Tag Archives: vacuum cleaner

Narwal Freo Z Ultra Review: AI for Clean and Stress-free Homes

Posted on by

PROS:


  • Sleek and minimalist design that blends seamlessly into any home environment

  • Powerful features for thorough and hygienic cleaning

  • Privacy-respecting AI that knows what to clean and how to clean it well

CONS:


  • Auto Water Exchange System is a separate purchase

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

The Narwal Freo Z Ultra makes AI relatable and useful, keeping your home clean and hygienic while also adding a touch of elegance to any space with its stylish design.

AI, machine learning, neural networks, and large language models are buzzwords not just in the tech industry but in mainstream media as well. Almost anything that has a tiny computer inside or connects to the Internet boasts of some AI feature, but most of them just talk about how powerful their product is for being able to do AI. Like any other technology, AI is supposed to help make our lives easier, not burden our brains with a litany of features to remember. At IFA 2924, Narwal unveiled the Freo Z Ultra robot cleaner to show how to do AI right, and we were able to get a first-hand preview of how it utilizes this powerful technology to keep our homes clean, our families healthy, and even our pets happy.

Designer: Narwal

Aesthetics

Robot vacuum cleaners are nothing new; they are one of the first robots and automation to enter our homes. Over the years, the basic form of these circular machines has changed little, which means they have kept close to their utilitarian aesthetic which stands out too much in most homes today. Even the base stations, which are evolving in complexity, often look like oversized and uninspiring trash bins. Fortunately, Narwal applied not only artificial intelligence but also human intelligence to give the Freo Z Ultra a more human appeal.

The Narwal Freo Z Ultra is designed to blend seamlessly into your home, a part of it that doesn’t get in your way, both literally and figuratively. It doesn’t call attention in the way that something unappealing would, like a tool out of place, but only by its sleek and elegant appearance that makes you appreciate its presence in a positive way. The smooth curves, minimalist style, and premium-looking materials make the robot vacuum cleaner and its base station look like functional design objects instead of just appliances.

Admittedly, the robot cleaner itself doesn’t deviate too much from the standard formula. It is a circular machine with very few standout details, and that’s a good thing. It allows the robot to move around without being distracting, showing only the bare minimum that informs people of its functions or state. And thanks to its intelligent navigation system, you don’t even have to worry about bumping into it or getting in its way, as it will be the one to move out of your way as it should be.

All in all, the Freo Z Ultra combines simplicity and style in a single package, adding to a home’s aesthetic instead of distracting from it. It makes the AI-powered robot cleaning system look and feel more like a part of your home, rather than something tacked on and out of place. It might even become part of the family, in its own helpful and cute way.

Ergonomics

Unlike devices that you operate by hand, you don’t really handle the Freo Z Ultra robot cleaner, which is definitely for the best. The reason you’d delegate this chore to a robot would be to avoid dealing with dirt and germs, so the less that you have to manually interact with the cleaning robot, the better. Fortunately, Narwal made sure to minimize those moments as much as possible, leading not only to a convenient mode of operation but to a hygienic one as well.

You don’t have to manually empty the robot’s dust bin. You don’t even have to wash the dirty mop. The only time you have to do some work is to empty the dust bag and replace the dirty water with a clean one, and even then you are guaranteed a sanitized environment thanks to the Freo Z Ultra’s smart features that we’ll get to later. Using these functions is definitely a walk in the park, as Narwal has made the design intuitive and easy to use.

Controlling the robot is a matter of setting it up in the mobile app and just letting it do its thing on its own. You don’t even have to lift a finger, literally, thanks to integration with smart home systems and assistants, which means voice control and automated scenarios. Yes, it sounds lazy, but the convenience means you get more time for yourself and your loved ones.

Performance

Smart robot cleaners are becoming the norm these days, but the Narwal Freo Z Ultra definitely pushes the envelope of what you can do with all that intelligence. Most implementations focus on AI-assisted navigation and obstacle avoidance, and of course, we see that here as well. More importantly, however, Narwal’s AI not only identifies what lies before the robot but also what to do about it, even if it means going back to it again and again.

This is the case with the Freo Z Ultra’s Next-gen Proactive AI DirtSense, which means it knows that the thing in front of it is some kind of dirt and can actually identify what kind of dirt it is. If it’s dry dirt, it sucks it up, but if it’s a wet spill or stain, it mops it up. It also detects how much more mopping is needed and returns to the spot after the mop has been cleaned at the base station. It intelligently understands in real-time if a certain section of the floor requires more thorough cleaning than other spots instead of just applying the same amount of vacuuming or mopping, which tends to spread the dirt around instead. In that sense, it’s almost human in the way it thinks and behaves, closely mimicking how we would approach such a problem as well.

Just as with dirt, The Freo Z Ultra is able to correctly identify the type of floor and carpet so that it can automatically adjust its settings without you having to tell it. For carpets, it can lift the mop to a height of 12mm to avoid staining the material, and it also maximizes the suction power up to 12,000 Pa for more thorough cleaning. For wooden floors, it applies only 7N of mopping pressure to protect the sensitive material, but ceramic tiles get 12N of pressure to better clean off dirt and stains.

And yes, the Narwal Freo Z Ultra has some pretty impressive obstacle avoidance skills, thanks to dual RGB cameras that let it see better, as well as not one but two processors, one dedicated solely to AI. This TwinAI Dodge Obstacle Avoidance system can recognize over 120 objects in the house and see the world like we humans do, in three dimensions. This helps the robot not only navigate spaces and avoid objects but even understand what it needs to actually do in order to clean that space.

This feature is especially important to households with pets, where the presence of a robot cleaner could wake up a sleeping pet or cause unnecessary stress. The Freo Z Ultra knows when it approaches a pet and avoids the area, but it also knows that it needs to return to the area again and again until our furry friend is awake and away. It then uses that same intelligence to determine how much it needs to clean your pet’s favorite spot to make sure it’s spotless and hygienic for your smaller family members.

