the box, to walk you through a seamless set-up process.

The HOBOT produces such superior, streak-free results, you’ll never have to go through the trouble of washing a window by hand or multi-story windows. HOBOT-388 produces superior, streak-free results Mops Best Window Cleaning Robot HOBOT-388 Washing your home’s windows can be a tedious and dangerous undertaking. Every year, there are more than 164,000 emergency room visits and 300 deaths caused by ladder falls. Some of these accidents are from people trying to get their outside windows as clean as can be.

Reliability

As an automatic window cleaner, you can rely on it to do a good job of cleaning your rectangular windows. It’s an excellent gadget for keeping your windows neat without you having to do it yourself and if properly maintained this robot will serve you well.

The ultrasonic spray nozzle is designed to work with just water or the specially formulated Hobot Window Detergent. Every once in a while this nozzle may become clogged and when this happens you will have to remove the water tank to clear it and get the robot working well again.

Ongoing maintenance

Hobot 388 is designed to do its work with very little maintenance and keeping it running and in good shape requires very little effort. First, you’ll have to clean the laser sensors before every use with a soft clean cloth.

The microfiber pads will also need to be washed after every cleaning, this mainly depends on how dirty your windows can get. It’s important to check the user manual that comes with the robot for other maintenance tips to keep your little machine in perfect shape at all times.

Extra purchases and ongoing costs

Getting this robot started on your windows requires no extra purchases because everything you need to put it to work is included in the pack including multiple pairs of microfibre pads.

You may also want to shop for some Hobot Window Detergent because it’s formulated to work with the ultrasonic spray nozzle the robot comes with, otherwise, you can use just water.

FAQs

Final thoughts on Hobot 388

Clean windows make a home attractive and healthy but keeping them that way can be an overwhelming task. And so is choosing the right robotic window cleaning for your home. With the sheer number of window cleaning robots available, picking the right one for you becomes a task of its own. But armed with this comprehensive Hobot 388 Review, you can better match your needs with the features of the gadget and make an informed decision.

If you have large rectangular windows and you want an efficient cleaning gadget to take on the task of always keeping them pristine and spotless, then you got your robot.

Last update on 2024-04-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API