• View Yeedi M12 Ultra Plus at Amazon US

Yeedi M12 Ultra Plus: two-minute review

The Yeedi M12 Ultra Plus is a fantastic robot vacuum in terms of cleaning power. The vacuuming is powerful (with suction specs up there with the highest on the market) and reliable, the mopping is efficient – especially thanks to a pad that can shift outwards to enable this robovac to mop right up to the edges of rooms. Reliable object avoidance and very good mapping also help ensure a thorough clean.

In fact, in terms of cleaning alone, it's up there with the best robot vacuums on the market. However, it doesn't quite set itself apart in a way that's much of a game-changer, and it lacks extra features that you will find with other premium models. Perhaps the most notable of those is the lack of voice assistant support (which is surprising at this price point), but you also can't do things like use the bot as a security camera / pet checker. To some, those features will be unnecessary extras, though.

The base station is comprehensive, taking care of much of the maintenance for you, including refilling the bot's water tanks, and washing and drying the mop pads. However, the knock-on of that is that it is quite bulky.

That's the short version; read on for my full Yeedi M12 Ultra Plus robot vacuum review.

Yeedi M12 Ultra Plus review: price & availability

• List price: $1,099 / (about £840 / AU$1,630)
• Available: US
• Launched: September 2024

An asking price of $1,099 / (about £840 / AU$1,630) may seem exorbitant, but it really isn't with flagship models such as the Yeedi M12 Ultra Plus. Top-of-the-line models basically start at around $1,000 / £1,000 so something that's just a hundred bucks more is reasonable. Add on to that the fact that the Yeedi M21 Ultra Plus comes with powerful suction rated at 11,8000 Pa and has an extendable mop pad for mopping edges, along with great object avoidance, and you're getting pretty good value. While I hesitate to call it a deal, it's worth the price.

Compare, for instance, to the Narwal Freo X Ultra. At $1,399.99 / AU$ 2,299 (about £1,110), it's quite a bit more expensive, doesn't have that extendable mop pad, and isn't quite as powerful(it has 8,200 Pa of suction). The Narwal is a bit more aesthetically pleasing, however, and more feature-filled. For instance, you can actually use it as a security video camera drone.

The Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo is another option that's going to set you back quite a bit with its $1,199.99 / AU$2,299 (about £950) price tag. It's very feature-rich and even comes with a handheld vacuum that self-empties into the base station. While it shouldn't be a huge consideration since all of these robot vacuums frequently return to the base station to wash their mop pads, it does have a 200 minute battery life to the Yeedi M12 Ultra Plus' 290 minutes.

• Value for money score: 4 out of 5

Yeedi M12 Ultra Plus specs

Yeedi M12 Ultra Plus review: design

• Spinning mop pads – one of which extends to reach the edges of rooms
• 3D mapping sensors for improved object avoidance
• Large water tanks and dust bag in base station

The Yeedi M12 Ultra Plus, as a flagship robot vacuum, comes with some top tier design choices. For instance, while it comes with just one side brush (some models have two), it does have an anti-tangle brush roll. Plus, it comes with two spinning mop pads, one of which can extend out for edge mopping. Both can also lift off the ground for carpet cleaning as well, though it's not quite high enough for thick, shag carpets.

As far as its sensors go, it utilizes 3D mapping – you can see the results in the app. When it goes around mapping or cleaning, you can actually see two lasers cross in front of it. This helps with seeing objects more fully to avoid them. (Here's more on how robot vacuums navigate, if you're interested.)

Moving on to the base station. This is on the bulky side, although that's common for docks that offer comprehensive maintenance features, as this one does. Not only will it empty the bot's dustbin, it can also refill its onboard water tank and clean and dry its mop pads.

The most unusual thing about the dock is the fact that the clean and dirty water tanks are flat and wide, sitting on top of the base station instead of the thinner, deeper tanks of other models that sit inside the base station. I'm not sure there's a real practical difference other than the water tanks here are harder to tip over if you're filling up or emptying them.

They're both sizable, with the clean water tank holding 4L and the dirty water tank 3.5L. The dust bag that the robot vacuum automatically self-empties into is also pretty big at 3.4L. Also on hand are features that I've come to expect in flagship robot vacuums with mopping capability, such as hot mop pad washing and drying.

• Design score: 5 out of 5

Yeedi M12 Ultra Plus review: performance

• Both vacuuming and mopping are great
• Extendable mop pad means edges get mopped
• Object avoidance is very good

As one would expect with a flagship model, the vacuuming and mopping are both very good with the Yeedi M12 Ultra Plus. I tested this robot vacuum on hardwood and marble floors as well as a bath mat to see how it would do with carpeting.

Tackling the vacuuming first, it sucked up all manner of debris very well. For a more controlled test, I used cereal and sugar and it sucked everything right up. That's to be expected for a robovac that boasts 11,800Pa of suction – right up there with the highest on the market.

If there's any place to mildly criticize the M12 Ultra Plus, it would be nice to see two side brushes instead of just one, as this would push more dust and debris in front of it to pick up per pass. At least it has a tangle-free brush roll.

While I was impressed with the mopping as well, it's a bit light on how much water it uses so I ended up preferring to use the highest water level when running it. Still, it left floors looking very clean. During that cereal and sugar test, I also tossed some coffee on the floor and it mopped that up fairly quickly.

Also, one of the mop pads extends out during cleaning so that the Yeedi M12 Ultra Plus is able to get to the edges of rooms. It's a nice feature that not all flagship robot vacuums come with.

Since the mop pads can lift up, when it vacuumed the bath mat that I used to simulate testing on carpet, it left the bath mat dry, meaning you can use this robot vacuum in a hybrid space and it will vacuum and mop hard flooring while just vacuuming carpeted areas.

Since this robot vacuum utilizes its 3D sensors for navigating and mapping, it does a very good job avoiding objects. I saw it go right up to and around chairs that had been moved, without touching (or sometimes barely touching). Just be aware that Yeedi hasn't yet solved cables and cords (no one has, frankly) so you should still pick those up before running the robot vacuum.

Performance-related features also include mop pad washing and drying as well as auto-emptying. They all work very well, though the robot vacuum has a tendency to wash the mop pads before running, which can be annoying if something just spilled and you want to do some spot cleaning.

Battery life

Since the Yeedi M12 Ultra Plus is one of those robot vacuums that regularly returns to its base station to wash its mop pads and empty its onboard dustbin, squeezing every minute of battery life out of it is not going to make a big impact on your experience. Still, its up to 290 minutes of use is fairly remarkable as many robot vacuums, especially with spinning mop pads, have a battery life that's closer to 200 minutes.

• Performance score: 4.5 out of 5

Yeedi M12 Ultra Plus review: app

• Straightforward to use
• Somewhat light on features – no option of voice assistant support
• Mapping is mostly good

The app is straightforward, from setup to use. There are no surprises, though some of that is due to the fact that there aren't a lot of extra features here. You won't find the ability to pair with Alexa or use as a remote video drone (this may seem random but more than a few flagship models have this feature).

But, the more important stuff is here, such as running the Yeedi M12 Ultra Plus in vacuum only, mop only, or vacuum and mop mode and the various settings during its cleaning (vacuuming power, mopping water level, etc.). There's also the ability to schedule cleanings, see a log of previous cleanings, edit the map, and adjust some other settings.

I like to focus specifically on the maps as I typically test robot vacuums in a semi-open floor plan and find many to have issues dividing the mapped space into smaller rooms – typically, the whole space, which comprises four rooms, are registered as one big room.

The Yeedi app does a good job dividing that space into smaller rooms, though I did find one instance where it wouldn't accept a division, so I have to either clean two rooms at once or use the zone setting to clean one of those specific rooms. This is an improvement over what I've experienced in the past, not just from Yeedi but other manufacturers as well.

• App score: 4 out of 5

Should you buy the Yeedi M12 Ultra Plus?

Design

Sizable water tanks and dust bag in the base station, and the robot vacuum has an extendable mop pad.

5 /5

Performance

Vacuuming and mopping performance are both very good.

4.5 /5

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Yeedi M12 Ultra Plus: alternatives to consider

How I tested the Yeedi M12 Ultra Plus

To test the Yeedi M12 Ultra Plus, I used it for a week to vacuum and mop the hardwood floors and a bath mat (to simulate carpeting) in my house. I also tested all the features listed in the app, particularly its mapping. I took note of how well the vacuum cleaned the edges of a room as well as around obstacles.

Read more about how we test robot vacuum cleaners

• First reviewed October 2024

• View or buy at Narwal

Narwal Freo Z Ultra Robot Vacuum and Mop two-minute review

Launched to great acclaim at Europe’s biggest tech show, IFA (where it snagged two awards), the Narwal Freo Z Ultra is a successor to the brand's Freo X Ultra. Significant upgrades include dual RGB cameras, LiDAR navigation, and an increase in suction power from 8,200 to 12,000Pa. In layman’s terms, it’s better at obstacle avoidance and adaptive cleaning, plus it sucks up more dirt!

In my tests, I found the Z Ultra excelled at both mopping and vacuuming on hard floors (of which I have many) but it was less cool on carpet. To be fair, I’ve tested some of the very best robot vacuums and am yet to find one that can handle dusty carpets as well as the best manual vacuums for carpet, which always have more power and better filters.

I loved all the smart automation, which meant I didn’t have to zone off carpets to stop them getting soggy or worry about what power level or speed to set. As a germophobe I also really appreciated how hygienic this robot is; cleaning and drying itself after every session.

Its mapping powers were also great, but I would have liked a quick option for spot cleans. Many robots allow you to mark a zone on the map where there’s a spill and send the robot straight there to clean. The only way I could work out to do this was in video mode, where you can manually navigate the vacuum. The issue here was the video was glitchy about connecting and often flatly refused – not ideal if you have spilt something that could stain and needs speedy attention.

I also had a few bin-related issues, and mopping was deadly s-l-o-w, but absolutely worth the wait. Ideal for large homes with mostly hard surfaces, the Narwal Freo Z Ultra suits tech-savvy homeowners who appreciate an integrated app and can get their head around fine-tuning settings. Technophobes and the impatient (and anyone on a budget) might prefer to steer clear.

Read on for my full Narwal Freo Z Ultra Robot Vacuum and Mop review.

Narwal Freo Z Ultra review: price & availability

• List price: $1499.99 / AU$2,499
• Launch date: October 2024
• Availability: US / AU

The Narwal Freo Z Ultra launched in October 2024 and at time of writing is available to buy in the US and Australia, with a list price of $1,499.99 or AU$2,499. That places it firmly in the premium price bracket. There’s no getting away from it, the Narwal Freo Z Ultra is a pricey robot vacuum sitting at the very top of the market in both Australia and North America. You can save a few dollars by waiting for seasonal sales (the Black Friday deals often include some big robovac price-drops).

There are two accessories pack options. Option 1 will set you back an extra $259.99, and costs of a whole raft of brushes, detergents, dust bags and mop pads. Option 2 gets you a few of the most-used accessories, for $100. You can also add a one-year extended warranty plan for $79. Buying the accessories individually will soon add up – a replacement detergent is $29.99 – so it’s worth doing the math before you decide which option to start with.

While the Narwal Freo Z Ultra is an investment appliance, it will save you a LOT of time and it’s by far the best mopping robot I’ve tested. I wouldn’t buy it purely for vacuuming, but as a combo, it might be worth the spends.

• Value for money score: 3.5 out of 5

Narwal Freo Z Ultra Robot Vacuum and Mop specs

Narwal Freo Z Ultra Robot Vacuum and Mop review: design

• Stylish robot with mopping and vacuuming skills
• Large mop heads and spinning brushes for getting close to edges
• Decent capacity water reservoirs

Arriving in a huge box, I needed an extra pair of hands to unload the Z Ultra and was grateful for the hand grips in the base station when positioning the heavy unit next to a power point. It comes with a simple instruction card for first-time setup, as well as a more comprehensive user manual. I used the former to install the side brushes, insert the detergent and add clean water. My daughter got a lot of satisfaction from removing a gazillion instructional stickers from both the base station and vacuum unit.

The design of the Freo Z Ultra, and base station, is very stylish indeed, which is just as well given that it’s hard to hide! Choose from Galaxy White or Space Gray. All the edges are softly curved and, with its two camera ‘eyes’ in the front, has the cute vibes of Pixar’s Wall-E, which is exactly how I like my robot vacuums. The various lids and covers pop off without breaking any fingernails, and everything is easy to access.

Underneath, this robot has two large microfibre style mops that Velcro on, as well as two rotating side brushes that are a good length for getting into corners. The main roller brush has a rubber flipper part as well as brushes to suit both hard floors and carpets, plus its anti-hair tangle design does actually work. As I have two daughters and two spaniels who seem to molt year-round, I was delighted to swerve the odious task of cutting swathes of hair from around a roller. (Effective anti-hair wrap brushrolls are a key feature amongst the best robot vacuums for pet hair.)

One unusual feature I’ve not seen anywhere else is a fluffy baseboard duster that attaches with Velcro on one side and is designed to gather dust from the tops of your skirting boards as it goes along the edges of the room

The Narwal Freo Z Ultra’s base station has two large containers for clean and dirty water. These are are easy to lift in and out, but you'll want to make sure the dirty water reservoir’s lid is properly clipped on, or you may have to clean up a mini flood.

There’s also a dust collection bag and compartment into which to slot the bottle of floor cleaning solution that’s supplied. The bot does work without the detergent module in place, which is handy given they cost nearly $30 a pop. There’s a cool little window strip in the base that shows the water being ionized. It’s not clear why the water needs to be ionized but if you like watching bubbling water, take a peek.

• Design score: 4 out of 5

Narwal Freo Z Ultra Robot Vacuum and Mop review: performance

• Amazing at obstacle avoiding and navigation
• Great at mopping, poor on carpet
• Self-cleaning is great, but self-emptying hit and miss

The first job any robot vacuum has to complete is a map of the house, which this little beauty did in 17 minutes – impressive given we have quite a few little rooms, and many obstacles. (Here's more on how to prepare your house for a robot vacuum, if you're unsure.)

