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iRobot Roomba Combo Essential robot vacuum review
7:46 pm | November 22, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Robot Vacuums Smart Home | Comments: Off

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 robot vacuum, dock and mop pad in reviewer's home

(Image credit: Future)

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.

Roomba Combo Essential robot vacuum flipped over to show brushroll and side brush

This is the only Roomba to have a single bristle brushroll rather than two rubbery ones (Image credit: Future)

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.

Dust bin and water tank for Roomba Combo Essential robot vacuum

This section houses the filter, dust bin and water tank, plus a handy cleaning brush and hair-cutting tool (Image credit: Future)

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.

Roomba Combo Essential robot vacuum flipped over to show brushroll and mop pad

The D-shaped mop pad clips on and off (Image credit: Future)

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.

iRobot Roomba Combo Essential dock

The dock is very compact (Image credit: Future)

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.

Roomba Combo Essential robot vacuum packaged up and in its box

The Combo Essential came with clear setup instructions (Image credit: Future)

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.

Screenshots from Roomba Combo Essential companion app

The bot's first (center) and second (right) attempts at mapping my apartment (Image credit: iRobot / Future)

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.

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iRobot Roomba Combo Essential before the vacuuming test on carpet, with lines of cookie dust and oats on the floor in front of it

Before embarking on the vacuuming test on carpet (Image credit: Future)
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iRobot Roomba Combo Essential during the vacuuming test on carpet

During the first pass (Image credit: Future)
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iRobot Roomba Combo Essential after a single pass of the vacuuming test on carpet

Results after the first pass, on medium suction (Image credit: Future)
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iRobot Roomba Combo Essential after completing a spot clean on carpet

After a second spot clean pass, in maximum suction mode (note the spiral pattern in the carpet) (Image credit: Future)

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.

Image 1 of 2

iRobot Roomba Combo Essential, vacuuming test on hard floor

Before the suction test on hard floor (Image credit: Future)
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iRobot Roomba Combo Essential after a single pass on hard floor, vacuuming test

After a single pass on hard floor, medium suction mode (Image credit: Future)

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.

iRobot Roomba Combo Essential in reviewer's home

(Image credit: Future)

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.

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Ketchup and juice on the floor before mopping tests on hard floor with iRobot Roomba Combo Essential

Spillages before the test (Image credit: Future)
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iRobot Roomba Combo Essential during mopping tests on hard floor

During the mopping test (Image credit: Future)
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iRobot Roomba Combo Essential after mopping tests on hard floor

After a single pass (Image credit: Future)

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.

Screenshots from the iRobot Roomba Combo Essential companion app

(Image credit: iRobot / Future)

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).

Screenshots from the iRobot Roomba Combo Essential companion app

(Image credit: iRobot / Future)

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...

You have a small home
This vacuum has a dinky dock that won't clutter up your space. And if you're dealing with relatively low amounts of dust, it isn't much hassle to manually empty the bin.

You're on a budget
This model is very wallet-friendly, and even more so if you can snag a deal. It delivers decent value for money, too.

You want mopping capabilities
The mop here is surprisingly good for the price. The caveat is that you'll need to be able to close off the areas you don't want mopping, because you can't set no-mop zones.

Don't buy it if...

You want a hands-off option
Basic navigation and limited in-app control mean you'll need to manually intervene to the point it probably isn't a good idea to leave this bot to clean unsupervised. Not to mention you'll need to take care of all maintenance yourself, including adding and removing the mop pad when swapping from vacuuming to vac-mopping.

You have pets or a large home
The small onboard bin and absence of self-empty dock option mean this isn't a good choice for anyone dealing with lots of dust or debris. If that's you, the Combo 2 Essential will be a better choice, as that one has a self-empty dock.

You want full control over your clean

This model is best suited to basic, whole-home cleans. For precise control – for example, the ability to send the bot to clean a specific room – you'll need to shell out a little more for a more advanced model.View Deal

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 robot vacuum review
3:06 pm | November 20, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Robot Vacuums Smart Home | Comments: Off

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 robot vacuum in its dock, next to dog bed

(Image credit: Future)

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.

Dreame L40 Ultra robot vacuum and all components, as delivered

(Image credit: Future)

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.

Dreame L40 Ultra robot vacuum flipped over to show mop pads, roller and side brush

(Image credit: Future)

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.

Dreame L40 Ultra robot vacuum's side brush extending into a corner

(Image credit: Future)

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.

Detergent dispenser and dust bag in Dreame L40 Ultra robot vacuum dock

(Image credit: Future)

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.

Water tanks in Dreame L40 Ultra robot vacuum dock

(Image credit: Future)

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.

Dreame L40 Ultra robot vacuum on a rug with a dog toy

(Image credit: Future)

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.

Dreame L40 Ultra robot vacuum mopping a floor

(Image credit: Future)

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.

Dreame L40 Ultra robot vacuum cleaning over a loose rug

(Image credit: Future)

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.

Dreame L40 Ultra robot vacuum mopping a floor with mop pad sticking out

(Image credit: Future)

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.

Dreame L40 Ultra robot vacuum mopping dried soy sauce off a hard floor

(Image credit: Future)

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.

Dreame L40 Ultra robot vacuum running over a glove

(Image credit: Future)

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.

Screenshots from Dreame companion app

(Image credit: Future)

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.

Screenshots from Dreame companion app

(Image credit: Future)

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...

You want excellent cleaning

With its strong suction and very effective mopping, the Dreame L40 Ultra delivers an excellent clean, including the edges of rooms.

You want a hands-off experience

The L40 Ultra comes with a do-it-all dock that takes care of the vast majority of maintenance tasks, including cleaning and drying the mop pads.

You've got a decent budget

This robovac isn't cheap, but if you have the budget for it, it's well worth the investment for the amount of features and how strong the performance is. View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You're on a tight budget

While good value for what you're getting, there are plenty of cheaper and less feature-rich robot vacuums on the market if you're on a tighter budget.

You're short on space

The L40 Ultra's dock is massive and ugly. You'll need space to store it, and possibly somewhere it's not too on-show.

You have delicate wooden floors

Although the water levels are adjustable, you probably won't want to mop delicate wooden flooring. If that's what you have, then you'll be fine with a vacuum-only model, and you'll be able to save some cash and get a smaller dock, too. View Deal

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 robot vacuum review
3:26 pm | November 18, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Robot Vacuums Smart Home | Comments: Off

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.

Proscenic Q8 Max robot vacuum and everything included in the box

(Image credit: Future)

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.

Proscenic Q8 Max robot vacuum with its onboard dust cup removed and placed alongside

(Image credit: Future)

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.

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Flour and oats sprinkled on a rug, with Proscenic Q8 Max robot vacuum nearby

(Image credit: Future)
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Proscenic Q8 Max robot vacuum in the process of clearing oats from hard floor

(Image credit: Future)
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Proscenic Q8 Max robot vacuum after cleaning oats from a hard floor

(Image credit: Future)

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.

Reviewer attaching side brush to Proscenic Q8 Max robot vacuum

(Image credit: Future)

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.

Close up of hair tangled around brushroll on Proscenic Q8 Max robot vacuum

(Image credit: Future)

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.

Dock for Proscenic Q8 Max robot vacuum, open to show dust cup

(Image credit: Future)

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.

Image 1 of 2

Hard floor with liquid spillage, ready for Proscenic Q8 Max robot vacuum to clean

(Image credit: Future)
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Hard floor clear of spillage, after mopping by Proscenic Q8 Max robot vacuum

(Image credit: Future)

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.

Proscenic Q8 Max robot vacuum flipped over to show mop pad, brushroll and side brush

(Image credit: Future)

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.

Screenshots from within the Proscenic Q8 Max robot vacuum companion app

(Image credit: Future)

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...

You're on a budget
At $XXXX, this robovac is very budget-friendly, and it delivers a lot for that price, including impressive suction, a self-empty base, and spares of the main components.

You're a pet owner
While it doesn't have the outright power of pricier models, I think this would be a great choice for pet owners on a budget. The suction power is good, and I suspect the maximum mode would have no problem tackling pet hair and dander, and the HEPA filter is also a bonus for trapping allergens.

You want a self-empty option
Robot vacuum onboard bins tend to be necessarily small, so if you're dealing with high levels of dirt and dust, an option with a self-emptying base station (like this one) is the way to go. Many budget robot vacuums just have a simple charge dock.

Don't buy it if...

You have lots of carpet or thick rugs
While the Q8 Max performs well on hard floors and low-pile carpets, it struggles with thicker carpets, especially in low suction mode.

You need a deep clean for stubborn stains
The mop function is good for light spills and surface-level maintenance, but it won't replace a manual deep cleaning for tougher stains or sticky substances. It's best for keeping things tidy between deeper cleanings.

