Eufy’s RoboVac 15C Max Is the RoboVac to Buy

At $280, the RoboVac 15C Max is just $10 more than the 11S Max. Aside from smarthome integration and detailed scheduling, these vacuums are identical. However, smarthome integration and detailed scheduling are well worth the extra $10.

When I say these vacuums are identical, I mean it. Like the 11S Max, the 15C Max has 2,000 Pa (pascals) of suction power, which is an upgrade from previous RoboVac models. It has corner brushes for cleaning the edges of walls and furniture, an extra-large dustbin (20.5 oz.), an advanced dust filter, and a 100-minute battery life. The 15C Max is even the same width and height as the 11S Max.

For just $10 more than the 11S Max, the 15C Max is a no-brainer. It’s also one of the best robotic vacuums in the $200-$300 price range.

Easy Setup and Smarthome Integration

The 15C Max is easy to set up. It comes in basic, well-organized packaging, and the instructions are easy to follow. Although, anyone could set up the 15C Max without instructions—just set it down on the floor and start vacuuming.

One of the 15C Max’s biggest selling points is its smarthome integration. You can control it via the EufyHome app (iOS, Android), Alexa, or Google Assistant. It also comes with a handy remote control, which, while it doesn’t offer the same robust controls as the EufyHome app, is easy to use.

To connect the 15C Max to the EufyHome app, you open the app, hold a button on the RoboVac, and they pair automatically. The EufyHome app’s interface makes scheduling a breeze. You can schedule the RoboVac to clean any day of the week, at any time. You can also skip certain days of the week (I set it to clean every other day). This is a significant upgrade from the 11S Max’s scheduling feature, which doesn’t allow you to set different cleaning times for each day of the week.

Once it’s paired with the EufyHome app, you can, of course, connect the RoboVac to Google Assistant or Alexa. It then works as you’d expect. You can ask the RoboVac to start a cleaning cycle, go back to its charging dock, or make beeping noises (like the noises from a microwave) if it’s stuck under some furniture. You can’t set schedules through Google Assistant or Alexa, but really, that would be more time consuming than just opening the EufyHome app. You can set the RoboVac up with some routines, but it doesn’t work with If This, Then That (IFTTT), which would have been a nice addition for smarthome fiends.

This Thing Can Really Suck!

Another of the RoboVac 15C Max’s biggest selling points is its 2,000 Pa of suction power. This is almost double the power of the standard 30C, but it’s still a lot less suction power than a traditional vacuum, which operates at around 20,000 Pa.

However, I didn’t notice a difference; maybe because the 15C Max moves across the floor more slowly than a traditional vacuum, it picks up the same amount of junk. I’m always impressed when it runs over a pile of catnip and leaves behind a clean patch of carpet. And, like a regular vacuum, it leaves satisfying streaks on the floor.

The 15C Max has three different suction modes: Standard operates somewhere between 1,000 and 2,000 Pa, Max operates at 2,000 Pa, and BoostIQ automatically switches between Standard and Max modes depending on the situation.

I usually leave the 15C Max in Standard suction mode, which is fine for most applications. Surprisingly, both the Standard and Max modes are relatively quiet. I can even use it while watching TV. At most, the 15C Max puts out about 60 dB of noise, most of which is absorbed by the carpet.

Of course, a vacuum with good suction needs good brushes, and that’s what I appreciate most about the RoboVac. Its brushes are thick, they work great, and they’re easy to clean. Plus, the 15C Max’s corner brushes are good at sweeping dirt from the edges of walls and furniture—a luxury most full-size vacuums can’t provide.

A Blind Cleaning Machine

Some robotic vacuums have built-in room-mapping features that make cleaning more efficient. Essentially, the vacuum “sees” the room by calculating the travel distance of IR light.

The 15C Max doesn’t have this. Instead, it blindly crisscrosses around the house, bumping into everything along the way. Is this the most efficient way to clean a carpet? Hell no! But, to Eufy’s credit, the 15C Max takes full advantage of its blind cleaning technique.

When the 15C Max bumps into a wall, it chooses to run alongside it rather than backing out and going elsewhere. It does this to make sure the corners of the room are clean, and it does do a great job cleaning those corners. The 15C Max even has a corner cleaning mode, which I appreciate.

Would the 15C Max be better with room-mapping features? Of course. Its blind cleaning method is frustrating to watch and a waste of the 100-minute battery. But most room-mapping vacuums cost about $500-$600, and I’m not sure it’s worth the extra $300.

Ledge-Detection, But No Boundary Strips

When I reviewed the RoboVac 11S Max, I intentionally tried to push it down the stairs. I wasn’t being malicious; I just wanted to see if it would be safe to use upstairs. It turns out that it has ledge-detection sensors that prevent stair-related accidents. These same ledge-detection sensors are in the 15C Max. As of right now, I’ve fallen down the stairs about four times, but the 15C Max hasn’t fallen once.

The 15C Max doesn’t work with boundary strips, though. This seems like a significant oversight, especially when you consider the RoboVac 30C (a weaker version of the 15C) works with boundary strips.

Why would you need boundary strips? Remember, one of the selling points for this vacuum is its scheduling feature. One of the rooms in my house is routinely littered with yarn and cat toys. Without boundary strips, how am I supposed to keep the 15C Max out of that room? Sure, I could close the door every day, but at that point, I might as well ditch the 15C Max’s scheduling feature and run it manually.

Yes, It’s Easy to Clean

I’ve killed more than a few vacuums in my time because I hate cleaning the hair and dirt out of them. Fortunately, my inability to properly clean expensive household appliances doesn’t matter anymore, because the 15C Max is so easy to clean.

The dust bin is easy to remove, yet sturdy enough not to explode in your hands. An occasional pass at the RoboVac’s dust filter with a brush (Eufy includes one) is the only deep cleaning the 15C Max will need.

Well, unless you have pets. Like any vacuum, the brushes on the 15C Max are hair magnets. Thankfully, they’re easy to remove and clean by hand or with the cleaning tool Eufy includes with every RoboVac (it has a built-in razor, which makes detangling easy). As for the corner brushes, they don’t need to be cleaned, but they do wear out over time. Eufy includes an extra pair with every RoboVac, but they’re also really cheap on Amazon.

If You’re Going to Buy a RoboVac, Get This One

When compared with Eufy’s huge catalog of robotic vacuums, the 15C Max isn’t revolutionary. It doesn’t bring anything new to the table; it’s merely an upgraded version of the 30C and the 11S Max, and that’s fine. With 2,000 Pa of suction power, an extra-large dustbin, and smarthome integration, the 15C Max is the best robotic vacuum Eufy has to offer. And, at just $10 more than the 11S Max, it’s a no-brainer.

The 15C Max does have two serious shortcomings, though. It doesn’t map rooms or work with boundary strips. For me, however, these aren’t deal-breakers. If room mapping is important to you, I’d suggest you skip the 15C Max and go for something like the Roomba 960.

If you want to use boundary strips, I recommend the $200 RoboVac 30C, which not only works with boundary strips, it includes them. Or you can wait until Eufy releases an upgraded version of the 15C Max with boundary strip support.