Cecotec Conga Eternal Max Vital

Robot vacuum cleaners are more and more complete and sophisticated… but also more and more expensive. Without going any further, the current top of the range already exceeds a thousand euros. But most of us don’t want to spend so much on vacuuming and scrubbing the house. If you are one of those looking for the best value for money, we have tested a vacuum cleaner that you will love..

Cecotec’s Conga Eternal Max Vital has, on paper, some of the most desirable features for a robot vacuum: smart navigation, mapping, Wi-Fi connectivity, and even scrubbing. But the best part is that it offers all these features at an affordable price. Will it live up to expectations? We tested it thoroughly to find out.

Conga Eternal Max Vital – Technical specifications

How does the Conga Eternal Max Vital clean?

The Conga Eternal Max Vital has a maximum suction power of 2500 Pa and combines a central brush and two side brushes. The combination of the two makes it possible to obtain a vacuum cleaner reliable enough for everyday use..

We have the choice between 3 suction powers: eco, normal and turbo, although the most common in our day to day has been to combine normal with turbo. And the fact is this robot is not particularly powerfulso it’s best to make sure it has the strength to carry solids such as hair, dust, crumbs or sand.

We think the 3 built-in brushes do a good job of picking up dirt, though if you have pets that shed, this vacuum won’t be enough for you.. They can easily get tangled in the hairs of the roller, reducing its ability to catch more.

But if you do not have fur at home or do not shed much hair, it fulfills the maintenance task.. During our test, we used it every day and the difference is noticeable: the floor is much cleaner, even if it is sometimes necessary to take the broom to remove the most difficult to reach dirt.

If your house is particularly dirty or if the solids are important, we advise you to use the vacuum cleaner. turn on the turbo and activate the dual pass.a way to double the vacuum’s chances of catching dirt.

How to Clean Carpets

If you have rugs or carpets in your home, a function of the application seemed very interesting to us: turbo mode for carpets. If you activate it, when the robot gets on a carpet, it activates its maximum power (if it is not already activated) to suck up the embedded dirt.

While it is true that after a few passes the carpets are a little cleaner than they were, given that the vacuum cleaner is not particularly powerful and its brush does not shine with its efficiency, its work is nothing more than maintenance. In other words: that you will need to vacuum thoroughly from time to time. with a more powerful vacuum cleaner.

One more point: as it is a fairly small vacuum cleaner, if the carpet is thick, it may have serious difficulty in lifting itself up and cleaning it well. In this regard, we got the best results on thin carpets..

How the Conga Eternal Max Vital Scrubs

One of the coolest features of this vacuum cleaner is that it it is also suitable for scrubbing the floor thanks to its mixed tank and a washing accessory with mop.

Although he is far from the mop, its action is effective for drops on the floor and even for removing small dry stains.. What we like the most is its effect scouringThis means that in addition to rubbing the floor with a damp mop, the mop vibrates to mimic the effect of floor friction, improving results.

We were pleasantly surprised the quality of the water dosage in three levels (low, medium and high), so you can wash the whole house with just a little water. And since there are no puddles, it dries in minutes.

That’s right, if you have carpets we recommend that you either remove them before scrubbing or leave this area uncleaned. Indeed, unlike other more advanced models, it does not dodge the carpets and does not raise the washing accessory to avoid touching them.

Just want to mop the floor? There is also an option for you to use the waterless wash attachment.

How the robot vacuum cleaner moves

The main responsible for the navigation of the Conga Eternal Max Vital is the laser sighting device located at the top of the. This LiDAR launches a beam that hits objects such as walls and other obstacles in order to “learn” the architecture of your home. On the one hand, it maps its structure precisely and, on the other hand, it orients itself.

This Smart navigation technology is recognized for its good performance.. Compared to models with a single camera for smart navigation, it performs equally well regardless of ambient light. In other words, you can use it even if there is no light, because it will “see” just as well.

All manufacturers recommend not to turn on a robot vacuum cleaner, to clear the ground of any obstacle where it could get stuck.. However, we know that sooner or later we’ll leave a loose cable, a lost sock, the curtains…that’s why we tested it as is.

This robot vacuum cleaner is able to clean our apartment, which has an area of ​​about 50 square meters on the map, in about 25 minutes and it does so following an orderly path. In other words, he moves from room to room in a logical order, first going around the perimeter, then zigzagging through the rest. In summary, its navigation is good and efficient..

