The Eureka J12 Ultra aims to deliver a robust cleaning performance at an affordable price. While it might not win any awards for aesthetics, it promises effective cleaning capabilities and easy maintenance. In many ways, it’s comparable to the Ultenic MC1 we tested recently.

Although it lacks a few features compared to products like the Ecovacs Deebot T30 Omni or Roborock Qrevo Pro, it’s cheaper than them, making it worth considering if you’re looking for an automated cleaning experience without breaking the bank.

In this detailed review, let’s see if the Eureka J12 Ultra can compete with leading robovacs, thanks to its self-cleaning and emptying dock, which cares for the robot and its mops.

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Chunky and basic design

The Eureka J12 Ultra comes with one of the bulkiest docks I’ve seen. It looks massive, as it’s both tall and wide. It features two water tanks at the top, covered by a flap for more discretion. On the front, there’s a removable panel that reveals the dust bag, together with an empty compartment that could have housed a detergent tank. The baseplate is particularly interesting, as it’s fully removable, just like on the Ultenic MC1 and Ecovacs T30 Omni. This makes it very easy to clean, as it’s fully removable and washable in the sink.

The robot’s design is quite different from other models. It comes in a rounded square shape, unlike other robovacs that are usually circular. There’s a LiDAR dome at the top, together with three buttons for quick operation. In addition, a flap conceals the dust bin and HEPA filter, making them easy to access.

On the underside, it comes with a single bristled brush roller and two side mops to capture dust from corners. Unfortunately, the first isn’t the best option if you have pets or long hair, as it’s more prone to entanglements. In addition, it uses two oversized rotating mop pads for wet cleaning. Sadly, these aren’t liftable, meaning you have to remove them manually to vacuum carpets.

Overall, the Eureka J12 Ultra isn’t the best-looking robot vacuum on the market. Its design is very basic and mostly utilitarian. The build quality is also quite basic, using mostly cheap-feeling and low-quality plastics. This isn’t necessarily an issue, though, especially considering the product is budget-friendly.

Unattractive app with limited options

The Eureka app is quite different from the market leading ones. It comes in a dark and austere design, making it less user-friendly than the ones Roborock and Dreame offer. Just like any other robovac, it roams around your home to map it during the first use. It’s not very precise when it comes to separating rooms, although the maps are easy to edit. You can also save different maps, which is useful if you have a house with multiple floors.

The app lets you clean a specific room or zone, in addition to your entire home. Similarly, you can also choose from different cleaning modes: vacuuming, mopping, vacuuming and mopping, or vacuuming then mopping.

Similarly, you can adjust the suction power, as well as the mop washing frequency. You’re also able to control the dock’s settings, including the dust emptying frequency, as well as the mop drying duration.

That’s about it, and while the app is relatively simple to use, it lacks customization and advanced options. It also can’t display obstacles on the map, despite the robot featuring effective obstacle avoidance functionality.

Solid vacuuming performance

The Eureka J12 Ultra features a 5000Pa suction power, which is average but adequate for an affordable product like this. Combined with a bristled brush roller and two side brushes, it ensures a reliable cleaning performance. It does an excellent job on hard surfaces like hardwood and tile, efficiently picking up debris. However, the suction power is not sufficient for thick carpets, where it performs adequately but not exceptionally.

When it comes to debris collection, the Eureka J12 Ultra generally performs well. It handles a variety of particles, including dust, pet hair, and crumbs. The combination of the suction power and the bristled brush roller ensures that even stubborn dirt is effectively lifted from the floor, even in grouts, while the side brushes help to gather debris from hard-to-reach areas.

The robot’s rounded square shape, paired with the two side brushes, allows it to navigate and clean corner areas more thoroughly than many traditional circular models do. This design choice ensures that corners and edges, which often accumulate dust and debris, are not neglected.

