Conga 3490 Elite, among the elite of robot vacuum cleaners

Cecotec continues to improve itself. The Spanish company has managed to place its Conga in the top sales positions in Spain, thanks to an excellent combination of high performance and a very reasonable price.

The new Conga 3490 Elite offers a very high quality-price ratio, but it also aspires (pun intended!) to position itself as one of the best robot vacuum cleaners on the market.

If you prefer, you can also consider taking a look at higher models, such as the Conga 4090, with the innovative Jalisco brush, or the Conga 6090, the cyclone robot that breaks the market with its 10.000 Pascals of suction power.

2019 has been a year of renewal, and some companies have taken the opportunity to launch interesting new features, to make the work of users as easy as possible. The Spanish brand was not going to be less, and this Conga 3490 Elite is a magnificent exponent of what technology can offer today in the world of robotic cleaning.

Cecotec remains faithful to its maxim of offering more for less, and this 3490 model can once again become the reference in the sector.. Will he have achieved it? We tell you in this extensive analysis.

As usual, depending on where you buy it, you may find this robot with a slightly different name, such as Conga 3491 or Conga 3492. It is the same robot, it may simply have a different nomenclature, depending on the distribution channel.

If you have any unanswered questions about this robot, you can ask us in the comments section at the end of this post, or visit our article dedicated to doubts about the Conga 3490.

Our assessment

La Conga 3490 Elite has obtained 97 rating points out of 100, reaching the highest rating of all the robots we have analyzed (together with Roomba S9). It is a robot with advanced features, which seeks excellence in practically each of its sections: Of course, it has the most advanced navigation system, based on laser and, in addition, one of the most powerful robot vacuum cleaners on the market, far above other competitors. Its 2.300 Pascals of suction power are only surpassed by its older sister, the Conga 4090, which reaches 2.700.

Furthermore, apart from other interesting questions that we will discuss throughout this article, adds new features that are being gradually incorporated into some high-end robots, such as cleaning by room and the possibility of saving several maps, very useful in homes with several floors, or if you want to use it to clean more than one home.

Conga 3490 Elite: What's in the box

Cecotec has completed its new range of 2019 robots with several models, among which its new top of the range within the 3000 Series stands out, the Conga 3690 Absolute. A robot that shares many characteristics with this Conga 3490, but even more powerful. The price difference between both models is around 20 euros. And if you want even more features, come see the Conga 4090, with the new Jalisco brush, ideal for cleaning hard floors.

Conga 3490 Elite vs Conga 3090

La Conga 3490 shares with the Conga 3090 some features that have made this robot a best seller. But it also incorporates some interesting improvements on what until now was Cecotec's top-of-the-range robot.

Navigation system: Both have the most advanced and precise laser-based navigation system, providing highly accurate maps of the home, which allow you to completely clean the house.

4 in 1: One of the characteristics that define Cecotec devices. Conga It is the robot that mops, and all the devices in the range provide 4 functions: they sweep, vacuum, mop and scrub, and they are capable of doing everything at the same time, for a complete and faster cleaning of the home.

Cleaning modes: Up to 10 cleaning modes incorporate these two models of Conga, plus three power levels, with which the possibilities of configuring the cleaning to our liking are many. However, as we will see, the new Conga 3490 adds many options that its predecessor does not have.

Both They have Turbo Clean Carpet, so they automatically increase power when they detect a carpet, for a more thorough cleaning on this type of surfaces.

Also in both cases, They have charge and continue, an advanced function through which, if they have not finished cleaning, they go to the charging base and then continue cleaning where they left off.

The new Conga 3490 supports voice commands. You will be able to control the robot through virtual assistants such as Alexa and Google Home (a technology that, by the way, has also been implemented in the new Conga 1090 Connected). Starting or stopping cleaning, sending the robot to charge, or even locating it, will now be easier and more comfortable. The Conga 3090 has also included this option in its software updates, so it is also compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant.

What are the improvements of the Conga 3490

In addition to these common characteristics, the Conga 3490 has incorporated some improvements compared to its predecessor, which place it among the elite of robot vacuum cleaners, such as:

Power: The Conga 3090 was the most powerful robot, equal to some competing models, with an impressive 2.000 Pascals of suction power. Now, la Conga 3490 is the most powerful robot on the market, with an incredible 2.300 Pascals. There will be no dirt that can resist it.

