SwitchBot K10 Plus: The world's smallest robot vacuum cleaner
SwitchBot K10 Plus robot vacuum cleaner. Picture: SwitchBot.
Over the last few years, a wave of new robot vacuums has entered the market due to a massive spike in demand. We're all looking for new ways to free up time and want less time spent doing mundane chores. There's a fantastic selection of robot vacuums, with costs ranging from €120 to €2,000. With so many options, picking the best-fit robot for your budget, space, and needs can be confusing.
A new entrant to the robot vacuum market is SwitchBot, which has established itself as a leader in making ‘dumb’ devices smart. The SwitchBot K10 Plus enters the fray as a contender in the bustling market of robotic vacuum cleaners. But can its diminutive size hold its ground against larger, more established models?
The K10+ distinguishes itself in the market with its compact design, which is 50% smaller than conventional vacuum cleaners. But that's not all; this petite yet powerful vacuum offers up to 90% more cleaning coverage by accessing hard-to-reach areas. Its compact size and flexibility allow the K10 Plus to navigate effortlessly and clean corners underneath furniture such as tables, sofas, and beds, reaching areas that larger robots find challenging to access. Although the K10 Plus is small, it still stands as tall as most other vacuums and as a result, it may be too tall to get under couches and other furniture.
I love how SwitchBot ingeniously relocates accessories, such as mopping attachments and cleaning tools, to the charging station lid for safekeeping and saving space. Placing a single side brush at the front and the main brush at the rear enhances its cleaning performance, enabling seamless navigation through confined spaces.
The charging station is smaller than most but contains a large dust bin bag for self-emptying the bin in the vacuum. It features a large 4L capacity dust bag, reducing the need for frequent disposal to once every 70 days, according to SwitchBot.
It’s just as well the dust bag is large because the onboard bin is small.
The K10 Plus may appear unassuming due to its petite stature, but it has advanced functionality that rivals larger, high-end counterparts. It features a Lidar laser to scan your environment and create a virtual map. This saves time compared to cheaper bump-and-go robot vacuums that clean your floors randomly. It’s equipped with what SwitchBot calls SLAM navigation technology that meticulously maps and cleans spaces with surgical precision, delivering excellent results. The K10 Plus adeptly manoeuvres across various surfaces, effortlessly surmounting obstacles like rugs and cables. It can scale across obstacles like door saddles up to 2cm, and there are no worries about falling down the stairs thanks to cliff sensors. It has no advanced AI obstacle avoidance features but will work with Alexa and other third-party voice assistants.
Its suction power of 2,500 pascals ensures thorough cleaning while emitting minimal noise, rendering it suitable for deployment in any environment.
In terms of performance, the K10 Plus was surprising, even on my low-pile rug. It delivers robust suction and efficient cleaning even at maximum capacity. The robot is also reasonably quiet at standard power settings, and even when it's at full tilt, it sounds quieter than most of the larger robot vacuums I've tested. I have pets that love to shed hair, gathering and packing into large masses inside the bin, and yet the self-emptying suction power managed to do its job without a problem.
The SwithBot app is easy to use and has many advanced features, such as scheduling, creating virtual no-go zones, virtual walls, and cleaning plans. Alternatively, buttons are on the top of the device to make the robot clean or return to the dock.
While the K10 Plus is impressive with its compact form factor and good performance, its mopping functionality leaves much to be desired. Instead of a dedicated mopping attachment with a mop and water reservoir, you get a bag of wet wipes as mop pads. These must be attached to a plastic cover that clips over the main brush. The process is clunky and takes practice to get right. Unfortunately, you can't mop and vacuum simultaneously. I found the wipe's wetness didn't last long and was ineffective, especially on my tile floors. The manual switching between vacuuming and mopping modes is far from ideal, but the poor performance is why I would not recommend the K10 Plus to those who need a good mopping robot.
The SwitchBot K10 Plus is a compact robotic vacuum cleaner that punches above its size with impressive features and cleaning performance. The disappointing mopping feature may be a reason not to buy this vacuum for some, but it offers a compelling option for those living in a small house or apartment where space is at a premium.
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