The Eufy E28 is a bit of a beast, with a large docking station that takes up a fair bit of space in my hallway. Given its rather intimidating appearance and three-in-one functionality, I expected it to be a lot more complicated to master than it actually was.
Connecting the E28 to my smartphone was straightforward, and after an initial run to map my home, I could use the app to start cleans manually or schedule them around my day. I loved the range of settings too - you can adjust the suction power for vacuuming or the water level for mopping - resulting in a truly tailored clean. Or, if you’d rather let the E28 do the thinking, there’s an AI-powered mode that automatically adjusts the clean to your floors. Clever stuff.
The E28 automatically recognises rugs and carpets, marking them on the map and avoiding mopping those areas. In the app, you can also label rooms, divide them into zones, and even set ‘no-go’ areas to keep the robot away from delicate or cluttered spaces. It’s all very intuitive, and I found it easy to tweak maps and schedules as I went along.
You can also choose how often the robot self-empties its bin - though the maximum interval is every 45 minutes of cleaning. This is a thunderously loud process (so much so, I was briefly concerned about disturbing my next-door neighbour), so I’d definitely avoid scheduling it during meetings or overnight. In terms of general cleaning noise, the E28 is audible but not excessively loud when running. You'll need to turn the TV up, but it’s not too disruptive - and unlike the self-emptying cycle, it’s quiet enough that you don’t have to worry about the neighbours.
While I don’t have kids myself, I was impressed that Eufy has included a child lock feature, which disables the start button on the dock - ideal if you have curious little ones (or pets) who might try to set it off mid-cycle.
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How is the Eufy E28's navigation and mapping?
Excellent. During setup, it even asked whether I had pets - a nice touch that shows how tailored the experience is. It 3D-mapped my home accurately on the first run and handled obstacles effortlessly, gliding around chair legs and furniture with minimal bumps. The only hiccup came when it briefly got caught between chair legs, but it quickly freed itself – and every other time, it navigated the same tricky spot without a hitch.
Obstacles it encounters are clearly marked on the map (see screenshot below), and it cleverly identifies what they are - whether that’s a wire or shoe - so you can see exactly what it’s avoiding. Still, as with any robot vacuum, it’s worth giving the room a quick tidy beforehand to make sure nothing blocks its path.