But, as can be seen in the application map, there are areas that oppose itIn addition to those spaces where it does not pass, it does not pass in narrow places, for example between the legs of chairs in the dining room, when it could pass through the diameter of the chairs.

In this sense, its measurement ability can be improvedbut the simplest and most practical solution on a daily basis is to clean the area.

Throughout our weeks of testing it crashed several times trying to get on the scale. Likewise, it causes us problems when it swallows the cables of a power strip placed on the ground or another cable that hangs on the ground.

Attention : Robot vacuum cleaners equipped with LiDAR detect large obstacles quite wellbut those below the line can go unnoticed when they are close and it is too late. Again, by removing these elements, the vacuum navigates without problems.

Smart navigation helps plan and divide rooms, a very useful function that allows you to clean by zones.. To do this, once he has walked through your house several times and knows what it looks like, you must configure the map by rooms with the corresponding divisions and names.

when you have your map modified to match realityYou can choose what you want it to clean and how (order, suction and scrubbing power, passages), or just clean a specific area. So if you just cooked and left the kitchen dirty, you can only vacuum and mop that room.

Control

Although there are 2 ways to control the Conga Eternal Max Vitalmanually and from the app, we highly recommend the latter if you want to get the most out of it.

However, if you are extremely basic users or not tech savvyyou can always press the power button on the top of the device to make it work and the little house button to go back to base. But you won’t have access to all cleaning and mapping options. It can even store up to 5 cards, which is ideal for multi-story homes.

Unlike other Cecotec models, which have a classic remote control for old-school operation, if you want to control the Conga Eternal Max Vital remotely, you just need to install the Cecotec app, available for both.. . iOS as for android.

We like the interface of the Cecotec application, because it is easy on the eye and intuitiveso anyone familiar with the technology will find it very useful. If your budget is tight, you can always stay on the main screen, which is much simpler.

Because on the main screen you have the minimum and the essentials:

• The plan of your house colored by zones to distinguish the rooms and places through which the robot has passed.
• The battery percentage and the area cleaned in square meters since the last session.
• The house icon to return the vacuum cleaner to its base.
• The power button lets you choose the type of cleaning you want. You can then choose the passages, the power and the level of cleaning, as well as the turbo function for the carpets.
• At the bottom of the screen you will find access to other operations such as planning, map editing and adjustments.

The most interesting thing you can do is implement comprehensive cleaning plans by choosing the cleaning rooms and order from one of the 5 cards it can save, the mode, the suction power, the scrubbing level and the days and hours of operation. Setup takes time, but the rewards are worth it.

Among the settings you will find options to display the cleaning history, the evolution of the deterioration of consumables such as the mop or the filter, the configuration to use it with voice assistants such as Alexa and Google Assistant, sharing equipment so others in your family can use it or upgrades.

The best thing is that despite being a cheap robot vacuum cleaner, it has a wide range of options and, in addition, the application has been renewed to be more practical and attractive. It is also possible to It is also worth noting how well the app workswithout significant lag or loss of communication between our phone and the device.

Autonomy

According to Cecotec, the Conga Eternal Max Vital offers autonomy of up to 110 minutesbut we can tell you that in practice, although real, this figure is optimistic, obtained in ideal conditions and in ECO mode.

As we have seen throughout the analysis and due to its low power, the normal thing in our daily life has been to use the normal mode or even the turbo mode, and with these operating modes battery life decreases significantly.

So, in turbo mode and without scrubbing, this robot vacuum cleaner was able to clean our floor two and a half times. In terms of time, using the turbo mode continuously, its battery lasts about an hour. With a very dirty house, we opted for double pass, thus consuming half the battery in a single cleaning session.

From what we could see, the battery of the Conga Eternal Max Vital is sufficient to handle different cleaning scenarios for small to medium-sized apartments (60 – 80 m2), but is not up to par if your house is bigger.

Design and materials

Cecotec opted for design continuity with this robot vacuum cleaner.which has an old fashioned style. That is, with a compact base whose sole purpose is to recharge the vacuum cleaner, a flattened cylinder shape and a module at the top where the laser sight is located.

