Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum review

The Mi Robot Vacuum that we review today is a highly intelligent home cleaning device with 12 different sensors. The Laser Distance Sensor ( LDS ) scans its surroundings 360 degree, 1800 times per second, to map out the interiors of your house. The three processors track its movements in real-time, and the Simultaneous Localization and Mapping ( SLAM ) algorithm calculates the most efficient route for cleaning.

Using the Mi Home app, you can switch on and remotely control the robot, change cleaning modes and set schedules. Additionally, a powerful Nidec brushless DC motor with 1800Pa suction power, a main brush with adjustable height and a 5200mAh Li-ion battery for up to 2.5 hours of cleaning, attractive in price and quality, all these make it stand out of the market and probably the best robot vacuum. Get the Mi Robot Vacuum and dirt will not stand a chance.

Available @ Gearbest Replacement Kit

Coupon code: XIAOMIVAC (269$) or XMIVCHK (expire time: 30th Nov 2017)

Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum unboxing

I received the clever Xiaomi Mi robot vacuum cleaner used for this review thanks to Gearbest. The robot comes already assembled, with no bulk pieces to be recomposed, except the cable and charging base, so it is ready to be used immediately. The package arrived in 9 days and in perfect condition.

By opening the cover at the top of the vacuum, you have access to the dust container, and the filter that should be cleaned regularly to get the best results.

At the bottom we find the brush that pulls on the bigger dirt particles that are harder to suck. The brush, like the filters, can be changed by purchasing the replacement kit.

Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum review

Starting Xiaomi MI robot for the first time is very simple, just press the Power key (top part of the only button on the top of the robot) and the vacuum cleaner starts analyzing the room and cleaning it intelligently without the need for others interventions on our part. If at some point we want it to go back to the base, we just need to press the button with the symbol of the Home. If you want to change the advanced settings, such as suction power, language, or set scheduled cleaning, you must use the Home App App.

This is a very intelligent and powerful automatic vacuum. This robotic cleaner automatically maps out the area and cleans homes in an extremely “smart and efficient” way. It uses a Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) algorithm to map out how the home is laid out and calculates the best sweeping path.

I already had an iLife vacuum cleaner valued 160 € which I was quite happy with, so I did not expect much more from this Xiaomi Mi Robot. Just tried it the first time, I was excited and I immediately packed up the old vacuum cleaner to sell it and kept for me this Xiaomi.

The Mi Robot is far smarter, more powerful, more effective. Even without using the app, the robot starts by pushing a single button, scans quickly around the space and starts cleaning the perimeter, continuing scanning. Then he moves to the center of the room, with a zigzag movement that does not skip any surface or corner, passing under chairs, tables and furniture. If you open the App you can see real-time mapping with already clean and missing areas even if you are out of the house! To clean my 75sqm apartment it took only 20 minutes without skipping even the smallest surface.

With the Home App you can also start or stop the cleaning even when you are not home – the vacuum connect to the internet using your home wifi – , check the cleaning status, set a weekly and hourly schedule, set the suction power, update the firmware, and change the speaker language.

Cleaning is really effective, thanks to the 1800Pa engine, the two brushes and intelligent space management. The 5200mAh battery lasts up to 2.5 hours and allows to clean up to 250sqm before returning automatically to the charging base.

Xiaomi Mi robot vacuum cleaner overview

When cleaning a room with a simple cleaner we know where we have cleaned and don’t pass there more than one time. The same should be implemented with the robotic cleaners, otherwise they will clean the same area for 3-5 times, while some other areas will be ignored. Thus, the term we often come up, ‘random cleaning path’ can cause longer cleaning time, more electricity consumption and many more.

The sensors emit laser light and it is able to calculate the travel time due to a reflected light. Multiple sensors map the layout and plan a path. When it runs out of energy it goes back to the charger autonomously.

The Xiaomi vacuum cleaner comes with a brushless DC motor that is a head higher than other motors in terms of speed and performance, as it delivers up to 1800Pa air pressure. There is a real difference between this model and the iRobot’s Roomba 980, as the latter comes with 1,670 Pa.

