Dyson 360 Eye: What you need to know
Dyson has made itself the name associated with good looking and very capably powerful vacuum cleaners. After over a decade and a half in development, the Dyson 360 Eye robot vacuum puts all that power into a smart self-driving machine.
In fact Dyson claims that the 360 Eye has twice the suction of any other robot vacuum. It certainly is powerful but then with all that extra bulk and height it's to be expected.
Dyson 360 Eye: Features
- Features Dyson's cyclonic airflow tech
- Dyson Link app that allows for scheduling of cleaning
Battery life: 45 minutes
App: iOS and Android
Multi-surface: Yes
Pet capable: Yes
The Dyson 360 Eye comes with the company's now famous cyclonic airflow tech, meaning lots of power in a relatively compact form. You also get the backing of the Dyson Link app that allows for scheduling of cleaning. All that's driven around using the top mounted camera that gives this all seeing robot vacuum its name.
While this might be one of the best looking and most powerful robot vacuums out there, it's also one of the more expensive examples. So is it worth all that money?
Dyson 360 Eye: Design and build
- 45 minute battery life
- Double suction power
Dyson isn't one to focus on specs too much, usually favouring the finished results with nice imagery - similar to how Apple markets itself. Also alike, when you drill down into an Apple iPhone and the real issue of battery life is largely ignored, the same applies here. Though in this case it's not necessarily so important. You'll get a good 45-minute clean on a charge then the 360 Eye will head back to its pretty and minimal dock to recharge. If you're cleaning while away or overnight in Quiet Mode - yup, it has that - you won't need to worry about battery anyway.
The reason for a slightly shorter life span than some of the competition is power. The Dyson 360 uses the company's V2 digital motor with eight radial root cyclones for maximum suction power which Dyson says is double that of the competition.
Extra power means extra space so you do get a lot more height on this bot compared to the competition. This is also to help that top mounted 360-degree camera see its surroundings better. However, you still get a relatively small 0.33-litre dust bin.
All that is also backed by a large roller and tank tracks to ensure the best control of movement about the home, including over bumps and rug transitions.
Dyson 360 Eye: Cleaning performance
- Radial root cyclone tech
- Edge to edge
Dyson is all about power which is why the 360 Eye uses its V2 motor with a 78,000 rpm speed. This is faster than conventional motors, says Dyson, creating a strong magnetic field of torque to spin the rotor. This is combined with digital pulse technology to maximise efficiency. The end result? This really does have great suction.
All this suction is a positive for first time cleaning passes of the home with particles as small as 0.5 microns captured. However you're not able to focus control to work on certain areas, which is a shame as it would be a useful feature with all this power. Perhaps the idea is that this will get most things first time. That's usually the case, presuming you're not in the 35 percent quieter mode for noise saving.
The bottom of the 360 Eye features a full 231mm roller bar, much like the company's full sized vacuums, meaning this can deal with animal hair and multiple surface types. While the roller does go right to the edges of the machine, this isn't much use in corners. So you can expect a lovely finish along skirting boards and around room centres but for corners and certain furniture legs you may need to get out your handheld vacuum too.
The tank tracks, as Dyson calls them, ensures you get strong grip and pull no matter the surface. However it's ability to climb over ledges and even rug edges isn't a good as advertised. This is a big unit and when it struggles it really gets stuck so keep that in mind if you have any high level transitions in your home.
The downside to the camera is that if under a low sofa or table it can end up struggling to see its way out, slowing it right down. Also this can be affected by light, stopping from entering a brighter room as it thinks it's a white wall, for example.
Dyson 360 Eye: Smart skills
- Dyson Link app support
- 360-degree camera driven
Unlike other robot vacuum cleaners the Dyson 360 Eye uses it's unique 360-degree camera on top of the unit to navigate. This means it can see the world around it in real-time, ideal for dodging items meaning you don't have to worry about clearing up everytime. This uses Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) tech to get around with a panoramic view of the room.
Dyson has made the camera refresh at 30 frames per second so it keeps up with movement speed for an accuracy within 50mm. Impressive and ideal for those with precious vases sat on wobbly legged tables.
The Dyson Link app allows you to schedule cleaning, start a clean and to see where the unit has covered. This is more basic than some of the competition and won't allow for remote control driving. You can use this to switch between Max power mode or Quiet mode to last longer and make less noise. The app is backed by Amazon's Alexa meaning you can use voice controls to start a clean or to change mode.
Dyson 360 Eye: Verdict
There's no doubt that Dyson's 360 Eye is one of the best looking robot vacuums out there. It's also certainly one of the most powerful. But with a limited app, lack of spot cleaning controls and the extra height which can stop this reaching under all furniture, there are limitations for the price.
The tank track helps pull but this still can struggle over height changes. It excels across floor types and can get to most edges but will struggle with corner cleaning. The battery life isn't long but is enough to clean most homes if left to it for the day. Dust storage is excellent so you can really leave this robot to it and come home to a cleaner house. Quiet mode is also a nice option for night time cleaning.
Not a cheap unit but with Dyson support and ever improving software updates this is a good investment for a future home that stays clean.
