Xiaomi Robot Vacuum
The best Robot Vacuum Cleaners from Xiaomi
The company Xiaomi – pronounced Schau-mih – looks back on a short and eventful history. Founded in 2010, the Chinese technology company has risen to become one of the largest manufacturers of smartphones. Since 2016, it has also offered robot vacuum cleaners. A Xiaomi robot vacuum is characterised by very good sensor technology and a fair price/performance ratio.
In the following, we will show you which Xiaomi robot vacuum cleaner is a good choice. You will also find out what you should consider when choosing. We hope to be able to help you with this guide.
Xiaomi Robot Vacuum Cleaner – These models are recommended
Xiaomi Mi Roborock S6 white
The vacuum robots from Xiaomi enjoy great popularity. The current bestseller is the model Xiaomi Mi Roborock S6 .
This hoover robot is already in its 3rd generation, which is why no “teething troubles” are to be expected. The battery capacity is a whopping 5200 mAh. The manufacturer states a runtime of up to 3 hours, which makes the device suitable for large areas. Up to 300 m² can be covered in one pass. You can programme the device via the corresponding Mi app and adjust it perfectly to your own 4 walls. The robot vacuum cleaner can overcome obstacles up to 2 cm high and orientates itself in a 360-degree view.
If necessary, you can draw virtual walls via the German-language app to delimit sensitive areas. In addition, voice control via Amazon Alexa is also possible. The wiping function also deserves praise. In the form of a wiping robot, the robot vacuum cleaner can first vacuum at the front and then wipe wet via the water tank at the back. This improves the cleaning results even more.
Xiaomi Mijia
The Xiaomi company can also offer inexpensive vacuum robots. One recommendation in this context is the Xiaomi Mijia.
Despite the low price, you can also control and monitor this hoover robot via smartphone (Mi App). There you can set the times, among other things. Its runtime is limited to 60 minutes, which means it is recommended for small and medium-sized areas. When the lithium-ion battery is exhausted, the robot returns to the charging station and recharges itself. This process takes about 2.5 hours. Navigation is carried out via the proven LDS lasers.
Basically, the robot can vacuum all types of hard floors as well as carpets with a fibre length of up to 20 mm. The suction power is 1800 Pa, which is why you should not expect miraculous results on carpets. Thanks to a height of only 9.6 cm, even relatively flat obstacles can be reliably undercut. Your own maintenance effort is therefore very limited.
Xiaomi Mi SDJQR02RR
The Xiaomi brand has rapidly built up a good reputation in the field of smart technologies. One of the manufacturer’s tried-and-tested robot vacuum cleaners is the Xiaomi Mi SDJQR02RR .
This inexpensive hoover robot has a capacity of 5200 mAh. This allows it to work continuously for up to 2 1/2 hours before returning to the charging station on its own. The battery used is manufactured by either LG or Panasonic. It also needs a charging time of 2 1/2 hours. Orientation is reliably achieved by means of sensors. The device keeps a distance of 10 mm from walls and other obstacles so that they are not damaged.
This robot vacuum cleaner can also be controlled via the Mi app and controlled from outside. This is both quick and uncomplicated. However, this is the 1st Mi generation, which is why no no-go areas can be defined yet. During operation, both coarse and fine particles are picked up. The maximum noise level is 66 dB, which means that this robot hoover can be classified as pleasantly quiet.
Xiaomi Robot Vacuum – What you should always look out for
Design & dimensions
Robot hoovers are generally more compact than classic hoovers. Nevertheless, there can be differences in this category. The height is particularly interesting, because this ultimately determines which obstacles can be passed under.
A Xiaomi robot vacuum cleaner is often between 9 and 10 cm high. This puts it in the average segment and allows it to pass most objects without any problems. If the robot vacuum cleaner is flat, it can be as little as 6 cm high. However, it is important to note that the height of the sensor on the top is sometimes not specified.
In addition to the height of the housing, the type of attachment also plays a role. Almost every robot vacuum can cope well with hard floors such as parquet and tiles. The situation is different with carpets. Here, 2 rotating brushes have proven themselves, which can also “comb out” animal hair.
A Xiaomi hoover robot can also sweep and mop if required. Such combination robots are then called mopping robots. With the S5 Max and S6 models, for example, you can precisely set where dry/damp mopping should take place and where classic vacuuming should take place. Incidentally, the water for mopping comes from a water tank. The wiping function is carried out with the help of a microfibre cloth.
Navigation
A robot vacuum cleaner either works on the chaos principle or it has smart navigation. Both can be useful.
If you only want to use your robot in small areas or in a specific area, the chaos principle is usually sufficient. Such devices come with a price advantage. Collision and impact sensors are of course already present in rudimentary devices, so you don’t have to worry about hitting obstacles or falling down the stairs.
The larger the premises, the more problems the chaos principle can cause. If the robot works indiscriminately, some areas may be visited too often and others too seldom. The result is then uneven results.
A Xiaomi hoover robot can scan the room via laser and gradually create a map. It then moves to all areas evenly. This produces results more quickly, which ultimately also saves electricity costs. However, the better the sensor technology is supposed to be, the deeper you have to dig into your pockets.