The Freo Z Ultra’s intelligence extends to the way it cleans up after it cleans your floors. The base station doesn’t just empty the dust bin and wash the mops but makes sure both are clean and hygienic as well. It washes the mop at a warm 45°C for normal dust-based or powdery stains but ramps up the temp to 60°C for oil-based dirt like grease and sauce. It then heats things up even further at 75°C to really kill the bacteria, after which it dries the mop at only 40°C to make sure it won’t get damaged. It also applies hot air dust drying at 45°C to kill the bacteria inside the bin.

The Narwal Freo Z Ultra is overflowing with smart features on top of standard ones like an anti-tangling brush and Reuleaux triangular scrubbing mops that really get to those edges and corners. The best part about the smart robot cleaner is that you don’t actually have to mind any of these, as it’s smart enough to do the right thing at the right time, freeing you from worry and stress and giving even your pet some peace of mind.

Sustainability

Even though robot vacuum cleaners have been around for decades, some things haven’t changed that much, like the heavy use of plastics and non-sustainable materials. There might come a day when giants in this industry like Narwal start using more eco-friendly materials, but for now, it is tackling the problem from a different angle. In a way, the Freo Z Ultra uses its AI-powered features not only to preserve the longevity of the product but to also be more energy efficient in the long run.

Knowing when to clean is only one part of conserving energy and saving on your electricity bill. Knowing how to properly clean an area and itself can also contribute to this energy-saving strategy. Rather than applying the same pressure or suction power or heat uniformly across all instances, adjusting the settings lower or higher as needed is ultimately smarter and more efficient. The way it also takes care of itself ensures that the Freo Z Ultra will be your cleaning companion for a very long time, saving you money and reducing unnecessary e-waste over time.

Value

There’s no doubt that the Narwal Freo Z Ultra is one of if not the smartest robot cleaners to date. That makes it an amazing piece of technology, but does it really add value to your life? With the many things that burden our minds and take up our time, the last thing we often want to do is deal with chores like cleaning the floor. And while there are definitely lessons to be learned in such labor, there are also better uses of our limited time as well.

In the end, that’s what this smart AI-powered cleaning robot delivers, not just clean floors but also peace of mind and freedom from stress and worry. We don’t have to fuss over whether the little robot does its job well because we know it does. It’s not yet perfect but learns and improves along the way, much like us. The Freo Z Ultra offers a clean, safe, and hygienic environment while also freeing us to spend more time with the more important things in life. You can’t get any better value than that!

Verdict

There are many robot vacuums that boast AI-powered smarts, but most of them simply means they know their way around your home. The Narwal Freo Z Ultra puts all that computing power to work in teaching the robot how it needs to clean as well. From identifying the kind of dirt and applying the right way to clean it, to waiting for your pet to get up and then clean its spot thoroughly, the Freo Z Ultra frees you from having to worry about such minute details and focus instead on more enjoyable activities. Best of all, it looks stylish and elegant in your home as well, almost like having a designer object doing your chores for you.

The post Narwal Freo Z Ultra Review: AI for Clean and Stress-free Homes first appeared on Yanko Design.

This vacuum cleaner gets a display uplift to sit with the other appliances at home

Posted on by

Vacuum cleaners have come of age. They have evolved to be noiseless, automatic, and big dust and grime gobblers that can clean our homes, removing all possible allergens. Irrespective of all the interesting form factors, choice of materials, and functionalities they come with, vacuums still remain in one corner of the house, preferably away from sight, sitting there for longer than being used. This is essential because vacuum cleaners lack decorative usability, which can put them into the mainframe of the living area.

Vacuum cleaners are an everyday requirement we cannot do without on a daily basis now. Since their necessity, work is being done in shaping them to come out of the hiding to sit amid the other appliances in the house. But an appealing vac is yet to make the mainstream. Leaving scope for something like the BLEND I Vacuum Cleaner, which adds an interactive display to the vacuum cleaner’s stand.

Designer: Wootae Kim

The display brings usability to the otherwise idle-lying appliance between uses. The display can be used to show information such as the time, temperature, notifications and more, along with giving the vacuum cleaner a better space in the interior décor.

Drawing some design inspiration from a Dyson, the vacuum cleaner is conceived in metal, featuring harmonious curved and straight lines to create a luxurious body that can complement the novelty of the screen to gel with the interior like never before with a vacuum cleaner. The handle – with a curved finish at the top – has a conveniently angled design, which permits easy handling without straining the user’s wrist.

The display of the standing vacuum cleaner spans the entire height and width of its stand. Standalone it looks like a long thin screen with a steel body and round base. The vac when docked back into the stand for charging and security, becomes an interesting element of décor that you won’t mind placing alongside other essential appliances at home or in the office.

The post This vacuum cleaner gets a display uplift to sit with the other appliances at home first appeared on Yanko Design.

This vacuum cleaner gets a display uplift to sit with the other appliances at home

Posted on by

Vacuum cleaners have come of age. They have evolved to be noiseless, automatic, and big dust and grime gobblers that can clean our homes, removing all possible allergens. Irrespective of all the interesting form factors, choice of materials, and functionalities they come with, vacuums still remain in one corner of the house, preferably away from sight, sitting there for longer than being used. This is essential because vacuum cleaners lack decorative usability, which can put them into the mainframe of the living area.

Vacuum cleaners are an everyday requirement we cannot do without on a daily basis now. Since their necessity, work is being done in shaping them to come out of the hiding to sit amid the other appliances in the house. But an appealing vac is yet to make the mainstream. Leaving scope for something like the BLEND I Vacuum Cleaner, which adds an interactive display to the vacuum cleaner’s stand.