You can afford a pricier model
While good value for money, pricier models will generally perform better, in terms of more reliable object avoidance, floor detection, and automation features.View Deal

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 review: the crème de la crème of robot vacuums
4:00 pm | November 17, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Robot Vacuums Smart Home | Comments: Off

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 vacuuming up oats from hard floor

(Image credit: Future)

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.)

Roborock Qrevo Curv robot vacuum

(Image credit: Future)

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.

Roborock Qrevo Curv robot vacuum

(Image credit: Future)

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.

Roborock Qrevo Curv in action

(Image credit: Future)

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.

Roborock Qrevo Curv robot vacuum surrounded by tall books, to show how it can get over tall thresholds

(Image credit: Future)

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.

Roborock Qrevo Curv robot vacuum

(Image credit: Future)

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.

Roborock Qrevo Curv robot vacuum

(Image credit: Future)

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.

Roborock Qrevo Curv robot vacuum on a large rug, surrounded by dog toys

(Image credit: Future)

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.

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Roborock Qrevo Curv robot vacuum

(Image credit: Future)
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Roborock Qrevo Curv robot vacuum

(Image credit: Future)

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.

Roborock Qrevo Curv robot vacuum

(Image credit: Future)

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.

Roborock Qrevo Curv in action at IFA

(Image credit: Future)

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.

Screenshots from within the Roborock Qrevo Curv robot vacuum companion app

(Image credit: Future)

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...

You want the very best in autonomous floor cleaning

This bot does the works on any type of flooring, plus you can sit back and let the cleaning station take care of most of the maintenance itself.

You need mopping as well as vacuuming

The Qrevo Curv has a better mopping system than most of the competition.

You have high thresholds or thick rugs

The Qrevo Curv can bounce itself over even the tallest room thresholds, and very rarely gets stuck.

Don't buy it if...

You need to stick to a tight budget

This is very much a premium bot, and there are plenty of cheaper options that will be totally fine for most people. As an example, check out the Xiaomi X20+.

You don't really need a mop

If mopping isn't a priority, it's probably not worth shelling out for the various mop-related features included with this robovac.

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 robot vacuum review
4:00 pm | November 7, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Robot Vacuums Smart Home | Comments: Off

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 robot vacuum and base station in reviewer's home

My review model, ready to start testing (Image credit: Future)

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.

Close up of transparent dock dustbin on Yeedi C12 Pro Plus robot vacuum

Unusually, the dock dustbin is clear, so you can see the filter and debris (Image credit: Future)

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.

Yeedi C12 Pro Plus robot vacuum flipped upside down to show underside, along with mopping and vacuuming backplates

There are separate backplates for mopping and vacuuming (Image credit: Future)

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.

Yeedi C12 Pro Plus robot vacuum sucking up breakfast cereal

The C12 Pro Plus had no issues sucking up breakfast cereal (Image credit: Future)

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.

Yeedi C12 Pro Plus robot vacuum flipped over to show brushroll

This anti-tangle brushroll works well (Image credit: Future)

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.

Yeedi C12 Pro Plus robot vacuum approaching a puddle of diet Coke on a hard floor

The robovac did a good job of clearing this diet Coke spillage (Image credit: Future)

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.

Yeedi C12 Pro Plus robot vacuum pushing squirt bottle out of the way

The C12 Pro Plus successfully identified and avoided mopping the bathmat, but ran straight into the bottle (Image credit: Future)

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.

Yeedi C12 Pro Plus robot vacuum stopping next to a step down

Cliff sensors ensure the robovac doesn't take a tumble down stairs (Image credit: Future)

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...

You want a combo robovac without breaking the bank

Even though it's about $600 / £500, you can't really go much cheaper and still get quality mopping performance to go along with good vacuuming in a robot vacuum.

You have pets

This robovac packs a surprising amount of power for the price, and I found it handled pet hair well. The anti-tangle brushroll worked as advertised, too. However, do note my comment below regarding object avoidance.

You have an open-plan space

The mapping ability here fixes many of the frustrations I’ve experienced with other models – namely, it has no issues separating open plan rooms into smaller spaces. It’s easy to use and manipulate so that you can more easily spot clean.

Don't buy it if...

You want voice control

Since this is a more budget model (when compared to other models with the mopping feature), it doesn't have voice assistant support. If you want to use Alexa, Siri, etc. to control your robot vacuum, you'll have to look elsewhere.

You want the very best cleaning performance

Though the Yeedi C12 Pro Plus gets 90 per cent of the way there compared to more expensive models, it struggles with things like getting up to the edges of rooms.

Good object avoidance is important

The Yeedi C12 Pro Plus didn't always identify or avoid objects in its way, which might be an issue if you have a pet that isn't reliably house trained, for instance.

Yeedi C12 Pro Plus review: also consider

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

Narwal Freo X Ultra

The Narwal Freo X Ultra is expensive (very expensive) but has, like the C12 Pro Plus, a more striking base station design, looking like it came out of a sci-fi movie. It also is filled to the brim with features, such as the ability to use the robot vacuum as a mobile security cam, not to mention it can reach the corners of a room, though it's strangely not quite as good with the edges.

Read our full Narwal Freo X Ultra review

Yeedi Cube

The Yeedi Cube may be a bit longer in the tooth, but it comes with some features that the C12 Pro Plus doesn't, such as mop pad drying, which helps avoid mold and bacteria. Just be aware that the Cube is going to cost you a little more for the extra features, which does include a voice assistant.

Read our full Yeedi Cube review

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 Mini Robot Vacuum review
7:16 pm | November 4, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Robot Vacuums Smart Home | Comments: Off

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 mini robot vacuum in its dock

(Image credit: Future)

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.

SwitchBot K10+ Pro mini robot vacuum in its dock

(Image credit: Future)

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.

SwitchBot K10+ Pro mini robot vacuum, with mop wipe and onboard dustbin taken out

(Image credit: Future)

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.

Dock for SwitchBot K10+ Pro with lid open to show dust bag

(Image credit: Future)

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.

SwitchBot K10+ Pro mini robot vacuum struggling to get over a room threshold

(Image credit: Future)

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.

SwitchBot K10+ Pro mini robot vacuum on hard floor, with crumbs from pickup tests alongside

(Image credit: Future)

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.

Close up of buttons and camera on SwitchBot K10+ Pro mini robot vacuum

(Image credit: Future)

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.

SwitchBot K10+ Pro mini robot vacuum flipped over to show underside, with rubber roller removed

(Image credit: Future)

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...

You're tight for space

This robot is much smaller than many of its rivals. This means it can be tucked away more neatly, but also that it can drive into tight spaces inaccessible by others, producing a more thorough clean – especially between furniture legs.

You plan to buy more SwitchBot devices

SwitchBot makes a wide range of smart home devices, all of which can be controlled from the same app as the robotic vacuum. You'll need the company's hub to get the most out of it, but the products can create a nice little home automation system.

You're happy to mop manually

This robot's mopping function is perfunctory at best, so only consider it if your priority is vacuuming.

Don't buy it if...

You need a good mop

The mopping function of this robot is little more than a wet wipe. You're best doing the mopping yourself, or picking a robot better-suited to the job, like one with powered rotating mops.

You want massive suction power

This robot is great for light, frequent cleans, but it lacks the suction power of larger rivals. We found it struggled to lift flour out from a wooden floor, so if it's outright power you need, we suggest you look elsewhere (and possibly also up your budget).View Deal

You have high doorway thresholds

Like some other robotic vacuums, the K10+ Pro struggles to clamber up from a hallway with exposed floorboards to the higher carpet of the next room. It just can't climb over doorway thresholds with confidence, so if you have lots of those we suggest you give this model a pass.

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
Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop review: a robot vacuum that detects dirt
9:00 am | October 5, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Robot Vacuums Smart Home | Comments: Off

Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop two-minute review

Product info

There are a few versions of this product.

With NeverTouch Pro base:
US: RV2820ZE
UK: RV2800ZEUK

With NeverTouch base:
US: RV2820YE
UK: RV2800YEUK

For this review, I tested the US model with the NeverTouch Pro base. There may be minor differences between different countries' models.

The Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum and Mop with NeverTouch Pro Base isn’t the first robot vacuum on the market that can mop and vacuum at the same time, but the fact that it’s outfitted with lots of smart technologies makes it stand out. In fact, it has wide range of detection capabilities, some of which are borrowed from today's best Shark vacuums, including the ability to detect what kind of floor it's on and how dirty it is, as well as being able to spot wet or dry spillages and stains, and automatically adjust its cleaning behavior to suit.

In my testing, I found the PowerDetect robot vacuum did a great job with different types of stains and debris of varying sizes, and the detection features worked as advertised. Expect the best clean when the vacuum and mop work together. Unfortunately, the suction wasn’t strong enough to completely pull up super-fine materials like flour from hard floor or a thick rug, and you'll almost certainly need to supplement it with a manual vacuum for occasional deep cleaning – but that's not unusual, even with the very best robot vacuums.

