Ecovacs Winbot W1 Pro

Cleaned all my windows once but then stopped! – Purchased on AMAZON. It’s cumbersome to use but did a great job cleaning all my windows ONCE. However, when I tried to use it a second time, I received a “bumper stuck” error and the unit refused to move. I sent it back for repair under warranty but it has the same issue so it is an expensive mistake. Show details

I have clean windows, thanks Winbot W1 Pro!! – Does exactly as stated, it clean the windows, and does a great job. As a family with 3 young children we don't clean the windows often, but boy did we notice the difference when this little unit cleaned the first window! Positives are the winbot cleans the windows well, and covers the entire window area. It's simple enough to setup, and does a… Read more

better job than this busy dad. We've never had windows so clean!! Maintenance is easy, just add the cleaning fluid and wet the cloth.

Negatives, the user interface on the App was not the most intuitive and some warnings when the BOT got itself stuck were layered over the top of other sections and hard to read, but being an App no doubt a future update will fix this up. The Winbot does gets stuck on occasion on our sliding doors, where the door meets the privacy screen, in this case a reposition helps it to continue, and sometimes a second reposition is needed to complete the window.

The process is pretty efficient to move the winbot from window to window, but you do need to attach it inside and outside for every window/sliding door/glass panel which does take some time.

Overall the winbot does a great job, and our windows have never been so clean!

Better than expected! – I wasn't sure what to expect when I got this, but I was certainly hoping for the best because I really dread cleaning large windows, especially high and hard to reach ones. The Winbot is so good! I just set it on the window and hit go and it takes care of the rest. My one gripe is that it's very loud so if you're someone who is sensitive to noise… Read more

like me, you're going to want to make a plan. I pop on my noise cancelling headphones and listen to music while I do the rest of the housework and it's worked out fine. The noise is to be expected when you think about the fact that it's sucking hard to keep itself on the glass. Speaking of, it is totally secure when doing this. I was a little concerned that I would have to worry about it falling off but it's really not an issue at all. It's not suitable for all window types but if you have a large area window it's probably for you. I was pleased to discover that it's pretty smart about navigating around obstacles such as the child locks which protrude on my windows.

In terms of ease of use, you need only top up the cleaning solution which is easy and apply a clean cloth. The cloth should be rinsed between each windowpane but it's really easy to remove and re-apply the cloth so this is no biggie. There's a cord which is supposed to secure it to the top of the window and prevent it from falling but to be honest I didn't bother with it, and it was fine! If you're concerned about this, it's there. The quality of the job was fantastic and if you didn't get the result you wanted (perhaps your windows are dirtier than mine) you can just set it in the app to do additional passes. I would highly recommend this product; it has been a pleasant surprise!

One more tip: I used it on my wardrobe mirrors as you will see in the video, and it was great for this too.

Do not buy ANY ecovacs product, dodge product and even worse business practices to deal with faulty machines – ***UPDATED REVEW*** DO NOT BUY ANY ECOVACS PRODUCT. This company does not honour Australia's minimum baseline standard warranty. Product: Ecovacs Winbot W1 Pro – A Cautionary Tale I can no longer recommend this product or company. Despite Australia's consumer protection laws providing a minimum baseline warranty, Ecovacs refused to honour their… Read more

legal obligations when my Winbot W1 Pro failed at just 18 months old with less than 20 hours of total use. This product is one of the most expensive single purpose appliances on the cleaning market, and it ultimately ended up in the bin at least 10 years prior to what should of been its reasonable useful life despite massive efforts to seek support and legal warranty with ecovacs over months of wasted time, stress, and zero resolution.

Faults and Failures:

The unit first began to malfunction with software issues — only cleaning a small square of glass (approx. 15% of the window) before prematurely ending its cycle at the top right hand corner of the glass. Updates, factory resets, and troubleshooting didn’t help. In response, Ecovacs ignored multiple requests for support, instead sending me promotional emails to upgrade to their newest model.

Shortly after, the battery failed catastrophically, falsely showing a full charge before suddenly losing suction and falling from height. The unit fell hitting hard surfaces on the way down breaking base screws and fittings, and entered an unrecoverable "3035 error" state. The so-called "safety cord" provided is completely ineffective and not fit for purpose to secure the unit in such an event.

Customer Service Nightmare:

It took over 6 months and 40+ emails to get any meaningful action from Ecovacs. Their support process was nothing short of toxic and evasive — constant gaslighting, repeated requests for the same information, refusal to acknowledge clear evidence, and delays clearly designed to exhaust customers into giving up.