The mapping was precise and accurate. I liked how the map shows where the rugs and carpets are; often you have to add your own, which requires some guesswork on precise positioning. I’ll discuss the App in more depth later, but it was easy to name each room and set up no-go zones and divide rooms. Another bonus of the Freo Z Ultra is the ability to choose from a wide menu that covers mop, vacuum, mop & vacuum, and mop then vacuum. Some models I’ve tested don’t allow you to just mop.

Once I’d got to grip with the controls, I loaded up the water tank and tasked the Freo Z Ultra to vacuum and mop my entire ground floor, which is mostly engineered wood, with some terracotta, porcelain, luxury vinyl and of course rugs and carpet. Pretty diverse then.

While it was possible to set my own cleaning parameters, the Freo Z Ultra has an AI mode that uses various sensors and cameras to automatically adapt to different floor types and dirt levels. This takes the brainwork out of setting up and ended up being my go-to mode throughout my three-week trial period.

The first thing I noticed was how good the Freo Z Ultra was at obstacle avoidance – no banging into furniture or corners and no dragging cables or dog toys around the floor with it. (TechRadar's article on how robot vacuums navigate walks through the typical approaches brands use.) I never once got a message to say the roller brush was stuck, which is the usual warning that a robot has eaten something it shouldn’t! It was also excellent at powering over thresholds and the annoying chair legs I have that robot vacuums usually get grounded on, and spin like mad until sending a stuck error message.

The second thing I noticed was how it doesn’t get terribly close to the edges in mopping mode. When vacuuming, I could see the little spidery side brushes pulling dog hair and dander in from the edge but in mop mode there was a clear inch or more of bone-dry flooring around the perimeter of the room and any floor-level furniture like our kitchen units and sideboard.

And on the subject of edges, I’m sorry but the little fluffy baseboard duster on the side of the robot is only going to work if you have super low baseboards. Like many heritage properties, the baseboards in our Victorian home are quite high so it doesn’t reach the tops, aka the only bits that need dusting.

The Freo Z Ultra doesn’t carry any water onboard, which is unusual. Instead, it loads its mops up with warm, soapy water at the base station before heading out to clean. I was concerned this would result in dry patches of flooring, but the dampness levels were perfect – not too wet (important on real timber flooring), nor too dry.

The only downside is it has to make repeat returns to load up with more water, which can elongate the cleaning time, especially in rooms that are furthest from the base. For example, it took 1hr 19mins to mop our utility and hallway, which is an area of just 40 sq m. To vacuum and mop the whole ground floor, 68.3sq m, the Freo Z Ultra took a tedious 2h 41mins. Imagine how long it would take if I asked it to vacuum and then mop, rather than do it consecutively. I didn’t want to find out! I’ve never tested a robot that spends longer than two hours on the job.

When the robot returns to base after mopping and vacuuming, it automatically empties the bin and cleans its mop heads and then dries them. The latter takes a couple of hours but it’s incredibly quiet, so you won’t notice it. I did have to set the bin emptying to every run on the app, otherwise it clogged up and couldn’t self-empty itself. Hardly surprising given how microscopic the onboard bin is. Even then, there were a few times the bin just wasn’t self-emptying, even though it said it was, which was frustrating.

There are a handful of extra features – perhaps the most interesting one being that in Video mode you can see through your robot’s 'eyes' and remote control it around your home. That means you can use it as a security bot, or to check up on pets and send it off to specific locations. This mode isn't authorized by default, you'll need to manually switch it on if you want to use it.

Cleaning tests

When it came to running our standard vacuuming tests – one using a fine mix of biscuit and flour, and another using oats to represent larger particles – the results were a mixed bag. The Freo Z Ultra did well on the hard floors, eventually anyway. It took at least three passes and full power mode to get everything up.

I used multiple ‘no-go’ zones on the map to create my 1m x 1m test area, but the robot still seemed to spend far longer cleaning around the area I had made my test spills than it did actually dealing with the mess. This led me to seriously question Narwal’s claims that it homes in on and targets dirt using its beady little cameras and sensors.

With oats on carpet, the results were middling. The robot pushed things around a fair bit and it took three runs before they were gone. The dog may have helped!

On carpet, the fine mix removal was very disappointing. I gave up after three attempts and got my cordless vacuum out. Although this isn't great news, I'd argue that it's not often you'll experience this level of concentrated 'dust' and I was always happy with its carpet cleaning results in general.

Next, I tried out the mop function by 'spilling' first Ribena juice and then ketchup, which I left to dry, on the porcelain tiles in our cloakroom (I didn’t want to risk stains on our timber floors). These results were much better, although the dried-on ketchup required two passes to complete the job. According to Narwal, this impressive mopping is achieved via dual rotating mop heads that press down with 1.2kg of force and spin at 180 RPM. Other robot mops I’ve used either just drag a static mop pad along, or have a vibrating mop, this spinning tech is the closest I’ve come to mimicking real mop work. And the results show it.

Apparently, this robot also analyses the waste water to decide if another cleaning run is required but I had to make that decision myself with the ketchup; the Freo Z Ultra thought it was done after one attempt.

To check navigational skills, our final test involves placing a sock (in a similar shade to the flooring) a shoe and a charger cable on the floor. The Freo Z Ultra absolutely nailed this test, not touching any of the objects but getting close enough to clean sufficiently around them.

The Freo Z Ultra takes around 2.5 hours to charge, which is a bit speedier than normal, and has a run time of just over 2 hours 15mins (in vacuum and mop mode), which is about the standard for a high-end robot. It automatically returns to the base to charge if it runs low on juice during a cleaning cycle, which is also the norm. If I was asking it to do the whole house, it never managed on a single charge but I usually tackle the dirtiest rooms (kitchen and hallway) more frequently and that was easily done without the need to stop to recharge.

Noise-wise, I am quite noise intolerant and as I work from home, I don’t like having noisy robots rattling around the house while I am trying to focus. Happily, I found the Freo Z Ultra one of the quietest robots I’ve tested, especially in mopping mode, with my decibel meter App recording between 60-70dB max. This is way below the noise levels you would get from a regular vacuum, but if they still bother you, just schedule the robot to work while you’re out of the house.

Maintenance

I found the Freo Z Ultra easy to clean and maintain, the internal bin pops out for emptying, if it hasn’t emptied automatically into the base station, and the mop heads are automatically washed with hot water and dried after every use. This is important to prevent bacteria breeding in the mop heads and before being dragged all over your home. All this self-cleaning did mean it rattled through the clean water in the tank and I had to refill it before most cleaning runs, but that’s a small price to pay I’d argue.

Like all robot vacuums, it’s important to keep the sensors and charging contacts clean, which is an easy wipe-over task. The roller brush didn’t clog in the three-week test period, but if they had, they do clip out very easily. I also didn’t fill the dust bag in the base station but it just clips out and pops straight in the bin when full.

Narwal recommends cleaning the filter once a week, which involves clipping it out from under the top cover on the robot and tapping out the dust – simple. It should be replaced every three-six months.

• Performance score: 3.5 out of 5

Narwal Freo Z Ultra Robot Vacuum and Mop review: app

• Very easy to work out without assistance
• Lots of options to customize cleaning (or not)
• Mildly glitchy connection

The Narwal Freo Z Ultra app is user-friendly and intuitive (I never needed to use the Help Center), making it easy to create custom cleaning schedules, adjust settings, and monitor cleaning progress in Real Life. Make sure you connect using a 2.5GHz wi-fi link, not 5GHz.

If you love an easy life (as I do), you can clean in Freo Mind mode, which leaves all the decisions about power levels, patterns and passes to the robot. If you’re a control freak, each cleaning program comes with various adjustment options, such as mopping humidity, coverage precision, detergent use etc.

You can choose which rooms to clean, but I also liked that I could set the cleaning sequence for a full home clean. For example, I set it to start in the kitchen, then hallway, then dining room (where my desk is), so that it gets those rooms I spend most time in done first (while I’m taking the kids to school). You can also split rooms, merge rooms and add no-go zones.

The app also provides cleaning history and notifications to ensure you stay informed of cleaning progress. I did experience quite a lot of delays between opening the app and the robot syncing, but we’re only talking seconds. And it often annoyed me that there was no Spot Clean option but that may well come with a software upgrade.

• App score: 4 out of 5

Should you buy the Narwal Freo Z Ultra Robot Vacuum and Mop?

Buy it if…

Don't buy it if…

How I tested the Narwal Freo Z Ultra Robot Vacuum and Mop

I tested the Narwal Freo Z Ultra Robot Vacuum and Mop for three weeks on the ground floor of my four-bed historic home. With the exception of thick-pile carpet, we have all manner of flooring types from porcelain and terracotta tiles to vinyl and engineered oak. I ran the robot in various rooms, in every cleaning mode, every day and tried cleaning in both automatic smart mode and fully customized. I also set schedules and conducted controlled tests where I had the robot vacuum flour, crushed biscuits and oats from hard floors and rugs, as well as mop wet and dried on spills from the porcelain tiled floor.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed November 2024

Roborock Qrevo Slim: two-minute review

Although sporting a lower-profile design than some rivals, the Roborock Qrevo Slim is otherwise a full-size robotic vacuum and mop that is powerful, intelligent and packed with features. The redesigned LiDAR system means it can slide more easily under low furniture, getting to floorspace that other robots can't, without any noticeable compromise in navigation performance.

The well-appointed Roborock app serves up no fewer than five suction levels, plus configurability for the cleaning route and mopping performance. It also smartly raises its dual spinning mops when carpet is detected, and features a spinning side brush that pivots outwards to reach into the corners of every room.

With up to 11,000Pa of suction power, the Qrevo Slim is more powerful than many rivals, including the pricier Eufy Omni S1 Pro, and you can even view a live stream from the front-facing camera in the Roborock app, turning the vacuum cleaner into a pet monitor.

The Slim does not feature the bouncy 'AdaptiLift Chassis' found on the Roborock Qrevo Curv, which launched alongside the Slim in September 2024. However, perhaps thanks to the improved navigation system, the Slim robot itself still tackles thick rugs and raised door thresholds with a confidence missing from most rivals. It's also worth noting that despite the low profile, this is still a relatively large robot, with an equally large docking station, so it's best-suited to medium and larger homes. That's the short version; read on for my full Roborock Qrevo Slim review.

Roborock Qrevo Slim review: price & availability

• List price: $1,399
• Launched: September 2024
• Availability: US

The Qrevo Slim launched in September 2024 and sits in the premium price bracket. It comes with a list price of $1,399, but you might be able to avoid paying that – I've spotted it discounted to around $999. At time of writing (because this market moves fast!) it sits at the top of Roborock's Qrevo range at, which itself occupies the middle tier of the company's robotic vacuum offering.

Below it you'll find the budget Q Series, and above you'll find the flagship S Series family, where prices start just below the Qrevo Slim (you'll pay $1,300 for the S7 Max Ultra), and extend all the way up to the range-topping, $1,800 S8 MaxV Ultra.

A four-figure vacuum may sound expensive, but that $1,300 buys you a lot of smart technology, and in this case your money goes into an interpretation of LiDAR known as 'StarSight', which is unique among robot vacuums, and is responsible for the Qrevo Slim's reduced height. You also get very high suction power – and in fact, at 11,000Pa, the Slim is more powerful than even Roborock's flagship S Series, which peaks at 10,000Pa. For comparison with other brands, the equally expensive Eufy Omni S1 Pro is rated at just 8,000Pa.

There is no ongoing subscription cost for the Qrevo Slim, although you'll need to purchase replacement dust bags every couple of months (Roborock says they get full in about seven weeks), and the side brush and mopping pads will eventually need replacing too.

• Value for money score: 4 out of 5

Roborock Qrevo Slim specs

Roborock Qrevo Slim review: design

• Low-profile design fits under furniture
• Self-cleaning and emptying charge dock
• Dual rotating mop pads

The ‘slim' part of this robot's name refers to how it doesn't have a spinning LiDAR sensor on top. This makes it shorter than most rivals, and at 8.2 cm tall it can drive places other robotic vacuums cannot. Roborock has replaced the conventional LiDAR sensor with a system it calls StarSight. This includes a dual-light, solid-state LiDAR system, plus a 3D time-of-flight sensor, a camera and infrared sensors. (Head to TechRadar's article on how robot vacuums navigate for a deep-dive into this area.)

The rest of the Qrevo Slim's design is similar to other self-cleaning robovacs in the Roborock range. The robot is circular, with dual spinning mops at the rear (this style of mop is typically better at scrubbing than the fixed, D-Shaped pad style), a rotating brush at the side that cleverly extends to reach into corners, and a pair of rotating rubber brushes underneath. The charge dock has a dust bin and a pair of water tanks – one clean and one dirty – to work with the robot's mopping function.

The robot itself measures 350mm (13.8in) wide, 353mm (13.9in) deep and 82mm (3.23in) tall, while the dock is 340mm (13.4in) wide, 487mm (19.2in) deep (including a ramp the robot parks on) and 521mm (20.5in) tall, although you'll need to leave space for the water tanks, which are removed by lifting them upwards from the dock.

Roborock also sells the Qrevo Slim with a refill-and-drainage system. This works in the same way, but plumbs into your home's water supply, so can refill and drain the mopping water tanks automatically. This dock is the same width and depth, but is shorter, at 405 mm (15.9in). For this review we're looking at the regular model with the larger, manually-refilled and emptied water tanks.

As with other such robots, the Qrevo Slim dock charges the robot's battery and empties its dust bin into a larger bag that Roborock says only needs changing every seven weeks, although that will vary depending on what you're asking it to pick up. The robot also has its mopping pads cleaned with warm water and dried during charging, while the onboard water tank is emptied into the dock.

Back to the robot itself, and the Qrevo Slim can automatically lift and lower its mops, depending on the floor surface and what cleaning task is required. The side brush and one of the spinning mops can also move outwards, touching the walls and skirting boards for a complete clean.

There are three buttons on the top of the robot for quick access to key functions, like powering up, pausing and sending it back to its dock. Removing the magnetic cover gives access to the dust bin and filter, which can then be removed and cleaned or replaced.

The robot and dock take up a fair bit of space, and it's recommended that you place the dock against a wall, but with enough space either side for the robot to drive into, ensuring it cleans every last bit of your floor. You don't have to do this though, and you can sit the dock in a corner if needed; just make sure the ramp is clear for the robot to drive onto.