The mopping is effective, but left my wood floors wetter than I would have liked. Unfortunately, you cannot opt out of the automatic cleaning and instead manually choose vacuum or mopping settings, which is frustrating in situations like this.

One standout feature is this robovac's ability to roam over high thresholds; I've never seen a robovac that can lift itself as high as the PowerDetect can. It also has a novel approach to edge cleaning: when it gets near an edge, the robot blasts air to move debris into the cleaning path. Unfortunately, over-sensitive object avoidance means that it doesn't always get close enough to the edges of rooms to make this feature as effective as it could be. On the plus side, the companion app is easy to use and very accurate.

Shark launched its PowerDetect robot vacuum in summer/fall 2024. The combination robot vacuum-and-mop is available with a NeverTouch Pro base, which self-empties, cleans its own mop pads, and refills its own water tanks. That's the priciest option and the one I tested for this review, and I appreciated how it took care of so many maintenance tasks for me. However, if you're on a budget, you can opt for a model with a NeverTouch base (no 'Pro'). It's the exact same robot vacuum, but the dock doesn't self-clean and it doesn't have an anti-odor puck.

(Also in the PowerDetect range is an even cheaper robovac that doesn't have mopping capabilities at all, and various manual vacuums – head to TechRadar's Shark PowerDetect Cordless Stick Vacuum review to see how we got on with one of those.)

Read on for my full Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop review.

Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop in its charging station

(Image credit: Future)

Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop review: price & availability

  • Price with NeverTouch Pro Base: $999.99 / £799
  • Price with NeverTouch Base: $899.99 / £699
  • Launch date: September 2024
  • Availability: US and UK

The Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum and Mop launched in the US and UK in September 2024. It's available to buy direct from Shark, as well as via third party retailers like Amazon.

For this review, I tested the most expensive option: the PowerDetect robot vacuum and mop with NeverTouch Pro base. This has a list price of $999.99 / £799.

Alternatively, you can pick up the same robovac but with a slightly less advanced base (the NeverTouch base – no 'Pro'). This one doesn't self-clean its mop pads, and there's no anti-odor puck. This is currently available in the US for $899.99 and the UK (although, weirdly, not currently on the Shark UK website) for £699.

There's also a basic version, which still self-empties but doesn't mop. In the US this costs $599.99 (product code RV2820AE). It's also available in the UK for £499.99 (RV2820VEUK).

On my review model, an extra mop pad, odor neutralizer cartridge, and multi-surface cleaning solution were included. Further replacements are available direct from Shark.

At TechRadar, a robot vacuum that costs more than $800 / £650 is considered a premium model, so the 2-in-1 PowerDetect falls into that band. Generally, self-empty robovacs, and combination vac-mops do sit at the upper end of the market, although it is possible to pick them up for as little as $350.

Overall, this robot does a great job in a lot of areas, especially in terms of mapping and ease of use. Do I think the model I tested is worth $999? I’d say a fairer price might be $799, as I’ve tested other robot vacuums with more features, such as live camera, voice control and so on.

Even though it's very new, you might still be able to snag a discount. The Black Friday deals often deliver particularly good robot vacuum deals, and until then it's worth keeping an eye on TechRadar’s Shark coupon codes for other ways to shave a few dollars off.

  • Value for money score: 3.5 out of 5

Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop review: design

  • Circular robovac with vacuuming and mopping abilities
  • Base charges, self empties and (if Pro version chosen) self-cleans
  • Robot controlled via companion app

The Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum and Mop with NeverTouch Pro Base is a black circular robot vacuum that’s 13 inches in diameter and has a cleaning path width of 5.69 inches. At 2.7 inches tall, it can fit under most cabinets.

My review model came with the NeverTouch Pro base, which is has a dark gray – almost black – in color. It stands 17.5 inches tall, 18.8 inches wide, and 14.33 inches deep. This dock charges the robovac, cleans its mop pads, empties its onboard dust cup and dirty water, and refills the onboard water tank. It also has an anti-odor puck to prevent bad smells building up.

The Pro base is pretty compact compared to other robovac-mops I've tested, but if you'd prefer something smaller, take a look at the regular NeverTouch base (RV2820YE). It lacks self-cleaning capabilities and doesn't have the anti-odor puck, and it looks a little different in that the water tank on the base is visible.

Everything that comes with the Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop

(Image credit: Future)

The robot itself has a side brush (an extra is included in the box) for gathering dirt and debris, as well as a half-circular mopping pad and a dust cup with a capacity of 0.33 quarts. It’s also outfitted with LED lights and has NeverStuck Technology which means the robot is designed to be able to lift itself over obstacles, thresholds, and thick carpets; I’ve never seen a robot vacuum lift itself as high as this one can.

When mopping, the robot also lifts the pad when moving over rugs. To assist with edge cleaning, the PowerDetect robovac blasts air to pushes debris from the edges of rooms and into its cleaning path. It can also extend the mopping pad up to an inch out from its sides for better edge mopping.

The base itself has a bin designed to last 60-days (no actual capacity is provided), while the water tank is capable of filling the robot with water for 30 days (again, no specifics from Shark). Thanks to felt and washable foam filters, as well as a HEPA filter, you can rest assured that the vacuum contains the dust and allergens it picks up.

A hand lifting the water tank out of the Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop's charging station

The NeverTouch Pro base houses water tanks and a larger dust cup (Image credit: Future)

Setting up the robot was fairly easy. It doesn’t take more than connecting the ramp to the base, filling the tank with water, attaching the side brush to the bottom of the robot, inserting the odor cartridge on the top of the base, and leaving everything to charge. I downloaded the app and connected the robot vacuum to my Wi-Fi. It took a few tries but not so many that I was concerned or frustrated. This is pretty typical for me during the testing of products with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connectivity.

Although it's far from basic, this Shark robot vacuum lacks some features I'd expect in the premium price bracket – for example, voice control (it will emit voice commands to let you know when it needs to charge or if it gets caught on something, but you can't issue instructions back), the ability to move the robot vacuum with controls in the app, and live camera footage.

  • Design score: 4 out of 5

Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop review: performance

  • Great at object avoidance and climbing thresholds
  • Decent job at vacuuming and mopping
  • NeverTouch Pro base takes care of most maintenance

After connecting the Shark robot vacuum to the app, it mapped my house. I was very surprised by how quickly it mapped the house and how accurate the map was. I think it’s the most accurate initial map that I’ve seen from a robot vacuum, especially considering that the robot didn’t go to every room in my house. While I’ll go more into detail about the app in the following section, I found it really easy to control the Shark robot vacuum in the app.

To begin my testing, I set the Shark robot to vacuum and mop my entire house so I could get a good sense for how it would work on a regular basis. I noticed a few things during this process. For one, the robot does a great job of object avoidance. I never saw it hit a wall or any of my furniture. This was impressive. I think the only drawback to this aspect is that it may impact the edge cleaning.

Edge cleaning with the Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop

The robovac didn't get quite as close to the edges of rooms as I'd like (Image credit: Future)

The robot seemed intent on not hitting a wall or an object, and because of that, it didn’t get as close as I would have liked it to get for superior edge cleaning. Yes, with EdgeDetect technology, the robot vacuum blasts air to move debris near the edges into the cleaning path. However, it needs to get closer to an edge to even effectively use such technology.

EdgeDetect is just one of a range of detection capabilities offered by this robovac. Another key one is 'DirtDetect', which essentially means the vacuum can sense how dirty a floor is and automatically adjust suction in response. However, on Shark's manual vacuums, you also have the option to manually set a suction level, whereas there's no manual control option here.

As someone who has a house with a lot of tall thresholds, I was curious to see how well the robot would be able to climb over them. It easily lifted itself over all my thresholds except for one, which I’ve never seen a robot able to do (it’s about two inches tall, so that's understandable).

Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop climbing over a raised threshold

(Image credit: Future)

The base took more time than I expected to fill the robovac's onboard water tanks. Since it’s a hands-free process, it’s not the biggest concern but something I wanted to note. I didn’t think I’d be impressed by the Shark’s robot’s mopping capabilities, because I am not a fan of the type of mop pad this robot uses. It’s a half circle pad that sticks to the bottom with Velcro. I prefer rotating circular pads as I think they clean better.

That said, I was pleasantly surprised with the Shark PowerDetect robovacs mopping abilities. This is due in part to the fact that the robot can move the mop pad from side to side offering enough friction to pull up dirt and stains from the ground. Thankfully, the robot lifted the mop pad significantly when it went over the rugs.

One of the biggest drawbacks of this robot vacuum is that it left behind too much water on my floors. Because I have historic wood floors, I have to be especially careful when it comes to mopping (water can damage wood floors). I was disappointed that I could not adjust the water level of this robot vacuum in the app.

The Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop leaves a lot of water on the floor

The Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop leaves a lot of water on the floor (Image credit: Future)

Because the robovac is able to vacuum and mop simultaneously, it can clean your entire house in half the time it would normally take (for instance, if you had to vacuum first and the mop after). In most cases, it's actually better to instruct the robovac to mop and vacuum at the same time, because vacuuming doesn't always completely remove fine dust, and the mop can deal with any remnants.

