Eureka J15 Max Ultra review: pricey, but it’s robot vacuum royalty

A NEW premium robot vacuum has just hit the market, and it’s from a brand you’ve probably never heard of.

Is it worth the spend? Read my Eureka J15 Max Ultra review to find out.

Eureka J15 Max Ultra, £1,199

Robot vacuums have proved a mixed bag for me over the years.

The last one I tested (a budget £350 model) was more trouble than it was worth.

With poor suction and no laser mapping, it sometimes left my home in disarray: chairs upended, rug tassels torn, and the robot itself stranded on snagged carpets.

The issue with lower-end robot vacuums is that they rarely replace your trusty hand-held vacuum; they tend to play a supporting role.

That said, a robot vacuum is not meant to fully replace manual cleaning but to supplement it, lightening your load of daily chores.

Enter the Eureka J15 Max Ultra, a top-of-the-range device brimming with features. Not only does it vacuum, but it also mops floors, and, in what Eureka claims is a first for a robot vacuum, it can avoid spilt water to prevent making things messier.

Even better, it comes with a docking station that empties the dust bag and cleans out the dirty mop water.

But with a seriously eye-watering price tag, the big question is: does it deliver?

I put this top-end robo-vac to the test, to see if it’s really worth spending that much.

To compare against a similarly priced machine, read our Dyson 360 Vis Nav review.

For a wider list of tried-and-tested recommendations, head to the Sun Shopping team’s pick of the best robot vacuum cleaners.

Pros

• Handles transitions between hard floors and deep rugs with ease
• Self-emptying bin and water tank reduce maintenance hassle
• Automatically avoids spilt liquids on the floor: a rarity for robot vacuums

Cons

• It’s very noisy when emptying itself in the docking station
• The accompanying smartphone app is a little clunky

Rating: 9/10

How I tested the Eureka J15 Max Ultra

I spent a month testing the J15 Max Ultra in my three-bedroom flat, which includes a large living room, a dining room, a small kitchen, a bathroom, and a toilet. No pets, no kids.

A sidenote: my home is filled with Persian carpets, which have proved the bane of every previous robot vacuum I’ve tested.

These deep, shaggy rugs are almost an inch in depth, and previous vacs have struggled to climb across them without running into issues.

On top of that, their tassels invariably get caught up in the vacuum’s brush wheels, and I’ve had to perform emergency surgery with a Stanley knife to cut them free.

I also tested the J15 Max Ultra’s ability to avoid obstacles by deliberately spilling liquids on the floor and leaving stray items in its path.

Eureka J15 Max Ultra review: The Nitty Gritty

Setup and first impressions

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The first thing that struck me about the J15 was its bulk.

Weighing in at several kilograms, it’s not a device you’ll be moving around manually, but that’s hardly its purpose.

Its weight, if anything, feels like a badge of quality, giving the impression of a device built to last.

The J15 Max Ultra is equipped with a Navipolaris laser sensor for mapping your living space.

Setup was straightforward: attach the brush arm and mop heads, pair it with the app and fill the water tank.

Pairing with both my Google Pixel 8 Pro and my partner’s iPhone 13 was seamless. The app, while not immediately intuitive, synced flawlessly with the device.

The docking station is sleek and compact, though it does need to be placed near a wall with enough space for the robot to manoeuvre in and out.

Once I filled the water tank to the maximum line and positioned the station in my living room, the vacuum was ready to go.

Performance

Vacuuming and mopping

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Eureka J15 Max Ultra, £1,199

Once I got the hang of the app, the J15 Max Ultra was a dream to use.

Its laser mapping accurately charted my flat, and I could assign specific areas for cleaning.

Watching a digital map of my home appear on the app was oddly satisfying.

That said, demarcating individual rooms — dragging a cursor across each area — was a bit fiddly on a small phone screen.

The suction power was impressive, even on the lowest setting.

It easily picked up crumbs, dust, and debris from both hard floors and carpets.

Its brush arm, which extends automatically to tackle corners and skirting boards, performed exceptionally well.

Unlike cheaper models, it didn’t leave behind those frustrating patches of dust in hard-to-reach areas.

The mop function was equally impressive. You can choose to mop, mop and vacuum, or vacuum then mop.

I had initial concerns about it mopping carpets by mistake, leaving sodden fabric in its wake, but these were unfounded.

The J15 Max Ultra’s sensors ensure it only mops hard floors, leaving carpets safely dry.

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Docking station

The docking station is another standout feature.

The robot returns to its dock when low on power, empties its dust bag and transfers dirty mop water into a separate container.

Impressively, it also cuts tangled threads from its brush wheel — I’m not entirely sure how, as it all happens out of sight, but to be spared this tedious, joyless task is a real game-changer.

The self-emptying dust bag is a real gem too — after four weeks of use, I still haven’t needed to empty it.

The dirty water container, however, does require more frequent attention. That’s pretty understandable: you don’t want stagnant water sitting around for too long.

One drawback is the noise. When the J15 Max Ultra empties itself or cleans its mop, there’s a fair bit of loud whirring and swishing.

This was a bit of a pain since I decided to put the station directly below my TV.

Navigation and avoidance sensors

One of the most critical aspects of any robot vacuum is its ability to navigate a home without causing chaos.

The J15 Max Ultra excels here, dodging extension leads, charging cables, pot plants and other stray items with ease.

Its avoidance sensors are particularly impressive. Unlike many robot vacuums, it can detect and avoid spilt liquids.

I tested this by pouring a small amount of tea on the kitchen floor, and the vacuum steered clear without issue.

This is feature that I imagine could be invaluable for households with children or pets, where small spillages are common.

That said, this Eureka flagship vac isn’t entirely foolproof. On one occasion, the brush arm got tangled in the tassels of one of my pesky rugs.

Fortunately, this has only happened once so far. As a whole, Eureka’s top-of-the-range device feels like robot vac royalty.