• Design score: 4.5 out of 5

Roborock Qrevo Slim review: performance

• Handles thick rugs and raised thresholds with ease
• Automatic switching between vacuum and mop
• Cleans deeply and reliably

Right away, I want to highlight how good the Roborock Qrevo Slim is at driving through thick rugs and over raised doorway thresholds. These are both tasks other robotic vacuums can really struggle with, and even flagship models with four-figure price tags have failed to clamber their way from my exposed-floorboard hallway into the carpeted bedroom.

Not the Qrevo Slim though. It drove over every threshold, every time. It even managed to wade its way through a thick rug in the lounge – something no other robot has achieved reliably – during its first exploratory drive. During that drive it used its camera and imaging sensor to create a map of my flat, which it automatically split into labeled rooms. It got most of the labelling correct, but I still had to jump into the app and make a few edits before saving the map.

Its off-roading abilities meant I could leave the Qrevo Slim to get on with its job, safe in the knowledge that it would drive into every room, clear the rug (and automatically vacuum it, too) and return to base without me checking if it had got trapped. On a couple of occasions, it briefly got stuck on a raised threshold, but always managed to clear it by reversing and driving forward again at a higher speed.

The automatic mode selection also impressed me. Since it's so often a challenge for robotic vacuums, I usually roll the rug up and set a robot to mop and vacuum the wooden floor. But with the Roborock I left it to do its own thing, where it vacuumed and mopped the wooden floor, then automatically raised its mop to vacuum the rug, before lowering it again to continue mopping the floor and ensuring the rug stayed dry.

As well as recognizing the difference between floor types, and where each room ends, the robot can also spot common household items like beds, sofa and television stands, which it then adds to the map.

On test, the Qrevo Slim's navigation was usually very good, driving confidently into small gaps, not crashing into anything at speed and not getting stuck. But on one occasion it got confused and failed to find its way back to the dock. Understandable if it was stuck under the sofa, or somewhere else far from the charging station, but it was just a foot or so from the dock, yet after lots of spinning around it declared defeat via an app notification. I don't know what caused this, but it only happened once during several weeks of testing.

Onto the specific cleaning tests. I begin by scattering a mix of oats and flour across approximately one square meter of wooden kitchen floor. I began in the quietest, least powerful vacuuming mode, with the robot driving a standard pattern and completing the route only once.

At just 60 dB, Quiet mode really is very quiet indeed, with the vacuuming itself no louder than the motors driving the robot around. As expected, this mode didn't do a particularly good job at picking up debris. It's okay for dust (or flour in this case) but struggled with the oat mix. Just like most other robotic vacuums, the Qrevo Slim's rotating side brush tends to flick debris around the room, and out of the robot's path. Telling it to perform the route twice mostly fixes this, as the flicked debris will be collected on the second pass.

Turning the vacuum power up to Balanced (one level up from Quiet) and telling the robot to clean the same area twice made a big difference. Despite only being slightly louder (about 63 dB), this setting sucked up almost all of the oat mix, with just a few pieces flicked out of reach by the side brush. Turbo mode is the next step, but at 65 dB it's only slightly louder than Balanced, but clearly has more power and was able to pick up all of the flour and almost every piece of oat.

Max vacuum strength is noticeably louder, at 69 dB. This is when the Qrevo Slim starts to really sound like a vacuum cleaner, but it's still the sort of volume you can talk over with a slightly raised voice. The cleaning power is also ramped up, providing an excellent clean.

However, on this run I noticed how when you create a zone for the robot to vacuum, it won't go right to the edges of a room, even if the zone you create overlaps the walls of the room map. This means you'll be left with a line of debris – in this case flour – swept to within a few inches of the wall but not collected. This is despite me telling the robot to clean right up to the wall. It also frequently failed to clean up directly in front of its docking station. Telling it to clean the whole room fixed this.

Finally, it's time for Max+, which even comes with a warning that it will shorten battery life due to being so power-intensive. This mode peaked at 70 dB and did a great job of collecting the debris, but the routing still meant some oats were flicked across the room and left behind; I also spotted how the robot drove over some flour without the vacuum on, then left a line of white tire tracks that it failed to pick up on subsequent passes. Requesting another clean, on a lower power setting, addressed this.

To summarize, cleaning whole rooms twice using Turbo or Max mode is best in most cases.

I then repeated these tests on carpet, and saw very similar results. The Quiet and Balanced modes are fine for a little-and-often approach, but failed to pick up all debris. Turbo and Max modes performed better, while Max+ feels like overkill for regular cleaning, but is still a nice-to-have. If I'd just moved into a new home, I'd be using the full 11,000 Pa of suction with Max+ in every room to start with, then switch to Routine or Turbo for scheduled cleaning.

Turbo mode is the best all-rounder, mixing an ability to suck flour out of a reasonably dense carpet, with a low volume level. I still wish the robot was better at collecting debris flicked around by the rotating brush, but this is only apparent when faced with very specific tests. You won't notice this during regular cleaning, but might need to occasionally pick up a few bits of debris with a handheld vacuum.

Finally, the mop. The Qrevo Slim has a pair of mops that spin at 200 rpm and push downwards for a deep clean. There are three preset water flow options (low, medium and high), plus a custom option where you can pick from a flow rate between one and 30. You can then tell the mop to clean an area once or twice, and pick from four route options, ranging from the quickest, through to Deep+, which is more thorough but takes much longer.

For my test I scattered some hot sauce across the wooden kitchen floor, left it to partially dry, then set the Roborock to work. I asked it to mop the entire room, using a moderate water flow (number 20 of 30), with two cleaning passes, and the Standard route option. In short, it did a great job. The right-hand rotating mop extends outwards, so that it can clean right up against the walls or skirting boards on an initial lap of the room, before tucking back into its default position and working together with the left-hand mop to give the entire floor a thorough wipe.

All of the hot sauce was removed, but only because I set the robot to make two passes; some stains were still visible after the first pass.

The side brush spins slowly during mopping, so it's best to use the mop on a dried stain instead of a fresh spill, as any liquid will be wiped by the brush and require manual cleaning later. It's also worth remembering that the mop uses only warm water and no detergent. (You can find premium robot vacuums that offer hot water mopping, although it's rare – the option to add detergent is more common and is included on other Roborocks, including the S8 MaxV Ultra).

The mopping process is all very quiet, ranging from 44 bB to 58 dB as the water tank is filled from the docking station, then emptied again, and the mop is cleaned using hot water and dried with warm air. The mop takes three hours to fully dry, but during that time you can ask the robot to either mop again, or do some vacuuming. The dock base (the part the robot sits on while charging) self-cleans with a pair of rotating scrapers, but can also be removed for a manual scrub. After several weeks of testing, the base still appeared as-new.

There's even a sensor in the charge station that checks how clean the robot's water is, then cleans the mops more thoroughly if required.

Lastly, the robot has a voice control system that responds to the command 'Hello Rocky'. It can be asked to 'vacuum the bedroom', 'mop the kitchen' or 'dry the mop', for example. The robot responds quickly and accurately, making voice commands a convenient way to access basic functions without finding your phone and diving into the app for more granular control.

The Qrevo Slim's battery life is a claimed 180 minutes. This feels fairly accurate, but will vary considerably depending on which settings are used.

• Performance score: 4.5 out of 5

Roborock Qrevo Slim review: app

• Easy to use, but…
• Lots of customization on offer. Almost overkill
• SmartPlan and homescreen widgets are handy one-tap solutions

The Roborock app works like most other robotic vacuum controllers. There are several customizable cleaning parameters to adjust, including five levels of suction power, three levels of water flow for the mopping function, and the option to clean an area once or twice, plus an option to pick between the standard or faster, more efficient cleaning route. Or, it can be set to only vacuum or mop a certain room or area, depending on your needs.

There's also the SmartPlan, which uses artificial intelligence to learn your cleaning habits and preferences, then creates a customized vacuuming and mopping plan.

On top of all that are the routines. If you don't want to clean the whole map, or a single room, you can instead select the After Meals routine, which can be configured to clean only the kitchen and dining room, for example. Routines appear on the home screen of the app, and can be activated with just one tap. iPhone users can create a homescreen widget with one-tap access to a couple of your most-used routines. With that set up, it's a case of unlocking your phone and tapping once on the widget to start a cleaning routine.

There are even a few pet-friendly app features, including a function where the robot will go and look for your pet without the vacuum running, using its forward-facing camera to show a live stream of what's going on.

As with other robotic vacuum apps, there are options to reconfigure your map and rename rooms. There are also masses of settings to adjust, if you wish, from cleaning schedules, to how the robot uses its lifting mops, what temperature water it uses to clean the mops, how often it empties its dust bin, and much more.

These can almost all be left to their default setting, but I strongly urge pet owners to enable pet mode in the Reactive Obstacle Avoidance page of the settings menu, since this ensures the robot recognizes and avoids pets and their waste with extra precision.

• App score: 4.5 out of 5

Should you buy the Roborock Qrevo Slim?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the Roborock Qrevo Slim

I set up the Qrevo Slim and used it as my only vacuum cleaner for several weeks. After using it for general vacuuming and mopping duties, I performed a series of tests to appraise its cleaning abilities, as well as its noise levels and how well Roborock's smartphone app works.

Read more about how we test robot vacuum cleaners

• First reviewed November 2024

Roomba Combo Essential: two-minute review

The Roomba Combo Essential is a basic, budget robot vacuum that's designed to be effective, yet simple to use. iRobot bills it as a good choice for recent graduates, new homeowners, or anyone unfamiliar with the world of robot cleaners, while also being a worthy replacement for the Roomba 600 Series – an ultra-popular budget range that launched in 2012 and which is no longer available to buy. I put it the Combo Essential to the test, and while I've found that it can't begin to compete with the very best robot vacuums on the market, it compares pretty well to today's best cheap robovacs.

It arrives with a list price of just $274.99 / £269 / AU$499, but the current Black Friday deals mean it can be picked up for much less. Regardless, even for its listed price, the Roomba Combo feels well made and good quality, and for cleaning performance it's solid, too. The bot tackled light vacuum cleaning without issue, and when bumped up to Max suction mode it cleared both small and large debris tests pretty effectively. Even more impressive was the mopping facility – which proved more efficient than other, far pricier robovacs I've tested.

When it comes to customization options, you're limited: essentially, you can pick from three suction levels and three water levels; choose either a vacuum-only or combination vac-mop run; and opt for either a spot clean or a whole-home clean. More advanced alternatives will let you clean a room or area, and auto-adjust suction when moving from hard floor to carpet, for example. The lack of No-Go Zone option means you'll also need to manually block off any soft flooring areas when running a combination vac-mop run, or you better believe it will attempt to mop those carpets for you.

Mapping, too, is basic – I'd politely describe the general behavior as "erratic". You're also limited in what you can achieve remotely. You can pause or resume cleaning; but the app doesn't offer a return to dock option, for example, in the even the bot ends up doing something that it shouldn't during a cleaning run – and based on my experience, this could happen. This does mean that it's probably best to avoid setting the Roomba Combo off on a clean unsupervised, which is a little annoying since most folk are likely to prefer to have their robovac complete duties while they're out of the house, for minimal disruption.

Note, too, that there's no option to add an auto-empty dock, which will result in an irritating amount of manual emptying if you have pets or a large, high-traffic household. However, for small homes, emptying is perfectly manageable and the tiny, charge-only dock is actually a benefit. (Note: the newer, similar Roomba Combo 2 Essential does have an auto-empty dock).

Despite having had a somewhat frustrating time testing this spirited little robovac, I'd still actually recommend it to some people. If you have a small home and just want to do whole-home cleans once or twice a week, the Roomba Combo will perform just fine. The small dock won't get in your way, and if you're happy to manually empty it every couple of weeks, then it could be a major time- and effort-saver for very little outlay. That's the short version; read on for my full Roomba Combo Essential review.

Roomba Combo Essential review: price & availability

• List price: $274.99 / £269 / AU$499
• Launch date: April 2024
• Available: US / UK

The Roomba Combo Essential robot is widely available around the world. It comes with a list price of $274.99 in the US, £269 in the UK and AU$499 in Australia, but I've already seen it discounted heavily – at time of writing, the Black Friday robot vacuum sales are in full swing, bringing the price down closer to $150 / £150.

Even at the list price it's in the budget bracket, and performance is roughly what I'd expect at that price. You don't get the extensive features and hands-off dock functionality of pricier bots, but build quality is good, and there are some thoughtful design features. As a basic model it offers decent value for money, especially if you can snag a discount.

• Value for money score: 4 out of 5

Roomba Combo Essential specs

Roomba Combo Essential review: design

• Combination vacuum and mop with a low-profile design
• Basic charge dock; no self-empty features
• Single bristle roller rather than iRobot's usual dual rubber rollers

The Combo Essential is a combination model, which it offers vacuuming and mopping capabilities. Many (pricier) robovacs have a raised central puck to house a camera; because the Combo Essential comes without, it has a relatively shallow profile, enabling it to clean under low furniture without issue.

There are three physical buttons on the bot itself: a Clean button (with power icon) to start, pause and resume cleaning tasks; a Home button to send the Roomba Combo back to its dock; and a Spot Clean button for tackling small, targeted mess. On other robovacs I've tested, these have been superfluous; but on the Roomba Combo Essential, I did find myself having to use them fairly regularly (more on that in the Performance section).

Flip the bot over, and you'll find a V-shaped bristle brush. It's described as "multi-surface", so presumably built for use on both hard floors and carpet. This is the only Roomba to not feature iRobot's patented dual rubber rollers. These rubbery rollers are excellent at pulling hair and debris from carpets, so I was interested to see how this alternative design compared. There's the usual triple-pronged edge brush, designed for tackling dirt at the edges of rooms.

Annoyingly, iRobot refuses to release its suction stats, arguing that other design elements also play a part in the overall effectiveness of a robovac's dirt pick-up. While that is true, a figure in Pa does provide an easy point of comparison when sussing out your various options.

What I do know the Roomba Combo offers the same "standard" cleaning offered by the majority of other Roombas (bar those right at the top of the range), and that it has 18x more suction power than the Roomba 600, which perhaps isn't surprising given that series launched in 2012. You can select from three different suction levels in the app.

