If there’s one thing Aldi shoppers love, it’s a cheap robot vacuum. For the past few years, it’s come in the form of Ecovacs’ Deebot Neo series. It’s proven to be a reliable, if basic-featured, range of robots that has steadily improved with each iteration. Aldi’s latest Special Buys aisle find is the Deebot Neo 4.0, a more powerful model that steps up the carpet cleaning performance.

Without changing the formula much, the latest Deebot Neo is the best cleaner of the series so far. However, the absence of an auto-empty dock with this particular variant means it’s not entirely hands-off. At $279, though, it’s hard to be critical of its omission.

Most importantly, this is a robot vacuum that is still one of the better value appliances you can find in Australia. Yes, there’s still some DIY elbow grease involved at some points, but the Deebot Neo 4.0 is a great gateway into robotic cleaning.

Deebot Neo 4.0 upgrades
Specifications and price
Smarts and setup
Vacuuming
Mopping
Who is the Ecovacs Deebot Neo 4.0 for?

Deebot Neo 4.0 upgrades

Despite the ‘4.0’ moniker, the new Deebot is more of a minor upgrade than a drastic overhaul. It still relies on a static mopping plate for wet floor cleaning, which is really only good for a light touch. From Ecovacs’ perspective, the biggest change is the addition of the V-shaped ‘ZeroTangle 2.0’ brush. Past Neo models I’ve tested required regular manual intervention, meekly calling out via the app to have my partner’s thick tangle of hair cut from the brush.

Image: Chris Button.

Compared to the previous model, the Deebot Neo 3.0 Omni, the new model increases the suction power by 22 per cent (11,000Pa versus 9,000Pa). It’s a huge leap over the last budget model I tested, the Neo 2.0, which had a suction power up to 5,000Pa (a 120 per cent increase, for those playing at home).

Image: Chris Button.

Notably, this specific variant doesn’t include an auto-empty station. What you get with the robot is described on Ecovacs’ website as a “compact Omni station”. That label is a bit much, considering it’s a glorified charging dock with no other functionality. Emptying the dustbin is entirely on you, so there’s no avoiding handling some dust. On the plus side, it’s an incredibly small dock, barely standing higher than the floor-hugging robot, making it easy to set up anywhere in the home.

But because of the dock’s small size, you need to be careful about cable management. If the cable that plugs into the wall moves, it can move the dock with it because of its feather-light weight. When a robot’s dock moves, it can throw off the navigation system, so avoiding movement is a priority. Fortunately, the back of the dock has a compartment to neatly and tightly coil away any excess cable to prevent this.

Ecovacs Deebot Neo 4.0 specifications and price

Suction power	Up to 11,000Pa
Capacity	Dustbin: 350mL Water tank: 300mL
Navigation technology	LDS (laser distance sensor)
Battery	Up to 350 minutes
Price (RRP)	$699 (according to Ecovacs’ website) Sold for $279 at Aldi Australia
Official website	Ecovacs Australia
Warranty	One year

Smarts and setup

Setting up a robot vacuum is as simple as it’s ever been. Plonk the robot on its charger, download an app, scan a QR code, and away you go. From there, the Ecovacs app prompts you to send the Deebot on a mapping run. It’ll go on a quick recon mission, creating a map you can edit in the app.

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Deebot Neo 4.0 upgrades

Ecovacs Deebot Neo 4.0 specifications and price

Smarts and setup

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