MOVA N1 Window Cleaning Robot review: Taking the hard work out of cleaning glass

I will start by saying that my house is probably one of the better testing grounds you could find for a window cleaning robot. We have more than 70 glass panels, and cleaning them is one of those jobs that somehow always finds its way to the bottom of the list.

Then there is the dog art.

If you have a dog, you probably know exactly what I mean. Our windows regularly feature nose marks, lick marks and the general evidence left behind as our dog surveys the neighbourhood each day.

The MOVA N1 Window Cleaning Robot certainly had plenty to work with, and thankfully, it made the job a whole lot easier.

MOVA N1 setup and first impressions

My first impression was that the N1 is actually a cute and stylish little unit. At 215 x 215mm and only 59mm thick, it is compact, and at 1.3kg it is easy enough to carry around the house and attach to each window. Inside the box you get the MOVA N1 Window Cleaning Robot, remote control and batteries, window cleaning solution, safety rope, extension cord and the power adapter and cord (quite a few cords, we’ll talk later). You also get a spare cleaning cloth, which came in handy when working through a heap of windows. Once one gets particularly dirty, you can simply swap it out and keep going.

I was also very happy to see both a Quick Start Guide and a proper manual in the box. I like having a quick reference when I just want to get something going, but I also want an actual manual when I need more detail.

There were, however, a couple of things during setup that I felt could have been explained a little better.

The first was filling the cleaning solution. There are two fill points and initially I wasn’t completely sure which one I was meant to use. Following the picture seemed to suggest I was filling number two, which somehow felt wrong to me.

The instructions also say to fill it to capacity without overfilling it. On the first go I found that easier said than done, so my advice is to go slowly.

The other thing I had to check was whether the N1 needs to remain connected to power while cleaning.

It does.

There is a battery in the unit, but this is not a cordless window cleaner. There are cordless options available, although they generally come at a higher price point.

Once I had those couple of questions sorted, actually using the N1 was very straightforward.

Cleaning performance: Slap it on the window and let it go

This is where I started to really like the N1.

Position it on the glass, turn it on and you can immediately feel the suction kick in as the fan starts. The N1 has a stated 8,000Pa suction power and it certainly feels securely attached once it gets going.

MOVA also incorporates 12 layers of safety protection and supplies a safety rope. I’ll admit it, this baffled me a little at first. I wasn’t entirely sure how it was meant to save the day, but I attached it as instructed and trusted the process.

The robot then works its way around the window using intelligent path planning and its sensors to detect the glass edges. MOVA says it uses Z or N cleaning patterns to achieve greater than 90 percent area coverage. In my testing, it navigated the windows really well and did a good job of getting right out towards the edges.

I tried Quick Clean, Deep Clean, Thorough Clean and Edge Cleaning and was really happy with the results from all of them. Edge Cleaning maybe was a little hit and miss, but mostly it hit.

I like that you can choose the level of cleaning to suit what is actually on your glass rather than treating every window the same way.

And in my house, some windows definitely need more help than others (see below).

Dual mist cleaning system and microfibre cloth

As the N1 travels around the glass, its dual wing mist cleaning system sprays cleaning solution and the washable microfibre cloth cleans as it goes.

I really liked this.

MOVA says the 120ml tank can cover up to 32 square metres of windows from one fill under its test conditions. For me, the more important part was simply that I wasn’t constantly stopping to spray windows myself.

It sprays, moves and cleans by itself.

The finished window was also largely dry, although I wouldn’t say there is absolutely no water left behind.

I noticed a little wet residue when releasing the N1 and, particularly on some of my smaller windows, occasionally a few drops of water ended up on the sill. This was very minor. I simply had a piece of paper towel handy and gave the area a quick wipe when I removed the robot.

For the amount of work it saved me, I am more than happy to spend a few seconds doing that.

Cleaning speed and everyday convenience

One of the things that surprised me was how quickly the N1 gets through a window. With more than 70 glass panels in this house, I am still obviously going to have to physically attach and remove the robot many times. But I don’t actually mind. The difference is that I no longer feel as though I have to declare an entire day “window cleaning day” and then regret every life decision that resulted in a house with this much glass.

If you work from home like I do, you can simply slap it onto a window in the room you are working in and let it do its thing.

Do a few windows today. Do another room another day.