Housed at the back of the robot is a removable section that includes both the dust cup with filter and the water reservoir. This is very well designed, with a brush/slicer tool clipped in, for clearing any stuck debris from the bin, and removing tangled hair from the brushroll. The inlet for the water reservoir is found beneath the rubber stopper bearing a water droplet icon.

The mop is a D-shaped microfiber pad. These are pretty common (even on far pricier models), although I tend to find dual, spinning mop pads do a better job of scrubbing. Some budget models simply drag a wet wipe across the floor, so the Roomba Combo's offering is at least a big step up from that approach. In fact, I was pretty impressed with this model's mopping capabilities, but I'll get into that in more detail below.

The mop pad is fed from the small onboard water tank, and there are three water level options, which you set manually. This robot can vacuum and mop simultaneously, thus taking care of your hard floor cleaning in a single pass, although I probably wouldn't recommend doing this.

Some more affordable Roombas, such as the Combo j5, require you to manually swap over the whole back plate when you want to change from vacuuming to mopping. Here, the tank stays in place; but if you want to send the bot on a vacuum-only run (or avoid damp carpets), you'll need to remove the mop pad. It clips on easily, on top of where the bin and water tank sit.

The dock is a minimalist unit that simply charges the bot. In fact, it's teeny-tiny compared to other robovacs I've come across. Most pricier Roombas have the option of adding a more advanced base (sold as "Plus / +" versions) – the simplest of these just empties the bot's small dust cup into a larger one in the dock, while the most advanced options can also refill the water tank and wash/dry the mop pads.

There are no alternative dock options here, so you'll have to take care of all that maintenance manually. For people like me who have a small home, that's a worthwhile compromise not to have a bulky dock cluttering up the space. However, if you have a large home with lots of people traffic, or pets, it's probably worth choosing an option that can be used with a self-empty dock, to save you the hassle of constant manual emptying.

One minor complaint is that I found the cable a little short (41in / 105cm long). That, together with the requirement that the dock sit on a hard floor and have half a meter of clear space either side and 1.2 meters in front (this is pretty normal for a robovac dock) meant I had to get an extension lead out. There is a cable tidy at the back of the dock to prevent the bot becoming tangled in any spare cable on its travels.

Setup was straightforward, simply involving removal from the packaging, snapping on the side brush and mop pad, plugging in the dock and charging. There are clear instructions in a booklet, plus a QR code to download the app, and a further one to link the bot to your app. This app then walks you through the final stages of getting ready to clean, before (in my case) launching a software update.

Since the Combo Essential works on a 2.4GHz network, the official advice is that you'll need to make sure both the bot and your phone are also on 2.4GHz Wi-Fi during setup. After that, you can switch back to 5GHz, if you have it. However, I thought I'd try setting up my bot without changing the settings on my Wi-Fi and it managed just fine.

This is a more basic model, so don't expect a long list of smart features. It's powered by iRobot OS, promises up to two hours of cleaning on a single charge. It can be controlled via the iRobot Home app or with your voice, provided you have an Alexa-, Siri-, or Google Assistant-enabled device.

• Design score: 4 out of 5

Roomba Combo Essential review: performance

• Decent vacuuming, surprisingly good mopping
• Erratic behavior
• Requires more manual involvement than most

Having set up and charged the Roomba Combo Essential, I set it off on a whole-home vacuum of my one-bedroom flat. This did not go very smoothly. On the first run, the bot bumped its way around a bit before finally becoming stuck in a cycle cleaning back and forth in front of my fireplace (there were zero obstacles preventing it from leaving the area).

After around 25 minutes or so completing this same short route, I decided to send it back to dock to try again. There was no option to send it back to the dock via the app, so I had to press the button on the machine itself. On its way to the dock, it took a detour into my bathroom for the first time, and simply stopped there – again, for no apparent reason. A second attempt at a full-flat clean yielded slightly better results, but still far from perfect.

After the initial mapping process was as complete as I could hope for, I started with our standard vacuuming tests: a sprinkling of oats and (separately) blitzed up biscuit crumbs, sprinkled on the floor, to see how the robotic would cope with fine and chunky debris.

I started on carpet, using the Spot Clean function and the medium vacuuming setting. The Roomba Combo Essential flicked around a fair bit of debris, but sucked up most of the spillage on the first go. I then bumped up the settings to maximum suction, and ran the test again, after which there were only a few remnants remaining.

On hard floors the bot's performance was a little better. Still a fair bit of flicking mess around, but medium mode was enough to pull up most of the debris on the first pass.

In fact, the issue on hard floor wasn't so much with suction but navigation. On carpet, the Roomba Combo made its way out from where I had placed it in a neat outward spiral shape, thus gathering most of the debris on its travels. However, on my lino floor, for seemingly no reason, it decided to adopt an arc-based route. As a result, it was tricky to get it to even pass over the debris.

Since there's no auto-empty, you'll need to manually empty the onboard dustbin. This mechanism is straightforward, and feels well designed, with chunky clips to detach the bin. If you're cleaning a relatively small home (and don't have pets), this isn't too much hassle.

When you want to mop, you'll need to attach the mop plate onto the bot. This is simply a case of clicking it into place. iRobot suggests dampening the mop pad before attaching it, for best mopping results. You'll also need to fill up the onboard water tank before you launch any "combo" job. If you try to launch a vacuum-only task, it will helpfully inform you that the mop pad is attached.

iRobot suggests removing rugs before launching a combo run, and you'll also need to physically block off any areas where you don't want the bot to venture with its mop. I don't have a door between my (lino) kitchen and (carpeted) lounge, so I had to create a physical barrier before each combo run.

I had low expectations for the Roomba Combo Essential's mopping skills, but I was pleasantly surprised. Again, navigation was erratic, but I could see from the damp stripes on my floor that it was doing an efficient job – in fact, better than some far pricier robot vacuums I've tested.

My only real complaint was that it really tried hard to escape into my carpeted lounge – if you don't have doors you can close, you'll need to be prepared to put some sturdy barriers in place.

I also tested to see how well the Roomba Combo Essential coped with sticky mess (tomato ketchup) and liquid mess (apple juice). It sucked up the juice with no issues, and smeared the ketchup about a bit; but ultimately, after a couple of passes, the robot vacuum had cleared it.

Having said that, I wouldn't actually recommend using a robovac on spillages such as ketchup, because the condiment will get on the wheels and track around the house. Here, it ended up on the tracker wheel, which isn't removable and thus proved a pain to clean.

This robovac vacuums and mops at the same time, but I'd actually recommend running over surfaces in vacuum-only mode first. I did my combo run while there were still remnants of the vacuuming test on the floor, and it ended up in a disgusting gunk in the dust bin.

In general, it's worth stating that no robot vacuum will do as good a job of mopping as a manual mop option. They're really just for light cleaning, and for this, I found the Roomba Combo Essential more than adequate.

After each combo run, you're advised to empty the water tank of any unused water, while also rinsing the mop pad and leaving it to dry. Since there's no spare pad included, you'll need to make sure you have time to do this (spares are available to buy via iRobot, alongside other replacement parts). It's machine-washable for occasional deeper cleaning.

• Performance score: 3.5 out of 5

Roomba Combo Essential review: app

• Well designed, but limited options
• Can't do some basic things remotely
• Compatible with popular voice assistants

iRobot's companion app is well designed and intuitive. It offers only basic customization / control options: essentially, you can choose from three vacuum and three mopping modes, and you can choose to vacuum-only or combo vac-and-mop. Pricier models offer far more control over what they clean and how they do it.

After a task is complete, the app will provide a time summary of recently completed tasks and an outline of its journey. You'll need to figure out where the bot has and hasn't been from just a shape – there's no labelling of rooms here. That's expected at this price point, but I do struggle to understand why iRobot has opted an almost impossible to see yellow/green color for said maps.

There are limits to what you can achieve remotely. You can start and pause cleaning, but there's no return to dock button. As such, if you need to cut a job short for whatever reason, you'll need to find the bot and press the button on top. For spot cleans, you'll need to manually pick up the bot and take it to the bit that needs cleaning, then press the Spot Clean button.

You can't instruct the bot to clean just one room, and because no-go zones aren't an option, if you want to stop it from going somewhere, you'll need to physically restrain in (using doors).

There is a Clean While I’m Away automation option, where the bot will automatically start cleaning when you leave the house – although, personally, I wouldn't leave this bot to clean unsupervised. Finally, the app offers suggested schedules based on previous jobs.

• App score: 3 out of 5

Roomba Combo Essential review: alternatives

Within the "cheap Roomba" remit, there are a few options. If you want to see what you could get if you shelled out a little more, my Roomba range guide should help.

Roomba Vac Essential

In some countries, including North America, there's a vacuum-only model called the Roomba Vac Essential. This is very similar to the Combo Essential, but without any of the mopping capabilities. However, it isn't available direct from iRobot and can be hard to find elsewhere now, too.

Combo 2 Essential

In October 2024, iRobot added the Roomba Combo 2 Essential robot + AutoEmpty dock. The big difference compared to the original Essential is that it has an auto-empty dock, which will be a big benefit for those dealing with high levels of dirt or hair. It also apparently has "2x the cleaning power of the original Essential series". No specifics are given on this, but note that it's not "twice the suction power", so I'm thinking probably design tweaks. It also has an improved bumper design, and the ability to recharge and resume during cleaning missions. In short, a better choice for bigger homes and higher dirt levels.

Should you buy the iRobot Roomba Combo Essential?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the Romba Combo Essential

• I used it for a week as my regular vacuum
• I ran specific vacuuming and mopping tests
• I tested the app and any special features

For this Roomba Combo Essential review, I used this model as my main vacuum for a week. I ran the standard TechRadar suction and mopping tests, seeing how well it coped with fine debris (cookie crumbs), larger debris (oats), wet spillages (juice) and sticky spillages (dried tomato ketchup). I also noted how well it coped with my collarbone-length hair on its travels. I tested the spot clean function, mapping, and general usability.

Read more about how we test robot vacuum cleaners.

First reviewed November 2024

Dreame L40 Ultra: two-minute review

With its blend of impressive suction power, rotating mop pads, expert navigation and obstacle avoidance, self-cleaning ability and smorgasbord of AI and software features, the Dreame L40 Ultra is a solid hybrid vac-and-mop system for those looking to simplify their home cleaning regime. In fact, it's one of the best robot vacuums I've tested.

Equipped with advanced LiDAR navigation, the L40 Ultra efficiently and very quickly maps your rooms, cleans in precise patterns and is better than average when it comes to dodging obstacles. With its ample suction power (up to 11,000Pa – up there with the highest you'll find anywhere), the L40 Ultra handles dust, pet hair and small debris very efficiently, whether it's on hardwood, tile or low- to medium-pile carpet. It mops exceptionally well, too.

Personally, I would always recommend opting for a robot model with a self-emptying cleaning system, especially if you have pets. Well the L40 Ultra's dock not only automatically empties the robot's tiny onboard bin but it washes its mops, too, and then dries them using warm air. No, it's not the prettiest looking cleaning station in town but it is equipped with oversized water containers and a much larger dust bag than much of the competition. And that means you'll spend less time doing maintenance.

You can read more about the Dreame L40 Ultra below but, if you're in a rush, take it from me that this model is well worth the investment if you're looking for a competent, reliable and mostly fuss-free hybrid bot to perform the mundane tasks of keeping your floor spaces in tip-top condition on a daily basis.

Dreame L40 Ultra review: price & availability

• List price: $1,499.99 / £999
• Launched: October 2024

Available in white only, the Dreame L40 Ultra comes with a list price of $1,499.99 / £999 (although when it first launched it was cheaper, at $1,249.99 / £899). Even though that puts it in TechRadar's premium price bracket, I think it still represents strong value for money.

The L40 Ultra sits just below the company's flagship X40 Ultra, which costs around $350 (£250) more, mostly because it comes with an extra laser for improved obstacle avoidance.

In terms of other brands' offerings, it's very comparable feature-wise to the Qrevo Master ($1,200 / £949) from Roborock (another Xiaomi-linked company), which sports roughly the same level of suction power and very similar onboard tech, including an extendable side brush arm and rear mop for precise edging.

You can buy direct from Dreame, or head to a third party retailer like Amazon. Seasonal shopping events always include strong robot vacuum deals, and the Black Friday sales can be a particularly good time to shop.

• Value for money score: 4.5 out of 5

Dreame L40 Ultra specs

Dreame L40 Ultra review: design

• Superb vacuuming and mopping features
• Full self-cleaning dock
• Large, jarring clean base

Backed by Chinese behemoth Xiaomi, Dreame is fast becoming a major player in the ever-expanding arena of robot vacuum cleaners and robot mops, and this high-end hybrid model comprising a 2-in-1 vacuum and mopping system is a sterling example of just how much attention to technical detail the company applies to its products, especially when it comes to features, navigation and onboard smarts. In fact, there are many similarities between the L40 Ultra and class-leader Roborock's premium Qrevo Curv and S8 MaxV Ultra models, only this one's for affordable to buy.

Before I get down to the nuts and bolts, I should address the elephant in the room – namely the size and design of the L40 Ultra's charging dock-cum-cleaning station. This white-only model's dock is 59cm in height, 41cm in depth and 34cm in width, and it's clad almost entirely in plastic that attracts pet hair and dust like a cowpat attracts flies. To break up the monotony of so much white, the L40 Ultra also comes with a blingy, rose gold-tinted dustbin cover that some users may actually like. I don't.

Moving on to the robovac itself. Let's start with the little side rotating brush that all robot vacs are equipped with to fling any debris that sits outside of their chassis into the path of the main brush roller. In the vast majority of models the brush is fixed in position and its bristles can only stretch an inch or so beyond the machine's bodywork, which makes cleaning right-angled corners near impossible.

Well, like some of the top end Roborock models, this one is equipped with an articulating side brush mount that pops out on an arm by a few inches so the spinning bristles can reach deep into corners. This is a game-changer because it means you might not need to reach for a hand vac to finish the job. Also, unlike any other model I've tested, this one's side brush doesn't engage when on carpet and that means its bristles will last longer and will be less likely to snag on a rug tassel or wrap itself in a wayward shoelace.