At the front it has a plastic bumper to detect obstacles with a simple touch and not damage them (or damage itself), at the back it has a mixed tank for solids (the dirt sucked up) and liquid for cleaning and, more interestingly, it is located at the bottom of the device:

• With a central spiral roller combining rubber and bristlesa fairly common and solvent structure and materials to trap dirt. However, if you have pets, it is better to opt for center brushes made only of rubber, as they are more efficient and more durable.
• With two side brushes to vacuum surrounding dirt in the suction area.
• Along with the usual ground tracking sensors, fall arresters, wheels, and cargo trays, you’ll see a few locations where you’ll need to place scrubber attachment.

At the top, you’ll find the laser display, two buttons to turn the device on and send the vacuum to the base, and an LED for configuration.

The surface is extremely brightyou will therefore have to be careful when handling it with your fingers if you do not want to leave fingerprints on it. You will also see two large stickers containing device information and the QR code to download the app.

Absolutely everything about the vacuum cleaner is plastic and stainless steel. its appearance is casual, simple and functional.. Although it doesn’t look like a premium product, it held up well to continuous use for several weeks.

We were struck by the parsimony offered in terms of accessories and supplements.The mop does not come with a mop, filter or brush refill, which is a common feature with other similar models.

Interview

The Conga Eternal Max Vital is an old-school model in terms of upkeep. That is to say, he you will need to empty the solids tank and manually refill it yourself. water tank for the dishes.

If you have allergy issues or are just lazy.we have good news: these operations are quick and easy. However, neither the robot nor the app warns you when the dirt tank is full or the water tank is empty, so it’s best to check every time you clean, something we think could be wrong. improved.

Cleaning the central brush is no mystery either.Just turn the robot over, press the two plates and remove it. Then the supplied brush will help you remove hair and other dirt.

From there, check the manual or app to check how often you clean and replace things like the mop or filter.

Conclusions and prices

If until recently opting for a cheap robot vacuum meant compromising on important functions, today there are brands that have shaken up their offer by offering models with cutting-edge technology. high-end at a modest price. This is the case of the Conga Eternal Max Vital.

What we liked most about this robot vacuum is his ability to navigate. It is not infallible and may still have a few mishaps, but if you leave the house clear, it will go around your home optimizing the time spent so as not to make too many passages, even in quite complicated places.

Another point to note the effectiveness of your applicationIt is clearly designed, full of options and works quickly. It is true that it is very complete and that it does not have a remote control, but it is necessary to underline its intuitive character.

But it obviously has its limits: it’s not particularly powerful and doesn’t have the most advanced pet brushes.. This is not a major problem for daily cleaning, both vacuuming and mopping, in homes where there are no dogs or cats.

The icing on the cake the efficiency of its washing and carpeting mode to keep the floors sufficiently clean on a daily basis. In fact, it is one of the most complete on the market, which does not have much to envy to higher-end models.

We must appreciate the quality of its navigation given the fact that it does not have a great autonomy, given that it is not equipped with a navigation system. ideal for small to medium sized homes.

Without being perfect and given its limitations, it is not only one of the best you will find in its price range, but it is also one of the best you will find in its price range. it fulfills the main purpose of a robot vacuum cleaner.He does it with no frills. And it does it with no frills, as its base is very basic and doesn’t come with any extras to keep costs down.

The Conga Eternal Max Vital is the best cheap vacuum cleaner on the market.but he is not alone in this competition. Thus, Cecotec itself offers an identical model but with an additional mop: the Conga Eternal Max X-Treme (see price) that might interest you if you want to stretch the purchase of this consumable.

If you don’t care so much about smart navigation and the occasional extra turn at the expense of using the more autonomy, a little less power and, of course, a self-draining base. To not have to worry about hitting the ground, you’ll have to spend a little more for the Conga 2299 Ultra Home X-Treme (see the price).

If you like Xiaomi, keep an eye out for their Robot Vacuum Mop 2S (see the price), a slightly more expensive model, with slightly lower suction capacity and power, although its intelligent navigation and application are highly optimized.

For a slightly higher price, the Dreame F9 Mistral is available (see the price) that share characteristics such as suction capacity and connectivity, improving the autonomy of the latter and being a little quieter.. Note, however, that its navigation is sensor-based and therefore less efficient.

If you prefer the reliability of the best-known brand in the industry, the Roomba 692 (see the price), a fairly basic model with random navigation and less autonomy.. On the other hand, its application works well and is designed to be easy to use, while being compatible with the 3 main voice assistants: Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant.

Advantages and disadvantages

Comparison with other robot vacuum cleaners

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(*)Data not provided by the manufacturer.