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Xiaomi Robot Vacuum Cleaner X10 review: This machine won’t go rogue
Summary
Its ease of use and extensive features make the Xiaomi Robot Vacuum Cleaner X10 stand out in a crowded product segment
Even as they’ve been around for a while, robot vacuum cleaners finally got their true moment in the sun during the pandemic.
Sure, we’re still far from Rosey, the household robot as imagined by The Jetsons back in the last century, but most robovacs do well to maintain a baseline level of cleanliness with next to no human intervention. Xiaomi’s latest Robot Vacuum Cleaner X10 ( ₹29,999) goes one further, cleaning up after itself via a self-cleaning docking station, a feature typically found in pricier offerings. Is this the bother-free future we were promised?
Design
The robot vacuum segment has, by and large, settled on a largely similar design across the board – a circular three-wheeler with bumpers for minor impact, along with a laser navigation sensor on the top.
The RVC X10 doesn’t stray too far from this approach though. Unlike some dry vacuum cleaners still sold in India – I’m looking at you, iRobot - the RVC X10 offers a clip-on mop fixture with a water tank and a removable, washable mop cloth. The over 1-foot-tall accompanying dock isn’t merely to power up the vacuum. It has a built-in dust bag and a suction system to empty the X10’s dustbin, for up to 60 full cleans.
Also read: Haier TH27U1 smart robot vacuum cleaner review: Cost-effective cleaning act
You’ll need to consider where to place the docking station beforehand, since it requires a 16A power socket instead of the more commonly found 6A outlet. Other than that, the entire process, from unboxing to successfully adding the X10 in the Xiaomi/Mi Home app on iOS/Android, takes less than five minutes.
Mapping and cleaning
Once added, the X10 goes about mapping the home, using LDS laser navigation to shoot out invisible lasers and measuring the time taken to receive the reflected light to ascertain the relative position of the boundary/walls.
After the quick first run, the X10 got the room dimensions and position of furniture largely right, while doing a good job of detecting and avoiding obstacles, though due to the laser module, it does face challenges in fitting into places that other less advanced robots can get into.
You can, of course, set up virtual walls to avoid going into areas best avoided, or no-mop zones to avoid ruining the carpets, and even detailed cleaning plans on how often and which rooms should be cleaned, including suction levels and mopping intensity. Plus, there are options on how often the dust container of the vacuum should be emptied into the base station. But you’ll have to remember to keep an eye on the disposable dust bag and replace it when it’s filled. A pack of 5 disposable dust bags will set you back by ₹2,499. Granted, these are no ordinary dust bags, but it’s still a steep price to pay for a consumable.
While robot vacuums are best run on a schedule, you can perform spot cleaning via the app, and even link the vacuum to Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to voice activate the cleaning process. Larger, multi-level homeowners can set up multi-floor mapping as well if you’re ready to lug the 3.3kg device up the stairs and set it down to clean. I had no incidents of robots going rogue and falling down the flights of stairs even after a couple of weeks of use.
Results
Inside the X10 beats a high-speed brushless motor with a peak suction power of 4000 Pascals, and while the X10 rarely goes full throttle (unless it’s intentionally operated on Turbo mode), it does well to clean up everyday dust and debris and the odd kitchen messes.
Having dropped long strands of hair and assorted kitchen pulses and flour across the home, the X10 went to town cleaning up the mess, completely wiping away any traces of the dust and leaving corners and hard-to-reach surfaces far cleaner than one expected.
Also read: Xiaomi Handheld Garment Steamer review: Time-saving travel companion
That said, carpets and rugs tend to be a bit problematic occasionally. Noise levels aren’t too bad in standard mode, and there’s a silent mode if you live in less dusty areas and can work with reduced suction levels. Expectedly, Turbo mode gets loud and is best reserved for when you’re not around.
Mopping is basic, with no automatic surface detection features to automatically avoid mopping or to lift the mop out of the way (although you can use the aforementioned zones to avoid mopping), but the built-in 200-ml tank is big enough to clean the entire floor in one cycle. Unlike the dust bin, the water in the tank will need replacement so we’ve haven’t reached a completely hands-off approach just yet. It’s also worth noting that you cannot add cleaning liquid into the tank, so if you want that familiar floor cleaner freshness, you’ll have to manually spray it before running a mopping cycle.
Verdict
After each run, the RVC X10 returns to its dock and starts to charge its 5,200mAh battery, and if set to do so, empties its contents into the bin with a god awfully loud (17000 Pascals of suction power at work) but thankfully short self-cleaning cycle.
Battery life is a fair bit more than some of the basic models, which lets you run an entire clean cycle of an 1800-square-foot space on Turbo mode with about 30% battery remaining at the end of the cycle. What takes a while is the charging, which is rather slow and requires a little under six hours to charge completely.
With the Xiaomi RVC X10, you get a significant step up from Xiaomi’s previous models, both in terms of features and performance, without as significant a bump up in price. Its ease of use and extensive feature set allow for a fairly easy and unqualified recommendation.
Tushar Kanwar, a tech columnist and commentator, posts @2shar.