The same thing applies to the L40 Ultra's mopping system, which uses two magnetically attached circular spinning mops on the rear that do an impressive job of keeping hard floors dust- and stain-free. Like Roborock's flagship models, the L40 Ultra's right-hand mop automatically protrudes beyond the chassis by several inches when the device is cleaning around chair legs and along skirting boards. But more than that, this model's mops are automatically ejected and left behind in the base station whenever the bot is out on a vacuum-only run.

Yes, the L40 Ultra's mops will retract when on carpet by 10.5mm, but the thinking behind this particular system is that it's better for any carpet that the bot may need to cross en-route to a vacuum-only session to not have any mops fitted at all. And so it leaves them behind in the dock, just in case. After all, you ideally don't want any dirty wet mops possibly touching the fibers of your favorite deep-pile rug lest they leave some unsightly marks.

Like most modern hybrid units, the L40 Ultra's dock not only charges the robot's ample 5,200mAh battery between cleaning sessions, it also sucks debris from the robot's tiny 300ml bin into a much larger 2.3-liter dust bag. This should happily last a month or two before needing to be disposed of, unless, like me, you have a menagerie of hairy pets.

Because this model also mops, it has two huge water tanks – 4.5 liters for the clean water and an equally voluminous 4 liters for the dirty stuff. I should also add that this model ships with a small 200ml bottle of Dreame-branded floor cleaning solution, which you pour into a separate reservoir next to the dust bag section. This solution is then added to the water that's pumped into the robot's small water tank before it heads out on a mopping run. Like all similarly styled premium hybrid robot vacuums, the L40 Ultra's mops are automatically cleaned in the station on its return and then dried using wafts of warm air.

The robot itself uses LiDAR, an RGB camera, sensors and AI to help it map and navigate around the home, and it's one of the very best systems this writer has so far come across. Its initial mapping run was not only fast but exceptionally accurate, too. In fact, it was the first bot to accurately divide my downstairs open-plan flooring into four separate rooms where others have either joined two rooms together or made the entire ground floor one large room. Incidentally, the same LiDAR, sensor and camera set up is also used to detect obstacles, and very good it is, too. You can read more about my obstacle testing in the Performance chapter below.

One of the biggest issues I have with robot vacs is the propensity of loose rugs I have in every room, and rugs are the robot vac's arch nemesis, especially if they're not fixed down with some of that sticky stuff IKEA sells to keep rugs from slipping on hard floor. Well I'm pleased to report that at no time has the L40 Ultra snagged itself on any rug tassels or ruffled up any rugs while traversing them. I put this down to some extra height at the front of the unit that allows it to ride over almost any rug, no matter how thin and slippery it is. Top marks in this regard.

For some reason, most robot manufacturers still insist on producing circular bots instead D- or square-shaped models. As a result, the main suction area on this model is positioned between its two side wheels with 9cm or non-suction space on either side of its single rubber roller. This is normal for most bots and invariably why they are equipped with a side brush to fling wayward matter into the path of the suction roller. And speaking of suction, this model produces 11,000Pa of power, which is above average and more than enough oomph for hard floors and all but the deepest of carpet pile.

Unlike Roborock and a few other manufacturers that equip their bots with two rubber brush rollers that run in tandem, this model has just one 17cm roller. Nevertheless, I haven't seen any significant reduction in dust collection as a result of having just one. As an added bonus, this model also ships with what Dreame calls a TriCut Brush, specifically designed for cutting loose hair so it doesn't bundle together and block the main suction tube in the cleaning base when it's drawing debris from the robot's bin. It's worth fitting this replacement roller if you have cats or dogs of the shedding variety.

You get ultrasonic automatic carpet detection and five levels of vacuuming power with this model – Quiet, Standard, Turbo, Max and Max+ – and a sliding scale of mop wetness depending on how dirty your hard floor is and whether it's tile, vinyl or delicate wood. I always set vacuum power to either Turbo, Max or Max+ for full efficiency and, because I have engineered wooden floors, somewhere in the middle of the moistness chart when mopping.

Robot vacs of this nature are usually really easy to set up and this one is no different. Simply remove the dock and robot from the box, place the dock somewhere with good access to all your rooms and fill up the fresh water tank (the dust bag is pre-fitted). Next download the Dreame app (iOS and Google), tap the plus sign, select the L40 Ultra and follow the on-screen instructions. A voice assistant will chip in with odd vocal announcements during both setup and day-to-day use, and it goes without saying that this model will also respond to your own voice commands if that is your wont.

• Design score: 4.5 out of 5

Dreame L40 Ultra review: performance

• Excellent vacuum skills
• Decent mopping, too
• Impressive self-cleaning dock

The model Dreame L40 Ultra is an excellent navigator and a stalwart performer when traversing loose rugs. But how well does the L40 Ultra actually clean? Well, if the contents of the dock's dust bag are anything to go by, I'd say it's a winner, especially at collecting the wayward dog and cat hair that my home seems to be engulfed in.

In fact, I can often hear that reassuring whoomph sound as another cardigan's worth of hair is being sucked out of the bot's bin and into the dock's larger-than-average dust bag. What's more, this bin-emptying sequence isn't too loud either. This, alongside the TriCut Brush feature, means I'd rate the L40 Ultra amongst the best robot vacuums for pet hair.

I have no issues to report regarding this model's efficiency at collecting dust and debris whether it's on my hard wooden flooring, the especially hairy carpeted rug sitting in front of my dogs' bed or the entire floorspace of our village hall. It just heads out, cleans the edges first before embarking on systematic parallel lines for the rest of the room and then returning to its dock like clockwork. You can even adjust the frequency with which it returns to its dock to empty the bin.

I've been especially impressed with how well the L40 Ultra has tackled our large village hall. After mapping the 110 square meter area in about seven minutes, it then proceeded to start cleaning the edges and under any tables and chairs before sweeping the main floorspace in perfect parallel lines and what's more, in the direction in which the floorboards were laid. Granted it seemed to skirt around three small areas for some bizarre reason but I still call it a great success.

To date, the L40 Ultra has held enough juice to vacuum the hall's entire floorspace in one fell swoop, while in Turbo mode. That's a remarkable statistic. It took 95 minutes to complete what I consider a huge task for any robot vac with an amazing 54% of battery power still remaining.

The same level of efficiency applies to its mopping system, which is better than any static pad-based moppers out there. No, it won't replace a mop and bucket (or one of the best wet-dry vacuums) for rapid stain removal, mostly because it's too much hassle commanding a robot to mop a specific area that's only a few inches square.

By the time you've opened the app, selected a rough zonal area and waited for the bot to get there, you could have reached down with a damp paper towel and cleaned it up in a thrice. Nevertheless, I did perform such a test on a dried soy sauce stain and was impressed by how well the L40 Ultra dealt with it in three short passes. I put that down to those spinning mops and the downward pressure exerted on them.

Of course, the idea with robot mops is that, if scheduled, they will ensure that any hard floors are kept clean and tidy on a regular basis – and in this case right to the very edge – without any need for reaching for a wet mop, tea towel or paper toweling.

For most of my review period, I generally let the L40 Ultra use its CleanGenius method which purportedly uses AI to identify particularly grubby areas for extended cleaning. I mainly set different vacuum-only and mop-only schedules, even though the bot will happily perform both methods of cleaning during the same time frame. And as I've mentioned above, if performing a dual vac-and-mop function, the L40 Ultra's mops are raised by a couple of centimeters whenever it's crossing a patch of carpet and, if vacuuming only, it will leave the mops in the charging dock.

Obstacle avoidance is a key element when it comes to robot vacs because the last thing you want is a jammed up robot sitting there doing nothing while you're out and about. I give this model almost full marks for obstacle avoidance, though I wouldn't trust it with avoiding dog mess or some items below about two-inches in height.

I noticed this when I laid out an obstacle course comprising a trainer with wayward laces, a neck buff, a woolen glove, a small dog toy and a phone cable. Amazingly, the L40 avoided the trainer and its two extended laces, the neck buff and the phone wire in three different tests. However, it pushed a small soft dog toy forward on two occasions and rode over the glove, thankfully without it jamming up the suction roller.

Hence, like most robot vacs, this model is not infallible when it comes to items less than about two-inches in height. And that means I wouldn't want to trust it with dog mess of any variety. Other than that common anomaly, I give this bot full marks for performance.

• Performance score: 5 out of 5

Dreame L40 Ultra review: app

• Easy to navigate
• Good customization options
• Could be improved here and there

While you can perform two very simple commands – clean and return to home – by tapping two buttons on the robot itself or by shouting ‘Hey Dreame, clean the kitchen' and the like, the vast majority of setting up and customization must be done via the Dreame app, which you can download to your phone for free from Google Play or the Apple App Store.

The Dream app is very reminiscent of that from Roborock and it's very well thought out and easy to navigate. However, there are some elements I'd like to see improved, especially zone cleaning – which doesn't save the command for later use – and the ability to set routines along with daily schedules. That's what I love about the Roborock app. It allows me to create a bunch of manually programmed routines and specific zone cleaning regimes and it saves them all for instant recall from the home page of the app.

On the plus side, the Dreame app lets you see the entire map of your floor plan in either 2D or 3D, and make adjustments like room merging, division and renaming, plus handy stuff like being able to add virtual walls and no-go zones. You can even select the direction of your wooden floors so the bot moves in the direction of the seams for more effective dust collection.

The app also allows you to drive the bot around the home remotely while viewing the scene from the front camera – a handy feature for checking on pets when you're away from home. In the pantheon of robot vacuum apps I'd say it's one of the better ones but still a little way off the wholesale customization possibilities provided by the likes of Roborock.

• App score: 4.5 out of 5

Should you buy the Dreame L40 Ultra?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the Dreame L40 Ultra

As per usual, I spent two weeks living with the Dream L40 Ultra and noted where possible any anomalies in its cleaning patterns. Thankfully there are none to report. I also performed a number of spot checks by programming it to clean a specific dog rug and a section of hard flooring with an ingrained stain. I also took into consideration its overall performance and whether or not it fitted comfortably within a home environment.

Read more about how we test robot vacuum cleaners.

• First reviewed November 2024

Proscenic Q8 Max: two-minute review

The Proscenic Q8 Max offers a lot for its budget-friendly price. There's mopping functionality built-in, and it comes with an effort-saving self-empty base to save you from having to constantly empty the onboard dust cup. At 4,200Pa, the suction is surprisingly high for a model in this price bracket, too. I put one to the test to see how it compares to the rest of the best robot vacuums on the market, and I was fairly impressed.

In my cleaning tests, I found it did a good job of sucking up everything from fine dust to larger debris on hard floors, and when amped up to maximum suction mode it also performed well on my carpet-like rugs, although I suspect it would struggle with thick carpet. The suction is powerful enough to pull up long hair, but I did find it easily became tangled in both the main roller and the side brush, and both needed regular de-hairing.

The mop function is great for tackling fresh spillages and keeping hard floors looking smart, but it's not powerful enough for dried-on dirt (although to be fair, even premium robot vacuums struggle with this). This feature is best for maintenance rather than deep cleaning.

You select the suction power and water flow for each room according to floor type, and with three options for each, you have decent control over your cleaning. The bot automatically amped up suction when it sensed it was on a rug, but (unfortunately) did not also shut off water at this point, so you'll need to set up no-go zones on the app to avoid damp carpets.

Using smart 360 LiDAR navigation, the Q8 Max creates detailed maps of your home, and it can store information for up to five levels. On test I found it did a decent job of navigating my apartment, and for the most part avoided obstacles, especially after it had done a few runs and got its bearings properly. The navigation isn't perfect, though. The companion app is easy to follow, allowing for easy scheduling, no-go zones, and room-specific cleaning preferences.

Overall, the Proscenic Q8 Max is a solid choice for anyone looking for a decent robot vacuum on a budget – it compares well to TechRadar's best cheap robot vacuum picks. On test, I was generally impressed with how much time it saved me in keeping the apartment clean, even if it didn't get every single nook and cranny spotless. That's the short version – read on for my full Proscenic Q8 Max robot vacuum review.

Proscenic Q8 Max review: price & availability

• List price: US$299
• Launch date: July 2024
• Available: US only

The Proscenic Q8 Max launched in July 2024 and at time of writing is available in the US only. It sits in the budget range for robot vacuums (TechRadar counts anything under $500 as budget for robovacs), and it's a standout option given its features. It can mop as well as vacuuming, and auto-empties dust into its dock – both features that are unusual at this price point.

For that very affordable price, you get a complete package, including a spare side brush, mop pad, and dust bag. When you consider the convenience of self-emptying alongside smart navigation, customizable cleaning options, and a solid performance, I think the Q8 Max is an excellent deal for the price. However, you'll naturally need to make some performance compromises for this price point (I'll get into that in detail in the Performance section).

• Value for money score: 5 out of 5

Proscenic Q8 Max specs

Proscenic Q8 Max review: design

• Combination vacuum and mop, and does both simultaneously
• Comes with a relatively compact, self-emptying base station
• Various spare parts included

The Proscenic Q8 Max's design is compact and modern. It's slim enough to slide under furniture and features a sleek, all-black look. The robot vacuum is 3.8 inches tall and 12.6 inches in diameter; the charging station is 8.5 by 6.67 by 10.5 inches.

This base station includes a larger dustbin into which the small onboard bin will automatically empty when docked. Unsurprisingly for this price, there's no automatic draining or refilling of the bot's water tank.

I was pleasantly surprised by the minimal plastic that was used to transport the Proscenic Q8 Max. Aside from a few plastic wrappings, most of the unboxing waste was cardboard, something to keep in mind if you value a more sustainable option.

Setup was an absolute breeze; I followed the Quickstart guide and had the robovac up and running in no time. The charging station does double duty, automatically emptying the dustbin into a disposable dust bag (which comes preinstalled). With extras like a spare HEPA filter, side brush, and mop pad included, you won't need to buy replacements right away.

In fact, the only setup annoyance I experienced is that, because it's only compatible with 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, so to be able to connect this device, I had to temporarily change my 5GHz Wi-Fi to 2.4GHz so that the device could connect.

