Robot vacuum cleaner Hobot Lazy D8 Lulu in the test: almost as good as Roborock, but cheaper

The predecessor Hobot Lazy D7 (test report) was a mopping robot without a station altogether; the price of 599 euros at RRP was too high for it. Hybrid vacuum cleaners, which not only offer a good mopping function, but also a strong suction function and are equipped with a comprehensive cleaning station, have long been on the market with barely worse mopping functions. At that time the need for a dedicated mopping robot was no longer there. Hobot has apparently also recognized this and now has a universal combination device with the Lazy D8 with Lulu cleaning station in its range. It should get the same score in terms of price and performance – we wanted to know in the test how well it works.

The Hobot Legi D8 is already available 535 EurosLulu Station costs approximately 300 Euros,

A big difference from most other vacuum and mopping robots is the shape. Like the D7, the manufacturer relies on a D-shape, while the competition now almost exclusively uses a round chassis. The D-shape promises better corner cleaning, and round top models like the Dreame X40 Ultra rely on a side brush on a mechanically extendable arm to compensate. Another unique selling point: Like its predecessor, the D8 also uses small rubber “tracks” instead of wheels. However, we found no real advantage with the D7. Instead of two wipes, the new model uses only one, with a motorized main brush now familiar from other vacuum robots in the front.

The D8’s laser turret is again located at the very back, the general design “stands out” mainly with its textured surface and the turquoise ring on top. But it doesn’t seem very high quality to us. However, the processing quality is good. However, we really like the cleaning station called Lulu. In our opinion, it looks high quality and is also surprisingly compact and low-level. This is made possible by the so-called eco-compressor in the dust container, thanks to which the contents are compressed. This means that vacuuming is unnecessary; instead, the user has to empty the dust container every few weeks. Narwal also uses similar technology with the Freo X (test report).

Setting up the robot and connecting it to the Hobot Lazy app (not the Hobot app!) is easy and self-explanatory. This is because of the step-by-step explanations, which draw attention to how to turn on the robot using the dedicated on/off switch under the top cover. Most expensive robot vacuum cleaners no longer have such a button. You then get to the app’s user interface, which is not overly stylish but is functional.

There’s also a wide virtual selection wheel on the main screen that offers eight different cleaning modes: Standard, Intensive, Eco, Pet, Custom, Dry, Polish and Spot. Unfortunately, the specific functions of these modes aren’t explained in detail in the app. The Custom mode allows for your own settings for water volume, suction power, mopping frequency and mopping speed.

On the home page you’ll also find the usual options for timed cleaning procedures, firmware updates, voice volume settings, language selection and more in-depth menus. One interesting feature is the ability to record your own voice messages instead of relying on predefined messages to start cleaning, return to the charging station and other tasks. This can be entertaining, but the built-in speaker quickly reaches its limits.

After making your selection, you will be taken to the map screen. There you can track the cleaning progress in real time and, after a first run to create a map – as is now common with most robots – you can adjust individual rooms if the automated room layout does not suit your personal preferences. This works well, but is more complicated than the competition, as the user must visit the relevant menu after each change if the adjustment has not yet been completed. It is also possible to create virtual barriers and areas that the robot should avoid. This means that the app does not offer a particularly attractive user interface, but it does provide a complete user interface with all the important functions.

A major improvement compared to its predecessor is the patented “Tangleless Suction” technology. According to the manufacturer, thanks to the increased suction power of 5000 Pa (compared to 2700 Pa for the D7), the robot sucks up to 82 percent of the hair before it reaches the brush. This effectively reduces the hassle of hair tangling in round brushes. The D8 also has a so-called “Eco Compactor”. This function in the robot’s dust container compresses the collected dirt and thus reduces the volume by up to a fifth. In this way, the robot needs to be emptied less often, just like the suction bag in models with automatic suction.

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Before its first use, the D8 creates a detailed map of the surrounding area using its three sensors. It also recognizes stairs and edges to prevent the robot from falling. The subsequent navigation is pretty good overall. Thanks to the many sensors that detect obstacles at a close distance right in front of the device, in addition to the lidar system on top of the robot, the robot moves mainly through the apartment with little contact. Unlike its predecessor, the robot now picks up its personal wiping cloth when driving over the carpet to prevent unwanted wetting of it.

Overall, we liked the suction power of the Hobot Lazy D8 Lulu. The device delivers very good results on hard floors. This also applies to the great wiping function, in which the wiping cloth moves back and forth at about 8 millimeters up to 1,300 times per minute, which simulates a scrubbing movement. That is the highlight of the robot. Unfortunately, the bot usually emits a high-frequency beeping sound while working, which is annoying in the long run. On carpet, it also captures most surface dirt and, thanks to the main brush with rows of bristles, also a lot of animal hair. Here the D8 cannot come close to the more expensive specialized competition, but it is not far away either.

Overall, the wiping result impressed us. Thanks to the described technology, the result is largely streak-free and normal dirt is picked up without any problems. However, we found it strange that the D8 does not clean the wiping cloth during cleaning – this is what all competitors do who have an equally complex cleaning station. Instead, the Lulu Washing Station only takes care of the maintenance of the D8 after each cleaning process. It charges the battery, fills with fresh water, cleans the wipe and then dries it. The cleaning of the cloth is particularly important. Thanks to the two rotating rubber brushes, the robot’s cleaning cloth is thoroughly brushed, which is why the robot is literally thrown back and forth in the station. The wiping itself is just as intense, causing the D8 to vibrate quite a bit.

By the way, users can check the water quality with the included water quality tester. The small pen is simply placed in fresh water and then immediately shows the number of suspended particles from 5 to 350 ppm (parts per million) – within this scale the water should probably be fine. However, since the TDS value (total dissolved solids) only provides information about the amount of substances with electrical conductivity such as minerals, salts or metals in drinking water, this pen cannot make any real statements about the quality. When it comes to water quality, it is not the quantity but the type of substance that matters. High calcium or magnesium values, which then logically lead to high ppm values, are desirable in drinking water.

The lack of intermediate cleaning is a serious disadvantage for us compared to the more expensive competition. Thus the D8 collects dirt in the wiping cloth until it can no longer absorb any more dirt. Then the dirt spreads around the apartment – the manufacturer urgently needs to catch up here, but a firmware update should be able to fix it without any problems. At the time of testing, the lack of intermediate cleaning definitely tarnished the otherwise good overall impression.

If the battery runs low during cleaning, the D8 automatically returns to the station. There it only charges to the extent needed to complete the rest of the cleaning. For us, one battery charge was enough for about 100 square meters; here many competitors are better. The long charging time is annoying in this context – for us it easily took 4 hours from 20 to 100 percent.

The Hobot Lazy D8 is already available while testing 535 EurosLulu Station costs approximately 300 Euros,

Overall, the Hobot Lazy D8 is an exciting vacuum and mopping robot that, with many improvements like its predecessor, the Lulu Cleaning Station, now stands as an independent model. It comes almost as close as typical vacuum robots like the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra (test report) or the Dreame X40 Ultra, but is significantly cheaper. The price in particular makes the D8 a good option.

In return, those interested will have to live with a less pretty app and slightly fewer features. The suction power on carpet is also a little weak and the same applies to the battery. If you’re looking for a real all-rounder, you certainly can’t go wrong with the Hobot Lazy D8 Lulu, unless you want to explain to each of your friends or acquaintances why your robot is called Lulu…