When they finally arranged a repair, the unit was returned 3 weeks later in the exact same condition — untouched, still faulty, with the same physical damage and identical malfunctions. It was obvious they had opened the box but didn't even take the unit out from my original packing returned to me.

Despite this, Ecovacs refused to issue a replacement, even after their own documentation confirmed the unit had failed and was still under warranty. They continued their pattern of avoidance, then stopped replying altogether — the final correspondence more than 6 weeks ago before ghosting me completely.

Final Outcome:

The unit, barely 18 months old and less than 20 hours of total use was ultimately discarded. I was left with nothing but frustration, wasted time, and serious concerns about Ecovacs’ business practices that are in my experience and opinion blatant cooperation of dumping

As someone initially engaged by Ecovacs through product review to test this robot for them as part of a marketing campaign through a formal ambassador program, I feel compelled to share this experience. Ecovacs knew I was obligated to share this follow up experience and that it would be highly negative detailing my experience with them so If this is how they treat a product tester, I can only imagine the experience of paying customers who may not leave such a detailed account.

My Advice:

Avoid Ecovacs. If you're considering a window cleaning robot, look to the many more affordable and better-supported alternatives available on Amazon or from companies that respect their legal obligations.

In my opinion, based on this experience, Ecovacs appears to be knowingly passing off faulty or failed prototype-level products disguised as new machines at premium prices while failing to uphold basic warranty protections required under Australian law. This may amount to deliberate consumer dumping — a practice that deserves regulatory scrutiny.

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Original ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Review - April 2023 product testing ambassador...

Winbot W1 Pro is a nifty little robot and gives a pretty good clean, but for me it's a good start on a prototype, not a well finished appliance in its current price range.

The good…

* Terrific clean on large windows and properly affixed glass or mirror surfaces such as wardrobe doors and firmly affxed large wall mounted mirrors and display glass.

* For those larger area’s close to power points and within the limits of what the cord attachments allow, it is quick and fairly easy and efficient to change over between frames, windows, affix and release the suction once you get the hang of it.

* Fairly easy set up and app connection out of the box, the packaging is beautiful and functional, easy to grab, put back together and store including being light and easy to carry.

* You can register the product in the Ecovas app, see all compatible accessories and join family of other Ecovacs appliances if you also have the vacuum or other products.

* Fairly quick response of a few hours from Ecovacs support to any questions, albeit a bit evasive and scripted.

* Window cleaning solution is included and it’s pretty good.

* Cleaning pads are included and also very good quality and effective.

The not so good…

* The safety cord I’m betting in most homes is pretty useless with a decent point to attach it to being readily available non existent, impractical, not stopping drop onto something else potentially delicate, too long or not long enough and its just awkward and mostly a benign cord that bangs around.

* The advertising is a bit misleading, it refers to the battery that needs to be charged but that is a backup in case of power failure to maintain suction during operation. There is a downtime of up to 2 hours to charge the battery before each use purely for this safety feature but without any real benefit of cord free appliance one expects for the effort of charging at this price point for a single function unit. If a battery can power suction hold surely it can also move it?

* The instructions with regards to the window cleaning solution are confusing. It says to use the provided solution in the reservoir but another area of instructions also says don’t use any cleaning solution at all in the reservoir. I’m not sure if that means only EcovacsWinPro solution is ok therefore getting you on the hook to keep buying it but we all know these are much of a muchness. I kept it safe and used only water in the reservoir and a spray on the window both Ecovacs and my own. Both did a good job.

* Water reservoir is limited and is very difficult to manually monitor and check to refill and a transparent gauge or light alerting you to this being low would be really helpful. The instructions are also about 20ml off the actual reservoir capacity so you need to remember and be careful not to overfill. It’s all round awkward to fill, empty and a big oversight of the basics with an electrical cord attached.

* Having the unit reliant on corded power instead of rechargeable can really make this unit a clunky time consuming task. Most homes are going to have large glass spans close to outdoor openings and if your house has been built to code in the last couple of decades power outlets will be a regulated distance from openings limiting the reach of the units power cord.

* Note the quick glance specifications say run time 60 minutes.... what does that mean? Its not battery operated, most homes electricity supply is continuous and the water capacity nowhere near lasts 60minutes of ongoing use so again it is interrupted to do a 2 hour charge on a battery that is a non functional backup.

