Robot vacuums that have self-emptying base stations and navigate around using LiDAR are usually quite a lavish purchase.
The top brands will charge close to £1,000 for their top-spec devices, if not more in some instances, but there is a way to access this kind of technology for less money.
The trouble is, a lot of us turn to unbranded robot vacuums with cheap components, and then wonder why it conked out after a few months.
There is another way, though. Ultenic, a brand I’m growing increasingly fond of, is starting to make a few waves in the UK domestic appliance sector, and one of their latest launches is the Ultenic T10 Self-Empty Robot Vacuum.
As the name suggests, it has a self-emptying base station, and it has a wet-mopping system, LiDAR laser navigation and its battery can last up to a claimed 160 minutes.
So it’s got all the right gear then, but the best bit is the price. Currently you’ll find the white one on Amazon for £271.99 – discounted down from its original price of £339.99. It is, then, a robot vacuum with a suite of premium features, but without the premium price. Less than £300, in fact, for such a complete setup. I had to put it to the test.
It has a nice quality feel about it, as you pull all the bits out of the box. It connects easily to WiFi and the app is very intuitive. It doesn’t take long at all before it’s buzzing around your house, making itself a map of all your rooms and obstacles.
I will get one thing out of the way right now, though, the mop system isn’t great. The mop pads attach nicely, and it’s easy to remove and fill the small water tank, but static fabric pads will only ever do so much, so don’t expect it to perform well on large spills, for example.
It’s also annoying that there’s no warning to let you know the water is running low, and I wish it could detect and avoid carpets.
That said, it will give your floor a nice shine, it doesn’t seem to miss any nooks and crannies, and the fabric pads are machine washable. So it’s not all bad news.
The vacuum function is far more impressive. It’s not the best device I’ve used for picking up detritus, but no robot vacuum is perfect. The Ultenic T10 does a really good job of sucking up small and large items, and the laser guidance means it very rarely misses any parts of the room.
Another benefit the LiDAR brings is obstacle avoidance. Rather than finding its way around by bumping into things, the robot can pretty much “see” its environment, which makes it feel far more intelligent.
The self-emptying system works very well, I’ve not had any blockages yet, despite the fact I have a molting dog, and the bag isn’t the biggest at four litres, but it does seem to last a while.
I also like the fact the Ultenic software plays nicely with Google and Alexa, which means you can just shout and order at your smart speakers and it’ll set the robot out on its rounds.
But the app is great, and you have more control over which rooms and zones you’d like to cover or avoid, so I found I just stuck to that.
Overall then I’m impressed with the T10, it really punches above its weight. It’s great to see so many features slipping in under the £300 price point, and it makes robot vacuum ownership more accessible.
Yes, you could go even cheaper, but you really shouldn’t. The Ultenic T10 does everything you’ll need and it’s well built and reliable. Well worth a look if you’re tempted to take the plunge.