Designer: Wootae Kim

The display brings usability to the otherwise idle-lying appliance between uses. The display can be used to show information such as the time, temperature, notifications and more, along with giving the vacuum cleaner a better space in the interior décor.

Drawing some design inspiration from a Dyson, the vacuum cleaner is conceived in metal, featuring harmonious curved and straight lines to create a luxurious body that can complement the novelty of the screen to gel with the interior like never before with a vacuum cleaner. The handle – with a curved finish at the top – has a conveniently angled design, which permits easy handling without straining the user’s wrist.

The display of the standing vacuum cleaner spans the entire height and width of its stand. Standalone it looks like a long thin screen with a steel body and round base. The vac when docked back into the stand for charging and security, becomes an interesting element of décor that you won’t mind placing alongside other essential appliances at home or in the office.

The post This vacuum cleaner gets a display uplift to sit with the other appliances at home first appeared on Yanko Design.

This “Roomba For Your Bed” Cleans and Disinfects your Mattress, preventing Mites, Bacteria, and Bedbugs

Posted on by

I don’t publicly endorse snacking in bed, but having a robot vacuum clean up those crumbs before you sleep is an absolute game-changer…

We spend so much time cleaning our floors and tables with robots and handheld vacuums, it’s funny that we don’t give our beds and sofas the same treatment. Dust gathers on your floor, sure, but practically, it would collect on your mattress too, right? Besides, brushing away those Doritos crumbs off your bed isn’t really the most effective way of cleaning… so here’s my question. We clean our floors with some of the most cutting-edge gadgets on the market. What about our beds and sofas – places we actually spend hours laying/resting on?

Especially for people with allergies, dust mites and other particles can trigger larger problems like asthma, skin reactions, or rhinitis. So, it becomes a prerogative to keep your bed or even your fabric sofa clean and sanitized at all times. And sure, you could just bust out your vacuum cleaner every time… but let’s face it, using a robot cleaner is so much more effective and easy. Besides, your vacuum cleaner won’t sanitize those crevasses or corners, and gaps in the fabric. The X1 Robot Bed Vacuum, on the other hand, will…

Designer: Creatulize

Click Here to Buy Now: $149 $299 ($150 off) Hurry! Only 16 left of 230.

Much like a robot floor cleaner, the X1 smartly plans its path, ensuring every corner of your bed gets vacuumed and sanitized. All it takes is the push of a button.

According to research, an average human sheds approximately 28 grams of skin every week. Combine this with the body head released when deep in slumber, and the dust mites have the ideal conditions to thrive and grow their population to around 2 million in a single mattress. Isn’t that fact startling and scary at the same time? As a fun experiment, just go to your sofa in the afternoon sun and whack it with your hands. As expected, you’ll probably see a dust cloud emerge from them. Sure, you probably use Roombas and disinfectants to take care of the floor you walk on, but nobody gives much of a damn about the bedsheet and pillow covers you sleep on, or the sofa they sit on beyond just the occasional weekly wash. The X1 tackles those microparticles on a much deeper level, ensuring that none of the fabric surfaces you rest on become breeding grounds for bacteria, or collection zones for dust.

This advanced robot bed vacuum cleaner loaded with intelligent self-navigation technology takes up the task of cleaning without much hassle. All you’ve got to do is sit back and binge-watch as X1 banishes dust mites and allergens with the touch of a button It vibrates and vacuums simultaneously, dislodging particles that then get sucked into the cylindrical dust chamber located on top of the X1, along with a UVC lamp that sanitizes your surfaces, killing bacteria, bedbugs, and mites that may cause rashes/infections. The appliance can also be used to clean rugs/mats, couches, pillows, baby play mats, or any fabric surfaces that could trap dust/dirt/particulate matter.

What sets apart X1 from other handheld vacuum cleaners is the in-built technology. It comes with 9 proximity sensors and a smart obstacle avoidance algorithm that identifies objects measuring 5cm or more and also detects edges of the bed to avoid falling off while cleaning. The intelligent Path Planning system navigates the designated bed to create a map from precise cleaning in blind spots without scouting the same section more than once. The cleaner comes with three modes – soft, powerful, and precision for daily, weekly, or damp weather cleaning needs respectively. To get more control over uneven surfaces like pillows or bed contours you can use it in the manual mode too.

The compact device is completely hands-free as it can be controlled with voice commands. Another set of features making it a winning proposition is the triple-headed cleaning power of vibration (15,000 oscillations/minute for lifting dust particles), vacuum (15Air Watt suction power) and UV-C sanitization courtesy of the 270nm LED UV-C light that obliterates bacteria and can even kill bedbugs with a stunning 95% efficacy rate. As a failsafe, to prevent any chances of unintended human exposure to UV-C light, the robot vacuum cleaner comes with an advanced auto-sensor that turns off the X1 as soon as it is picked off the cleaning surface.

The buck doesn’t stop there, as the vacuum cleaner boasts an impressive 1-hour battery life on a single charge. Makers are also mindful of secondary pollution woes, hence they’ve fitted the device with a HEPA filtration system that separates dust and hair. The dust mites are separated from the larger particles for easy cleaning. To that end, it has an easy-twist open mechanism with a magnetic design. With these countless features and modern lifestyle-focused design, the XI robot vacuum cleaner is a winning household gadget that is worth every penny spent!

The dust chamber on top lets you see how effective the X1 is at cleaning your bed and sofa. You can then pop it out and empty the dust after a cleaning cycle.

The X1 Robot Bed Vacuum starts at an exceedingly affordable $149 and comes with a  Type-C charging cable, a cleaning brush, a user manual, and global shipping. Additional HEPA filters and brush rollers can be bought as an add-on package for just $15.

Click Here to Buy Now: $149 $299 ($150 off) Hurry! Only 16 left of 230.

The post This “Roomba For Your Bed” Cleans and Disinfects your Mattress, preventing Mites, Bacteria, and Bedbugs first appeared on Yanko Design.