Because the actual cleaning is no longer such a chore, there isn’t that same feeling that if you have dragged everything out you now need to clean every window in the house.

That has probably been one of the biggest benefits for me.

The power cord is the main trade-off

The cords are really the only negative for me. There is a reasonable amount of cord to deal with and you do need to think about your power point and cord length as you move from window to window.

You don’t want to attach it to the next window only to discover you are short on cord.

Packing all of the cords neatly away at the end is slightly annoying. While there is so much cord I haven’t found getting the N1 out, using it and putting it away particularly taxing. When I am finished, I rinse the washable cleaning cloth, empty any remaining water or cleaning solution from the device and put everything away.

Controls, remote and MOVA app experience

You have three ways to control the N1: the button on the device, the wireless remote or the MOVA app.

The remote was straightforward. It automatically connected to the N1 and there was no fiddling around trying to pair the two.

I already had the MOVA app and an account from testing another MOVA product, so adding the N1 was also simple. I like that MOVA uses the one app for multiple products rather than requiring another app for every device you own.

There is quite a bit available within the app too. You can see the robot’s status in real time, access cleaning guides and maintenance information with both text and visuals, purchase additional cleaning or replacement products and tell the N1 to return to its starting position when it finishes cleaning. It also has a great help section.

The voice prompts are useful as well. When the N1 has finished, it tells you. If you don’t get to it immediately, it doesn’t simply let go of your window. It keeps the suction and fan operating and continues giving you voice prompts until you come and retrieve it. The voice announcements are available in multiple languages, with MOVA stating there are 15 preset language options.

MOVA N1 noise levels: Is it quiet?

MOVA lists quiet operation as one of the N1’s features and rates the noise level at below 72dB(A) under its test conditions.

Personally, I wouldn’t describe it as particularly quiet. It didn’t pass the husband test: you know when you hear the declaration “gee, that’s loud” from another room? You can hear the fan running, but considering that fan is helping hold a 1.3kg robot onto my window, the noise doesn’t bother me.

It is also not something I am running constantly for hours every day, so for me this isn’t really a negative. I would just temper the “quiet operation” claim depending on your expectations.

Window sizes and compatible surfaces

While I primarily tested the N1 on windows, MOVA says it can also be used across suitable smooth surfaces including mirrors, shower glass, glass cabinet doors, smooth marble, matte tiles and glazed tiles.

Its compact size should also make it useful for smaller and multi pane windows. MOVA specifies a minimum cleaning area of 30 x 45cm and a maximum of 2 x 3m.

That versatility is handy if you want to get more use out of it than simply tackling the windows around the house.

Is the MOVA N1 Window Cleaning Robot worth it?

The MOVA N1 has an RRP of $549 AUD and at the time of writing is listed by MOVA Australia for $449 AUD.

For me, the value really comes down to how much glass you have and how much you dislike cleaning it.

I have more than 70 glass panels and a dog actively working against any attempt to keep them clean. This is exactly the sort of house where a device like this makes sense.

It isn’t completely hands free. You still need to fill it, plug it in, attach it to each window, move it to the next one and put everything away afterwards. But it takes the hard work out of the actual cleaning.

The N1 sprays the cleaning solution, plans its route, works its way across the glass, tackles the edges and tells me when it is finished. I just move it along to its next victim.

There were a few small things I would change. The initial filling instructions could be clearer for an old chook like me, it isn’t as quiet as the marketing might lead you to expect and you may need to wipe away the occasional bit of water when removing it. None of those things outweigh the convenience for me.

I would prefer the N1 to be cordless however cordless window cleaners do tend to come at a higher price point. For me, the cord is a compromise rather than a deal breaker, particularly given how much easier the N1 makes the actual cleaning.

Thanks to MOVA for providing the N1 Window Cleaning Robot for review.

MOVA N1 specifications

Product dimensions: 215 x 215 x 59mm
Weight: 1.3kg
Cleaning modes: 6
Suction power: 8,000Pa
Water tank: 120ml
Maximum cleaning area: 2 x 3m
Minimum cleaning area: 30 x 45cm
Area coverage: Greater than 90 percent
Path planning: Z and N
Cleaning cloth: Washable
Safety rope: Yes
Noise level: Below 72dB(A)
App control: Yes