Eufy Omni C28 review: an affordable robovac that defies its price tag

At a time when advanced features like robot arms and detachable deep cleaners are taking over the best robot vacuums, it’s refreshing to see a back-to-basics model that just works, vacuuming and mopping well without the fancy gimmicks — and at a great price.

Last year, I reviewed the Eufy E28, and I was more than a little disappointed with its lackluster navigation and reluctance to attack big clumps of cat hair and cereal, instead seeing them as immovable objects to avoid.

Well, this latest Eufy model also carries the “28” moniker, serving as a more affordable model within the company’s “C” series against the increasingly powerful vacs that consistently breach the $1,000 threshold. But have those object identification issues been sorted, and can it mop and vac like the best of them? Read on to find out.

Eufy Omni C28 review: Price and availability

The Eufy C28 is available at $799.99 from Eufy.com, and the same price on Amazon (though it’s often on sale for much less). It’s particularly appealing to people who wince at the thought of dropping four figures for a robot mop, which many mid-to-high tier models are these days.

Don’t forget to pick up the detergent for $21 and extra bags if you need, which are $17 for a set of three.

Eufy Omni C28 review: Design

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Though the robot itself is similar to many in its class, the Omni station is quite a bit shorter and thinner than most, so it won’t stick out from smaller gaps or even a flush wall.

As you might expect from a vac at this price, the plastics are less premium and more scratchy than its glossier, pricier counterparts, but then again, its black matte design will naturally resist hairs and fingerprints as it does its business. With its black design and indented handles at the top, it’s all too easy to mistake it for a paper shredder. Either way, it suits a home office setting, but it might stick out if you’re going for rustic or relaxed lounge vibes.

The robot itself has a fairly tall LIDAR unit atop, which may restrict its use under narrow bed gaps or sofas. Customary to practically all vacs is the front bumper plus a laser distance sensor at the front, which forms part of its iPath 2.0 feature, letting it detect objects even in low light conditions. Underneath, you have two rotating brushheads, dual anti-hair tangle brushes, and a roller mop that can apply 1 kg of downward pressure.

Docking Station

The Omni station comprises an all-in-one solution that washes and dries the mop (the latter at 50 degrees C), empties collected dust and dirty water, while refilling the robot with clean water. And the 3-liter dustbag shouldn’t need to be replaced for 75 days, depending on your use. Sadly, there’s no detergent tank, which is often the norm for at this price range, so you’ll need to measure out some manually when you refill with clean water.

You also need to close the 2.2-L tanks and then ensure you click the side flap closed as a second step — if you forget, the door swings open as soon as you try to pick up the tank, emptying its contents. I also appreciate the detachable dust tray just beyond the Omni’s ramp. A lot of dust and hair can build up in this area over time, so anything that minimizes having to clean such an awkward space near the floor is a plus for me.

Eufy Omni C28 review: Performance and test results

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We use standardized tests to objectively measure how robot vacs perform against their many peers. They include sprinkling 20g of Cheerios, 20g of kitty litter, and 5g of pet hair on a laminated hardwood floor and low-pile carpet to determine how much the vacuum sucks up and what percentage remains. On top of that, I’ve been using the Eufy C28 for nearly two weeks.

I never expected the budget-friendly Eufy C28 to fare so well, but the results are starkly clear. All tests, save for one, culminated in a 90% or higher pick-up rate. The results obliterated those of its pricier brother, the E28, which had real problems discerning closely bunched larger debris from objects to avoid, so it’s clear the navigation has been largely fixed this time around.

The C28 did a slightly less impressive job on the cat hair on wood, as the vacuum would often think twice about clearing the hair-strewn area before diving in, again, perhaps seeing them as obstacles to navigate. I also saw the odd bit of debris being pushed into a space where it had already covered, leaving it unpicked, but this was fairly rare. There was also a loose fabric thread that had trickily embedded itself onto a runner mat, and it struggled to pick it up here, which is where a more powerful vac might have more success.

I also found its navigation a little perplexing, often hugging some edges closely and aggressively bumping into skirting boards, but giving other objects a wider berth than usual.

It would also double back to spin, but this might be due to our hardwood floor giving the illusion of pesky stains to tackle. More than a few times, it would pause for a few seconds to think on its next move. After reviewing the Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Flow recently, I’m reminded of how good that company’s nav system is.

Still, the C28 would also happily mount higher thresholds — it had no issues climbing our border heading into the kitchen. Its aggressiveness did get it stuck between an Ikea chair’s leg base, but after a few goes, it managed to extract itself, and since my time with it, it’s never asked for any intervention out of a sticky situation.

As this is a more affordable model, there’s no extendable brush or roller mop, so expect to do some top-up cleaning in those tighter gaps or corners.

Mopping is generally great, and it handled my liberal ketchup art with ease. In low water output mode, there’s some streaking here and there, but bumping up the water setting sorts this out. I’m impressed with its performance for a more budget model — the mop applies good downward pressure while automatically washing itself as it goes, so staining on mopped areas is non-existent.

When it returned to the dock (and before it leaves), the vac gets noisier than usual when transferring water to and from the base station, with quite a bit of whirring and gurgling behind the scenes. As it’s a smaller tower unit, those sounds are less readily absorbed, but it’s nothing you can’t get used to.

Eufy Omni C28 review: App

Clean and fairly easy to navigate, the Eufy app covers what most people need. Still, as someone who likes to tinker and toy with different features, I found Roborock’s app to have far greater customization in terms of suction, cleaning profiles, and mop water output, but Eufy’s UI is simpler and easier to navigate. Case in point: Roborock’s water output has 30 settings, which is probably overkill, while Eufy has just three. Still, you can fine-tune operation thanks to multiple maps, cleaning schedules, and adjustable cleaning profiles for each room.

Eufy Omni C28: Verdict

Not everyone can drop a grand on a good robovac, so for the performance alone, the Eufy Omni C28 represents great value for money, and it’s particularly a steal if you can nab one for the introductory price.

There are some minor issues here and there, mostly with its navigation and edge cleaning, but practically no robot vacs let you get away without top-up cleaning anyway.

Overall, I’m impressed with its cleaning performance, particularly in the tests, and it can certainly hold its weight against even bigger rivals beyond its class and price grouping. It easily outperforms its pricier brother in the next class, the Eufy E28.

Having been spoiled by extendable brushes and roller mops, plus a separate detergent tank, I’m missing these quality-of-life features, but again, for its low, low price, you can’t have everything. Definitely one to shortlist if you’re in the market for an easy-to-use robot vac without upsetting your bank manager.