Ecovacs have been pioneers in the robotic window cleaner market and were among the first companies to make these window cleaning gadgets go mainstream for cleaning large or inaccessible windows.
Stick around as we look at the Ecovacs Winbot 880 vs Winbot X vs Winbot W950 and see if any of these automatic window cleaning robots are worth your money.
*The product links in this post are affiliate links, which means that if you purchase after following one, I make a small commission from the sale at no additional cost to you. Please see our disclosure page for more information.
The quick answer: which window cleaning robot should you buy?
When comparing these three, the Winbot 880 is the standout winner as the newer model and offers much superior automated window cleaning job and is well-deserving its place among the best robotic window cleaners on the market.
While Winbot X and 950 are decent robot window cleaners with many useful features, the 880 is ahead in both design and performance.
At first glance, these robots look very much alike, but the Winbot 880 has a slightly more compact design and weighs much less than the other two. It has the technology to enable the robot to identify edges and corners for more efficient cleaning.
The cordless Winbot X may have many great features, but it doesn’t quite measure up to expectations. And while the W950 is a great improvement on the X, the 880 is an upgraded version of both models with overall better design quality and better cleaning performance.
You may also like:
Winbot 880 Quick Review
Key Features
- WIN-SLAM™ 2.0 Navigation Technology
- Four-Stage Process
- Advanced Edge Detection Sensors
- Safety: 2800pa Suction Power
- 30-min Backup Battery
>> Read our full Winbot 880 review by clicking here <<
The Winbot 880 is among the leading robots by Ecovacs, and it offers a super-convenient way to keep your windows clean. This gadget comes equipped with an efficient navigation system to smartly cover your entire framed and unframed windows, from edge to edge. It has a suite of advanced sensors to steer clear of obstacles while it moves in an overlapping N-shaped cleaning path.
This robot window cleaner finds the easiest route, thanks to the WIN-SLAM 2.0 path planning which guides it faster. While a powerful suction force of 2800 Pa keeps it firmly attached to surfaces while using a strong 5-layer decontamination pad and high elastic squeegees to clean.
With the signature, Ecovacs 4-stage cleaning with a cleaning solution, the 880 automatic window cleaning robots thoroughly wipe every inch of a glass surface 4 times with the microfiber pad for a spotless clean. It sports 3 cleaning modes; Auto Clean, Deep Clean for carefully cleaning very dirty windows twice using both a cleaning solution and a cleaning pad, and Spot Clean for instructing the robot to focus and clean a particular spot.
The Winbot also has impressive safety features in place; while working, the power cord will be plugged into a power switch while the suction cup will be securely placed on the glass surface and the tether attached to break an accidental fall.
This window washer also has an integrated Li-ion battery which acts as a backup battery in case of power failure, it will keep the robot on the window for 30 minutes.
- Washable microfiber pads
- Powerful suction force
- Impressive protection features with a safety pod
- Can clean only smooth surfaces
- The safety tether and power cord may need an extension
Last update on 2024-04-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Quick ECOVACS WINBOT X review
Key Features
- Lightweight
- No safety cable without sacrificing any functional safety
- Simple, hassle-free set-up
- Four-stage cleaning system
- Automated safety feature
The Ecovacs Winbot X was one of the first robotic window cleaners on the market. It functions brilliantly on large windows or areas of glass. Instead of a safety cord, the Winbot X comes with a safety pod that keeps the robot stuck to the surface. However, this model of automatic window cleaning robot does come with a significantly high price tag.
This window cleaning robot has two main modes, auto-mode, and deep-mode. Auto-mode is the faster of the two, but the deep-mode method will result in a better final product with a little solution.
However, both ways are reported to take significantly longer than the modes on new models of gadgets as it doesn’t have such a smart cleaning path.
Reviews on Amazon demonstrate that the safety features of the Ecovacs Winbot X work as advertised and left no fear of the device falling off the surface. Additionally, the device is reportedly very simple to set up and use. It won’t take long after you remove the Winbot and get started.
- Simple set-up, design, and easy to use
- Excellent for windows and spaces that are difficult to reach
- Takes a lot time to clean the window or surface
- The battery lasts for about 40 minutes maximum
- Battery charge time is 3 hours
- Need to buy extra pads and a solution
Last update on 2024-04-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Quick Ecovacs WINBOT W950 review
Key Features
- 4-stage, a comprehensive washing system
- The safety cord allows for the robot cleaner to each up to sixteen feet
- Owners can feel confident due to the one-year warranty on each Ecovacs Winbot W950
The Ecovacs Winbot W950 was once their best window cleaning robot and comes with a high price tag. It is a good window robot, albeit a little on the slow side.
A nice touch is the fact that this cleaning robot comes with an extra backup battery, which allows the device to stay on the window even after the main battery has lost power.
As an extra measure of security, this window cleaning robot included a safety pod, which acts as a fail-safe for battery malfunction. The Winbot robot window cleaner is programmed with a four-stage washing function with cleaning pads and squeegees.