* Traditional extension cord isn’t recommended as it is too heavy and drags so what you will need is a property coil outlet extension and a decent one of those if you want to enjoy outdoor use as well is another $100+ to add to cost of the unit. As soon as you start lugging the unit, power outlet real, cleaner spray, water jug across different areas of the home especially in vertical living, it quickly becomes multiple trips, clunky and time consuming wondering if it’s worth the effort.

* The motor and suction is a bit loud as is the banging around of the cords that may limit how often and when people can use it in close proximity living of shared walls and units but I think most in that situation probably have to consider theses things with outdoor, vacuum and similar higher decibel tools and appliances.

* It’s inconsistently reliable. It often needs to be reset asking to be connected to power to achieve suction when it is in fact connected to power. It doesn’t always go straight up and down in neat little square configurations as the advertising indicates and that makes it very clunky, hard to control, and a bit worrying on things like shower screens bumping into hinges etc and preventing placement with some predictability that it may avoid that.

* Lots of down time in some of those areas with standing around to ensure it won’t drop in delicate areas of most bathrooms, maintains suction and needs a bit of manual guidance and frequent resetting.

* The tech similar to the robot vacuum is a great idea and brilliant when it works but is consistently inconsistent being underdeveloped AI and overly sensitive getting lost, confused or lacking in truly useful features that work really well such as auto correct sensors, mapping, no go zones, being able to bring it down when it gets lost etc. If your’e not going tech well and maintain it properly just don’t do it. Nobody needs a decent appliance let down by bad tech increasing their ever growing frustration in app fatigue and the time waste this often results in when it can operate often more efficiently and accurately without it on unit based sensors.

* If it gets tuck you have to manually bring it down so those out of reach high windows are still out of reach with the WinBot Pro because when the unit gets lost and stuck - and it does a fair bit - it has to be within physical reach to be manually retrieved. Its’ a case of what is the point because units like the WinBot Pro should be resolving this as its number one issue in my view. It really needs some type of magnetic easy connect retriever smart extension pole and capacity to use the app to activate and release suction reliably bring those spaces out of reach to in reach.

The verdict…

If you have large spans of glass, easily reachable at their highest point with no more than a step ladder, and PowerPoints with enough reach and easily accessible to all your windows this unit may be worth it.

Receiving this as a product reviewer I’m really happy to add his to my cleaning appliances and will continue using it on some windows. I’d probably also be reasonably satisfied to of purchased this at the max RRP $299 price point and below.

However at the current RRP $799 I would be returning this unit for the lack rechargeable battery operation and some type of magnetic safety extension pole and ability to activate and disengage suction for those out of reach windows.

The question I ask, and think many would for a standard home that is not a perfect testing environment, is the price with the limitations of where it can be used, time consuming clunky add ons and manual assistance, and those out of reach windows remaining out of reach, justifiable compared to what you can do yourself and in probably less time with similar results machine free or with a manual magnet cleaner?

Sadly for me sadly the answer is a firm no but I’m a keen observer and potential future buyer if this unit is further developed to address these issues.

It works, though with a few caveats – Who doesn’t like the idea of robots doing housework for you? And of all household chores, window cleaning has to be near the top of the `most tedious’ list. Not to mention difficult. If this product works, it should therefore be a winner. So, does it work? Read on for my verdict. First things first. Unboxing reveals a neat package in a handy… Read more

container. There’s the Winbot W1 Pro, power cord, safety cord, cleaning fluid, two cleaning pads, measuring cup, instructions, and that’s it. Straightforward. The first thing you do is connect to power and charge up the unit. And herein lies a minor disappointment. If you’re thinking this is a standalone, battery-operated device as I did, think again. The battery is a safety backup, but for operations you always need to connect to power. Which for me meant the inconvenience of extension cords and the inevitable tangles with the safety cord. Not great, but not a deal breaker either. Once the safety backup battery is charged, you fill the reservoir with supplied cleaning fluid. I measured precisely and it still overflowed a little. Another minor annoyance. After some business with a mobile app and Bluetooth (you can control it from your phone if you really want to), I then dampened and wrung out the cleaning pad as instructed, attached it and the safety cord, and was ready for action.

Let's try it out. The first time you push the Winbot W1 Pro against a window pane, hear it rev up and then let go is an act of faith. But it works! It magically defies gravity, gripping onto the glass, and starts cleaning, sending out little sprays of fluid as it `walks’ back and forth across the glass. All the while its sensors cleverly measure dimensions so that when it is done cleaning it returns to exactly where you first positioned it and tells you it is finished.

Initial impressions. So, first window complete – what is the initial impression? Is it clean? The answer is `yes’ and `no’. Yes, it is cleaner than before. No, it’s not yet up to my standard. I believe I can clean it better manually. But perhaps it’s the operator rather than the device, so let’s try some fine tuning.