Decent mopping results

The Eureka J12 Ultra does a good job overall when it comes to wet cleaning. However, there are some limitations to consider. Since the robot itself lacks a water tank, it must return to the dock frequently to rewet the mop pads, as they can dry out otherwise. This frequent return to the dock ensures that the mop pads remain damp, but it also means the cleaning process can take longer, while also using more water.

A significant drawback is that the mops are not liftable, which is not ideal if you have carpets. This also means the robot can inadvertently carry dirt from one room to another, reducing the overall effectiveness of the cleaning.

On lightly soiled floors, it manages to remove stains and dirt effectively. However, it struggles to remove dry stains, even when using some cleaning solution in the water tank.

An interesting feature is the robot’s ability to perform slight rotations by tilting leftwards to clean edges with its right mop. While the mop is not extendable, this maneuver helps it clean edges and corners more effectively than a straight-line approach would.

Reasonable noise and battery life

The Eureka J12 Ultra is slightly louder compared to similar robot vacuums, but it remains within a manageable range. During operation, you can still work or have a conversation, although it might be a bit annoying when watching TV. Overall, the noise is not overly disruptive but can be noticeable in quieter settings.

In terms of battery life, the Eureka J12 Ultra performs well, offering up to 150 minutes of cleaning time on a full charge. This is sufficient for covering large areas and ensures that the vacuum can complete its cleaning cycle without needing frequent recharges. If that’s not enough, the robot can automatically return to the dock to fill up its battery, before resuming its cleaning task.

Reliable navigation and obstacle detection

The Eureka J12 Ultra excels in navigation and obstacle detection, ensuring a seamless cleaning experience throughout your home. The robot navigates from room to room without any issues, consistently finding its way and avoiding getting lost or stuck. This reliable navigation ensures comprehensive coverage of your living spaces, including transitions between different rooms.

It also uses advanced Dual 3D obstacle detection technology, which allows it to sense obstacles without making contact. This technology works exceptionally well, enabling the vacuum to detect and navigate around furniture, toys, and other obstacles with precision. What’s more, the robot doesn’t leave a large uncleaned margin around obstacles like some others do

Low maintenance, as long as you don’t have pets or long hair

The Eureka J12 Ultra is easy to maintain. The dock’s baseplate is fully removable, allowing you to easily rinse and wash it in the sink or even with a hose in the garden. However, it’s not the best at thoroughly washing the mop pads, meaning it’s best to occasionally machine wash them.

The bristled brush roller presents more of a challenge. Hair tends to get tangled and wrapped around it, requiring regular maintenance and sometimes even needing to be cut out. This aspect makes the Eureka J12 Ultra less ideal if you have pets or long hair.

Emptying the dustbin and cleaning the filters is also a breeze. The dock automatically empties the robot’s bin into the dust bag. Refilling and emptying the water tanks is straightforward, with the clean water tank featuring a specific opening to fill it under a faucet, which avoids opening it in full.

Is the Eureka J12 Ultra the right robovac for you?

The Eureka J12 Ultra is a budget-friendly robot vacuum that delivers solid performance across various cleaning tasks. Its robust suction power and efficient design make it particularly effective on hard floors, although it struggles slightly with thick carpets. The mopping function is decent, though it requires frequent returns to the dock to rewet the pads, and the inability to lift the mops makes it less suitable for homes with carpets.

The vacuum’s maintenance is straightforward, particularly with the fully removable and washable baseplate of the dock. However, the bristled brush roller may require more frequent upkeep if you have pets or long hair. The app, while functional, lacks the advanced features and user-friendly interface found in competing models.

Despite its somewhat utilitarian and bulky design, the Eureka J12 Ultra offers decent cleaning results for an acceptable price. If you can overlook its basic aesthetics and occasional inconveniences, this robot vacuum is definitely worth considering. However, if you have long hair or pets, another robot might be a better option for you.

Pros	Cons
Cleaning performance	Bulky Design
Navigation and obstacle detection	Bristled brush is hard to clean
Removable baseplate	Build quality

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