SwitchBot K10+ Mini Robot Vacuum Review: Small Wonder, Big Benefits

Posted on by

PROS:


  • Compact size makes cleaning tight spaces a breeze

  • Replaceable mop wipes are convenient and hygienic

  • Packs plenty of smart features despite the size

CONS:


  • Light and limited mopping function

  • Can't vacuum and mop at the same time

  • Disposable wet wipes can be wasteful and expensive over time

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

The SwitchBot K10+ mini robot vacuum cleaner challenges the status quo to deliver the same smarts and power in a compact and agile package.

They predated the craze that is now known as smart homes, but robot vacuums have only really caught on in the past few years as people started to appreciate the time and effort these intelligent machines save them. As time goes on, the humble giant pucks that were robot vacuums have evolved into more advanced species with more features and more intelligence to make life more convenient for humans and sometimes even pets. That said, all these smart robot vacuums have embraced the motto of “bigger is better,” which is definitely not the case when these rolling circles start bumping into corners or get stuck in between furniture. The SwitchBot K10+ tries to attack that problem from a different angle by offering a robot vacuum that’s smaller yet still just as smart, so we take it for a roll to see if size does matter or not.

Designer: SwitchBot

Aesthetics

When seen in isolation, it’s hard to point out what makes the SwitchBot K10+ robot vacuum cleaner special. Yes, it has a clean and minimalist design, but so do most machines in this market. Available only in white, the K10+ makes no effort to hide the sensors in front and on top, though it does give the otherwise plain appearance some visual flair.

When you put it in the context of other things in your house, however, that’s when you really appreciate the design of the SwitchBot K10+. It’s significantly smaller than other robot vacuum cleaners in all aspects, from the robot itself to its auto-emptying base station. The size difference is even more apparent when you compare it with a regular robot vac and see how much smaller it is. With small black markings on its face and on the top of its head, it almost looks like a cute toy.

That diminutive size isn’t just for show, of course. We’ll get to the performance aspects later, but even just in terms of appearance, the K10+ has an edge over the competition. Its compact size makes it easier to place the vacuum and its base station almost anywhere, whether it’s in plain sight, hidden in corners, or in between shelves. Whether you want to show it off or have it disappear in the background, the SwitchBot K10+ gives you the choice and doesn’t force you like some behemoth robot vacuum cleaners and their overgrown stations.

Ergonomics

Some say big is better, but being small has plenty of benefits as well. It’s a size that’s often associated with agility and manageability, and the SwitchBot K10+ definitely checks those boxes off. At only 2.3kg, you can easily pick up the robot, and you’ll actually do that a lot if you want to mop the floor with it. That’s because the K10+ doesn’t have an independent mopping component and you’ll have to turn it over every time to put on or remove the mop wet wipes we’ll get to in a bit.

You might also want to bring it up or down stairs, in case you want to vacuum other floors. While the SwitchBot app can indeed store maps, the robot can’t climb stairs on its own. Because of its small size and lightweight design, you won’t break a sweat carrying the machine where it can do its job. Of course, you won’t be carrying the charging station with it, so you’ll have to be more attentive to the robot’s battery levels.

Operating and managing the robot vacuum is also easy as pie. Of course, most of the action happens on the SwitchBot mobile app, but there are still some things you have to do manually. The dustbin is automatically emptied, but you should clean it after a few months at least. You’ll have to also maintain the brushes, which is where the vacuum’s lightweight body comes in again. Most importantly, there’s a manual on/off switch under the top lid that you do have to flip to get the ball rolling. Fortunately, getting to all these parts is a walk in the park thanks to the K10+’s simple and smart design.

Performance

It’s easy to dismiss the SwitchBot K10+’s power after hearing that it’s the world’s smallest robot vacuum cleaner, but that would definitely be playing into the size trap. There is a saying that also goes “small is terrible,” but in this case small is a lot better in things that the big guys can’t even handle. This is especially true for the many areas you take for granted in your house, like between the legs of chairs, underneath low furniture, or that narrow space between the wall and the couch.

The SwitchBot K10+ possesses excellent LIDAR vision and silicon smarts to make short work of these cramped spaces. After the initial navigation of the floor’s layout, you are given a visual map where you can merge or separate areas, in the rare cases that the robot got it wrong. That same vision and intelligence is also what allows the K10+ to easily navigate the “in-betweens” with agility and precision, correcting itself if it does bump into a leg or corner wall. In other words, the small robot has plenty of brains to get around without a hitch and insert itself in places that regular vacuum cleaners wouldn’t even dream of fitting.

When it comes to the actual act of vacuuming, the SwitchBot K10+ is a bit of a mixed bag that’s leaning more toward the positive. Despite its size, its 2,500Pa suction power is plenty strong, able to handle most tasks on hardwood floors. Yes, it will fail on very thick and tall carpets, but short ones are no problem at all. It even has automatic carpet detection so that it knows to apply stronger suction when rolling over a mop. It’s not a complete clean on the first pass, but you can program it to do two passes every time. Interestingly, when it is programmed that way, it will alternate between horizontal and vertical routes to make sure that every inch of the floor is covered.

All of the robot’s functions can be reached from the SwitchBot smartphone app, which you need to set up before you can even use it. It has everything you need to control the K10+, from mapping to setting no-go zones to switching between four levels of suction strength. You can also schedule when and where the robot will do the cleaning as well as how many passes it makes in each area. The app, however, has also a few features you rarely find in other robot vacuums. For example, you can download a voice package to change how the robot sounds when it reports to you, personalizing the experience to some degree. There’s also an “accessory usage life” that uses a time-based counter to remind the owner to clean or change out certain parts to keep the robot performing at its best.