The Proscenic app allows you to map your home, divide rooms, and customize cleaning zones, which was especially useful for my quirky apartment layout. It uses LiDAR for navigation.

There are three suction powers and three water levels, and both need to be manually selected when you start a cleaning session. There is a little automation – for instance, the robot vacuum will increase suction when it detects a rug but won't also turn off mopping on soft floors (I'll get more into this in the Performance section).

• Design score: 4.5 out of 5

Proscenic Q8 Max review: performance

• Solid suction on hard floors; max mode will clear most debris
• Decent navigation and obstacle avoidance, especially after initial setup period
• Mopping fine for light spills, but tough stains need manual intervention

I tested the Proscenic Q8 Max over the course of a few weeks, putting it through its paces in my 21 meter-square, one-bedroom apartment. Let's start with vacuuming performance. There's a maximum suction of 4,200Pa, which is good for this price – I'd expect more like 3,000Pa for a budget model.

There are three suction levels to choose from, and you need to select these manually before setting the robot off on its cleaning task. I threw everything I could at the Q8 Max during testing, from fine dust to hair to larger debris like oats, and tried it on both its lowest and highest suction settings, on hard floors as well as carpet-life rugs.

On the lowest suction mode on hard floor, the robot struggled a bit with finer dust and left some debris scattered. However, it really stepped up on the highest suction power, cleaning up almost everything in sight. Rugs similarly proved a bit of a challenge on the low power mode, but switching to high power yielded much better results.

The side brush was very effective at attacking the debris around the edges of rooms. Of course, the actual robot has to fit into those corners, but as long as it does, the side brush was able to do its job well.

One bigger test for robot vacuums is how well they can deal with hair. I have shoulder-length hair and while I found this robot vacuum picked up strands very well, they did tend to get caught in both the side brush and main brush. For the vacuum to function at its highest potential, I had to regularly clean the brushes to remove the hair.

I appreciated the addition of the self-empty dock, which can hold several weeks' worth of dust, making this a nice, low-effort solution. Many budget robot vacuums just have a simple charge dock, so I appreciated this more advanced option.

One useful feature is that the Proscenic Q8 Max will automatically ramp up suction when it detects that it's moving from a hard floor to soft carpet or a rug. Less impressive is that it won't also switch off mopping when it senses carpet – something I unfortunately discovered after a mopping session that left my rug wet. To prevent this from happening, you can set up no-go zones on the app, which are areas that the Proscenic Q8 Max will not go over during a mopping session.

Rug mishaps aside, I was generally impressed with the Proscenic Q8 Max's mopping powers. It handled everyday spills, like water and even dried milk, very well. However, it didn't manage to clear more stubborn stains – though that's not uncommon for robot vacuums. The water tank and mop pad are easy to install and to clean, and I appreciated the ability to adjust water flow for different floor types via the app.

Some cheaper robovacs require you to manually swap over the backplate when moving from mopping to vacuuming, but that's not the case here: the Proscenic Q8 Max can mop and vacuum simultaneously.

Maintenance was easy too – emptying the dustbin was hands-free for weeks at a time, and cleaning the mop pad and side brush was straightforward. Removing the mopping pads and washing them regularly is key to making sure the moping sessions are leaving your floors as clean as possible. There are models that have docks that can clean your mop pads, but you'll have to pay a lot more for this function (most are at least $1k/£1k. And even then, you'll need to take care of the occasional deep clean of your mop pads.

My testing also included checking how well this robot vacuum navigated my apartment and avoided obstacles like furniture. I found the obstacle avoidance feature worked well after a few sessions, bumping into fewer objects the more I used it. Similarly, there were a couple of sessions where the robot vacuum seemed to be confused and kept going over areas that it already vacuumed/mopped but after a while it settled itself and was pretty consistent.

I also let the robot vacuum map my apartment, and while the initial mapping was slow, the app allowed me to customize and fine-tune the room layouts with ease.

In terms of noise levels, the Proscenic Q8 Max is relatively quiet, especially on its lower settings. During testing, it measured 57.5 decibels in low suction mode, 60.6 decibels on medium, and 66.6 decibels on high. Even at its loudest, it's not overly disruptive, making it a good choice for cleaning while you're home without too much noise pollution.

• Performance score: 3.5 out of 5

Proscenic Q8 Max review: app

• Easy-to-use interface with clear instructions
• Option to set cleaning schedules and room-specific preferences
• Requires 2.4GHz Wi-Fi for setup

During my review period, I used the Proscenic companion app extensively, and overall, I found it intuitive and straightforward. Setting up the robot vacuum and mapping out my apartment was quick, although it did require me to manually swap from my 5GHz Wi-Fi connection to a 2.4GHz one for setup. Once connected, I was able to create a map of my apartment, customize cleaning zones, set up no-go zones, and adjust the suction and water flow levels for specific rooms.

One of my favorite features is the ability to schedule cleaning sessions for different rooms or times of the day. You can also track where the robot has cleaned in real time, which is handy if you're out and about. Additionally, voice control via Alexa, Google Home, or Siri is a nice touch for starting a session hands-free. The app makes the Q8 Max feel even more powerful and personalized, allowing me to clean my home exactly the way I want.

The ability to map up to five levels and store them in the cloud makes this vacuum a great option for people with multiple floors. The app allows you to customize cleaning preferences for each level for added convenience.

• App score: 4 out of 5

Should you buy the Proscenic Q8 Max?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the Proscenic Q8 Max

I tested the Proscenic Q8 Max over the course of a few weeks, running it through its paces in my 21 meter-square, one-bedroom apartment. I ran tests to see how it handled both fine dust and larger debris (hello, oats), using both the lowest and highest suction settings. In terms of mopping, I tested it with everything from spilled water to dried milk to see how it would perform on everyday messes and stickier spills.

I let the robot vacuum map my apartment, and checked how well it navigated around obstacles like furniture and rugs. During my review period, I used the app extensively, scheduling cleanings, setting no-go zones, and adjusting suction levels and water flow for different rooms.

Read more about how we test robot vacuum cleaners.

• First reviewed xxx 2024

Roborock Qrevo Curv: two-minute review

I've tested and reviewed numerous robot vacuum cleaners over the years and Roborock is unquestionably my go-to brand for reliable, fuss-free vacuuming with smarts galore. The Beijing-based company's portfolio is chock full of sterling models that push the boundaries of design and function to the max. Where Roborock goes, others tend to follow.

Take the Roborock Qrevo Curv I'm reviewing here. With its immensely powerful suction of 18,500Pa, twin circular mops and ability to ride over thresholds up to around 4cm in height, it's one of the very best robot vacuums I've ever tested. I'd argue it's actually a better option than even the S8 MaxV Ultra, which many consider to be Roborock's flagship model.

In the pantheon of robot vac cleaning stations, the Qrevo Curv's dock is a refreshing change from the ugly norm. With its white, dome-shaped casing and not overly large footprint, this is one model you might not feel the need to hide out of sight. It's a clever bit of kit, too, given that it not only charges the robot and empties its small onboard bin but also washes the robot's mops with hot water and then dries them using hot air.

If you're willing to splash the cash on a brand that's renowned for innovation, reliability, high performance and convenience, the Roborock Qrevo Curv robot vacuum is a darn good place to start.

Roborock Qrevo Curv review: price & availability

• List price: $1,599.99
• Launch date: October 2024
• Availability: US now, UK to follow

The Qrevo Curv was announced in September 2024, and went on sale in the US in October. Originally it could be purchased direct from Roborock for a $1,399.99, but by November it had gone up to $1,599.99. It's also available on Amazon US for the same price.

That's very much in the premium price bracket, and one of the most expensive robot vacuums on the market right now. While for many people, there will be a more basic model that will do a perfectly good job for a much lower price, I'd argue the Qrevo Curv actually isn't bad value for money considering the build quality and smarts included. I have my fingers crossed for a discount in the Black Friday robot vacuum sales.

The Roborock Qrevo Curv is yet to be officially launched in the UK but you can express your interest by visiting the global Roborock website. Expect to pay in the region of £1,400 for the privilege of having one of the most accomplished autonomous cleaning devices in bot-land.

• Value for money score: 4 out of 5

Roborock Qrevo Curv specs

Roborock Qrevo Curv review: design

• Innovative vacuuming and mopping features
• Curvy dock self-empties and cleans/dries mop pads
• 'AdaptiLift' technology to bump it over high thresholds

In the past, Roborock has adopted a less-is-more attitude, with just a handful of sterling models in its roster. However, in around the space of a year, the company's portfolio has increased tenfold to now include a swathe of new models under the Qrevo sub-brand (nine models and counting) of which the Curv is arguably the most stylish and innovative.

Let's start with the bot itself. At a smidge under 13.9 inches in diameter and around 4 inches in height if you count the LiDAR navigation turret, the Qrevo Curv will scurry under most furnishings with ease. However, because it uses laser-based LiDAR to navigate, it will likely treat any valances around sofas and armchairs as solid barriers.

It is therefore advisable to lift any valances when performing the robot's initial mapping run so it can venture beneath. Thereafter, the bot should – but not always – punch through the valence and sweep up all the fluff and dust that inevitably gathers under sofas, arm chairs and beds. (Here's more on how to prepare your home for a robot vacuum.)

LiDAR is far and away the fastest and most efficient form of navigation since it occurs in real time while you watch its progress on the accompanying Roborock app. For added navigational accuracy and obstacle avoidance, the Qrevo Curv is also equipped with an LED headlight and a front-mounted RGB camera that can detect and recognize around 60 objects (though not, I should warn, the majority of dog mess).

On the plus side, a LiDAR-based model like the Qrevo Curv moves around the home using a logical up-and-down pattern rather than cleaning the room in confusing zig-zag fashion like most camera-based navigation systems.

Incidentally, this bot's camera can also be used to make two-way voice calls so you can interact with your pet. I would recommend experimenting with this feature while at home, in case your pet freaks out when it hears your voice coming out of the robot's speaker. The camera will also take snaps of your pet while on its travels, though this is a bit gimmicky since the bot's camera doesn't have an especially high resolution.

One of the standout aspects of the Qrevo Curv is its excellent cleaning efficiency. With a whopping suction power of 18,500Pa (way above the norm of between 5,000 and 10,000Pa), it picks up everything from fine dust to larger debris with ease, making it suitable for carpets of any depth and all types of hard floors. It also features automatic suction control depending on whether it's on carpet or hard flooring.

Heading to the business end, the Qrevo Curv is fitted with a unique tangle-free brush system comprising two short spiral-shaped rubber paddles positioned side-by-side, with a small gap between them so loose pet hair can be forced in the direction of the main suction area. All robot vacs are fitted with a spinning side brush that flicks detritus along skirting boards and in corners into the path of the suction area.

However, the Qrevo Curv goes even further by having an arc-shaped FlexiArm side brush that pops out of the side by an inch or two whenever it detects the corner of a room. It works remarkably well, too.

By nature of their designs, many robot vacs struggle to climb over high thresholds between rooms, but Roborock has nailed this conundrum by dint of an AdaptiLift chassis that raises the entire bot by 10mm whenever it encounters a high threshold or similar barrier.

This means the Qrevo Curv can traverse even the tallest of room dividers with ease, and ride over other fixed obstacles up to around 4cm in height. You can see it in action above, filmed by TechRadar's Homes Editor when it was unveiled at IFA, but I also tested it out myself with books at home.

It truly is an off-piste machine that covers all bases when it comes to navigating an entire home. The raisable chassis also allows the Qrevo Curv to work effortlessly on the deepest pile since it doesn't get easily bogged down.

Like so many robots vacs these days, the Qrevo Curv can also mop floors. Normally I'm not a fan of mopping bots, mostly because they're not as thorough as an upright hard floor cleaner, let alone a mop and bucket. However, I will make an exception for this model, since its twin spinning toweling mops do a great job of giving any hard floor a very decent clean. Like the extendable spinning side brush, the Qrevo Curv's right-hand mop also extends outward to clean along skirting boards and around chair legs. Rather cleverly, the mops lift when vacuuming carpet, the brush lifts when mopping and both lift when heading back to base.

Let's take a close look at the Qrevo Curv's elegant cleaning station/charging bay. It's true to say that the majority of robot vacs' docks are not only pug-ugly to look at but they're pretty enormous in stature, too. While the Qrevo Curv's shiny domed cleaning station is indeed on the portly side (45 x 45 x 45cm), I consider it to be one of the better looking docks on the market. Mind, there's a very good reason this robot vac has such a large dock, since it needs quite a bit of internal space to accommodate its two substantial 2.4-litre water containers – one for clean water, the other for the dirty stuff removed during its mop cleaning regime.

The Curv's deep clean function uses 7C water to clean the mops for maximum grime removal, supposedly removing 99.9% of bacteria in the process. It will even rewash the mops if the base's cleaning sensor still detects some dirt. It then dries the mops using wafts of hot air at 45C. Incidentally, the base of the dock can be easily removed for periodical cleaning of fluff and any large detritus that's attached to the cleaning mechanism.

Robot vacs are divided into two main categories: those that come with a self-emptying dock – like the Qrevo Curv I'm reviewing here – and those that don't. If you have a lot of hairy pets in the home, I would avoid any robot vac that doesn't have a dust-emptying feature or you will have to empty the robot's tiny bin yourself and this will just make you angry.

By contrast, a model like the Qrevo Curv is fitted with a disposable dust bag that collects all rubbish and hair in the robot's bin after every cleaning session. The Qrevo Curv is fitted with a 2.7-litre dust bag which Roborock says should last for up to seven weeks of cleaning before it needs replacing. However, since I have five very hairy pets in the home, I've found myself changing the bag every three weeks or so.

Battery running time is rarely an issue with robot vacs since they will all head back to base for a topup, even mid-clean if necessary. The Qrevo Curv is equipped with a 5200mAh battery, providing up to 180 minutes of cleaning on a single charge, depending on the mode used. This long battery life makes it suitable for larger homes where it will automatically return to the dock to recharge if needed before resuming cleaning where it left off. At around 60dB in standard mode, the Qrevo Curv operates fairly quietly, especially when compared to other high-suction robot vacuums I've tested.

Finally, for those who fancy a fully-integrated floor cleaning system in their home, the Curv is also available with a plumbed-in ‘refill and drainage' feature that automatically fills it with clean water while emptying the dirty water tank.