Room cleaning: Like some other high-end robots, Conga 3490 incorporates room cleaning. Its RoomPlan technology allows you to identify the different rooms in the house, which you can name, and its advanced app will allow you to create up to 50 different cleaning plans based on the layout of your home. So you can configure the cleaning your way.

IDEA: If you prefer to vacuum and then scrub, you can consecutively program a cleaning plan that vacuums and then another that scrubs. In mopping mode, if you wish, you can not vacuum, selecting the "Off" power level.

If your home has several floors, or if you want to use the robot to clean several different houses, the Conga 3490 may be what you need. Its MultiMap system is capable of saving up to 5 different maps. Each of them, of course, can interact with the different cleaning modes., such as area cleaning, spot mode, zone cleaning or establishing restricted zones, which the robot will not access.

New brush, especially for pets: In addition to its renewed bi-material brush, the Conga 3490 includes a BestFriend Care brush, made of rubber, especially for homes with pets and/or where there is a lot of hair, being especially effective on carpets.

The advanced scrubbing system of the 3090, for many the best on the market, has been surpassed by the Conga 3490.

First maintains scrubbing technology, thanks to which the robot makes a back-and-forth movement that imitates the way people scrub, for greater efficiency.

But also now The water dosage control is electronic, which allows greater accuracy. La Conga 3490 has 3 scrubbing levels: High, for those cases in which there is greater dirt; Medium, for everyday life; and Low, when only a superficial scrubbing is needed.

Battery management has been improved, so that the Conga 3490 can reach, on hard floors and without obstacles, up to 150 minutes of autonomy.

Regarding programming, The possibility of programming both the suction power and, where appropriate, the level of scrubbing flow, or the cleaning mode, for example, has also been added..

Other improvements included are that the filter is now washable (with warm water, without soap, previously cleaning it from dust, and letting it dry completely before putting it in) and the new charger, whose terminals are vertical, which avoids problems when the robot It has the mop on and is going to charge (even so, the brand recommends removing the mixed tank when the robot is charging).

¿Conga 3490 or Conga 3090? So, are the improvements introduced by Cecotec in its new robot worth it?

In our opinion, yes. The price difference is not very big, and is clearly justified, so if you can afford it, it is worth opting for the higher model. But if it's a little too big for you, you can enjoy a robot with laser navigation, like the Conga 3090, at a fantastic price.

Commissioning of the Conga 3490 Elite

As usual, although the robot comes partially loaded, The first time it is advisable to carry out a full charge, preferably for a long duration. (for example, leaving it charging all night). Subsequently, 3-4 hours will be required for a full charge.

The charging base should preferably be located in a central location in the house, in a place where the robot has enough room to maneuver and to perfectly detect the base.. It must be supported on some firm place (normally the wall), and preferably a space of approximately 2 meters forward and 1 meter to the sides must be left (it is not mandatory, but it is advisable).

The charging base has also been redesigned, with large vertical connectors (in previous models, the terminals were at the bottom of the base, and the robot had to go up), so it is not only prettier, but also more practice.

The robot can be started to clean, stopped and sent to the charging base using the buttons on the top, through voice commands (compatible with Alexa and Google Home) and through the app. Although it is possible to perform basic actions, it is through the application that we will get the most out of a robot of this type.

The first thing will be, therefore, to install the application, available for iOS and Android, and create an account if you do not have one. The app itself will guide us through the installation process, which is very simple. It is recommended that the robot be close to the router while this first installation process is being carried out, to facilitate the connection.

Later, we explain in detail the advantages that the app offers you.

Operation of the Conga 3490 Elite

One of the most surprising aspects of the new Conga 3490 is its noise level. Cecotec has been increasing the power of its robots, from the 1.200 Pascals that the successful ones already had Conga Excellence, passing through the 2.000 of the 3090, up to these 2.300 that the Conga 3490, and has managed to ensure that the noise level does not increase.

In fact, we would even say that the sound made by these modern models is more pleasant (although this is a matter of taste).

Thanks to its laser sensor, the 3490 creates a precise map of the home, which is then saved in the app (Actually, as we have explained, up to five maps can be saved).

Through this map, In addition to seeing in the app, interactively, how the robot is cleaning, we can establish some cleaning parameters, such as area cleaning, or restricted areas, which the robot will not access.

Restricted zones can be useful in many cases: for example, to limit their access to a baby's room or pet's food area. But also in other more special situations: if the robot is scrubbing and we do not want it to climb on a carpet, if we do not want it to access a shower.

