“Bottom line up front - this product is gimmicky and not a serious window cleaning device. It simply doesn’t clean effectively enough and has a number of fundamental flaws.
The review. I needed to exchange my first device because it simply stopped cleaning on my second use. It wouldn’t commence cleaning with either the app selection or selecting start on the Hobot388 itself. I phoned the support line who were quite responsive and the Hobot was exchanged. The second device arrived and I had exactly the same problem as the first on my first use after about half an hour. This time the support line…was a little less enthusiastic in responding. Basically, I had (and have) lost faith in the Hobot388. By the way, I sent video of the issue on both reported cases. Anyway…I was advised to send more video and you wouldn’t believe it - but it worked…sort of. So…I’ve now used my second device for about an hour and I have issues. Issues apart from the fact it leaves a circle mark and it just doesn’t clean that well. I’m sure I’d be advised to change clothes to prevent the circles, but I’ve changed the clothes five or six times already - it’s just easier to wipe them away.
Other things I’ve noted: 1. It doesn’t clean in the corners - like often it simply won’t go into a corner at all and remain 5-10cm away. This can occur both at the start (up the top of the window) or at the end (down the bottom). 2. Sometimes it won’t start at the top - even if you hit the correct button to command that start point. It’ll just randomly start a fair ways down from the top of the window. 3. Sometimes it just randomly stops the clean half way through a window. 4. The sprayer is useless - as in it doesn’t dispense enough spray to seem to work effectively. 5. The Hobot can slide down a window making the cleaning track ineffective - yes, I know this is a noted issue in the user guide, but my windows were just ordinary windows and I’m not sure why a couple of them didn’t allow the Hobot388 to "stick". 6. It’s slow. Slower than you think. Yes, this is also disclosed in the website spiel and you can do the math using those numbers before you buy this product - but I’ve warned you!
I don’t believe this device would serve the average home owner with average windows to clean inside and out. It may suit someone with few windows to clean in inaccessible locations.
I’ve given it two stars because it works - using a generous interpretation on "work". But It doesn’t clean windows to my (average) standard and has bugs and issues - lots of them. Stay away from the Hobot388.”
“It does get stuck sometimes and it does leave very minor streaks,but seriously, so do I!! I can NEVER clean my windows without MAJOR streaks. And running back over it with a dry cloth very quickly gets rid if in the areas you can access. The fact I can do the opposite side of my glass balustrade and the outside of my windows, as well as my tiled walls, is amazing! I love it!!! And it's so much quieter than I thought it would be.”
“I’m having trouble getting the programme to run. However it’s a beaut little unit. I’m thinking I might need to send it back to get it reprogrammed as it keeps not obeying the prompts. I do check everything and it seems to just not want to run sometimes. Frustrating but makes an amazing job. Worth working on the problems.”
