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Eufy 11s Max Review

A simple, respectably performing budget option that doesn't need internet or app connectivity
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Eufy 11s Max Review
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Price:  $280 List
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Manufacturer:   Eufy
Genaveve Bradshaw
By Genaveve Bradshaw ⋅ Senior Review Analyst  ⋅  June 21, 2025
Contributions From: Kyle Hameister
57
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#11 of 14
  • Cleaning Performance - 40% 7.7
  • Navigation - 30% 3.8
  • App Performance - 10% 4.3
  • Pet Hair - 10% 5.7
  • Noise - 5% 9.0
  • Mopping - 5% 1.0

Our Verdict

The Eufy 11S Max stands out among other budget-friendly options for its strong cleaning abilities. It performs especially well on hardwood floors, picking up more than many models, including some that cost more than four times as much. It's admittedly clumsy, since the technology inside is fairly simple. With basic bounce navigation, it moves in one direction until it hits something, then turns and heads off in a completely different path. Because of this, it tends to miss spots during a run. Its limited navigation also means you'll need to tidy up beforehand, or it may get stuck on the first cord or piece of clothing in its way. On the plus side, it's exceptionally short and quiet, so it can clean under low furniture without adding much noise to your space. This vacuum is a great pick for someone curious about getting into robot vacuums, and who doesn't mind doing a bit of the work themselves in exchange for a lower price tag.
REASONS TO BUY
No WiFi or app required
Can fit in tight areas
Great hard floor cleaning
Budget price
REASONS TO AVOID
Clumsy navigator
Requires frequent manual cleaning
Dock feels light and cheap

Our Analysis and Test Results

The 11S Max is a refreshingly offline offering from gadget giant, Eufy. Their winning track record of prior robot vacuum hits shows through here, but they may just have stripped out a little too much tech at the end of the day, depending on your preferences.

The Eufy 11S Max is a high performer in some key categories, but not across the board.
Credit: Matt Lighthart

Cleaning Performance


The 11S Max showed up where it counts the most, getting our floors nice and clean.

The 11S Max handled carpet cleaning a bit better than average, picking up 69% of our distributed mess of Cheerios, rice, and sand. With its lack of mapping technology and its randomized approach to cleaning, we had a spot in the center of our floor that was completely untouched, as shown by the single Cheerio left behind. However, the carpet ended up noticeably cleaner, with clear clean lines showing where it vacuumed.

It looks chaotic to be sure, but given enough time, our test carpet looked pretty darn clean.
Credit: Matt Lighthart

With hard surface cleaning, we saw no struggles at all. Cheerios and rice were swiftly cleaned, and only a few grains were left across the whole testing floor. Sand was also managed well, with just a few very small sections of a light dusting remaining.

We were similarly impressed by performance on our concrete test floor. Even the fine blue surrogate sand was handled well.
Credit: Matt Lighthart

For both tests, we did notice that more attention was paid to perimeters than to the center of each space. Several passes make all the difference for robot vacuums, and the extra time spent edging made for great results. The 11S hugged the walls, skirting deftly within a half inch consistently, and allowing the spinning edge brush to do an effective job.

The onboard dust bin is a respectable 0.6L, so even though this budget model doesn't have an auto-emptying dock, you won't need to bend over and empty the bin more than every few runs.

Walls and corners were another high point with the 11S Max. That edging brush works overtime with our coffee grounds.
Credit: Matt Lighthart

Maintaining your robot butler will be necessary from time to time. Accessing the center roller brush and replacing other components is thankfully easy-peasy, because removing hair knots and the like will need to be done relatively often. And unfortunately, the hair removal isn't as fun. After a month of heavy-duty testing, the spinning brush was visibly deformed and separated. It still spins without struggle, but it absolutely needed to be replaced.

Well, the roller and edging brushes sure do their job, but then you'll get to work cleaning them too...
Credit: Matt Lighthart

Navigation


This Eufy doesn't have a LiDAR laser-ranging system, unlike most competitors. Instead of building a concise map of each room and sticking to a grid, the cleaning approach is seemingly random, bouncing off walls and furniture, much like a game of ping-pong. It isn't as efficient as other vacuums tested, but all said and done, no obvious trouble spots, except for a few center areas, were ever missed.


Many competitors with LiDAR technology have a pop-top head that houses the spinning laser on other models, making them much taller than the Eufy. At 2.9" tall, this is the shortest vacuum in our tested lineup, meaning this is a great option if your home has low couches. That said, the 11S was fairly aggressive and persistent, pushing against furniture, so mind any teetering vases perched on end tables.