Thanks to the map, the robot will be able to move around the house efficiently, looking for the most appropriate route and covering 100% of the surface.

Battery life has increased, up to a maximum of 150 minutes, which is enough for medium-sized homes. The duration, as is often the case, depends on the conditions (such as automobile consumption): type of floor, how many carpets there are, obstacles that may be encountered, etc. In normal mode, with carpets and some obstacles, it can last around two hours. However, if you are not able to complete cleaning on a single charge, the robot will go to charge and resume where it left off, thanks to its Total Surface 2.0 technology.

Its movements are fluid, thanks to its advanced laser sensor that also allows the robot to clean even in the dark. It does not collide with walls or furniture, although in some cases it can interpret the curtains as a solid obstacle (in that case, it is advisable to move them aside or remove them a little, so that they do not confuse the robot, and that's it).

The work that the robot does is fantastic on all types of surfaces. Its high suction power, together with the effectiveness of its brushes, does not let dirt escape..

On carpets, the work is also very good, thanks to the fact that the robot has the Turbo Clean Carpet system, which activates maximum power when it detects that it is on a carpet. Furthermore, as is usual for the brand, the robot is capable of exceeding up to 2 centimeters in height, so it has no problems with carpets of a certain thickness.

The new rubber brush is also very useful, not only in homes with pets and/or with a lot of hair, but also on carpets, as it effectively removes dirt.

The new Conga 3490 Elite has two tanks, in the style of the Conga classics. The solid one, with a capacity of 500 milliliters, provides good autonomy in this sense, allowing several cleaning cycles before filling (it must be taken into account that the dirt becomes quite compacted, thanks to its high power.

The liquid tank also has a section for solids, so the Conga You can vacuum and scrub at the same time. Its capacity is divided between 350 milliliters for solids and 200 for liquids, which is a figure higher than other competing robots (and that of the Conga 3090) allowing larger areas to be scrubbed.

The app, now with even more advantages

As usual, access through the application allows you to manage a large number of options, allowing a high degree of cleaning customization.

The app is called Conga 3290 3490 3690, and is available for download in versions for iOS and Android.

In the case of the Conga 3490, many options have been incorporated, some of which are among those most in demand by users today. In this way, technology and functionality have been combined, resulting in a very complete and easy-to-use robot, which will make home cleaning even easier.

Through the app, it is possible to access the different cleaning modes (which we tell you in detail in the next section), and now, it also reports, as some competing brands do, the status of the consumables.

Of course, the robot is programmable from the app. Now, it is also possible to establish cleaning plans (for example, clean the kitchen and bathrooms on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:00) and configure the power and scrubbing flow rate in the scheduled tasks.

Configuring the Wi-Fi connection does not present any problems, you simply have to follow the instructions in the app itself step by step. Conga 3290 3490 3690. In principle, you can use automatic detection; If this does not work for you, you can use manual configuration. In it, you will have to choose as Wifi the one indicated by the app (one that will be called Conga_LaserXXXX or something similar).

Remember that if you have the Conga 3690, you can use 2,4 GHz and 5 GHz networks, while if your model were the Conga 3290 or 3490, you should use the 2,4. And also remember to keep the robot close to the WiFi during this first connection, to facilitate it.

Below, we show you a small video, so you can see how simple it is.

When doing this, it is recommended that the robot be close to the router. If your router is dual, that is, if you have two networks, one 2,4 GHz and one 5 GHz, keep in mind that you must choose the 2,4 GHz one (the 5 GHz one will have 5G or similar).

If you follow the steps in the video and still have problems configuring the connection, it may be a matter of your phone's settings. If this is the problem, keep in mind that on Android, an option called “Activate WiFi automatically” or similar (depending on the version) will normally be activated, which automatically connects to quality WiFi networks, and can cause problems.

To turn it off, go to Settings > Network & Internet > WiFi > WiFi Preferences and turn off “Turn on WiFi automatically.” Return to the app, start the process again and when “Sending a message to the robot” appears, go to Settings > Network and Internet and connect to the network with a name similar to “Conga_***.” After returning to the app, in a few seconds you will see how it connects.

Another problem that some users of connectable robots encounter is due to smart routers, which connect you to the 2,4 GHz or 5 GHz network depending on the type of device. If this were your case, perhaps you would have to deactivate this smart Wifi so that it can detect it. Here you can see a tutorial about the topic.

