Ecovacs kindly shipped us their new (Jan 2026 at CES) Window cleaning robot, the WINBOT W3 OMNI, and since its arrival, I’ve had it attached to some kind of window, mirror or door. Let’s get WINBOT W3 OMNI unboxed and onto a window.

I thought for this type of device, it’s best to show you exactly what you get and, then, exactly how it works! I was nominated as the owner of a large glass door, so here’s my WINBOT W3 OMNI journey to clean glass.

We start with the unboxing of the WINBOT W3 OMNI, both the base station and the connected robot, as well as the cleaning pads (There are two in the box despite my confusion) and the cleaning solution that Ecovacs include.

With our robot unboxed and a window at the ready, this next video is getting your WINBOT W3 OMNI ready and attached to your window – ready to clean!

I want to reinforce that I’ve not used any connected app as yet! When I asked around of friends who have businesses where the WINBOT W3 OMNI would be a real game-changer in terms of them not having to hire someone in every couple of weeks to clean their windows, the main question was “how easy is it to use? do I need to learn a new app?” so I wanted to focus on box -> setup -> clean without having to do anything else.

The Ecovacs WINBOT W3 OMNI has passed my tests! You can take it straight out of the box, set it up as per the easy to follow instructions and use it right away without having to learn another app. While it isn’t for smaller sash windows (as you’ll see in this next video) with two passes it easily cleaned my very dirty external windows. The bigger glass doors and windows is where it really excels! My verdict is because the little Winbot is so easy to carry around, maintain and use, that if you were a business owner or someone with large floor to ceiling glass in your apartment, after the first couple of intense cleaning sessions, having the Winbot run over your glass every few days would keep it sparkling.

One thing to factor in – ongoing costs. You’ll go through cleaning pads occasionally (they seem pretty tough though, so should last) and cleaning fluid too.

The final installment of my video-series on the Winbot, and please note: No Winbot was harmed in the making of this video 😳

From WINBOT W1 PRO to W3 OMNI – What’s Changed?

Back in 2023, I reviewed the Ecovacs WINBOT W1 PRO, and it’s interesting to look back at that experience now that I’ve spent time with the WINBOT W3 OMNI.

The basic idea hasn’t changed. Both robots attach themselves securely to the glass and take over a job that most of us would rather not do. And, perhaps more importantly, my conclusion about who should buy one hasn’t changed all that much either.

With the W1 PRO, I found that I could clean my easily accessible household windows manually in considerably less time. Where I thought it made much more sense was somewhere like a multi-level apartment with large floor-to-ceiling windows. Three years later, the W3 OMNI reinforces that conclusion.

What has changed is how polished the whole experience feels.

The W1 PRO was already surprisingly straightforward to set up, but I used the ECOVACS app to select between its standard, deep and spot cleaning modes. With the W3 OMNI, I deliberately approached this review without using the app at all. I wanted to know whether someone could open the box, follow the instructions and get their windows clean without adding yet another app to their phone. They absolutely can.

There’s also a noticeable difference in how you live with the machine. The W1 PRO came in a fitted carry case with its power supply, safety tether, cleaning pads and cleaning solution. The W3 OMNI’s base station makes the robot feel much more like a complete cleaning system rather than a gadget you unpack every time the windows need attention.

One thing definitely hasn’t changed: cleaning solution is an ongoing cost. I noted with the W1 PRO that it could work through fluid surprisingly quickly, particularly on dirty glass. The W3 OMNI still means factoring cleaning fluid and eventually replacement pads into the cost of ownership.

Most importantly, though, the W3 OMNI hasn’t magically made every window a perfect candidate for robotic cleaning. My smaller sash windows demonstrate that pretty clearly. Give it a big glass door, a large picture window or a shopfront, however, and suddenly the value proposition becomes much easier to understand.

Final Thoughts – Who Is the WINBOT W3 OMNI For?

Three years ago, I finished my WINBOT W1 PRO review thinking that robotic window cleaning made the most sense for people with large expanses of glass. After using the WINBOT W3 OMNI, I still think that’s true — but the robot itself has become a much easier proposition to live with.

Yes, you need to move it from window to window, and if you have regular smaller house windows (like the sash style windows in my example) it might not be as efficient a process as you might hope. But if you have large glass windows and doors or you’re a business with a shop-front, this could be a real time saver for you.

The WINBOT W3 OMNI has a RRP A$1,299 and is available from major Australian retailers and Amazon Australia.