Hobot 368 (window-cleaning robot with rotating pads and mains power): our review

The picture window beside your favorite reading chair can make cleaning feel like an upper body workout with a disappointing view. The 368 runs on mains power, with an electrical power specification of 90 W. For your living room, that means arranging access to an outlet and keeping the cord's route in mind before placing the robot. The wattage describes electrical consumption, not how readily a dried smear will come off the glass.

You still manage the setup. Moving toward the windows overlooking the patio means moving the power connection along with the robot. Remote control lets you manage commands, but placement and retrieval remain yours. Our view is straightforward: rotating pads are a useful reason to hand over the scrubbing, provided you are happy to stay involved. The furniture will not rearrange itself to help, either.

A power interruption is especially unwelcome when a robot is working somewhere awkward to reach. The UPS backup battery has a specified holding time of 20 min, a typical duration among window cleaning robots. Its purpose is to help keep the robot attached during an outage while you retrieve it. That reserve is for retrieval, not continued cleaning without outlet power. Think about access before sending it up the glass.

Could you comfortably bring it back down from the position you have chosen? At an upstairs window, that practical question matters more than the appeal of handing over the wiping. Manufacturers' manuals instruct users to attach a safety tether to a fixed anchor and stay nearby, especially on upstairs exterior windows. Those precautions do not guarantee against a fall. Manufacturers also advise against exterior window cleaning in rain; save that job for dry weather.

Breakfast in the sunroom comes with a fine view and, eventually, several glass panels asking for attention. The robot weighs 0,895 kg, a load you will lift into position and carry to the next pane. That matters when the route around the room includes repeated reaches above shoulder height. Less scrubbing is appealing; repeated lifting still belongs in your decision.

Its 9,5 cm height gives you a concrete clearance check: measure the space beside projecting window handles and nearby obstructions before deciding where it can travel and where you can retrieve it. Rotating pads supply the scrubbing action. They are the feature that makes this model worth considering when a cloth and an outstretched arm have worn out their welcome. Dirt, cleaning solution, and cloth condition still influence the finish. We put its equipment in the middle of the pack, with remote control, rotating pads, and UPS backup covering the essentials.

For an upstairs picture window, a longer interval to retrieve the robot can matter more than another convenience. The 368's typical backup duration is its main drawback beside the alternatives here. If reaching the robot would require careful repositioning, we would make that retrieval interval a deciding factor. Extra time does not replace staying nearby, but it gives you more room to respond when the electricity cuts out.

Ecovacs WINBOT MINI has a higher backup battery holding time of 30 min and is better rated overall. Ecovacs WINBOT MINI makes sense when extra retrieval time is your priority.

Lubluelu CHYW201 has a higher backup battery holding time of 30 min and is better rated overall. Lubluelu CHYW201 better suits buyers who want a longer backup duration. For reachable windows and a routine built around an outlet, the 368 remains a reasonable choice. Buy for the work you can hand over and the access you actually have.