Tired of walking through the front door with the house looking like a bomb’s just hit? Unless you’ve got Xiaomi’s Robot Vacuums touring the halls, then you’re probably doing it wrong. All wrong. Not only do Xiaomi’s dirt-suckers take the chore out of the seemingly never-ending mess, they’ll do it all – vacuuming and mopping – without ever whining about it.
And if you’re worried about the price, don’t. Xiaomi’s got something that will interest you; whether you’re just getting by or bringing in the six-figure bacon. On the one hand, the entry-level Robot Vacuum E5 makes an excellent case for why it should be minding your flat, while the X20+ prides itself as the ideal solution for those families that never stop.
Keepin’ it tight
If it’s simplicity you desire, look no further than Xiaomi’s Robot Vacuum E5, available in both black and white. At R2,499 RRP, it presents itself as the perfect entry-level starter, best suited to roam around smaller and more affordably sized homes, thanks to the sizeable 2,600mAh battery that’s more than capable of keeping your home orderly, always.
There’s no shortage of features here. With 2,000Pa of suction power, the E5 handles everyday messes with ease – from dust and crumbs to light pet hair. It’s a reliable cleaning companion for routine upkeep, especially in hard-to-reach spots. The E5 goes a step further with intelligent navigation abilities, allowing it to smartly detect where it can and cannot go – avoiding a tumble down the stairs.
The E5 even includes a handy mopping function – a welcome bonus at this price point for light cleaning on hard floors.
Taking things up a notch comes Xiaomi’s Robot Vacuum S20, a still-budget but far more confident entry that’s aimed at those with slightly larger homes. It takes everything about the E5 and cranks it up to 11, offering improved suction, more refined navigation, and a mopping feature that’s ideal for regular upkeep on both hard floors and low-pile carpets – ensuring your mind is free of worry.
Arguably its best feature is the larger, more competent battery that’ll cover up to 120m² in a single go and like the others, when it’s done, it’ll automatically return to home base to begin charging. And with Xiaomi’s superb LDS Laser Navigation at the wheel, you can sit back, relax, and let the S20 take matters into its own hands. Coming in at R4,699 RRP, Xiaomi’s Robot Vacuum S20 remains an accessible option to all, but with an extra hint of pizazz.
Throw a Plus in there, yeah?
Worried that Xiaomi’s budget efforts aren’t quite up to the task of cleaning up a larger home with kids running about the place and your cats treating it as a hotel getaway? Fear not, for whatever you can throw at Xiaomi’s Robot Vacuum S20+, it can handle with ease, and then some, all thanks to the larger 5,200mAh battery tucked inside its slim form.
Placing itself as a direct step-up at R7,499, it also makes use of a 6,000Pa suction system that’s ideal for clearing out even the grimiest bits of dirt. As opposed to a single mopping pad reserved for Xiaomi’s budget range, the S20+ employs a dual-mop solution that’ll tackle those tiles in record time – handy for when those pesky in-laws turn up unannounced.
Anyone who takes their smart home seriously probably already has some form of Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa running the show, and it’s no different once Xiaomi’s Robot Vacuums enter your home. The S20+ excels at taking orders, whether they be voiced or given through the Xiaomi Home app (Android/iOS).
Prefer to set it and forget it? You can do that too. Armed with the Xiaomi Home app, your new and advanced robot vacuum can take charge of your home, even when you aren’t there. Just enable it from the app, or give it a voice command to start cleaning at 9AM (after you leave the house) and return home to a spotless living room.
The same goes for Xiaomi’s state-of-the-art Robot Vacuum X20+, the ultimate at-home cleaner. While the X20+ matches and often outdoes its vacuuming brethren, its best feature is arguably not even located on the vacuum itself, but is the self-emptying station instead. The X20+ can get by for months without human intervention, only requiring a proper clean every few months, allowing owners to focus on their more interesting lives.
When you aren’t cleaning up after the X20+ every couple of months – it’ll be patrolling your corridors with a massive battery that’ll hit up to 200m² of your home every charge, before returning to the self-emptying station to freshen up and recharge before heading back out to deal with the rest of the house.
The Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X20+, which is competitively priced at R11,999, uses the LDS Laser Navigation system to recreate your home in miniature but with the added benefit of AI obstacle detection that’ll keep it from repeatedly bashing its head on a particularly stubborn chair leg. It’s just as receptive to voice commands, too, and once it gets going, it’ll put that impressive 6,000Pa suction power to great use.
So, what are you still waiting for? Xiaomi proves that a clean smart home isn’t just part of some vague sci-fi future—it’s happening now. Grab yours from Takealot, Yuppiechef, Incredible, or HiFi Corp now, and put the thought of endless cleaning out of your mind entirely.