In general, there are 3 key technologies that help robotic vacuum cleaners navigate:
Collision sensor: This prevents rough contact with walls and furniture, so that the robot does not suffer any damage from impacts. In addition, it recognises landings and, in good devices, doorsteps.
Camera: With its help, the robot orients itself and follows parallel paths in the room. The structured work is maximally economical.
Scanner: A laser scanner is used to create a map of the room. After a while, the robot then travels evenly through all areas.
Programming
Robot vacuum cleaners do not have to be set up. You can simply charge your Xiaomi Robot Vacuum Cleaner and let it start right away. It then drives to all areas that are accessible to it and returns to the charging station on its own at some point.
In the medium term, programming brings advantages. With a Xiaomi robot vacuum cleaner, you can set the runtime either via a remote control or a smartphone app. In addition, it may be possible to draw virtual walls. This allows you to leave out sensitive areas without having to close doors or put extra objects in the way.
In addition to creating prohibited zones, it is also possible to prioritise certain zones (spot cleaning). These zones are then visited particularly often by the robot vacuum cleaner. This makes sense in the kitchen or dining room, for example.
Thanks to the app connectivity, you can also control your Xiaomi robot hoover from abroad and make adjustments if necessary.
What you currently have to miss with Xiaomi is the complication-free programming across several floors.
Range
Like other vacuum robots, a Xiaomi hoover robot also works with a lithium-ion battery. Its range must be suitable for the conditions on site. The more area that needs to be covered, the greater the capacity should be.
The range is specified in mAh (milliampere hours). Inexpensive devices sometimes have to return to the charging station after 30 minutes. Xiaomi is a commendable exception here. Even the entry-level models usually have a runtime of 60 minutes. The high-quality models have a runtime of 2.5 hours. The charging time is usually also 2.5 hours.
It is also worth taking a look at the capacity of the dust container. The larger it is, the less often you need to empty it. For small households, a capacity of 300 ml or more is sufficient. In large households, it makes more sense to double the capacity so that you don’t have to constantly empty it.
Filter
It can also be worthwhile to take a look at the quality of the filter. This point is particularly important if allergy sufferers and/or babies are in the household. Externally, robotic vacuum cleaners often have problems picking up coarse particles. When it comes to storing them inside, it’s rather the other way around. Here it can happen that small particles are stirred up and get back outside.
Fine allergens, such as house dust mites, pollen and animal hair, can only be removed with a so-called HEPA filter. In the EU, such filters are subdivided into 3 classes:
- EPA filter (Efficient Particulate Air filter)
- HEPA filter (High Efficiency Particulate Air filter)
- ULPA filter (Ultra Low Penetration Air filter)
Most robotic vacuum cleaners are equipped with EPA filters. However, for allergy sufferers, only filters with HEPA level 13 or higher are really a satisfactory solution. These retain 99.95% of the particles inside.
Volume
The volume of the robot vacuum cleaner can be a significant factor in everyday life. If it is unpleasantly loud, this has a negative effect on numerous circumstances. Examples include general stress levels, conversations, relaxing activities and mental work.
You can tell how loud or quiet your model of choice is by the sound level, which in turn is expressed in dB (decibels). In the EU, new devices must not exceed 80 dB. Although this prevents hearing damage, in practice it is anything but quiet.
A robot vacuum cleaner with a maximum sound level of 65 dB can be classified as quiet. A Xiaomi robot hoover can stand out positively in this context. Some models have a peak sound level of just 55 dB.
It is still not possible to sleep while a robot vacuum cleaner is in operation. The background noise of quiet devices is still comparable to the chirping of birds.
Price
Of course, the price also has a certain influence on the decision. It should always be in a fair ratio to your own requirements. In the robot vacuum segment, smart navigation systems and app connectivity in particular require a surcharge. Such models reward you with particularly efficient and complication-free room care.
A Xiaomi robot hoover can be classified as fairly priced. The devices are significantly cheaper than Vorwerk and Co. The first models are already available for less than 300 Pounds. If you expect high suction power, comprehensive capacities and a wide range of functions, you will find robotic vacuum cleaners for around 500 Pounds.
Xiaomi Robot Vacuum Cleaner – Advantages & Disadvantages at a Glance
A vacuum cleaner robot from Xiaomi comes with various advantages. Even the inexpensive models are equipped with smart technologies that not only help with orientation, but also recognise carpets, for example. The suction power is then automatically increased. In addition, obstacles of a moderate height can be overcome. Nevertheless, not everything speaks for the Chinese devices. So that you can comfortably weigh up the pros and cons, we have provided you with an overview below:
- Favourable price/performance ratio
- Quick and uncomplicated to put into operation
- Orientation is based on LDS lasers (360-degree angle), so collisions can be ruled out
- Returns to the charging station independently
- Sensitive zones can be left out (drawing virtual walls)
- Start time and completion can be set in advance
- Can be controlled via smartphone
- You can have the robots actively approach certain zones
- Can also mop and sweep as a combi unit
- Devices can be quite quiet in operation (55 dB)
- Sometimes also suitable for pet hair and allergy sufferers (HEPA filter)
- In 2014, it became known that Xiaomi had stored and forwarded smartphone data without permission (this was admitted by the manufacturer and ended with an update)