Cleaning tests

To accurately gauge the Shark's cleaning prowess I ran some standardized tests. I placed a ground coffee and flour mix on my laminate floor and the same mixture on a rug and used the spot cleaning feature of the robot to send it to both spots to see how well it vacuumed the area. I like that there is a spot cleaning option, but unfortunately, you can’t adjust the size of the spot in the app.

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The Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop about to clean up flour and coffee on a hard floor

The Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop about to clean up flour and coffee on a hard floor (Image credit: Future)
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Results of the Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop cleaning a hard floor

Results of the Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop cleaning a hard floor (Image credit: Future)
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The Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop cleaning up flour and coffee

The Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop cleaning up flour and coffee (Image credit: Future)

On the laminate flooring, the robot had a sound rating of 69dB. It picked up the coffee with ease. When it came to the flour, it did a pretty good job, though it wasn’t completely perfect. Rather, it left behind a small dusting of flour, which leads me to say that, if you drop fine materials on hard flooring, such as flour, you should probably use the vacuum and the mop function in conjunction to clean it completely.

Image 1 of 3

The Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop about to clean flour and coffee on a rug

The Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop about to clean flour and coffee on a rug (Image credit: Future)
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The Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop cleaning up flour and coffee

The Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop cleaning up flour and coffee (Image credit: Future)
Image 3 of 3

Results of the Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop cleaning a rug

Results of the Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop cleaning a rug (Image credit: Future)

When I sent the robot to the rug, the noise level increased to 70dB. It actually did a better job of vacuuming the rug than I thought it would. Like on hard floor, the robot picked up all of the coffee, but it left a round patch of flour. The brush also flung some of the flour out of the spot-cleaning zone, and thus it was not vacuumed.

Next, I tested the mopping capability by placing a puddle of water and some dried syrup on the floor. With a sound rating of 69dB, the robot picked up the liquids easily. I couldn’t tell if the robot pushed the water around as it leaves a good amount of water behind anyway, but it seemed to clean the syrup well. After the floor dried, I noticed a very slight (and I mean very slight) stickiness to the floor, and just to be safe, I had the robot mop the spot once again.

This Shark robot takes about 3.5 hours to fully charge and then runs for about 2 hours and 20 minutes before it needs to recharge again. If it runs low on power in the middle of a cleaning job, it just recharges enough to finish cleaning your house. The robot isn’t able to clean my 1,600-square-foot home completely on a single charge. This is not really a concern for me since the robot vacuum takes itself to the base, recharges, and then finishes the cleaning job when it’s ready. I don’t have to do anything but sit back and let it clean on its own time.

The Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop cleaning under furniture

The robovac is shallow enough to be able to clean underneath furniture (Image credit: Future)

My favorite aspect of this Shark vacuum is the hands-free cleaning. The NeverTouch Pro base lived up to its name. It not only pulls the dirt and debris from the vacuum and stores it in a sealed 60-day capacity bin, but it washes and dries the mopping pad after every clean. I should also add that the water tank holds 30 days’ worth of water, which is impressive considering how small the base appears from the outside.

Maintenance

As for other elements of maintenance, the vacuum and base need to be cleaned about every 30 days. You’ll have to use a dry dust rag to clean the sensors and charging contacts on the robot and in the base. The base can be cleaned with a wet rag and then dried with a cloth. The brushroll and side brush need to be cleared of hair, string, or debris. The mop pad should be washed and/or replaced every three months. The base’s dustbin should be emptied once a month.

The filter in the robot and the filter at the top of the base should be cleaned once a month, by shaking them free of dust and debris over a trashcan and then rinsing the foam filters with cold water and allowing them to air dry for 48 hours. On the bottom side of the base there is another filter, the post-motor filter, that can be cleaned every 6 months. You’ll also want to clean the water container with soap and water before refilling it.

  • Performance score: 4 out of 5

Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop review: app

  • Easy-to-use app with great mapping and instructional tips
  • Whole house clean, room clean, or spot clean options
  • App contains schedule and cleaning history

I love a simple and easy-to-use app, and the Shark app is just that. The map that was created of my house is quite accurate. Take note that it’s only 2D; there are no 3D mapping options. The map shows the different rooms in my house and even has some shadow areas that indicate furniture or things like a bathtub.

I can easily adjust the map – which I did by merging two rooms together that the robot separated and then splitting two rooms that the robot determined as one. I can also label my rooms and create no-go zones. Unfortunately, you can’t customize a no-go zone. For instance, I would like to create a no-go mopping zone for a specific area of my house, but the app doesn’t allow that.

The app is where you can see the battery life and instruct the robot to return to the dock, pause, or set it to vacuum, mop, or vacuum and mop at the same time. I can choose to have the Shark robot clean the entire house, one room, or to spot clean in a certain area. Unfortunately, with the spot clean feature, I can’t adjust the spot cleaning box to be smaller or larger. It seems to be a set size that I have to move on the map to the area I want cleaned.

Not only can I schedule the robot to clean and look at the cleaning history, but there is a support section that answers all of my questions related to the use and care of the robot vacuum. I also like the little notifications found on the main page as they can be helpful in knowing if there was an issue while cleaning or if the robot used some particular function to improve the cleaning experience.

This app would benefit with a few additions, such as the ability to adjust the water flow and vacuum suction power. As it is, the vacuum adjusts the suction and mopping functions based on its ability to detect dirt on the ground. While this is impressive, it would be nice to have some more control in some situations.

  • App score: 4 out of 5

Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop specs

Should you buy the Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop?

Buy it if…

You like to keep your house clean between deep cleanings

This robot vacuum is the ideal partner in keeping your house clean on a daily basis, whether it’s picking up dirt brought in from the kids or sucking up a spill in the kitchen. You may need other tools for a deeper clean, but it can handle the daily dirt and wear in a home.

You prefer a hands-free vacuum and mopping experience

This robot’s charging station pulls the dirt and debris from the vacuum, inserts the water into the vacuum, and even cleans the mop pad. You’ll do very little maintenance and cleaning of this vacuum.

You want a robot that won’t bump into your furniture

Some robot vacuums knock things down, run into walls, or get stuck on furniture. This Shark does a great job avoiding obstacles and preventing any mishaps as it cleans.

Don't buy it if…

Your home has a lot of carpets

While this Shark robot does a decent job with large rugs, it’s not the best choice for someone with a lot of carpets, as it doesn’t have the suction capability to clean deep pile carpets.

You have historic hardwood floors

As someone who has historic hardwood floors, I was cautious in using this robot on them as it tends to leave behind far more water than I would like.

You like a lot of customization options in an app

Unfortunately, there aren’t as many customizable features in the app as you might expect. For instance, you can’t adjust the spot cleaning size or create no-go zones in your house for vacuuming or mopping specifically. Water flow and suction power can’t be adjusted either.

How I tested the Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop

I tested the Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum and Mop with NeverTouch Pro Base for over a week in my historic home. My house is outfitted with laminate and historic wood flooring, and some large thick rugs. To adequately rate and review the vacuuming and mopping capabilities of this robot, I ran the robot vacuum throughout my home and used various features like spot cleaning. I also conducted controlled tests where I had the robot vacuum flour and coffee from hard floors and rugs, as well as mop flour, water, and sticky materials from the laminate floor.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed September 2024

iRobot Roomba Combo J5 Plus review
5:13 pm | September 18, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Robot Vacuums Smart Home | Comments: Off

iRobot Roomba Combo J5 Plus two-minute review

The Roomba Combo J5+ is a combination robot vacuum and mop launched in summer/fall 2023. It is cheaper than many of the best robot vacuums, officially priced around $650 / £479 / AU$1,299, but often found on sale. The packaging is mostly cardboard, making components easy to identify. Setting it up involves unboxing, downloading the iRobot app, and mapping your home.

Its sleek design measures 13.8 by 3.6 inches and includes additional parts such as mopping cloths. The unit has bright green rubber brushes and a single-side sweeper, and the dustbin can be swapped for a mopping unit. It features an integrated light and camera for navigation. It is user-friendly but noisy, and you can control it via the iRobot app and integrate it into a smart home system if you use one.

iRobot Roomba Combo j5+ in its docking station

(Image credit: Future)

Due to its single-brush design, it performs well on rugs but less so on hardwood floors. So, while it'll keep things generally clean on a day-to-day basis, you'll still need one of the best vacuum cleaners on hand to give your home a proper deep clean. 

The mopping function requires swapping the vacuum bin for the mopping one and, unfortunately, doesn't match traditional mopping in thoroughness. The vacuum also struggled with larger particles during our tests. While the vacuum navigates obstacles well, it may struggle with smaller objects and isn't flawless at obstacle avoidance. One helpful feature is its ability to return to its charging dock when the battery is low and resume cleaning afterward.

iRobot Roomba Combo J5 Plus review: price & availability

  • List price: US$649.99 / £479 / AU$1,299 
  • Launch date: September 2023
  • Availability: UK / US / AU / worldwide

The Roomba Combo J5+ is available from most online stores, including Amazon, Best Buy, and iRobot's site. It is also available in the United States, Australia, the UK, and other regions where iRobot products are available. 