Fine tuning. You start to learn some improvements. The biggest one for me was that the cleaning pad had to be quite damp, not just a bit damp. Really, it’s the moisture in the pad that was doing the heavy cleaning work. The pad also gets quite dirty so you need to take it off and rinse it regularly. Once I got the hang of this, it cleaned much more effectively, though still not as well as a detailed manual clean. Some windows need a deeper clean mode or a second go. It also means the device needs more supervision than I had hoped. The pad eventually dries out, especially outside and on warm days. So, you are fairly regularly rinsing and replenishing it – for me, every 10 minutes or so outdoors. Sometimes the unit doesn’t start up when pressed against the glass. You need to adjust your technique, how hard you push and so on. Then it’s ok. The unit can get disoriented and mistakenly think it’s finished, but this is rare. It’s actually very clever at working out its environment.

Safety. There are many safety instructions in the manual and you certainly don’t want this thing falling on someone. The instructions need your very careful attention. That said, the device’s ability to stick to the window is very impressive and I had no problems.

So, what are the best aspects? - I love that it actually works. It’s a clever device and fascinating to watch. - With due attention it does a reasonable, though imperfect clean. - It seems most suited to extra-large windows and hard-to-reach spots. I loved using it on the outside face of a second floor, exterior glass balustrade which I often neglect. No more ladders needed. - I found it particularly handy at removing algae that had accumulated on some panels. - Although it can’t reach every last millimetre, it impressively covers almost all of the window.

And less impressive aspects? - Working with extension cords is a little clumsy. - It’s not fully independent. The pad needs frequent rinsing, the reservoir needs refilling and the unit needs shutting down and moving as each pane is completed. I liken it to housework with the assistance of a teenager. Helpful, but still needing frequent interventions. - The clean is less than perfect, though reasonably good once you get the idea.

And who should get one? - If you are not a perfectionist and are happy with a `pretty good’ rather than `absolutely perfect’ clean, this may suit you. - I feel it would be most useful if you have very large panes of glass. Even if you have lots of windows, if the panes are only small to medium-sized I would question the savings in time and effort. - It is great if you have hard-to-access spots, such as balconies and upper stories. - When I tested this unit I had a broken arm. I simply could not have cleaned the windows without it. So another thought is that this unit will be helpful for the elderly, people with injuries and some people with disabilities - in fact, anyone who might struggle with the physical aspects of window cleaning.

Overall I am probably more `in like’ than `in love’ with the Winbot W1 Pro after using it. It’s an intriguing device and it really does work, with all the caveats I’ve mentioned. It’s kind of fun and helps take the drudgery out of the task. It also helps reduce quite a lot of the back breaking labour. With the level of necessary interventions I mentioned, it may not save quite as much time as you had hoped. However, for the right circumstances as outlined above, it will be a great help, or at least a very useful adjunct to your own manual cleaning efforts. And for some people, for example, those with acres of glass in large panels and hard to reach spots, it could well be a game changer. I will definitely use it myself in future, but with realistic expectations. Please note, I was supplied this product as part of the Product Review Ambassador Program.

Fit for OTHER cleaning uses too including WARDROBES. I tried it using Windex! – I'm already an Ecovacs customer. I already purchased the Ecovacs T9+ with my own money (got it on sale at JB), so was keen to product test this windowbot after being impressed by the T9+ which was a life changer for me and my extreme cleaning laziness. I was skeptical because I figured the setup would be more time and bother than actually just… Read more

wiping it with a cloth, turned out I was wrong. I discovered that it's also great for the very common floor to ceiling mirrors on bedroom wardrobes, or anything glass - balcony fences, pool fences etc.

Through trial and error I discovered that using a DRY mop pad, (instead of the recommended wet), with the hopper filled with Windex does mirrors wonderfully.

I have no idea why the manufacturer doesn't suggest this because it's time consuming and dangerous to climb up on a ladder and wipe the top of the mirror glass on the bedroom wardrobes near the ceiling - this bot does it perfectly.

Set up is easy, I just squirted the solution into the hopper and pressed it to the glass and it automatically took off. You may as well set it to do a double clean in the app and it's not fast, it goes over it quite thouroughly.

It would be ideal for people living in highrise apartments with floor to ceiling external walls, those with glass pool fences (you may need an extension cord.)

Downside is that it can leave a mark on the last place where you pulled the unit off the glass, you'd give that a quick wipe after you take it off.