With a size this small, there are bound to be some limitations, and, objectively speaking, there are quite a few. As mentioned, 2,500Pa is not enough to handle tough dirt and thick carpets, but the SwitchBot K10+’s biggest weakness is its mopping function. There is no separate water tank or roller for mopping, and you have to use disposable wipes (included in the package) every time you want to wipe the floor. The upside is that you don’t have to deal with washing mop heads and the risk of gathering germs along the way. You simply remove the wet wipe and throw it away. The downside is that the cost of these wipes will accumulate over time, making it a rather expensive function.

The mopping function isn’t that great either, since there are no rollers or mop heads to really do a proper moping. It’s basically doing the equivalent of simply wiping off the floor with a damp cloth and nothing more, so tougher stains won’t go away using this method. Given the way it works, you can’t even vacuum and mop at the same time and have to switch between modes. It’s a very basic feature that you probably wouldn’t miss if it weren’t there in the first place, but SwitchBot seems to have decided to put it there just for the sake of having it on marketing material.

Sustainability

Although it’s quite unique in its size, the SwitchBot K10+ is very typical in its design, including its abundant use of plastic. That makes the product less eco-friendly, but there is another aspect that further pushes its sustainability grade down. The wet wipes for mopping, while convenient and hygienic, are pretty wasteful and environment-unfriendly. More advanced robot vacuum cleaners have automated washing and drying to solve the problem of cleaning mops, but there just isn’t enough room for the small K10+ for this feature. For some households, it’s not going to be a deal-breaker, just something they have to take into account when computing the total cost of ownership.

Value

The SwitchBot K10+ is a rather unique product that is full of surprises but also leaves potential buyers even more undecided about its value. With a standard $499.99 price tag, it’s not exactly the most affordable robot vacuum cleaner, despite its smaller size. It almost sounds like a niche product, but you might be surprised at how common that niche turns out to be.

The world’s smallest robot vacuum really shines in small places like apartments, one to two-bedroom suites, and similar residential spaces. Individuals and small families have long felt left out by the mainstream market because of large robot vacuums that couldn’t properly navigate their cramped floors. The K10+ surprisingly offers pretty much the standard set of features for robot vacuums, including decent suction power for most kinds of dirt and particles, so it gets the job done even when it involves squeezing into tight spaces. Yes, it might have been better off not offering any mopping functionality at all, but it’s at least there if and when you need it.

Verdict

Robot vacuum cleaners are becoming as common as smart home speakers and security cameras, providing the convenience of technology in a very palpable and almost mundane way. There’s a great deal of uniformity in the design of these smart machines, which means there’s very little variety in terms of style and form. The SwitchBot K10+ breaks free from those conventions by offering a smaller robot, but its small size isn’t just for show nor is it a disadvantage.

Thanks to its smaller radius, the K10+ can squeeze into tight spaces and reach floors that its larger rivals couldn’t. Despite its size, it has enough power to really suck the dirt off even from some short and light carpets. Sure, the mopping function is disappointing and wasteful, but you don’t always have to use it if all you need is a dirt-less floor. Even with just the basics, which it delivers with skill and proficiency, the SwitchBot K10+ can shave off hours from your busy day, freeing you to do the more important things in life like spending time with others or even with yourself.

The post SwitchBot K10+ Mini Robot Vacuum Review: Small Wonder, Big Benefits first appeared on Yanko Design.

SwitchBot’s ‘Mini’ K10+ Robot Vacuum Navigates Tight Spaces Your Roomba Can’t Reach

Posted on by

It’s expected that with time, all technology gets more powerful, but also gets more compact. If you compare the phone we have today to the clunky Nokia mobiles of the 1990s, there’s a massive difference in their size and capabilities. Laptops, cameras, televisions have all become slimmer/sleeker with time… and now so has the robot vacuum. Compared to the average vacuum still available today, SwitchBot’s K10+ is palpably smaller in size. However, while most technology grows slim purely for visual aesthetics, the K10+’s miniature size is actually a design feature. Measuring merely 9.7 inches in diameter (24.8 centimeters), the K10+ easily fits into tight spaces where most conventional robot vacuums struggle. It weaves through the legs of stools and side tables, gets into tight gaps between the sofa and the wall, and even weaves through your dining table, cleaning between the table legs, chairs, etc. Touted as the smallest robot vacuum cleaner with an external dustbin, the K10+ is 50% smaller than a conventional vacuum, and 90% more efficient too, because of its ability to clean more parts of your home.

Designer: SwitchBot

Click Here to Buy Now: $399.99 $499.99 (20% off). Hurry, deal ends in 48 hours!

With it’s compact design K10+ can reach smaller spaces to clean better.

Feature for feature, the K10+ matches up to every flagship robot vacuum, with high suction, wet and dry cleaning, smart features, auto navigation, no-go zones, quiet motor, and a 4L dustbin that also doubles as the K10+ charging station. However, its less-than-10-inch diameter and 3.6-inch vertical make it perfect for navigating every nook and cranny in your home. The robot comes equipped with a vacuum capable of 2500Pa, but is practically inaudible thanks to SwitchBot’s SilenTech technology that cuts noise by 50% to a manageable 48 decibels, making the K10+’s operating noise much lower than conventional vacuums. That means more cleaning, less disturbance, and a lower chance of the vacuum driving your pet dog crazy.

K10+ features a design that can blend in with any home, making it even less intrusive.

LiDAR Navigation.
K10+ allows you to achieve AI level precise mapping and quickly plan cleaning range at a speed of 2080 pts/sec.

K10+ returns to its base station for charging when battery is low, and returns to the last place it cleaned to finish up.

Deploy your K10+ and it effectively maps out and navigates your house, cleaning parts that would often get neglected by other robot vacuums. The rotating brushes push dirt, dust, and food particles towards the suction head, which promptly vacuums it right into the K10+’s built-in dust tank. The K10+ wet-mops too, thanks to a disposable ‘Cleaning Pad’ that plugs to the base of the vacuum, and can be removed and discarded after use like a wet-wipe for your floor. The dust within the K10+, however, gets automatically disposed in its dedicated garbage collection base. The base, which also charges your K10+, collects all the dust and dirt vacuumed by the robot in its large receptacle. With an overall 4-liter capacity, you have to clean out the base less often, freeing up your time so that the robot does the chores… not you.