One of the only negatives that we could identify related to the Winbot is the ‘Smart Drive’ pathway system. Smart Drive is an innovative, advanced concept for window robots, but it may need to be refined in future models. Customer reviews state that owners have occasionally observed the robot becoming stuck around a section of the window, which then needs to be turned around manually.
It has a suction cup and a rope that reaches up to sixteen feet which makes cleaning almost any home window very easy, and it can be controlled using a remote control.
- Safety pod and battery for anti-fall
- Very quiet motor for a window cleaning robot
- Washable cleaning pads
- Cleans frame and frameless
- Has a high price tag
- Can get stuck in a small section of the glass
Last update on 2024-04-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Side by side comparison
Design
All three robots have the usual squarish and white design of Ecovacs Winbot, with a firm and comfortable handle to make them easy to pick up and move around.
They all differ slightly in size, dimension, and weight. At 9.7 x 9.7 x 4.5 inches and 3.96 pounds, the 880 robotic window cleaner has a compact design and weighs much less than the others.
Measuring 8.66 x 8.66 x 4.13 inches, Winbot X has a more compact design, but it’s about a pound heavier than the 880 — 4.85 pounds.
And with an approximate dimension of 12 x 12 x 4.8 inches, Ecovacs Winbot w950 has the bigger size and weighs the most, at 5 pounds.
Cleaning performance
Ecovacs with its advanced technology has a standard 4-stage cleaning operation which ensures each Winbot quickly deliver spotless windows and surfaces a thorough clean at all times.
Each of the robots will start at one end and carefully follow both an N and Z-shaped cleaning path.
With the 4-stage cleaning, the robot will go over every inch of a pane 4 times using a microfiber cleaning pad and squeegees. And as they move, each track slightly overlaps with the former to ensure spotless cleaning. After cleaning, these robots always return to the starting point.
Cleaning capacity
These three robots have very similar cleaning capacity and speed. The cordless Winbot X has a minimum cleaning area of 50 X 50 cm with a 2.5 m (8 feet) cable that links the robot to a suction pod that sticks to a corner to ensure the robot’s safety as it works.
Both the 880 and Ecovacs winbot w950 have safety pods and tethers of about 5 m (16 feet) long to keep them from hitting the floor in the event of an accidental fall, and also extend their reach while cleaning.
These 3 can clean both framed and frameless windows, with a host of other smooth surfaces such as sliding glass doors, shower stalls, glass railings, etc.
Artificial intelligence
The Winbot is an intelligent device with advanced navigation and a squarish body for smart cleaning. These robots all have integrated navigation technologies to enable the efficient and seamless cleaning of every corner of a glass pane including corners and edges.
The Winbot w950 has the SMART DRIVE technology while the Winbot 880 has the WIN SLAM 2.0 technology and a 2800 Pa suction fan to ensure it firmly attaches to surfaces while cleaning.
Battery power
Winbot X has a cordless power supply with an in-built 3000mAh Lithium-ion battery that lasts for about 40 minutes, with a charging time of 3 hours.
Both the 880 and winbot w950 have long power cords and need a steady connection to a power source while cleaning. However, they also both have integrated UPS systems for abrupt power failure.
The Winbot 880 has an in-built Lithium 650mAh for a 30-minute battery backup while the winbot w950 has an embedded Lithium 600 mAh as a 15-minute backup battery.
Anti-fall technology
To ensure safe cleaning, each robot has a safety suction pod and a tether which are made from highly elastic and durable rubber. And in the event of a power outage, this feature will keep the robot from hitting the floor if it loses its grip and falls off the window surface.
Controls
These window robots have very intuitive controls, each has a single power button and remote control. On the remote control, you’ll find a START/STOP button, directional buttons for manually changing the direction of the robot, and a pause button.
These gadgets also use audio updates and visual warnings to notify and draw the attention of their owners.
Noise level
They can be noisy but still quiet enough to not disrupt your daily life at home. Winbot X seems to be the loudest and operates at 74 dB, while Winbot 880 closely follows with a noise level of 70dB. The quietest of the trio is the Winbot 950 with a working volume of 62dB.
Winbot X vs Winbot 880 vs Winbot W950: Final thoughts
Any robot cleaner that will take care of the unpleasant and sometimes risky chore of window cleaning is certainly a great investment for anyone, but finding that excellent device has become a challenge of its own, especially with the tonnes of windows robots available. And a crappy device is not just a bad investment but also a source of irritation.
However, the Winbot 880 is a fairly decent gadget that is sure to keep your frustration levels low and your windows spotless. Compared to the W950 and X, the 880 window cleaning robot is a much newer model with upgrades in both design functions and it’s certainly the most reliable option here.
Last update on 2024-04-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Matt is the founder of the Little Robot Shop, who has spent much of the last decade hacking home cleaning with various robots and devices to make keeping his home clean as easy as possible. Not an easy task with two young children.
When not working on the Little Robot Shop website or YouTube channel, he works as technical support and product specialist for a fast-growing digital company. He does his best to get his younglings to code, which will be an essential skill in the future.
