Ecovacs vs Samsung

Which brand to buy

Samsung's only current robot vacuum, the Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI Steam, costs $1,400, more than nearly every Ecovacs model. So the overlap is narrow: a shopper weighing these brands for a robot is really comparing Samsung's flagships with the top of Ecovacs' range, and the obvious pairing was the Samsung Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI+, now discontinued and replaced by the Combo AI Steam at the same $1,400, against the Ecovacs Deebot X12 OmniCyclone ($1,275) or the much cheaper Deebot X8 Pro Omni ($683).

The Combo AI+ had two things Ecovacs can't match: a dock that sanitizes the mop pads with steam, and pads that detach magnetically so carpet runs stay dry. Owners rate its obstacle avoidance highly. They are far less sure about reliability, with reports of dropped pads and units dying on early runs, and they call the SmartThings app buggy. Owners of the Combo AI Steam add that pads and filters can be hard to buy months after purchase. Ecovacs has its own software problems, but its robots are rated for much more suction, the X8 at 18000 Pa against 6000 Pa for the Combo AI+, and most carry a 2-year warranty to Samsung's 1 year.

Outside robots the brands don't meet. Samsung sells cordless sticks from the Jet Stick 60 Pet ($330) to the Bespoke AI Jet Ultra ($1,100), and owners of the Bespoke line say the self-emptying Clean Station is why they stay. Ecovacs sells no stick vacuums.

Start with Samsung if you run a SmartThings home or want a stick vacuum. For a robot alone, Ecovacs gives more cleaning hardware and a longer warranty for less money.

Ecovacs vs Samsung: common questions