Because it's no longer the most recent model in iRobot's Roomba range, you can grab it slightly cheaper than the most up-to-date products that would set you back. In the US, the vacuum is just under $650, but you'll find it on sale periodically and during large sales events like Black Friday.

The J5+'s relative age doesn't diminish its features, as it still boasts all of the pros inherent in the Roomba range. It sits in TechRadar's mid-range price bracket for the wider robot vacuum, and is decent value for a self-empty robot vacuum from a well-known and highly respected brand.

  •  Value for money score: 4 out of 5 

iRobot Roomba Combo J5 Plus specs

iRobot Roomba Combo J5 Plus review: design

  • Not particularly lightweight
  • Easy to set up
  • Vacuum and mop bins need to be swapped for different functions

The Roomba Combo J5+'s packaging is mostly cardboard, with only the unit in a plastic bag. Smaller boxes neatly contain additional parts, including mopping cloths. This makes it easy to identify each component, which is particularly helpful for robot vacuum beginners. 

Setting up the Roomba Combo J5+ is a straightforward process that involves unboxing the vacuum, downloading the iRobot app, creating an account to link the device, and mapping your home for future navigation. The iRobot app controls the vacuum, letting you start cleaning sessions, view and edit your home map, and set specific room-based cleaning tasks. It can also be integrated with any smart home system, allowing automated routines.

iRobot Roomba Combo j5+ parts in boxes, accompanied by a cat

(Image credit: Future)

The Roomba Combo J5+ looks great, with a sleek, contemporary design that mirrors the signature shape and style of other vacuums from the brand. Measuring 13.8 inches across by 3.6 inches high, it's the right height to navigate under sofas and cabinets. The top panel features a single clear button to avoid confusion. The black finish with a stocky dustbin adds to the premium appeal, even if the unit is quite large.

The underside features bright green rubber brushes and a single-side sweeper. Whenever you need to change modes, you can swap the bin for the mopping unit (included in the box).

There's also an integrated light and camera that help the vacuum intelligently navigate and avoid obstacles. The overall setup is user-friendly and intuitive, though the relatively compact size of the vacuum unit does not automatically mean this is an ideal choice for small spaces. The dustbin accounts for much of the footprint, but the unit is also heavy. The weight contributes to noise levels as the vacuum moves across rooms, particularly in homes like mine. These homes have lots of furniture, corners, and raised wooden dividers between rooms.

If you plan to use the mop function, you must first swap out the vacuum bin for the mopping one. Fill the tank with your chosen solution and attach the mopping cloth. This is a key difference between the J5+ and Roomba Combo J7+, which can vacuum and mop simultaneously without swapping out any parts. If you don't want the hassle of switching bins during your cleaning routine, you may want to opt for the newer model.

The Roomba was tested in the household of a black cat who sheds hair absolutely everywhere. The vacuum doesn't disappoint in this regard, as it successfully picked up the abundance of pet hair from my floors. There was no issue with pet hair clogging the mechanisms, but I found that my longer human hair did wrap around the brushes, and they needed manual de-hairing after a while. I'd consider this one of the best robot vacuums for pet hair.

  • Design score: 4.5 out of 5 

iRobot Roomba Combo J5 Plus review: performance

  • Good at picking up larger particles but struggles with dust
  • Obstacle avoidance feature only works for some items
  • Mopping functionality has limitations

The Roomba Combo J5+ performed well during general use and specific tests, living up to the promise of its feature set. Dual multi-surface rubber brushes adjust to maintain constant contact with carpets and hard floors, and it promises to pick up everything from tiny dust particles to large debris, courtesy of a 3-stage cleaning system.

The device features a navigation system that maps your home, allowing it to transition smoothly between different floor types and navigate obstacles. The Roomba also boasts cliff-detection sensors that prevent falls down stairs or ledges, though I couldn't test this in my ground-floor apartment. Notably, it can return to its charging dock automatically when its battery is low and resume cleaning afterward.

One useful feature of Roomba vacuums is the audio error messages. These messages suggest why your vacuum stopped operating in the middle of the hallway instead of leaving you to guess. So, if you find your vacuum stuck in a corner, you can hit the button and have it tell you what the problem is.

It's worth mentioning that the Roomba Combo J5+ can be noisy during operation, especially when emptying the bin. It operates at an average noise level of 48dB, which is not overly loud but becomes significantly noisier during docking and emptying its tank.

iRobot Roomba Combo j5+ picking up rice

(Image credit: Future)

Interestingly, the vacuum works more consistently on rugs than hardwood floors. This is mainly because robot vacuum brushes sometimes scatter loose dirt around the room, potentially missing some debris. However, rug cleaning performance remains stellar. Just note that the Combo J5+ might struggle with edges due to its single brush design, limiting its ability to reach corners and crevices.

Its obstacle avoidance feature is generally successful but not flawless. While it successfully avoids clothing, shoes, and pet droppings, it struggles with smaller objects like curtains and small toys. To be safe, you'll still need to pick up various items before letting the Roomba loose.

The Roomba Combo J5+'s mopping functionality is adequate for surface-level dirt cleaning of hard floors. However, it doesn't match traditional mopping thoroughness, especially for more stubborn or ingrained dirt.

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Flour on a kitchen floor to be cleaned by the iRobot Roomba Combo j5+

Flour and crushed biscuits on a kitchen floor to be cleaned by the iRobot Roomba Combo j5+ (Image credit: Future)
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iRobot Roomba Combo j5+ cleaning flour off a kitchen floor

iRobot Roomba Combo j5+ cleaning flour and crushed biscuits off a kitchen floor (Image credit: Future)
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Results of the iRobot Roomba Combo j5+ cleaning up flour

Results of the iRobot Roomba Combo j5+ cleaning up flour and crushed biscuits (Image credit: Future)

In testing, the Roomba Combo J5+ struggled with fine dust while performing well with larger debris. For instance, it picked up biscuit particles easily but struggled with finer particles like flour. It also needed to empty itself multiple times when dealing with large amounts of debris, like rice spread across the floor.

After extended use, though, the Roomba Combo J5+ needs minimal maintenance. This included removing the main rubber brushes to clear them of hair and ensuring the side brush was obstructed. Occasionally, it should also be wiped down to keep its sensors clean. 

  • Performance score: 3.5 out of 5

iRobot Roomba Combo J5 Plus review: app

  • Easy-to-use interface
  • Accurate and customizable mapping feature
  • Real-time updates on the vacuum's progress

The iRobot app, available on iOS and Android, significantly enhances the Roomba Combo J5+ user experience with its various controls and features. Users can schedule cleaning sessions, view their cleaning history, and customize cleaning preferences in one place. It also offers access to Clean Map reports, where you can track the areas cleaned after each session.

The J5+ is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, offering voice-activated control for hands-free operation. The mapping feature accurately rendered the layout of my home. I regularly played with features like customizable room dividers and real-time updates on the vacuum's progress. The app also allows for specific room cleaning and virtual barriers.

The app works remarkably well, providing an estimated time frame for task completion. Once everything is set up, you can select which rooms you want and don't want to be cleaned. For example, if you command it to clean the kitchen, it will complete the task swiftly. It will send a push notification to your device and then return to its charging base.

  • App score: 5 out of 5 

Should you buy the Roomba Combo J5 Plus?

 Buy it if… 

 You really want a robot mop with your vacuum

The vacuum is great for cleaning most dirt from carpets and hard floors with just a switch of a bin.

You appreciate a great app

Smart technology integration with the iRobot app and compatibility with smart home systems allow for convenient control and scheduling.

You have pets

I have a black cat that sheds everywhere, and the J5+ was great at removing this from both hard floors and carpet.

Don't buy it if…

You have mostly hard floors

The vacuum works perfectly on carpet, but can run into problems with fine dust and debris on hard floors.

You want the cleaning completely taken care of

If you're adamant you don't want to go over corners and edges after the vacuum has been round, then it might not be for you.

You want something quiet

General noise while cleaning is average, but the noisy operation during tank emptying could potentially cause disruption.

How I tested the iRobot Roomba Combo J5 Plus

I sprinkled crushed digestive biscuits and flour on my kitchen floor to test the Roomba Combo J5+ on different surfaces in my one-bedroom apartment. The vacuum successfully picked up the biscuit particles but struggled with the flour, leaving some behind. I also spread rice on hard floors and carpets to simulate larger debris.