Use the app to control the K10+

Setting a cleanup routine on the K10 is as easy as either using SwitchBot’s app or giving a voice command to your smart home AI. The K10+ is compatible with Alexa, Google Home, Siri Shortcuts, Samsung SmartThings, and IFTTT, while the smartphone app gives you access to even more features like being able to set specific cleaning areas, program no-go zones, etc.

The ‘world’s smallest vacuum’ comes with a petite price tag to match, starting at $499 (with a special coupon that brings the price down to $399.99 on Amazon). Its small design might fool you, but it’s equally powerful as your current robot vacuum while being more nimble and efficient, allowing it to reach those inaccessible parts of your home too. Moreover, it weighs 5 lbs (2.3 kilograms), allowing you to carry it up and down the stairs too, for multi-level cleanliness!

Click Here to Buy Now: $399.99 $499.99 (20% off). Hurry, deal ends in 48 hours!

The post SwitchBot’s ‘Mini’ K10+ Robot Vacuum Navigates Tight Spaces Your Roomba Can’t Reach first appeared on Yanko Design.

SwitchBot’s ‘Mini’ K10+ Robot Vacuum Navigates Tight Spaces Your Roomba Can’t Reach

Posted on by

It’s expected that with time, all technology gets more powerful, but also gets more compact. If you compare the phone we have today to the clunky Nokia mobiles of the 1990s, there’s a massive difference in their size and capabilities. Laptops, cameras, televisions have all become slimmer/sleeker with time… and now so has the robot vacuum. Compared to the average vacuum still available today, SwitchBot’s K10+ is palpably smaller in size. However, while most technology grows slim purely for visual aesthetics, the K10+’s miniature size is actually a design feature. Measuring merely 9.7 inches in diameter (24.8 centimeters), the K10+ easily fits into tight spaces where most conventional robot vacuums struggle. It weaves through the legs of stools and side tables, gets into tight gaps between the sofa and the wall, and even weaves through your dining table, cleaning between the table legs, chairs, etc. Touted as the smallest robot vacuum cleaner with an external dustbin, the K10+ is 50% smaller than a conventional vacuum, and 90% more efficient too, because of its ability to clean more parts of your home.

Designer: SwitchBot

Click Here to Buy Now: $399.99 $499.99 (20% off). Hurry, deal ends in 48 hours!

With it’s compact design K10+ can reach smaller spaces to clean better.

Feature for feature, the K10+ matches up to every flagship robot vacuum, with high suction, wet and dry cleaning, smart features, auto navigation, no-go zones, quiet motor, and a 4L dustbin that also doubles as the K10+ charging station. However, its less-than-10-inch diameter and 3.6-inch vertical make it perfect for navigating every nook and cranny in your home. The robot comes equipped with a vacuum capable of 2500Pa, but is practically inaudible thanks to SwitchBot’s SilenTech technology that cuts noise by 50% to a manageable 48 decibels, making the K10+’s operating noise much lower than conventional vacuums. That means more cleaning, less disturbance, and a lower chance of the vacuum driving your pet dog crazy.

K10+ features a design that can blend in with any home, making it even less intrusive.

LiDAR Navigation.
K10+ allows you to achieve AI level precise mapping and quickly plan cleaning range at a speed of 2080 pts/sec.

K10+ returns to its base station for charging when battery is low, and returns to the last place it cleaned to finish up.

Deploy your K10+ and it effectively maps out and navigates your house, cleaning parts that would often get neglected by other robot vacuums. The rotating brushes push dirt, dust, and food particles towards the suction head, which promptly vacuums it right into the K10+’s built-in dust tank. The K10+ wet-mops too, thanks to a disposable ‘Cleaning Pad’ that plugs to the base of the vacuum, and can be removed and discarded after use like a wet-wipe for your floor. The dust within the K10+, however, gets automatically disposed in its dedicated garbage collection base. The base, which also charges your K10+, collects all the dust and dirt vacuumed by the robot in its large receptacle. With an overall 4-liter capacity, you have to clean out the base less often, freeing up your time so that the robot does the chores… not you.

Use the app to control the K10+

Setting a cleanup routine on the K10 is as easy as either using SwitchBot’s app or giving a voice command to your smart home AI. The K10+ is compatible with Alexa, Google Home, Siri Shortcuts, Samsung SmartThings, and IFTTT, while the smartphone app gives you access to even more features like being able to set specific cleaning areas, program no-go zones, etc.

The ‘world’s smallest vacuum’ comes with a petite price tag to match, starting at $499 (with a special coupon that brings the price down to $399.99 on Amazon). Its small design might fool you, but it’s equally powerful as your current robot vacuum while being more nimble and efficient, allowing it to reach those inaccessible parts of your home too. Moreover, it weighs 5 lbs (2.3 kilograms), allowing you to carry it up and down the stairs too, for multi-level cleanliness!

Click Here to Buy Now: $399.99 $499.99 (20% off). Hurry, deal ends in 48 hours!

The post SwitchBot’s ‘Mini’ K10+ Robot Vacuum Navigates Tight Spaces Your Roomba Can’t Reach first appeared on Yanko Design.