The 11S Max doesn't have enough sensors to avoid obstacles like low stool bases, and will need to be rescued from time to time.
Credit: Matt Lighthart

The series of under-chassis sensors it relies on doesn't do a great job of avoiding common objects you may leave lying around. Larger or floppier items like hats and shoes were pushed around instead of rolled over, which can be seen as a win depending on how you look at it. Cords and cables were a mixed bag — they were often run over, but not captured.

Socks beware! A tidy home is going to be less frustrating for 11S owners.
Credit: Matt Lighthart

Smaller items like socks were unceremoniously plowed over. Worse, our simulated dog poo piles were also paid no heed. With this in mind, we can't recommend this product for homes with accident-prone or skittish pets. This is the only vacuum that actively bumped into us without a care in the world. It cleans well, but needs a pre-clean tidy up and adult supervision.

eufy 11s max - chaos incarnate -- there is the occasional missed spot but overall...
Chaos incarnate -- there is the occasional missed spot but overall we give a pass to our little 11S.
Credit: Matt Lighthart

The dock is also small and very lightweight, so you'll want to back it against a wall or tape it down. The vacuum itself does have issues finding the dock at times, too, so be prepared to go on the occasional search-and-rescue mission.

Pet Hair


Where the vacuum ran, we were happy to see very effective hair removal, better than many of its peers. This is a tough ask of a self-contained, low-powered vacuum, and the 11S Max did a reasonable job.

Percent of Fur Cleaned from Carpet
ProductPet Hair Cleaned
Best92
Eufy 11s Max60
Average56.7
Worst24

As seen in earlier tests, the issue tended to be the randomized cleaning approach, so the hair missed was simply not encountered at all. The other concern we had was that while an incredible 86% of our heavily fur-dosed carpet was picked up, only 60% ended up in the bin. The rest ended up tangled on the roller or spinning brushes.

One surprise after another -- a fur-filled carpet is no match for the 11S.
Credit: Matt Lighthart

Both are pretty easily removable, so detangling and cutting the knots away wasn't what we would call a terrible process, but you'll still need to get your hands dirty every few cleanings.

App Performance


Hate fighting your smart TV? This product is for owners who want a simple, no-hassle experience running and training their robot cleaner.


The 11S Max has no app, a very rare feature (or lack thereof) for this product category. There is no WiFi needed at all, in fact; all operations are controlled entirely through an old school remote.

eufy 11s max - how refreshing! a remote is all that's needed to run the 11s max.
How refreshing! A remote is all that's needed to run the 11S Max.
Credit: Matt Lighthart

The feature set is understandably a little limited as a result — no smart or multi-floor mapping, no video monitoring, no virtual barriers. However, it does allow for suction level adjustment and will even automatically adjust the suction based on the flooring type, if desired. Schedules can be set, and there's a small screen to keep track of basic information like current settings and cleaning times.

Off you go! No pre-mapping or editing needed. One click and the robot is off and running.
Credit: Matt Lighthart

Mopping


This product is not mopping capable. Diverse mop head styles, with varying (and often poor) results, are being included by a growing segment of the market, but not on simple models like the 11S.

Noise


On the bright side, the 11S Max is the quietest vacuum we measured in our entire lineup. The pitch is pleasant and somewhat low, compared to others in the lineup, and can almost be considered white noise. There's no mechanical clicks or clangs, no rattly wheels, no strange squeaks.


Unlike other robot vacuums, which talk to you with a dozen or so recorded vocal cues, the 11S only communicates with a series of beeps. It'll beep often, though, when it gets stuck, hits a barrier too hard, or vacuums up something it shouldn't have, which can be annoying. Although this can help you find it if it is in need of assistance.

eufy 11s max - no auto-emptying dock, but thankfully the dust bin is larger than...
No auto-emptying dock, but thankfully the dust bin is larger than average.
Credit: Matt Lighthart


Should You Buy the Eufy 11S Max?


The 11S is affordable and simple, a perfect entry into the robot vacuum market for someone who doesn't want to spend much time or effort getting things set up or troubleshooting issues. It'll absolutely be a reliable cleaning companion to prolong the time between deep cleans with your manual vacuum, which is a decent value at this price point.

eufy 11s max - for the cost, it's tough to find any robot vacuum these days that...
For the cost, it's tough to find any robot vacuum these days that can hold a candle to the 11S Max.
Credit: Matt Lighthart

What Other Robot Vacuum Should You Consider?


A few Roborock options on the next price tier up are worth consideration. They scored significantly higher on nearly all metrics, including our Editor's Choice winner, the Roborock Q5 Max+, or the impressive mopper Roborock Q7 Max+.

Bumps and knocks will be a part of life with the 11S.
Credit: Matt Lighthart


Side-by-Side Comparison
Compare Eufy 11s Max versus top competing products:
Or, compare up to 5 products side-by-side here.
Genaveve Bradshaw and Kyle Hameister


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