• Design score: 5 out of 5

Roborock Qrevo Curv review: performance

• Exceptional vacuum performance on all floor types
• Traverses rugs with ease
• Very decent mopping function

Let's start with the setup, which is a veritable breeze since there are just two parts – the robot and the dock. Although Roborock suggests placing the dock in a position with several inches of space either side, I just plonked it between a box and my Gtech AirRAM 3 upright vac and it's had no trouble at all when docking. Syncing to the Roborock app was also extremely simple and involved nothing more than scanning a QR code under the robot's top lid.

Roborock’s Reactive AI navigation system is generally very impressive and in my numerous tests over the past 10 days it has effortlessly avoided most obstacles above two inches in height, while automatically optimizing its cleaning route when anything was in its way. Like so many robot vacs, there’s only so much a camera and sensors can see and once a small item is beneath the camera or close to the front when the robot turns, it will very likely fail to spot it.

The Qrevo Curv is also not very good when it comes to spotting phone cables and will happily ride over them. However, at no point has any cable become snagged under any robot I’ve tested to date – invariably the cable is spat out the other side. And that’s the case with the Qrevo Curv.

Would I trust this robot to avoid a dog mess? Not on your Nelly. In this regard Roborock has some catching up to do to compete with iRobot, whose poo detection is usually very good but still not wholly reliable. The moral with any robot vac is to make sure there isn’t any clutter on the floors – as they all advise in their manuals. After all, you wouldn’t start manually vacuuming the floor with socks, cables and loose Lego bricks all over the shop.

Crucially – for me at least – the Qrevo Curv has behaved remarkably well on my loose rugs without too much ruffling of the edges. I put much of this down to the excellent and very innovative chassis-lifting system and the decent gap between the front of the unit and the floor. To date this bot has negotiated all my rugs with consummate ease, even the really thin, loose ones. And that hasn’t been the case with so many other models I’ve tested.

When it comes to vacuuming, I have no compunction in awarding this model a full five stars. It sucks like a limpet and I really do rate the excellence of the pop-out side brush, which captures stray matter much more easily than models with a fixed side brush. It passed the raw oats test with flying colors, collecting every solitary oat flake without flinging them all over the place. Really impressive.

I’ve always been gobsmacked by the way all the Roborocks I’ve tested over the years have handled pet hair – tons of the stuff. And though some models’ cleaning stations have very occasionally had a spot of bother sucking the most tangled clumps of hair out of the bot’s bin, I think Roborock has improved this area because I haven’t any issues to report with the base’s suction power.

In fact, you can set this model to two levels of emptying frequency: 'Balanced', which is suitable for a cleaner environment; and 'High', which empties the bin during a cleaning session – perfect for pet owners. Basically, after 10 minutes or so into a long task, it will trundle back to the station to have its bin emptied and then carry on where it left off.

If there’s one area I would say could be improved, it’s the smaller-than-average size of the cleaning station’s 2.7-litre dust bag and the weird way it sits in the dustbin chamber. This smaller size means more regular disposal of the bag for pet owners than the usual stated month. It's still a very strong contender if you're on the hunt for the best robot vacuum for pet hair, though.

Its mopping, too, is surprisingly good and much of this is to do with the unit being fitted with spinning mops instead of a rear-mounted pad like the Roborock S7 and S8 models. In my mop test the Qrevo Curv made a very decent fist of removing some dried soy sauce off the kitchen floor after a couple of passes. No, I don't think it's as thorough at mopping as an upright hard floor cleaner or bucket and mop, but for day-to-day use the mops have definitely made a difference to the kitchen floor's appearance, and that's good enough for me.

My final test involved me taking the Qrevo Curv upstairs for use on a very deep pile carpet I inherited from the previous owner and, most surprisingly, it sailed through the trial without ever bogging down. Must be that AdaptiLift feature again. Mind, it did leave a few wheel tracks in its wake but nothing too untoward.

• Performance score: 4.5 out of 5

Roborock Qrevo Curv review: app

• Extremely comprehensive
• Easy to use once mastered
• Acres of customization

The Roborock app is extremely comprehensive and takes a good deal of time to navigate through its myriad of settings and preferences. Integration with the app is seamless, allowing users to set no-go zones, virtual walls, schedule cleaning times for both rooms and specific zones, monitor the unit's performance in real time and even add furniture icons to spice up the map. Alternatively, you can leave all the programming to Roborock's SmartPlan feature, which generates suggested cleaning modes while adjusting settings and preferences to suit your floor plan.

The app and bot are also compatible with voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant, adding an extra layer of convenience. Oh, and you get a wide choice of languages and accents, too, so if you live in the UK you can select an English sounding voice which sounds a little like the voice of Alexa.

• App score: 5 out of 5

Should you buy the Roborock Qrevo Curv?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the Roborock Qrevo Curv

My home is open plan with mostly wooden hard floor so it's a relatively easy household for any robot to navigate. Nevertheless, I've tested some models that have had a lot of trouble traversing the numerous rugs I have scattered around without ruffling them up into a bundle or becoming trapped. I have had no such issues with the Qrevo Curv. In fact, on a reliability scale of 1 to 10 this one gets a 10 for trustworthiness. It means I can be away from home and when I arrive back I don't have to spend half an hour looking for a stranded bot while readjusting all the rugs. The fact it sailed through all my vacuum and mopping tests without a hitch speaks volumes for the quality of the Qrevo Curv's design and the software that runs it.

Read more about how we test robot vacuum cleaners

First reviewed November 2024

Yeedi C12 Pro Plus: two-minute review

The Yeedi C12 Pro Plus is great for what it is – a mid-tier robot vacuum that will help keep your floors mostly clean between deep cleanings. If your budget is limited to around $600, it might even be among the best robot vacuums for you. Of course, robot vacuums have come a long way so, if you're able to splurge, it might pale in comparison to some of the competition, though you'll have to pay much more for those other options.

It can't get right up to the edges of rooms, it's limited in the smart home department, and it's a little louder than other options. However, its vacuuming and mopping is good otherwise, and Yeedi seems to finally have cracked the code on mapping open-floor spaces, something I've been harping on since I first reviewed the Yeedi Cube and have continued to have issues with just about every other manufacturer since.

While the eye-catching design of the Yeedi C12 Pro Plus' base station is certainly a plus, the more important factor here is the affordability of this robot vacuum. Even disregarding the fact that it's going to see plenty of deals – as is the nature of Yeedi and Ecovacs products – this is a relatively affordable model. While I consider it mid-tier, it's among the most affordable options out there that include mopping functionality.

So, if you're on a budget but still want that mopping ability and can live with some compromises, then this could be the robovac for you. Read on for my full Yeedi C12 Pro Plus review, where I'll dive deeper into its design and how it performs, so that you can decide for yourself.

Yeedi C12 Pro Plus review: price & availability

• List price: $599.99 (about £470 / AU$900)
• Available: US
• Launched: July 2024

Even though Yeedi is owned by Ecovacs, this brand (or sub-brand, rather) seems to only be available in the US. At least this model is slightly more accessible than the Yeedi Cube, not to mention much cheaper than many of the Ecovacs robot vacuums out there.

You will have to make a few concessions for that lower price point. There's no clean and dirty water reservoirs in the base station, and the mopping pad is a flat semicircle rather than spinning discs (which are generally more effective).

You'll also live without quality of life features like mop pad washing and drying – although you can easily remove the mop pad and clean it yourself. So, if you're on a little bit of a budget, you might forgo some conveniences, but this robot vacuum is still a strong contender.

The Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum and Mop, which has a similar form factor, will set you back just a little more at $699 (about £559 / AU$1,054). Having reviewed that Shark robot vacuum, I do have to say that it runs a little quieter than the Yeedi C12 Pro Plus. But, it doesn't look quite as cool.

If you want to put the Yeedi C12 Pro Plus' value in context, consider the Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo, a robot vacuum I gave a nearly perfect score to for its great performance, feature set, and wonderful mapping, not to mention the fact that it comes with a handheld vacuum. While the Yeedi is missing a lot of the features, and isn't quite as good when it comes to performance, it's also about double in price at $1,199.99 (about £9500 / AU$1,800).

• Value for money score: 4.5 out of 5

Yeedi C12 Pro Plus specs

Yeedi C12 Pro Plus review: design

• Attractive and unusual looking base station
• Anti-tangling brushroll
• Have to manually switch out backplate for mopping function

Since the Yeedi C12 Pro Plus is mid-tier, it's a bit more stripped down and a little less automated than many brands' newest, flagship models. Despite that, this robot vacuum has some aesthetic appeal.

Available in black or white colorways, the base station's dust bin is actually transparent, showcasing the red metal filter inside that just demands attention. Instead of trying to be discreet, the base station is bold, and that's something I appreciate.

Since it doesn't have water reservoirs, it also doesn't take up a ton of space. There's just a dustbin into which the (small) onboard dust cup self-empties after every use. At 1.5 liters, the dock bin is smaller than many competitors', but should still hold a decent amount of dust and debris. It pops right out with a push of a button, making it easy to empty out every few weeks.

As far as the robot vacuum itself, it has the usual round shape with the protruding center. There's a bumper on the front for when it runs into stuff – I'll talk about object avoidance below, but let's just say it needs the bumper. And there are three buttons on top for basic controls.

There's just one side brush here, but at least the roller underneath is of the anti-tangling variety. There are actually two backplates that come with the Yeedi C12 Pro Plus – one if you just want to vacuum and one to add mopping functionality. The latter adds a 0.4 liter water reservoir and a flat mopping pad that will vibrate and apply downward pressure on the floor as it goes about its business. Since it can't retract this mopping pad, unlike more expensive models that have the spinning mop pads, it will just avoid carpeting when in mopping mode.

• Design score: 4 out of 5

Yeedi C12 Pro Plus review: performance

• Surprisingly good vacuuming, including pet hair
• Solid mopping but doesn't get to the edges of rooms
• Is a bit louder and has mediocre object avoidance

While I did test the Yeedi C12 Pro Plus with various debris to see how it would do, I was surprised to see it pick up a bunch of dust, dander, and pet hair on its first couple runs on what I thought were already clean floors. That's a testament to how well it vacuums up (it boasts 8,000Pa of suction, which is actually higher than you'd usually find on a robovac at this price point).

Beyond that, it did well vacuuming up larger pieces of debris. Just to test that, I threw a bunch of cereal in front of it (a Lucky Charms knock-off, if that's important to you) and it sucked it all right up.

On top of that, the brushroll, even after a good number of cleaning runs, was mostly tangle-free. Keeping in mind that this is a full household with a few people with long hair and a couple of dogs, along with a cat, that's impressive.

It only has one side brush – not unusual, although you will find some robovacs double up here. Also worth noting is that it's a bit louder than some other robot vacuums, with a volume of around 62db if you're a foot or two away.

The mop pad is a wide semicircle that vibrates, as opposed to the spinning disc variety (which tends to perform better). However, on test I was quite impressed. I found this robovac delivered a nice, even mop that dries quickly and it quickly cleans up small spills – I threw a bit of Diet Coke right in front of it to test, and it was wiped up in one pass.

Mopping the edges of rooms is a common issue with robovacs. A handful of premium models feature extra side mops or pads that can shift outwards to get close to the edges of rooms; unsurprisingly there's nothing like that here. That means the mopping can't get right up to the edges of rooms.

Also unsurprising at this price point is the fact that there are no mop pad washing and drying capabilities built into the dock. That means you'll have to manually clean the mop pad if it gets dirty, or you risk tracking soy sauce or, worse, mold, across your floors. There is an extra mop pad supplied, so you can swap it in as you leave a dirty one to dry out.

It's worth noting that, as long as you’re not trying to vacuum carpets, you can leave the mopping backplate on and still do a great job vacuuming. As mentioned before, when in mopping mode, it will avoid carpets. I threw a bath mat in front of the Yeedi C12 Pro Plus, and it cleaned right up to the edge and then backed off.

One area where the Yeedi C12 Pro Plus fell down a little was its object avoidance. Now, it didn't get stuck on anything despite there being plenty of dog toys sitting around, though it did bump into them. But, when placing a squirt bottle in front of it, instead of going around, the robot vacuum just pushed it out of the way.

In terms of battery life, this robot vacuum has 300 minutes of use on a single charge on anything but the most basic of vacuuming operations, you'll still get a lot of use out of this before it needs to charge. On test, I found it could manage 170 minutes when mopping as well as vacuuming, which is pretty impressive. However, like most robot vacuums, it seems to return the base station somewhat frequently (to self-empty usually, so I never saw its battery life dip particularly low.

• Performance score: 4 out of 5

Yeedi C12 Pro Plus review: app

• Easy to use and navigate
• The mapping is very good, even with open floor plans
• Not much in the way of smart home features

Getting the robot vacuum set up in the companion app for testing was clean and straightforward. As with most apps these days, I found the app easy to use and navigate, although it did take a minute of poking around to figure out where everything is – some of the functionality, particularly anything map-related, is tucked behind picture icons in the top right.

There are a number of noteworthy things in the app. Of course, there's the basic ability to set up a schedule and adjust some settings, such as a child lock and 'do not disturb' modes. But what really stands out is the fact that not only does it automatically section off the different rooms when mapping, but it allows you to partition each room into smaller areas as well. Many companion apps that use a line tool can get stuck on this, but even though Yeedi's app uses the same approach, here I had no issues cutting off half or a quarter of a space into a new 'room'.

As great as that is, anyone hoping for smart home features will be sorely disappointed to see that there's no voice assistant or voice assistant support. You'll either need to use the app or the physical buttons on the robot vacuum itself.

• App score: 4 out of 5

Should you buy the Yeedi C12 Pro Plus?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Yeedi C12 Pro Plus review: also consider

Not sold on the Yeedi C12 Pro Plus? Here are some alternatives to consider.