Cleaning modes

In addition to 3 power levels and 3 scrubbing levels, the Conga 3490 has 10 cleaning modes:

Car: la Conga 3490 will go through the entire home, cleaning it thoroughly and leaving no corners, in an orderly, intelligent and precise way, and when it's done (or running low on battery) it will return to base on its own, resuming cleaning where it left off, if it hadn't finished.

Spiral: Clean around a point, ideal if we have dropped something and it has been scattered, for example.

Punctual: To clean a small area; for example, if we want to clean under a table.

Smart area: You can clean one or several rooms, as you prefer.

Restricted area: Define those areas to which you want the robot not to access.

Manual: You can operate the robot manually, as if it were a remote-controlled car.

DeepCleaning: For a deep clean, the robot will make several passes.

Scrubbing: The scrubbing mode, exclusive to Cecotec, that will leave your floors impeccable.

Edges: To clean dirt that accumulates on edges and corners.

Return home: To send the robot to the charging base.

Mopping and scrubbing, cleaning to the fullest extent

The Conga They have distinguished themselves, for years, by being the robots that scrub. It is very interesting to have this functionality, since with a single device, we can carry out a more complete cleaning of the home.

It's not just about scrubbing, but the addition of the mop allows for better dust capture, which is why many people opt for robots that have them.. If you also moisten it with a little special mop cleaner, your wooden floors will look impressive.

As for scrubbing, as we indicated previously, la Conga 3490 has the most advanced system on the market. Its Scrubbing technology allows it to perform a back-and-forth movement, in the shape of a palm tree, similar to what people do when scrubbing, achieving quite good results, superior to those of multifunction robots from other brands.

In addition, this Conga It has a very precise water dosing system, using an electronic valve, which allows us to establish the water flow rate we need., between three levels, depending on the dirt we want to clean.

As is usual in CongaIf you wish, you can add a few drops of non-corrosive floor cleaner, in an approximate proportion of 10 milliliters per 100 of water, to achieve an even better cleaning result, and a scented environment.

Moreover, Its bi-material mop effectively completes the job, allowing some dirt to be removed (although not the most embedded ones) and trapping dust.

Advantages of Conga 3490 Elite

Why buy one Conga 3490 Elite

If you're looking for one of the best robot vacuum cleaners on the market, with the most advanced technology in terms of navigation, and the greatest suction power, this is your robot.

If you want a Spanish robot, configurable and manageable. If you wish Conveniently define cleaning, by room, or schedule it in a simple way. If you have several apartments or different homes, and you need a robot with several maps. If you are looking for a great robot with a Great value for the price, Conga 3490 Elite is an excellent alternative.

Overall rating: 97

Conga 3490: opinions

Below we review some opinions about the Conga 3490:

I am delighted with the purchase, as soon as I found out that the Spanish brand Cecotec was releasing a new model, I did not hesitate to buy it. It has an intelligent system that achieves total cleaning, in addition to allowing you to control the power, choose modes, and cleaning zones., etc. In addition to vacuuming and sweeping, it has a mixed solids and liquids tank, which includes a mop and you can control the water flow.

When the first cleaning was finished, I saved the map with the name of the first floor, and continued with the second, since allows up to 5 different maps. Afterwards, I started creating cleaning plans, What made me choose this robot is its RoomPlan, since it recognizes the rooms, and then you can rename them, combine them, etc. Plus, the price is very good for everything it offers. ANDThe ground has been left pristine and it also vacuums and scrubs at the same time, which finishes sooner.

It doesn't take a crazy tour, moves orderly and intelligently, and what's more, it not only vacuums, but also mops and scrubs. Dispense the water very well and it has arrived for two or three rooms. Thanks to its laser, it can clean in the dark and has not once collided with the walls. On carpets, it activates the turbo automatically and leaves them very clean.

It has exceeded my expectations, it cleans the entire house, even under the living room table, and without having to remove the chairs. There are places where it fits very tight, and passes without problems. Very happy with its performance.

I'm delighted. It makes less noise than a normal vacuum cleaner. It can be used with or without a mobile phone. I am very satisfied.

Clean in an orderly manner, following logical patterns. This way, is very fast and has no autonomy problems. In addition, since it has a mixed tank, you can mop and vacuum at the same time.

Conga 3490 vs Conga 4090

Below we show you a comparative table of the protagonist of this review with another best-seller like the Conga 4090:

Conga 3490 Elite: image gallery

We visually show you the Conga 3490 Elite, and some of the things it can do for you. Click on an image if you want to see it larger.

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