A robot vacuum is probably something you’ve been thinking about getting but just aren’t sure about. After all, you have a perfectly good expensive vacuum in your closet. Well, it’s true. You probably don’t NEED a robot vacuum, but it is sure nice to have one. ECOVACS sent us the DEEBOT 711 so we could take it for a spin.

If you’ve never used a robot vacuum before but have been thinking about picking one up, be sure to read on for our full review of the ECOVACS DEEBOT 711.

Specifications

The ECOVACS DEEBOT 711 has the following features and specifications:

Color: Black with Silver trim
Suction Option: Main Brush
Side Brush: Dual
Cleaning Area: 1292 ft2 / 120 m2
Auto Charging: YES
Time Scheduling: Time Scheduling, daily
Smart Phone Control: YES, with Alexa and Google Assistant
Charging Time (mins): 270
Runtime (mins): 90
Dust Bin Capacity(mL): 520
Max Working Time Per Charge（min）: 110min
Object detection technology
4 cleaning modes
Dual side brushes
Automatic charging
Daily scheduling

What’s In The Box

DEEBOT 711
Charging dock
4 side brushes
2 HE-Filters
Remote control
Batteries
Manual and documentation
Cleaning tool

Design

The DEEBOT 711 design isn’t far off from the rest of the ECOVACS line of robot vacs or its competitors for that matter. It’s a circular shape with a black and silver color scheme. There are only three buttons on the unit itself, the power button on the side, the reset button next to the power button, and the AUTO mode button on top. Otherwise, all the other controls are on the remote or in the app.

The build quality is great, as were the other DEEBOT vacuums we’ve reviewed. It’s fairly hefty, not heavy to the point you can’t lift it, but it does have a fair amount of weight. I’m not sure how it would fare in a fall down the stairs, but its build leads me to believe that it might be fine. The DEEBOT 711 does not have stair sensing technology, but if you have a something at the edge of the stairs, it will avoid it.

Overall, the design is nice. It’s not ugly or amazing, it just works and is sort of one-size-fits-all.

Ease of Use

There are three ways to use the DEEBOT 711: with the included remote, with the included app, or you can connect your ECOVACS account to your Google or Amazon account and control it through Google Assistant or Alexa.

Using the remote is pretty straight forward. There are just a handful of buttons which you use to start the robot, stop the robot, and send the robot back to the dock to charge. The app controls mirror the remote controls but the app does offer up information about the robots battery and cleaning log where the remote does not.

The third method is Google Assistant and Alexa which we will get into in the next section. Setting up Google Assistant and Alexa does take a few extra steps but is also fairly easy and well worth it.

Overall, the ease of use here is great. Most people should be able to operate the DEEBOT 711 with the remote and the app, while others may need a bit of help setting up Google Assistant and Alexa. It’s still pretty straight forward.

Software

The DEEBOT 711 comes with the ECOVACS app which can control the robot as well as inform you about its status. The app shows you if the robot is online or offline and gives you access to the same controls that are on the remote. Those controls give you the ability to choose AUTO clean, Edge clean, and Spot clean. You can also see what the robot has cleaned and for how long.

On the app you can find out the health of the brushes and filter and how many hours of cleaning time you have left before they need to be replaced. There is also the ability to set a cleaning schedule and you can turn on the do not disturb mode. In order to set up the app, you’ll need to link your DEEBOT 711 to your Wi-Fi. When you first open the app, you will be prompted to connect to DEEBOT’s Wi-Fi which will then connect the robot. It’s really simple.

Once you have the robot set up on your Wi-Fi you can start using it straight away. The other option you have is controlling the DEEBOT 711 with either Alexa or the Google Assistant. We chose to use the Google Assistant since we have several Google Assistant devices already running in the house.

Before you can do this you’ll need to link your ECOVACS account to the Google Home app. The DEEBOT 711 isn’t like a Google Home device and will not connect to the Google Home app via Wi-Fi. Here are the steps you’ll need to take to get connected.

Open the Google Home app on iOS or Android
Tap the head icon located the furthest right
Tap on “Settings”
Scroll down and tap “Add…”
Tap “Set up device”
Under “Works with Google” tap on “Have something already set up?”
Scroll down and find “DEEBOT 711” and tap
Log into your ECOVACS account (you should set up an ECOVACS account before doing this)
You are now connected and ready to go

Once you have your ECOVACS account linked to Google there’s nothing more to do. You can use your voice to command the robot via the Google Home app or you can use a Google Home device that takes commands. We used the Lenovo Smart Display to initiate commands to the robot. Simply say “Hey Google…” and then one of the following commands:

Is the vacuum charging?
Start the vacuum
Dock the vacuum
Is the vacuum running?
Stop vacuuming
Start vacuuming
Charge the vacuum
Stop the vacuum
Send the vacuum home
Pause the vacuum

Our testing showed that using Google Assistant was the way to go. No need to open the app or use the remote. Of course, you have the option in the app to set a cleaning time which then means the robot will start cleaning on its own. But should you need the vacuum for something unforeseen, its nice to be able to just ask Google to get it cleaning.

Overall, the software experience is really elevated here with Google Assistant capability. The app works nicely and gives you a bit of info and data on wearable parts and performance, but it really just functions as a virtual remote. I preferred using Google to control the DEEBOT.

Performance

These little robot vacuums really do a fantastic job…better than you would think. The DEEBOT 711 had no issues on hard floors and fared well on our medium pile carpets. The DEEBOT is really only made for hard floors and low pile carpet but we got away with working it on a medium pile. I’m not sure it would do so well on high pile carpeting.

One area the DEEBOT struggled with, and I think this goes for most robot vacuums, is corners. While the brushes do a decent job of pulling debris out of the corners, it’s not perfect. I would recommend using a broom to get in the corners and pull the debris out where the robot can reach it. This isn’t a deal breaker but just a basic reality with robot vacs.

Like the other robot vacuums we’ve used, the DEEBOT can get confused or stuck under chairs. It eventually works its way out, but it can take a few minutes to do so. It can also get stuck under couches and other furniture that might be around the same height as the vacuum, and you’ll need to rescue it.

The DEEBOT 711 does not have stair avoidance sensors, so you’ll need to place something near stairs so it will avoid them. Overall, the robot does a great job of cleaning but don’t expect it to get everything. You will need to get corners and edges every now and then to make sure everything is clean.

Price/Value

Robot vacuums aren’t exactly cheap, but they are a complicated device with lots of working parts. The DEEBOT 711 is priced at US$399.98 which is on the lower end of the price range given the features. This vac does a great job, but what really sells it for me and what gives it the most value is having Google Assistant integration and Alexa integration.

Wrap Up

Robot vacuums aren’t for everyone. Spending US$400 on something like this might not be for everyone. But for those considering a robot vacuum, the DEEBOT 711 is a good pick. The Google Assistant integration is the killer feature and is what sells this.

*We received a review sample of the ECOVACS DEEBOT 711 for the purposes of this review.

Last Updated on February 3, 2021.