How I tested the Yeedi C12 Pro Plus

To test the Yeedi C12 Pro Plus, I used it for a week to vacuum and mop the hardwood floors and carpeting in my house. I focused on how well the vacuum cleaned the edges of a room as well as around obstacles. I also tested the features listed in the app, most notably the mapping.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed July 2024

SwitchBot K10+ Pro: two-minute review

If you want a compact robotic vacuum cleaner, the pint-sized SwitchBot Mini Robot Vacuum K10+ Pro could be just what you're looking for. Don't be put off by the diminutive design – this robot vacuum is packed with tech, from intelligent room-mapping and app control, to self-emptying and some of the quickest navigation we've ever seen.

It squeezes with confidence – and often at speed – between furniture legs, cleaning carpet inaccessible by larger robots, and the equally compact dock will appeal to those with small apartments, too. It also taps into SwitchBot’s existing smart home ecosystem, and can be controlled by voice via Alexa or Google Assistant.

However, this small robot's suction power isn't a match for bigger, pricier rivals, and the mopping function – which merely drags a disposable wet wipe across the floor – failed to impress. As with many robot vacuums, you need to watch out for high doorway thresholds, as anything over 20 mm will be a struggle for the K10+ Pro to clear consistently (although some of today's best robot vacuums don't have such an issue with this, thanks to some new and innovative engineering solutions) .

Those factors aside, this compact vacuum is still a good option for smaller, mostly carpeted homes, or for focusing on specific zones of larger properties. Install it upstairs, away from the tougher challenges of the kitchen and hallway, and your guest bedrooms will be spotless, while giving up precious little space for the robot and its dock.

That's the short version; read on for my full SwitchBot K10+ Mini Robot Vacuum review.

SwitchBot K10+ Pro review: price & availability

• List price: $599.99 / £599.99
• Launched: August 2024
• Available: US / UK

The $599.99 / £599.99 K10+ Pro sits above the regular $399.99 / £399.99 K10+ in SwitchBot's lineup of mini robotic vacuum cleaners, but some way below the flagship S10, which costs $1,199.99 / £1,099.99.

It looks almost identical to the K10+ but the Pro model gains a set of useful extra features, including a PSD distance sensor for more accurate navigation, a silicon anti-tangle brush, and a 3,000Pa suction system (20 percent more powerful than the K10+). It also benefits from an antibacterial dustbag, which the regular K10+ lacks.

A price difference of $200 / £200 is fairly significant at this end of the robotic vacuum market, especially when the two robots look almost exactly the same. But pet-owners will surely be drawn to the anti-tangle brush of the Pro, along with the extra suction power.

The K10+ Pro’s price puts it roughly on par with other mid-range robotic vacuum like the Roomba Combo J5 Combo from iRobot. That model also works as a mop, but it too requires the user to manually swap the mopping attachment in and out to switch between the vacuum and mop functions. Unlike the SwitchBot and its disposable wet wipes, the Roomba has a washable and reusable (then eventually replaceable) mopping cloth.

The SwitchBot’s price falls between the Eufy Clean X8 Pro (which acts only as a vacuum with self-emptying bin), and the pricier Eufy X10 Pro Omni, which has a rotating and self-cleaning mop.

While not uncomfortably expensive, the SwitchBot K10+ Pro feels like it charges a premium for its compact size. Instead of being a smaller and therefore cheaper model, it sells its dimensions as a benefit rather than a byproduct. That’s mostly fine, but this price point causes the SwitchBot to fall between two categories of robot – ones that only vacuum, and ones that also mop. At 3,000Pa, the suction is fine but a little below what other models at this kind of price point offer.

Buyers will need to decide if they value the compact size above all else. Or, if they would rather spend less and lose the mop, or pay more for a robot that puts a greater emphasis on mopping.

• Value for money score: 3.5 out of 5

SwitchBot K10+ Pro specs

SwitchBot K10+ Pro review: design

• Shallow and compact design
• Self-empties dust into the (also compact) dock
• Unusually, the mop relies on disposable wet wipes

Based on photos alone, you might think the K10+ Pro looks like any other robotic vacuum, but when you see it in person you realize just how compact it really is. It's a circular robot with a diameter of just 9.76 in (24.8cm) – compared to 13.39 in (34cm) for the SwitchBot S1 Plus – and a height, including the top-mounted radar, of 3.62 in (9.2cm). These diminutive dimensions help the SwitchBot drive between and under furniture in ways larger robots cannot.

The docking station and dust bin is also smaller than most of its rivals. It's so compact, SwitchBot suggests you could even tuck it under a chair. The all-round diminutive size makes the K10+ Pro ideal for smaller homes, or even as a second robotic vacuum tasked with cleaning lesser-used parts of a larger home, such as the spare bedrooms or office.

The robot itself has a radar on top, plus sensors on its front and side, and a cliff sensor underneath, to help navigate without crashing, getting stuck or falling down the stairs. There are just two buttons on the robot, for powering it on or off and telling it to go back to its charger. Every other function is controlled by the SwitchBot smartphone app, which is free for iOS and Android.

The top cover is secured by magnets, and when removed reveals a power switch that's only needed during the initial setup process, and the dust bin. The bin's filter is easy to remove and clean, and handily the smartphone app notifies you when the bin has been removed or replaced.

Turn the K10+ Pro over and you'll find a spinning side brush for flicking dust and dirt out from corners of the room, and a rotating anti-tangle brush made from rubber. During my month of testing the brush didn't once get tangled up, although a fair bit of hair collected at either side. Thankfully this doesn't restrict its movement, and is easy to extricate by removing the roller and snipping at the hair with some scissors.

The robot comes with a mopping attachment, which is fitted manually to its underside and, rather unusually, uses wet wipes instead of a washable pad or cloth. SwitchBot says this is an improvement over robotic vacuum cleaners that use washable towels for their mops, since it employs a clean wipe every time. I can see the logic here, but fitting a new disposal wipe after every mop seems wasteful.

Either way, the K10+ Pro won’t give your hard floors a particularly deep clean, since the wipes are simply dragged over the surface with no real pressure behind them. If you need a mopping robot, I'd recommend upping your budget if possible and going for a model with a mechanical spinning mop, like the Eufy X10 Pro Omni or Eufy Omni S1 Pro.

Back to the K10+ Pro, and the compact charge station houses a generous 4-liter dust bag that should last for months before it needs taking out and replacing. The robot automatically empties into the dustbag when its own bin gets full (at a brief but rather loud 83dB), but there's no water supply for the mop, since it uses wet wipes instead.

Although compact, the top-opening charge dock is plenty large enough to house a spare dust bag and filter, plus a pack of wet wipes and a brush for detangling the robot – all of which is included in the box. It makes for a handy way of storing everything associated with the K10+ Pro, instead of inevitably losing its various components in a cupboard elsewhere.

• Design score: 4.5 out of 5

SwitchBot K10+ Pro review: performance

• Quiet, with moderate suction power
• Mop function is not worth the effort
• Good but not infallible navigation

Before I conducted a set of controlled tests with the K10+ Pro, I set it up and simply used it as my vacuum cleaner. The setup process is quick and easy. Just download the SwitchBot app, follow the instructions to connect the robot to your Wi-Fi network (this step failed at first, then worked fine when I tried again), and let it map your home.

I used the app to name each room and adjust the room boundaries slightly. The robot did a decent job of working out where room thresholds were, but got a bit confused by a hallway connecting the kitchen, bathroom, lounge and bedroom. A couple of minutes of tinkering in the app, and the map was perfect.

I was particularly impressed by how it confidently drove under a bathroom cupboard with less than 0.4 in (1cm) of clearance without even a moment of hesitation. I also liked how it could drive itself between the three legs of a table I have next to my sofa. Other, larger robots can't fit through here, or between the legs of my office chair, so the floor between the legs is always missed. Not so with the smaller SwitchBot.

However, while its navigation is mostly very good – and it really is capable of getting to places larger vacuums can't – it repeatedly drove at full speed into a fireplace hearth. This made me question the SwitchBot's intelligence, but I saw no other collisions during the mapping and cleaning process.

The K10+ Pro is quite good at driving over high thresholds, which have been a problem for much more expensive robotic vacuums in the past, like the Eufy S1 Pro. The SwitchBot sometimes had to back up and try a different angle, but it very rarely failed to clamber over what is a rather high threshold between my hallway and kitchen.

The same gung-ho approach couldn't be replicated in the lounge, however, where it repeatedly got stuck in a thick rug. I had to mark this area as a no-go zone in the app, which was disappointing but hardly a surprise. Only one robot that I've tested, the Eufy X10 Pro, has so far managed to successfully wade through the rug without calling for help.

As with other robotic vacuums, the K10+ Pro can be configured to clean each area once or twice, and there are four suction modes to pick from, called Quiet, Standard, Strong and Max. Via the app you can create a room-by-room cleaning plan, with the ability to set a suction strength and cleaning time (once or twice) for each room, before you set the robot on its merry way. It automatically increases suction power when driving from a hard floor to carpet, but doesn’t ramp up the power specifically when there’s more debris to tackle, as some more advanced robovacs can.

For everyday cleaning the K10+ Pro performed well. The app is easy to use and it takes just a couple of taps to tell the robot to clean a specific area, a certain room or the entire floor. It's also easy to create a schedule, which is where robots like these work best. Configure it to clean high-traffic rooms frequently, and this little-and-often approach will keep your floors looking their best. Alternatively, I can see a compact robot like this being perfect for giving your spare bedrooms a weekly clean, or even taking charge of the entire upstairs, while you use a conventional vacuum in the kitchen, hallway and lounge.

Time for the more specific tests. This involves using a mix of oats and flour on hard floors and carpet, then seeing how the robot performs as we cycle through all of suction strengths and cleaning modes.

Quiet mode is fine for a light, frequently vacuum of low-traffic areas, and at just 64 dB it is remarkably quiet. It'll pick up larger debris like oats, but as with other robotic vacuums the K10+ Pro tends to flick everything around on its first pass, rather than pick it all up. You really need to set the vacuum to pass every area twice. That way debris gets flicked around a bit initially, but is mostly collected on the second pass.

Cranking the power setting up to Max increases the volume to 70 dB, and there's a noticeable difference in suction power. More debris is picked up on the first pass, then almost everything else is picked up the second time around. That said, the K10+ Pro still isn't as powerful as some pricier rivals, since it offers just 3,000 Pa of suction, compared to 5,000 Pa or even 8,000 Pa for more expensive options from the likes of iRobot and Eufy. Even on maximum power it failed to suck up flour from the shallow grooves between floorboards, and had a habit of leaving arcs of flour on the floor every time it turned around.

It performed similarly on carpet, where maximum strength wasn't quite enough to pull every bit of flour out of the floor. During this test I also found it failed to clear a circa-2cm threshold between the exposed floorboards of the hallway and the bedroom carpet. This is a common stumbling point for robotic cleaners of all prices, and despite trying for several minutes, the SwitchBot eventually failed to climb onto the carpet and called for help via the app. You'll need to bear this in mind if you're shopping for a robot vacuum, since very few manage this journey from floorboards to carpet reliably.

The K10+ Pro is one of the quickest robotic vacuums I've ever reviewed, driving faster than most others when it has the space to do so. I reckon it would easily clear the challenging thresholds if it gave itself a run-up, but SwitchBot doesn't seem to have programmed it to do so. One for a future software update, perhaps – just so long as it can reliably distinguish between a tricky threshold and a staircase.

Generally, and thresholds aside, the K10+ Pro does a decent job of navigating between rooms. However it will occasionally drive straight into objects, like chair legs and door frames, and do so repeatedly, as if feeling instead of seeing its way around, until a clear path is discovered. Its behavior sometimes reminded me of older, less intelligent robotic vacuums. It's unlikely to damage anything, but this headbutting approach makes the robot seem less smarter than it claims to be.

As is often the case with robotic vacuums, the K10+ Pro is good at light, frequent cleaning, but struggles to pick up absolutely everything when tasked with fixing a specific problem, like the spilled cup of oats and flour used in our tests. The debris left behind was completely removed by a regular handheld vacuum in a matter of seconds.

Moving to the mopping function, and this is really more of a quick wipe than a thorough scrub. More expensive robots have motorized mops that spin and push down onto the floor with real force, but here it's just a case of fitting an included wet wipe and telling the robot to get to work. I like how the wipe holder stores neatly inside the charging dock, but fitting a fresh wipe each time is a bit of a pain.

Attaching the mop switches the robot from vacuum to mopping mode, but this is very much a manual process. You have to fit the mopping attachment (which covers the rotating rubber brush) and tell it to go mop a specific room or area, then detach it to turn the robot back into a vacuum cleaner. The rotating side brush operates in both modes.

While handy for a quick wipe, the mop isn't capable of lifting any serious stains. In fact, it failed to fully remove some freshly split hot sauce from the kitchen floor, despite passing twice over the liquid. The wipe became dirty, so it had clearly done something, but this is really no more than a very light clean. A pack of 30 wipes is included in the box, each with a couple of holes for fixing to the mop attachment, but I can't see many owners buying another pack when they run out.

• Performance score: 3.5 out of 5

SwitchBot K10+ Pro review: app

• Easy to use
• Lots of functionality
• Apple Home requires additional hub

This robot uses the same app as other devices made by SwitchBot, which is handy if you want to build out your smart home with the company's devices, like door locks, motorized window blinds, security cameras and the Bot from which the firm gets its name.

You'll need to buy a SwitchBot Hub for some of these, but the vacuum works fine on its own – although you will need that hub if you intend to control it from Apple Home via the Matter wireless standard. Incidentally, voice control via Alexa and Google Assistant works without the hub.

The setup process is quick and easy, with the robot mapping your home on its first exploratory outing. You can then use the app to split the map into rooms and name them accordingly. With that set, you can ask the robot to go clean a specific room, or create a cleaning plan where a different suction setting is used for each room. It's also possible to draw no-go zones (such as a thick rug that the robot will get stuck in), or draw a specific area you want cleaning.

These are all common features across various robotic vacuums. There's nothing that really makes the SwitchBot app stand out from the crowd, but it's nice to see how the ‘Mini' name doesn't mean it's lacking in features.

• App score: 4 out of 5

Should you buy the SwitchBot K10+ Pro?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the SwitchBot Mini Robot Vacuum K10+ Pro

I set up the K10+ Pro and used it as my only vacuum for a couple of weeks before starting the review. I then carried out a range of specific cleaning tasks to assess its mapping, navigation, suction and mopping abilities.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed October 2024