Is the Dyson 360 Eye worth its expensive suggested retail price of more than $1000? We cast a critical eye over the Dyson 360 Eye in our quick review.
Dyson 360 Eye: Overview
The best things about the Dyson 360 Eye are its wide brush and powerful suction, which achieves a thorough cleaning of hard floors and thin carpets. However, this impressive vacuum power creates a drawback: its battery charge is only good for about 30 to 45 minutes. This means that the robot vacuums for only 30 minutes before going back to its charging dock to recharge for almost 3 hours. Still, it automatically resumes cleaning after recharging its battery.
The most disappointing thing about the Dyson 360 Eye might be its smartphone app. It needs a few more updates to sort out annoying problems with its scheduling function and progress maps. Also, its height of almost 5 inches makes it a tall robot vacuum that might get stuck underneath furniture.
Finally, there is the price tag of over $1000 to justify. The Dyson 360 Eye needs to be the best robotic vacuum cleaner if we are going to pay that much for it. Unfortunately, we believe it is neither the best nor the most user-friendly robotic vacuum on the market.
In brief, the Dyson 360 Eye might catch the eye with its unusually good looks, but its overall performance is not worth the recommended retail price.
What is included in the box?
Only three things: the Dyson 360 Eye robot, the charging dock and the power plug.
What is the eye in 360 Eye?
The “eye” is the small round transparent dome on top of the cover. This is the robot’s navigational camera, which sees objects in the room it is cleaning to determine its cleaning pattern. The navigational ‘eye’ needs adequate lighting in order to see the objects in the room. If the room is too dark, it will not be able to see clearly. Keep the navigational camera clean by wiping it occasionally with a microfiber cloth that is both soft and dry.
The Dyson 360 Eye has drop sensors underneath its body to prevent it from taking a dive to the stairs. However, there is a drawback to these sensors. The drop sensors are very sensitive and might cause the robot to avoid very dark surfaces and rugs with a black color.
How does its app work?
First, you download the Dyson Link app from either the Apple App Store or Google Play. Follow the instructions in the Dyson 360 Eye’s manual to set up the dock and Wi-Fi connection. Keep going and finish the process of connecting your smartphone to the Wi-Fi network and robotic vacuum.
The Dyson Link app gives you the ability to control the robot with a smartphone. You can use the app to schedule the robot to vacuum on a specific day and time. Use the ‘Activity’ tab to see data from the last five successful cleaning cycles. It also has a map of the areas it has cleaned. The ‘Product Guide’ tab offers extra information and troubleshooting help. The ‘Settings’ tab is used for naming the robot (we might name him HAL 9000), managing notifications and checking the software version.
The app seemed to have problems when it was first released. Setting up a time zone and a schedule was very frustrating. The app is being updated and might work a little better in the future, but it still seems like it is the Achilles heel of the Dyson 360 Eye.
Dyson 360 Eye vs. Roomba 980
These robots both use a navigational camera for mapping the environment. They are both Wi-Fi enabled and have a mobile device app. They both have small dust bins. Is the Dyson better than the Roomba?
First, the iRobot Roomba 980 has a lower profile (3.6 inches) than the Dyson 360 Eye (4.7 inches) and will fit under more furniture without getting stuck.
Second, the price of the Roomba 980 includes two virtual walls. The Dyson 360 Eye does not use virtual walls.
Finally, the iRobot Home app seems to be more user-friendly and have fewer problems when compared with the Dyson Link app.
All things considered, we think that the Roomba 980 offers better value for your money.
Our Unhappy Verdict
We want the most powerful and reliable robot vacuum if we are going to pay more than a thousand dollars for it. The Dyson 360 Eye has the performance we want, but not the trouble-free operation we desire. Therefore, we are eyeing the Roomba 980 instead. Click here to read our Roomba 980 review.