SwitchBot’s ‘Mini’ K10+ Robot Vacuum Navigates Tight Spaces Your Roomba Can’t Reach

Posted on by

It’s expected that with time, all technology gets more powerful, but also gets more compact. If you compare the phone we have today to the clunky Nokia mobiles of the 1990s, there’s a massive difference in their size and capabilities. Laptops, cameras, televisions have all become slimmer/sleeker with time… and now so has the robot vacuum. Compared to the average vacuum still available today, SwitchBot’s K10+ is palpably smaller in size. However, while most technology grows slim purely for visual aesthetics, the K10+’s miniature size is actually a design feature. Measuring merely 9.7 inches in diameter (24.8 centimeters), the K10+ easily fits into tight spaces where most conventional robot vacuums struggle. It weaves through the legs of stools and side tables, gets into tight gaps between the sofa and the wall, and even weaves through your dining table, cleaning between the table legs, chairs, etc. Touted as the smallest robot vacuum cleaner with an external dustbin, the K10+ is 50% smaller than a conventional vacuum, and 90% more efficient too, because of its ability to clean more parts of your home.

Designer: SwitchBot

Click Here to Buy Now: $399.99 $499.99 (20% off). Hurry, deal ends in 48 hours!

With it’s compact design K10+ can reach smaller spaces to clean better.

Feature for feature, the K10+ matches up to every flagship robot vacuum, with high suction, wet and dry cleaning, smart features, auto navigation, no-go zones, quiet motor, and a 4L dustbin that also doubles as the K10+ charging station. However, its less-than-10-inch diameter and 3.6-inch vertical make it perfect for navigating every nook and cranny in your home. The robot comes equipped with a vacuum capable of 2500Pa, but is practically inaudible thanks to SwitchBot’s SilenTech technology that cuts noise by 50% to a manageable 48 decibels, making the K10+’s operating noise much lower than conventional vacuums. That means more cleaning, less disturbance, and a lower chance of the vacuum driving your pet dog crazy.

K10+ features a design that can blend in with any home, making it even less intrusive.

LiDAR Navigation.
K10+ allows you to achieve AI level precise mapping and quickly plan cleaning range at a speed of 2080 pts/sec.

K10+ returns to its base station for charging when battery is low, and returns to the last place it cleaned to finish up.

Deploy your K10+ and it effectively maps out and navigates your house, cleaning parts that would often get neglected by other robot vacuums. The rotating brushes push dirt, dust, and food particles towards the suction head, which promptly vacuums it right into the K10+’s built-in dust tank. The K10+ wet-mops too, thanks to a disposable ‘Cleaning Pad’ that plugs to the base of the vacuum, and can be removed and discarded after use like a wet-wipe for your floor. The dust within the K10+, however, gets automatically disposed in its dedicated garbage collection base. The base, which also charges your K10+, collects all the dust and dirt vacuumed by the robot in its large receptacle. With an overall 4-liter capacity, you have to clean out the base less often, freeing up your time so that the robot does the chores… not you.

Use the app to control the K10+

Setting a cleanup routine on the K10 is as easy as either using SwitchBot’s app or giving a voice command to your smart home AI. The K10+ is compatible with Alexa, Google Home, Siri Shortcuts, Samsung SmartThings, and IFTTT, while the smartphone app gives you access to even more features like being able to set specific cleaning areas, program no-go zones, etc.

The ‘world’s smallest vacuum’ comes with a petite price tag to match, starting at $499 (with a special coupon that brings the price down to $399.99 on Amazon). Its small design might fool you, but it’s equally powerful as your current robot vacuum while being more nimble and efficient, allowing it to reach those inaccessible parts of your home too. Moreover, it weighs 5 lbs (2.3 kilograms), allowing you to carry it up and down the stairs too, for multi-level cleanliness!

Click Here to Buy Now: $399.99 $499.99 (20% off). Hurry, deal ends in 48 hours!

The post SwitchBot’s ‘Mini’ K10+ Robot Vacuum Navigates Tight Spaces Your Roomba Can’t Reach first appeared on Yanko Design.

SwitchBot’s ‘Mini’ K10+ Robot Vacuum Navigates Tight Spaces Your Roomba Can’t Reach

Posted on by

It’s expected that with time, all technology gets more powerful, but also gets more compact. If you compare the phone we have today to the clunky Nokia mobiles of the 1990s, there’s a massive difference in their size and capabilities. Laptops, cameras, televisions have all become slimmer/sleeker with time… and now so has the robot vacuum. Compared to the average vacuum still available today, SwitchBot’s K10+ is palpably smaller in size. However, while most technology grows slim purely for visual aesthetics, the K10+’s miniature size is actually a design feature. Measuring merely 9.7 inches in diameter (24.8 centimeters), the K10+ easily fits into tight spaces where most conventional robot vacuums struggle. It weaves through the legs of stools and side tables, gets into tight gaps between the sofa and the wall, and even weaves through your dining table, cleaning between the table legs, chairs, etc. Touted as the smallest robot vacuum cleaner with an external dustbin, the K10+ is 50% smaller than a conventional vacuum, and 90% more efficient too, because of its ability to clean more parts of your home.

Designer: SwitchBot

Click Here to Buy Now: $399.99 $499.99 (20% off). Hurry, deal ends in 48 hours!

With it’s compact design K10+ can reach smaller spaces to clean better.

Feature for feature, the K10+ matches up to every flagship robot vacuum, with high suction, wet and dry cleaning, smart features, auto navigation, no-go zones, quiet motor, and a 4L dustbin that also doubles as the K10+ charging station. However, its less-than-10-inch diameter and 3.6-inch vertical make it perfect for navigating every nook and cranny in your home. The robot comes equipped with a vacuum capable of 2500Pa, but is practically inaudible thanks to SwitchBot’s SilenTech technology that cuts noise by 50% to a manageable 48 decibels, making the K10+’s operating noise much lower than conventional vacuums. That means more cleaning, less disturbance, and a lower chance of the vacuum driving your pet dog crazy.

K10+ features a design that can blend in with any home, making it even less intrusive.

LiDAR Navigation.
K10+ allows you to achieve AI level precise mapping and quickly plan cleaning range at a speed of 2080 pts/sec.

K10+ returns to its base station for charging when battery is low, and returns to the last place it cleaned to finish up.