Two

Two brushes help the motor to clean properly, one main brush with adjustable height for uneven surfaces, and a side brush to reach the angles.

Thanks to innovative technologies, new brushless motors and many more the Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum works more effectively. But there is another feature making it more powerful. I am talking about the 5,200mAh 14.4V lithium-ion battery that is enough to clean up to 250 square meter area in about 2.5 hours on a single charge. It is provided by LG and Panasonic meaning we can easily rely on this info. Of course, if there is more work to be done it will take its way back to the charging dock. Xiaomi has made a step forward on competitors that usually has a 2-3000mAh battery, and the battery can become the next selling point of the Mi Robot Vacuum.

The in-house developed LDS works similar to laser guiding system on self-driving cars with three dedicated processors.

Allwinner ARM Cortex quad-core, STMicroelectronics ARM Cortex co-processor and Texas Instruments LDS image processor for real-time mapping and positioning of the robot. The robot uses Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) to calculate the path for cleaning the area optimally.

The robot can be controlled and monitored to check the cleaning progress, path and set cleaning schedules, remotely using the Mi Home app.

Available @ Gearbest

Coupon code: XMIVCHK (expire time: 30th Nov 2017)

Mi Home App

Like other Mi Ecosystem products this cleaner comes with Mi Home app pre-installed. Thus users can control the device remotely: power on/off; check the vacuum’s status via WiFi; get a live tracking; switch between three modes (normal, quiet and max); set schedules for automatic cleaning and many more. All these operations can be displayed on your mobile handset.

After downloading the app, it’s half in Chinese and half in English and it’s not up to date, you have to look a bit between the settings and set the English language, the language used by the robot to speak English – because the robot speaks! – and update the app from the internal app options, to get the latest version. The app is very intuitive with icons and numbers, easy to understand even for non english speakers. At first it is a little tedious, but then you get used to it and is easy to understand how it works. More like being an app dedicated to various home appliances, it may be confusing, but you just need to understand how it works to be able to use it with simplicity.

Thanks to the Mi Home app you can set regular cleaning schedules for daily cleanings. It’s very simple to use, as you are able to display the real-time cleaning map, path and position on your handset. You can also switch between cleaning modes (quiet, standard and active) with simple taps.

Once the Mi Home application is started, you will be prompted to connect the device to your home WiFi by choosing the connection and entering your password. So thanks to this application the connection process is very simple. Once you have access to the vacuum cleaner, you will be able to see the location of the robot, cleaning area, cleaning time information, clean square meters and some other useful options such as speed regulation. You can also set a notification to indicate the end of the cleaning process.

Conclusions

I already had an iLife vacuum cleaner from 160 € which I was quite happy with, so I did not expect much more from this Xiaomi Mi Robot. Just tried the first time, I was excited and I immediately packed up the old vacuum cleaner to sell it and keep me this Xiaomi.

The Mi Robot is far smarter, more powerful, more effective. Even without using the app, the robot starts by pushing a single button, scans quickly around the space and starts cleaning the perimeter, continuing scanning. Then he moves to the center of the room, with a zigzag movement that does not skip any surface or corner, passing under chairs, tables and furniture. If you open the App you can see real-time mapping with already clean and missing areas even if you are out of the house! To clean my 75sqm apartment it took only 20 minutes without jumping on the smallest surface.

With the Home App you can also start or stop the cleaning even when you are not home, set a weekly and hourly schedule, set the suction power, update the firmware, and change the speaker language.

Cleaning is really effective, thanks to the 1800Pa engine, the two brushes and intelligent space management. The 5200mAh battery lasts up to 2.5ore and allows to clean up to 250mq before returning automatically to the charging base.

In short, I do not know what you might want more from a automatic vacuum cleaner, with a really affordable price, especially compared to the famous Roomba, which cost 5 times more without offering anything more, indeed.

This vacuum cleaner robot is ideal for cleaning any kind of home and office, and I highly recommend it to those looking for the best vacuum cleaner for value for money.

Available @ Gearbest Replacement Kit

Coupon code: XIAOMIVAC or XMIVCHK (expire time: 30th Nov 2017)

Specifications