GadgetsLab: MIDEA ROBOT VACUUM CLEANER

REVIEWED BY MARIBELLE ALBA

Home is where all the action is these days, and with the whole family cooped up inside, each doing his own thing, it’s much more difficult to keep everything spick and span. How long has it been since you actually swept the floor under your bed? Or moved the couch so you could vacuum under? These are just a couple of reasons why you need the Midea Robot Vacuum Cleaner.

DESIGN 4 / 5

The contents of the box include the main vacuum unit, the charging unit with a power adaptor, a remote control plus batteries, 4 side brushes, 1 HEPA filter, and a cleaning tool.

The Midea Robot Vacuum Cleaner itself is a disk that’s just under a foot in diameter and a bit over 3-inches off the floor, with a “bumper” on the outer perimeter of its shell. There’s a small LED-lit power button on the upper surface, and in the center is the flip cover over the dust bin. The removable dust bin has a primary filter and a HEPA filter that can be dismantled and cleaned.

The underside of the main vacuum unit reveals the various components that make it work. There’s the automatic charging pole piece and the steering wheel on one side, underneath which is the battery cover and vacuum port. On either side are the right and left rotating brushes that lift dust up for suctioning. Finally, there are the right and left wheels.

HARDWARE 4 / 5

The Midea Robot Vacuum Cleaner is able to intelligently navigate areas due to its anti-fall and anti-collision smart sensors that detect obstacles such as furniture, walls, stairs.

Powered by a 14.4V nickel-metal hydride battery, it produces 0.6kpa suction power and has a continuous running time of about an hour. Cleaning speed is about 30cm/ sec or about 1ft/min. Operating noise is at 70dB, comparable to office noise.

The charging dock comes with an adaptor so you can plug it into a power source. On the top case is an infrared transmitter with a signal indicator, below which is an IR pilot signal transmitting window. These IR transmitters allow the main unit to automatically return and attach to the forked base with charging pins when not in use.

The remote control unit has an on/off button, direction control buttons, plus three buttons — return to base, mode settings, and vacuum strength.

USER EXPERIENCE 4.5 / 5

What do I love most about the Midea Robot Vacuum Cleaner? Seeing it disappear under the bed! Barely 4-inches in height and able to navigate by itself, it is able to go into hard-to-reach areas that even a long-handled broom or mop can’t get to. It is very fulfilling to empty out a full dust bin when it reemerges because then you know that it’s sucked up all the dust and allergens that’s been building up out of sight.

To my mind, the Midea Robot Vacuum Cleaner is perfect for condo living. Reach for the remote while you’re having breakfast and watch it do its thing. In auto cleaning mode, it adjusts settings according to the environments. It can also do spot cleaning, circling around an area that needs more attention. Or you can choose edge cleaning, so it brushes corners for deeper cleaning. And for those areas that don’t have too much furniture, you can choose the quick and efficient zigzag mode.

Does it replace your regular vacuum? Definitely not! For one, the dust bin is rather small with a capacity of only 350ml, which is about a regular glass of water, so it won’t do for heavy cleaning. I have two dogs and a cat — all heavy shedders — and the Midea Robot Vacuum Cleaner can’t manage the fur.

VALUE 3 / 5

On the official Midea online shop, the suggested retail price of the Robot Vacuum Cleaner is PHP10,995, with a discounted offer of PHP7,697. A quick price comparison of the product category indicates that prices vary widely, possibly depending on features, product quality, and brand reputation. The Midea Robot Vacuum Cleaner is not the cheapest nor the most expensive, but it would still be quite a stretch for most, considering its rather limited use.

SPECIFICATIONS

Floor type: Hard floor and thin carpet

Filter: Double filtration (HEPA+primary filter)

Cleaning modes: 4 — auto, spot, edge, zigzag

Dust bin: 350ml

Vacuuming power: 0.6kpa

Rated power: 20W

Cleaning speed: 30cm/sec

Working time per charge: 60min running time + 15min duration time

Battery: NI-MH 14.4V rechargeable battery, 1500mAh capacity, 180min charging time

Other features: anti-fall, cross-over obstacle, remote control operation, auto-charging, auto-return to base, 70dB noise level

Net weight: 2.8kg

Dimensions (DxH): 295x79mm

WHAT'S HOT

• It’s smart

• Goes into hard-to-reach spots

WHAT'S NOT

• Small dust bin

• No cleaning mode indicator

BOTTOMLINE

Perfect for neatniks who want everything dust-free, even those areas they can’t see.