I observed how the vacuum and its accompanying app performed over several weeks, and thankfully, it only required occasional major cleaning interventions at this time.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed August 2024

Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 robot vacuum review
9:00 am | September 16, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Robot Vacuums Smart Home | Tags: , | Comments: Off

Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 two-minute review

Product info

This model has slightly different names and product codes in different territories:

In the US:

Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum and Mop with XL HEPA Self-Empty Base RV2610WA

More basic model: Shark Matrix Self-Empty Robot Vacuum RV2310AE


In the UK: 

Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum & Mop RV2620WDUK

Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 Self-Empty Robot Vacuum & Mop RV2620WAUK

For this review, I tested the RV2620WAUK. There may be minor differences between different countries' models.

I’ve been testing robot vacuums for several years and, while I’ve long accepted that no robot will ever allow me to retire from manual vacuuming altogether, I’m forever hopeful one will come close! Shark has an excellent reputation in the vacuuming world, so I was cautiously optimistic when the Shark Matrix Plus Robot 2-in-1 landed on my doorstep.

Some might say the popular tech brand was late to the robot party, at least in the UK. Shark has had success with robot vacuums in the US for a while now, but only added them to its UK lineup in spring 2024. I tested the Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 Self-Empty, which can vacuum, mop and empty its own bin. Happy days.

As you might expect from Shark, this smart little robot packs plenty of techy features. A major highlight is its 360-degree LiDAR sensors. This light detecting and ranging technology is aimed at quickly and accurately mapping your home and navigating around obstacles and I can confirm the Shark’s works very well. It also has a special air blasting feature, which I haven’t encountered before, that blows out air to push debris away from edges and corners and into the path of the suction channel. Again, I was impressed.

Although it didn’t blow my mind, the mopping results were better than I’ve experienced from a robot in the past. Rather than just dragging a vaguely damp mop pad along the floor, the Shark Matrix Plus Plus’ mop pad oscillates as it goes (100 times a minute, allegedly), to mimic a scrubbing motion. Many people will also love that the bin unit the self-emptying vacuum discharges into doesn’t need to be emptied for 60 days. Unless you have two hairy kids and two hairy dogs that is – I didn't make it past two weeks. 

I tested the Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 on the ground floor of my four-bed home for a month. Although it wasn’t perfect and the app wasn’t as slick as I’m used to, I really did rate this robot, especially for those who are tight on money as well as time. I'd have no qualms about giving it a place on our best robot vacuum list. Read on for the full low down on my time testing the Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 robot vacuum.

Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 specs

Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 review: price & availability

  • List price: $699.99 / £449.99 
  • Available: US and UK

The Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 sells in the US for $699.99 on Shark’s own website. At time of writing, there are seven robots in the range, with the Matrix Plus being the third most expensive, behind two PowerDetect models that come with self-refill water reservoirs in the base and cost up to $999.99. The cheapest Shark robot you can get in the US is the Shark ION, which is just $279.99 but unappealingly basic.

There are just three robot models available in the UK, and the Matrix Plus 2-in-1 I tested boasts the most diverse spec. In the world of robot vacuuming, I’d say its £449.99 price tag is more than reasonable (even allowing for exchange rates, it’s a better deal than in the US), but you can save yourself £100 if you empty the bin manually and get the entry-level model that still mops but doesn’t self-empty. Or, if you mostly have carpets so want a robot that’s more focused on vacuuming, invest £50 more and go for the top spec Shark PowerDetect.  

Whichever side of the pond you are shopping for a Shark Matrix Plus, I’d say the brand has priced it very reasonably, especially when you consider most robots that include mopping capabilities, for example iRobot’s Roomba, cost $1k plus. It’s not entirely flawless, but the Matrix Plus 2-in-1 represents excellent value in terms of build quality, features and cleaning prowess.

  • Value for money score: 4 out of 5

Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 review: design

  • Low-key looks
  • Compact base station
  • Tricky mop insert

The Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 won’t blow your mind with its futuristic looks or striking shape, but it won’t scare the horses either. It’s black and round with a neat little base and sat under the table in our hallway just fine. It arrived nicely packaged, with a great deal of cardboard and other eco-friendly packaging and precious little plastic. 

Shark Matrix Plus vacuum test

(Image credit: Future)

Underneath, the design is also fairly innocuous, but I was a tad worried by the corner brush, which has just one brush arm, instead of the usual three-to-five I am used to seeing. The roller head had rubber fins – which tend to be good on solid floors – as well as carpet-friendly brushes, but there was only one roller, and some of the better robots I have tested have two. 

Shark Matrix Plus vacuum test

(Image credit: Future)

The base station (which measures H14 x W12 x D9 inches) only caters for dirt; there’s no water reservoir. But the bin capacity is generous and it’s easy to see when it’s getting full due to the vertical strip of transparent Perspex. It also clips in and out easily, as does the filter in the other side of the base station – a large, foam creation that needs cleaning under the tap once a month. I appreciated that the base station has a plastic disc the size of the robot, which is to protect wood floors from getting soggy when the mop attachment is in place.

Shark Matrix Plus vacuum test

(Image credit: Future)

On the top of the Shark Matrix Plus are just two buttons, one to power on/off and the other to start/stop, everything else is done by the app, which I will cover in depth lower down this review. 

Shark Matrix Plus vacuum test

(Image credit: Future)
  • Design score: 4 out of 5

Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 review: app

  • Good mapping skills
  • Scheduling and spot cleaning
  • No multi-maps 

To get started, I just had to pop on the side brush, plug in the base (then charge the robot for six hours) and download and connect the app. Do make sure you only connect it to a 2.4 GHz wi-fi network, I wasted about half an hour trying to connect it to my 5 GHz but that was my fault for not reading the instructions. In my defense, the instructions that come with the Shark Matrix Plus are not particularly enlightening, but are enough to get you set up (if you read them properly). 

Shark Matrix Plus vacuum test

(Image credit: Future)

Compared to other robots I have tested, the SharkClean app is pretty basic and rather annoying. Hopefully there will be upgrades as Shark gets its head around robot life. It is basic in that it doesn’t allow you to schedule specific rooms or more than one clean per day, it doesn’t let you choose how the robot cleans (perimeter-first works best for our pet-filled home), and you can’t change the power levels once it’s working.

The annoyances generally iron out, but they can be frustrating. Mainly I found it slow to connect, which is annoying when you’ve decided to pop a clean going before you jump in the car. The cleaning reports didn’t always record/save, and I found it hard to move between actions. For example, if it was returning to base, I couldn’t get the app to show me the maps so I could plan the next job. Sometimes the map disappeared completely, or the app froze, and once or twice it wouldn’t acknowledge that we had a robot in the house at all! 

The other downer that didn’t bother me, but might you, is that it will only map one floor. I am happy to use my cordless vacuum upstairs (where it lives) and have never been one for carrying robots up and down levels but if you want to use the robot on multiple floors, you’ll only be able to map one of them. 

It's not all bad news though. The actual map the Shark Matrix Plus created was perfect first time and was created really quickly – in less than 10 minutes. I also found it very easy to add rooms, as well as rugs (to prevent wet carpets in mopping mode) and create a schedule for each day (to coincide with the school run). 

  • App score: 3 out of 5

Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 review: performance

  • Good at corners and edges
  • Quieter than advertised
  • Mopping a bit basic

Using in vacuum mode

The Shark Matrix Plus comes with the regular vacuum cleaning insert installed, which has a small bin and filter inside and automatically empties its payload back at the mother base. I needn’t have worried about the measly single-arm corner brush, as it did an excellent job of getting dog dander and dust bunnies out from along the skirting boards and corners of cabinets etc. 

Shark Matrix Plus vacuum test

(Image credit: Future)

Shallow enough to get under all our freestanding furniture, including the sofas and the kitchen kickboards, the Shark Matrix Plus also had no problem climbing onto chunky rugs or over the wooden thresholds between rooms, many of which have thwarted less agile robots.

Being largely open view with level flooring throughout the ground floor, our home is the perfect setup for robotic cleaning. But I was also hugely relieved to discover the Shark Matrix Plus could hoist itself over the legs of the lounge chairs in our kitchen, which have grounded every other robot I’ve ever hosted. This meant I’d have to lift the heavy chairs onto the sofa out of the way or go and rescue the robot and restart it mid-clean. I was delighted the Shark Matrix Plus glided over them with barely a grunt.

Shark Matrix Plus vacuum test

(Image credit: Future)

Another genius benefit of the Shark Matrix Plus is its ‘Matrix’ cleaning system, which essentially means it cleans back and forth and then up and down, in a grid-like pattern. The difference between that and a simple back and forth clean was significant. You can only use Matrix if you’re doing one room, presumably because it takes more time and power, but I liked to use it on the living room because that’s our only carpeted room and the results were much better.

You can also Matrix Clean a 5’ x 5’ area without the app, which is great for random spills. You need to carry the robot to the spot, then press and hold the start button for five-to-seven seconds until it says, ‘starting spot clean’. 