Deploy your K10+ and it effectively maps out and navigates your house, cleaning parts that would often get neglected by other robot vacuums. The rotating brushes push dirt, dust, and food particles towards the suction head, which promptly vacuums it right into the K10+’s built-in dust tank. The K10+ wet-mops too, thanks to a disposable ‘Cleaning Pad’ that plugs to the base of the vacuum, and can be removed and discarded after use like a wet-wipe for your floor. The dust within the K10+, however, gets automatically disposed in its dedicated garbage collection base. The base, which also charges your K10+, collects all the dust and dirt vacuumed by the robot in its large receptacle. With an overall 4-liter capacity, you have to clean out the base less often, freeing up your time so that the robot does the chores… not you.

Use the app to control the K10+

Setting a cleanup routine on the K10 is as easy as either using SwitchBot’s app or giving a voice command to your smart home AI. The K10+ is compatible with Alexa, Google Home, Siri Shortcuts, Samsung SmartThings, and IFTTT, while the smartphone app gives you access to even more features like being able to set specific cleaning areas, program no-go zones, etc.

The ‘world’s smallest vacuum’ comes with a petite price tag to match, starting at $499 (with a special coupon that brings the price down to $399.99 on Amazon). Its small design might fool you, but it’s equally powerful as your current robot vacuum while being more nimble and efficient, allowing it to reach those inaccessible parts of your home too. Moreover, it weighs 5 lbs (2.3 kilograms), allowing you to carry it up and down the stairs too, for multi-level cleanliness!

Click Here to Buy Now: $399.99 $499.99 (20% off). Hurry, deal ends in 48 hours!

The post SwitchBot’s ‘Mini’ K10+ Robot Vacuum Navigates Tight Spaces Your Roomba Can’t Reach first appeared on Yanko Design.

SwitchBot’s ‘Mini’ K10+ Robot Vacuum Navigates Tight Spaces Your Roomba Can’t Reach

Posted on by

It’s expected that with time, all technology gets more powerful, but also gets more compact. If you compare the phone we have today to the clunky Nokia mobiles of the 1990s, there’s a massive difference in their size and capabilities. Laptops, cameras, televisions have all become slimmer/sleeker with time… and now so has the robot vacuum. Compared to the average vacuum still available today, SwitchBot’s K10+ is palpably smaller in size. However, while most technology grows slim purely for visual aesthetics, the K10+’s miniature size is actually a design feature. Measuring merely 9.7 inches in diameter (24.8 centimeters), the K10+ easily fits into tight spaces where most conventional robot vacuums struggle. It weaves through the legs of stools and side tables, gets into tight gaps between the sofa and the wall, and even weaves through your dining table, cleaning between the table legs, chairs, etc. Touted as the smallest robot vacuum cleaner with an external dustbin, the K10+ is 50% smaller than a conventional vacuum, and 90% more efficient too, because of its ability to clean more parts of your home.

Designer: SwitchBot

Click Here to Buy Now: $399.99 $499.99 (20% off). Hurry, deal ends in 48 hours!

With it’s compact design K10+ can reach smaller spaces to clean better.

Feature for feature, the K10+ matches up to every flagship robot vacuum, with high suction, wet and dry cleaning, smart features, auto navigation, no-go zones, quiet motor, and a 4L dustbin that also doubles as the K10+ charging station. However, its less-than-10-inch diameter and 3.6-inch vertical make it perfect for navigating every nook and cranny in your home. The robot comes equipped with a vacuum capable of 2500Pa, but is practically inaudible thanks to SwitchBot’s SilenTech technology that cuts noise by 50% to a manageable 48 decibels, making the K10+’s operating noise much lower than conventional vacuums. That means more cleaning, less disturbance, and a lower chance of the vacuum driving your pet dog crazy.

K10+ features a design that can blend in with any home, making it even less intrusive.

LiDAR Navigation.
K10+ allows you to achieve AI level precise mapping and quickly plan cleaning range at a speed of 2080 pts/sec.

K10+ returns to its base station for charging when battery is low, and returns to the last place it cleaned to finish up.

Deploy your K10+ and it effectively maps out and navigates your house, cleaning parts that would often get neglected by other robot vacuums. The rotating brushes push dirt, dust, and food particles towards the suction head, which promptly vacuums it right into the K10+’s built-in dust tank. The K10+ wet-mops too, thanks to a disposable ‘Cleaning Pad’ that plugs to the base of the vacuum, and can be removed and discarded after use like a wet-wipe for your floor. The dust within the K10+, however, gets automatically disposed in its dedicated garbage collection base. The base, which also charges your K10+, collects all the dust and dirt vacuumed by the robot in its large receptacle. With an overall 4-liter capacity, you have to clean out the base less often, freeing up your time so that the robot does the chores… not you.

Use the app to control the K10+

Setting a cleanup routine on the K10 is as easy as either using SwitchBot’s app or giving a voice command to your smart home AI. The K10+ is compatible with Alexa, Google Home, Siri Shortcuts, Samsung SmartThings, and IFTTT, while the smartphone app gives you access to even more features like being able to set specific cleaning areas, program no-go zones, etc.

The ‘world’s smallest vacuum’ comes with a petite price tag to match, starting at $499 (with a special coupon that brings the price down to $399.99 on Amazon). Its small design might fool you, but it’s equally powerful as your current robot vacuum while being more nimble and efficient, allowing it to reach those inaccessible parts of your home too. Moreover, it weighs 5 lbs (2.3 kilograms), allowing you to carry it up and down the stairs too, for multi-level cleanliness!

Click Here to Buy Now: $399.99 $499.99 (20% off). Hurry, deal ends in 48 hours!

The post SwitchBot’s ‘Mini’ K10+ Robot Vacuum Navigates Tight Spaces Your Roomba Can’t Reach first appeared on Yanko Design.