This article is part of TechRadar's Smart Home Week 2025. From lighting and switches to robot vacuums and smart thermostats, we're here to help you pick the right devices to make your life easier, and get the most out of them.
I've had the opportunity to test a lot of very cool tech during my career, from the Oura 3 smart ring to a Nissan Leaf, but so far nothing has been as satisfying at seeing a little robot gliding across the embarrassingly grimy windows in my flat and leaving them looking like new with no effort at all on my part.
The device in question is the Ecovacs WinBot W2 Pro Omni, and it's one of the most advanced domestic window-cleaning robots around right now. It works on both regular windows and frameless glass, and gets everything astonishingly clean.
I've not only used it on my windows (soiled by months of rain and dust from nearby building sites) but also mirrors and shower doors, and it's never left smears or lost suction. I think the image below, which shows one particularly grimy window before and after cleaning, speaks for itself.
Unlike most window-cleaning robots, the Winbot W2 Pro Omni comes with a rechargeable power pack, so you don’t need to keep it plugged in while it’s working. That’s a real boon, particularly when you’re cleaning outside, and I was able to take the power pack out onto my balcony without worrying about feeding cables through windows.
The power pack also serves as a carrying case for the robot, and has convenient compartments to hold its charging cable, the cleaning solution, and two cleaning cloths. There's also a tether so you can secure the power station to something solid in case the robot loses suction and drops off the window, but that's not something I've experienced.
Using the Winbot couldn't be easier. Just top up the reservoir with cleaning solution, apply a damp cleaning cloth to the robot's base, place it against the glass and press the button just above the handle for two seconds. The bot will come alive in your hand as it establishes suction with the glass, and swivel a little to ensure it’s in place. When the speaker on the power pack announces that it’s firmly attached, let go and the bot will work its magic.
Once the bot has finished. it will return to exactly where you left it, and chime for your attention. Grab its handle and hold the power button again, and after a few seconds it will detach in your hand, leaving behind nothing but crystal clear glass.
Despite its name, the Winbot doesn’t just clean windows. Thanks to its ability to detect the edges of surfaces without frames, it can also handle mirrors, shower doors, and even your glass kitchen splashback if you happen to have one.
Some window-cleaning bots (I'm looking at you, Hobot S7 Pro) will struggle with surfaces that don’t provide them with enough space to rotate, but not the WinBot. It adjusts its movements to suit the size of the window or mirror, and if there’s not enough room for it to twirl, it will limit its movements accordingly.
You can use the Winbot straight out of the box, but connecting it to the Ecovacs app gives you an extended set of cleaning options (including light cleaning if your windows aren't as gross as mine) and even manual controls if you want to go over a particularly troublesome area more than once.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed testing the Winbot so far, and will bring you a full review later this week.
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