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Shark Matrix Plus vacuum test

(Image credit: Future)
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Shark Matrix Plus vacuum test

(Image credit: Future)
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Shark Matrix Plus vacuum test

(Image credit: Future)
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Shark Matrix Plus vacuum test

(Image credit: Future)
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Shark Matrix Plus vacuum test

(Image credit: Future)

I used this spot cleaning function to test the Shark Matrix Plus on an area of flour and oats. As you can see from the photo gallery above, the results were average. It cleared most of the flour, except in the grooves between the wood planks, and left just a few crumbs of oats. I still had to get out my cordless to finish the job, and I only used the low power setting to get the flour out of the grooves, suggesting that my cordless is better than the Shark Matrix Plus, even on its lowest power setting. Annoyingly, there was quite a lot of flour and oats left around the base station when it returned to empty the bin, and I had to get the cordless to clear that up, too. 

Shark Matrix Plus vacuum test

(Image credit: Future)

As I work from home, I really appreciated how quiet the Shark Matrix Plus was, my decibel meter recorded just 46 dB in the low power mode, which is the one I mostly used on our hard flooring. This is similar to the sound of bird calls or in a library and was much lower than Shark’s official rating, which presumably has to include the bin emptying sound level. Being so quiet meant I could have it running around in the background when working, except during Zoom meetings, without feeling distracted or annoyed. It is indeed much louder when emptying the bin into the base station, but it’s very short-lived.

On the point of bins, I did love having the extra capacity of the base station as my usual robot requires daily emptying. However, it fell far short of the 60-day emptying schedule advertised – I found two weeks was about the longest I could leave it. 

Our carpets and rugs are all low pile (upstairs, too), so I can’t tell you how well the Shark Matrix Plus might manage on a thick pile rug, but it did well on our wool carpet in the living room and the jute rug in the kitchen. I mean, it’s hard to say how deep down the clean was, but I didn’t feel the need to get another vacuum out afterwards. 

Shark Matrix Plus vacuum test

(Image credit: Future)

Using in mop mode

Before mopping, I first had to add rug zones to my map, so it didn’t soak the rugs or carpets. This was pretty easy to do, until it got to the exploration run, which you’re meant to do to make sure you have got the rug placements right. The Shark Matrix Plus wandered close to where I’d marked the kitchen rug, and then went a bit mad, zig-zagging all over it. I decided I didn’t have the patience to worry about it and sent it back to base.

Shark Matrix Plus testing

(Image credit: Future)

Once the module is in, the Shark Matrix Plus automatically recognizes it is mopping and – this bit is amazing – it will vacuum and mop at the same time. I’ve only tested one robot vacuum that claimed to mop and was disappointed to discover that it really couldn’t. That other model barely made my floors damp, let alone cleaning them, and because it had to go round and vacuum first, it also took a lifetime to do a terrible job.

By contrast, the Shark Matrix Plus did a much more thorough job and you could see trail marks where it had been, which showed decent coverage. The pad oscillates over the surface, which presumably picks up more dirt than just sliding along. The mop pad was reassuringly dirty when it was done, too. As most of our ground floors are real engineered wood flooring, I also appreciated that the Shark Matrix Plus didn’t flood them in water as that would almost certainly damage them. Oh, and it also managed to find, and skip past, the rugs. 

Shark Matrix Plus vacuum test

(Image credit: Future)

In truth, the results didn’t compare with what can be achieved with an actual mop, and it didn’t get very close into the corners or skirtings, but it was good enough for a mid-week freshen up before getting the mop and bucket out on Saturday morning. 

  • Performance score: 4 out of 5

Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 review: battery life

  • Plenty of power
  • Charges quickly

The battery life ranges from about 85-110 minutes, depending on what power mode you have it on. This isn't anything to rave about, but it only needed one quick recharge when covering our ground floor in max power, which took around 131 minutes (including charging time) to do all six rooms and the hallway (which the Shark app says is 112sq m worth of cleaning). Once recharged, it would return to the spot it left off and merrily resume cleaning. 

The official Shark stats say the battery takes six hours to fully recharge, but I found it only took about three so perhaps it wasn’t completely empty whenever it went back to base. Either way, I had no complaints about the battery life. 

  • Battery score: 5 out of 5

Should you buy the Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1?

Buy it if…

You hate emptying bins

As I own a robot that requires emptying every single day, I can assure you that you need a self-emptying base station.

You have hairy housemates

The roller is anti-hair-trapping and it works well. There were a few hairs around the middle after a month’s testing but nothing like what I’m used to seeing wrapped around my robot’s rollers. It also has proper HEPA dust filtration.

You want zero drama

Of all the robots I have tried, this was the least needy. It never once got stuck or lost, nor sent me a distress message to say it had ‘fallen off a cliff’ (when in reality it was just straddling the doormat). 

Don’t buy it if…

Tech stresses you out

The app is glitchy and unreliable and not terribly informative, either. There may have been swearing…

You want to clean upstairs, too

The mapping currently only covers one floor level, so choose wisely.

You’re OCD about dirt

Like most (possibly all) robots, the suction power isn’t comparable to manually operated vacuum cleaners – use it for daily maintenance cleaning, then do a ‘proper’ vacuum on the weekend. 

Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 review: also consider

Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1

The Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 and Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 are both powerful robot vacuums with mopping capabilities, but they differ in key areas. The AI Ultra excels in smart navigation and AI-powered obstacle avoidance, while the Matrix Plus offers a better clean thanks to its multi-surface brushroll and Matrix Clean

Read our full Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 review

Narwal Freo X Ultra

The Narwal Freo X Ultra and Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 both offer advanced vacuuming and mopping, but they've very differently priced. For the extra loot, the Narwal Freo X Ultra offers self-cleaning mop pads and autonomous water management, ideal for hands-free maintenance. 

Read our full Narwal Freo X Ultra review

How I tested the Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1

  • I used this vacuum in my own home for a month
  • I vacuumed carpets and vacuumed and mopped hard floors
  • I recorded the sound levels using a Decibel Meter App

I used the Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 to clean the ground floor of our four-bed, Victorian family home for a month, using it every day on all our downstairs floors, which include terracotta and porcelain tiles, engineered timber, wool carpet and three rugs. The total area is around 120sq m.

I checked out every feature on the app, and did Spot cleans, Matrix cleans and mopping runs. I liked being able to pick specific rooms, so I could just get the main kitchen and hallway done quickly, but mostly I scheduled the robot to work while I was out of the house, so I could arrive home to nice clean floors throughout.

During testing, I used the decibel meter on my iPhone to monitor noise levels and conducted a test to see how the vacuum coped with flour and oats on hard flooring. 

As part of my job as a journalist specialising in kitchens and bathrooms, I’ve been reviewing vacuum cleaners for publication both online and in print for several years now. I’ve tested lots of robot vacuums, and currently own an Anker by Eufy Hybrid X8, which I like well enough, but I liked the Shark Matrix Plus more. 

Read more about how we test

First reviewed September 2024

Narwal Freo X Plus robot vacuum review
6:00 pm | September 14, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Robot Vacuums Smart Home | Comments: Off

Narwal Freo X Plus two-minute review

The Narwal Freo X Plus is a budget-friendly robot vacuum and mop that does many things well, but a few things fairly badly. If you're just looking at the pros and cons list, the score of this review might not make sense as there are plenty more positives than negatives – but those few negatives can make for a frustrating experience. 

If you're willing to put in the time to understand this model, it could potentially be one of the best robot vacuums for you, especially if you're on a budget. After all, most of the best vacuums that include mopping ability are not going to be this cheap, unless you get something manual like the Bissell CrossWave OmniForce. When it comes to robot vacuums specifically, the price tag for great performance, feature set, and overall functionality goes way up.

The vacuuming performance of the Narwal Freo X Plus is very solid. However, like most budget models that just pull a single stationary pad across the floor, its mopping capability is just passable. Still, you'll generally end up with clean floors. 

However, the Narwal Freo X Plus seems to have a mind of its own. Unless you just set it to clean your whole space in the most thorough way possible, you'll end up with incomplete cleaning cycles. Or it might decide to head off on a different, unassigned job.

At least it has a tiny base station, so that the Narwal Freo X Plus is easier to place than most robot vacuums. Another added benefit is that it's possible to pair and use through a voice assistant like Alexa. All in all, the Narwal Freo X Plus is a somewhat capable robot vacuum that comes with some frustrating aspects, such as its erratic cleaning behavior. But they may be worth dealing with if you're on a budget, or just want to be able to do a basic, whole-home clean.

All components of Narwal Freo X Plus robot vacuum and mop laid out in reviewer's home

Everything you'll find in the box (Image credit: Future)

Narwal Freo X Plus robovac review: price & availability

  • List price: $399.99 / AU$899 (about £310)
  • Launch date: March 2024
  • Available: US and Australia

The Narwal Freo X Plus is available in the US and Australia, with a list form of $399.99 / AU$899. That puts it in TechRadar's budget price bracket, which is particularly significant when you consider it offers mopping as well as vacuuming functionality. Of course, whether it's a good value buy or not will depend on whether you're okay dealing with its navigational quirks. It will still deliver fairly clean floors, but can be a pain to deal with.

