Eufy E28 robot vacuum cleaner review: detachable portable deep cleaner accessory is the big feature

T3’s Eufy E28 robot vacuum review in a sentence: A respectable robot vacuum that gets a boost from the detachable FlexiOne deep cleaner.

As much as I like robot vacuum cleaners and can see their potential, I’ve always thought they’re best viewed as a substitute to a standard vacuum model or a stick vacuum. Even the best robot vacuum cleaners are versatile, but they can tend to lack the muscle needed for deeper cleaning duties. Not so the Eufy E28 robot vacuum, which packs in all the usual features of a robot vacuum but adds in a detachable deep cleaner for tackling more localised or concentrated dirt and spills.

This is called the FlexiOne Portable Deep Cleaner by Eufy, highlighting that it is almost like an extra part of the more regular robot vacuum package. It sits above Eufy’s E25 model, which was announced at the same time but comes without the FlexiOne part of the bundle and packs a lowlier specification. I guess Eufy is eyeing families and pet owners in particular with the Eufy E28 as it’s got more muscle and certainly lots of versatility that is often called for when dealing with messy kids and wayward pets.

Naturally, such a bumper feature set means this appliance is bulky and sits up there alongside other robot vacuum heavyweights at the premium end of the spectrum. It’s doing battle with lots of competition too, although this is the first time I’ve encountered a model with a standalone deep cleaning option as part of the package.

Eufy E28 review: Price and availability

The Eufy E28 robot vacuum is available now and costs $999 directly from the Eufy website in the US and can probably be found discounted from the likes of Amazon and other online retailers.

For the UK, early birds get £150 off the £999 price tag via the Eufy website, taking it down to £849 at the time of writing. Prices and deals, obviously, are subject to change. As always, it’s worth shopping around as prices for robovacs can fluctuate and sometimes wildly due to the competitive nature of the market.

Eufy E28 review: Is it any good?

The Eufy E28 falls into the premium end of the robot vacuum spectrum, as you’d expect for something that costs a decent amount. There are plenty of headline-grabbing features and functions too, in order to justify the extra outlay. So, alongside being a conventional robot vacuum, with a docking station and the unit itself, there's the star attraction of the FlexiOne Portable Deep Cleaner.

Image 1 of 3

The FlexiOne Portable Deep Cleaner is designed for tackling more localised spills, stains and areas of dirt that might otherwise be skirted over by the main unit. It’s basically a detachable water tank with its own hose attachment that delivers spot cleaning on top of the usual floor-focused features. Eufy has packed in a HydroJet System, which offers up 15n of pressure and 180rpm to produce a scrubbing effect that should be effective on a variety of trickier areas.

Thankfully, Eufy includes a large quick start guide sheet on the top of the box when it’s opened and this is perfect for getting setup and running. There’s quite a lot of packaging to take off and tanks to fill as well. The upside is the feature set, with the aforementioned core cleaning tools plus 20,000Pa Turbo Deep Suction with anti-tangle brushes. This model also packs in a mopping roller and the Corner Rover side brush feature, which is aimed at getting into those awkward places a little more efficiently.

Everything centres around the All-in-One Station, which is the main hub of the Eufy E28. This is the docking station for the robot vacuum unit, plus it houses the dust container and offers auto washing and hot air drying of the mop. Eufy reckons it’s good for up to 68 days of operation, which is impressive and certainly gives this appliance a very low-maintenance edge.

eufy E28 review: Performance

While I’ve found the Eufy E28 robot vacuum to be standard fare when it comes to the main unit and its performance, the FlexiOne Portable Deep Cleaner is a little more interesting. Considering just how much Eufy has packed into the E28, it’s a pretty neat design, which obviously changes a little when the FlexiOne Portable Deep Cleaner is detached from the main unit. It is a little on the bulky side to carry around though, so it’s better if you place it next to the area you’re working on.

The unit has a decent length of hose, which leads up to the cleaning head, which has a bristled brush on it and a push button for dispensing water. I’m not sure how durable the plastic hose will be over time though as it doesn’t feel all that premium. I think the main thing is to go easy and not twist the hose too much. The same goes for many of the other aspects of this appliance, with plastic being the main choice for components and there are a lot of them.

Overall, I think the Eufy E28 robot vacuum is very capable and it has the genuine benefit of a mopping system that can be dried in situ. I’m not keen on having a robot vacuum sitting in my home that has damp mops, and the Eufy E28 robot vacuum seems beefy enough to get the worst of the moisture out after mopping, which should help reduce mould and moisture levels moving forwards. Hopefully its current efficiency will be maintained over time too.

Eufy E28 review: Verdict

If you’re happy with the size of the Eufy E28 robot vacuum and have space to accommodate it, then I’d recommend this appliance. The real appeal for me is the detachable FlexiOne Portable Deep Cleaner, which works well enough.

I’m a little worried about how these detachable sections are going to fare over time, especially the hose pipe, and it would have been good to have a few spares inside the box. I’m assuming they’re available separately from Eufy.

Aside from that though, performance is good, suction is more than a match for rivals and the mopping/drying aspect is solid too. Bag one at a discount and it’s well worth a look.

Eufy E28 review: Alternatives to consider

The Ultenic T10 is a good place to start if something similarly large is required and, because it has been out for a while, comes with a very competitive price tag. I have also recently tested the Hoover HG4 Hydro Pro, which isn’t quite as compact as this model, but it ticks all the boxes on the robot vacuum front. It's reasonably small too.

I was a big fan of the Shark Matrix Plus Robot Vacuum with its vac and mop functionality. Similarly, the Roborock Qrevo Master robot vacuum is good, but both of these models are full-size appliances. If size isn’t a problem then the iRobot Roomba Combo J9+ is a solid option and does a little bit of everything as does the eufy Clean X8 Pro machine. Elsewhere, have a look at the eufy X9 Pro as well as the keenly priced iRobot Roomba j7+.

It's also still hard to beat impressive offerings from the likes of the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra, SwitchBot Mini K10+ and Eufy Omni S1 Pro or, indeed, Roborock and its Saros 10, or Shark with its Matrix Plus model.