This is not necessarily unique to the Narwal Freo X Plus, as the recently reviewed Ecovacs Deebot N10 Plus came with its own quirky frustrations, not to mention weaker suction power than the Narwal, and it comes with a higher $649.99 / £499 / AU$999 price tag. It is, however, available in the UK unlike the Narwal, and comes with better mopping ability.

One of the strange things about the Narwal Freo X Plus is the fact that the company's flagship, Narwal Freo X Ultra, offers much better cleaning performance along with a range of other bells and whistles. Granted, that one is far more expensive (the Ultra costs $1,399.99 / AU$2,299 – about £1,110), but it's strange to see issues with the software given that it's coming from the same company.

  • Value for money score: 4 out of 5

Narwal Freo X Plus specs

Narwal Freo X Plus robovac review: design

  • Compact base station
  • Two side brushes and an anti-tangling brush roll
  • Single, stationary mop pad

When taking a look at the Narwal Freo X Plus' design, the first thing that jumps out is in regards to its teeny, tiny base station. Since its only function is to charge the robot vacuum and give it a place to rest, it doesn't need to do a lot. Still, it's cute in its own way, not to mention makes it easier to find a good place in your space for the robot vacuum. Bigger models with self-emptying dustbins and water reservoirs, such as the flagship Narwal mentioned earlier, need a lot more space (although, of course, there are benefits of having these capabilities built-in).

Dock for Narwal Freo X Plus robot vacuum and mop

Because it doesn't have self-empty capabilities, the dock is compact (Image credit: Future)

As far as the robot vacuum itself, it has the typical rounded shape. There are two side brushes instead of one, giving it a leg up on the vacuuming front compared to models that only have one side brush. The main brush roll is of the anti-tangling kind so you won't find it wrapped with hair, something that's not always considered on budget robot vacuums.

Narwal Freo X Plus robot vacuum and mop flipped over to show underside

The underside of the Freo X Plus, with side brushes unclipped (Image credit: Future)

The mop pad is of the single, flat variety that sits along the bottom back half of the unit. While it does apply some downward pressure, it doesn't do much in the way of scrubbing. I'll talk a little more about how this affects its performance below, but just know that this is normal for budget models and that more expensive ones seem to completely abandon this approach in favor of dual spinning mop pads.

Regarding the manual controls, there are just two buttons – a power button and a home button, each with a secondary function (start/pause/resume cleaning and child lock, respectively).

Narwal Freo X Plus robot vacuum with magnetic cover removed

Remove the magnetic cover to reveal water reservoir and dust cup (Image credit: Future)

The Narwal Freo X Plus is a fairly sleek looking robot vacuum in its all-white aesthetic. That's partially because it covers its small water reservoir and dustbin with a glossy white top that stays in place due to some cleverly placed magnets. Both the reservoir and dustbin are easily removable and easy to fill up or empty, respectively.

  • Design score: 4 out of 5

Narwal Freo X Plus robovac review: performance

  • Very good vacuuming
  • Mopping is just okay
  • Erratic behavior in how it cleans

There are a couple different factors to consider with a robot vacuum's performance, but the core one is vacuuming. Luckily, the Narwal Freo X Plus does a very good job here. Thanks to having two side brushes, it's able to get debris on either side of it. Since it has an anti-tangle brushroll, it's able to tackle aside from charge cords (the kryptonite of all robot vacuums).

Narwal Freo X Plus robot vacuum and mop in reviewer's home

The dustbin is easy to empty (Image credit: Future)

I ran this robot vacuum in a house with two French Bulldogs as well as four adult humans, two of whom have long hair, and it did a great job keeping the floor clean, picking up everything from smaller dust-like particles to debris the size of a leaf. It also picked up hair without issue and without any tangling. I even tested it with a pile of sugar and cereal and it took one pass to suck it all up. 

Narwal Freo X Plus robot vacuum and mop about to clean a pile of cereal from a rug

The Freo X sucked up both fine debris and chunkier spillages with ease (Image credit: Future)

I used it on tile, hardwood floors, and a small but thick bath mat. In terms of just vacuuming, this robot vacuum has the goods regardless of the surface. The Narwal Freo X Plus has 7800 Pa of suction power, which isn't the highest on the market, but based on my tests is still enough to deal with most household cleaning requirements. 

Narwal Freo X Plus robot vacuum and mop cleaning near a dog food bowl in reviewer's home

Mopping performance is a little weaker (Image credit: Future)

Its mopping capability is a little less stellar. I would actually describe it as okay. Since it has the one pad, it's only applying downward pressure. So, somewhat dried pieces of mud in the foyer that a robot vacuum with spinning mop pads would pick up are unaffected. More frustratingly, unless I used the highest mopping humidity setting, it didn't always wet the entire area it mopped, leaving slightly streaky results. If you are going to use this robot vacuum for mopping, my recommendation is to use the highest settings and be prepared to regularly refill the water reservoir.

As far as getting to the edges, it does well with vacuuming, thanks to those two side brushes, but doesn't really get all that close when mopping.

Narwal Freo X Plus robot vacuuming next to baseboards

It gets nice and close to the edges of rooms when vacuuming (Image credit: Future)

The object avoidance, on the other hand, is pretty good. It won't necessarily give a wide berth to any randomly placed object but it will brush up against it. When I placed the bath mat down, the Narwal Freo X Plus vacuumed right up to it on all sides before deciding it could tackle it. Only then did it vacuum it.

Narwal Freo X Plus robot vacuum and mop in reviewer's home

It took a little time, but the Freo X eventually realized it could vacuum my bathmat (Image credit: Future)

Where the Narwal Freo X Plus falls short is in how it decides to clean. When I use the Freo Advice setting in the app, it will take the strangest path. Maybe it's only picking up certain debris on its sensor, but it will clean up maybe 20% of the area that it should. Also concerning, when I run to only clean a particular room, it will decide to move onto another room after finishing its initial job and start vacuuming there instead of returning to the base station. It's frustrating enough that I would rather have it clean the entire space instead of attempting to do any kind of spot cleaning.

  • Performance score: 3.5 out of 5

Narwal Freo X Plus robovac review: app

  • Easy-to-use app
  • Mapping has some shortcomings
  • Works well with third-party voice support

The Narwal Freo app is pretty straightforward to use, from setup to choosing the kind of cleaning you want to accomplish (vacuum only, vacuum and mop, and vacuum then mop). It's also a fairly attractive looking app. I didn't ever feel lost navigating to various settings, whether it's adjusting the specific cleaning settings such as suction power or mopping humidity or opening up the schedule to plan a cleaning.

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Screenshots from Narwal Freo X Plus robot vacuum and mop app

(Image credit: Future)
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Screenshots from Narwal Freo X Plus robot vacuum and mop app

(Image credit: Future)

The map is pretty easy to use, and you can even see a 3D representation of your mapped space. Of course, it suffers from the same editing shortfalls of a lot of robot vacuum apps, where you're limited on how you partition your space. If you have an open or semi-open floor plan like the space that I often test in, you'll only be able to partition once as you can't section a partitioned space in half.

Screenshots from Narwal Freo X Plus robot vacuum and mop app

Erratic route-planning in action (left) and issues with open-plan spaces (right) (Image credit: Future)

On the bright side, setting it up with third-party control – I tested it with Amazon Alexa – was fairly easy to do. The only quirk is knowing the very specific phrases that it can understand. “Alexa, run the robot vacuum” doesn't work, while “Alexa, ask my robot to start cleaning” does.

  • App score: 4 out of 5

Narwal Freo X Plus robovac review: battery

  • Very long battery life
  • Will return to base when getting low

Possibly because the Narwal Freo X Plus is a bit lighter on features than more expensive units or possibly because it doesn't have spinning mop pads, its battery life of up to 254 minutes is quite a bit longer than what I usually see with robot vacuums. For reference, most units these days have up to 210 minutes of use.

While that's more than enough battery life for even fairly large spaces, the robot vacuum will return to its base when necessary for an extra charge before continuing on with its task if it's running out of juice.

  • Battery score: 5 out of 5

Should you buy the Narwal Freo X Plus robot vacuum?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Narwal Freo X Plus robovac review: also consider

Narwal Freo X Ultra
If you want the full-fat version of what Narwal has to offer, the Freo X Ultra is a much more robust cleaning experience with spinning mop pads that self-clean, a self-emptying base station with clean and dirty water reservoirs, and a whole host of features. It's also much, much more expensive.

Read our full Narwal Freo X Ultra review

How I tested the Narwal Freo X Plus

To test the Narwal Freo X Plus, I used it for a couple weeks 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, from mapping to scheduling. I took note of how well the vacuum cleaned the edges of a room as well as around obstacles, not to mention running how the handheld vacuum performed.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed September 2024

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