SwitchBot S10 assessment – The Ambient

SwitchBot S10: Introduction

• Sort: Robotic vacuum cleaner with mopping
• Docking: Dock possibility that plumbs in to water and wastage
• Navigation system: LiDAR

SwitchBot is an organization that I’ve a variety of time for, creating merchandise which are completely different from anybody else’s and genuinely doing issues in another way.

That method actually applies to the SwitchBot S10 robotic vacuum cleaner, which has a plumbed-in docking station so it will possibly fill and empty itself routinely.

In contrast to the likes of the Roborock S8 Professional Extremely and the Yeedi Mop Station Professional, which do a number of the soiled be just right for you by draining soiled water from the cleaner and changing it with clear water from a tank, however nonetheless require you to empty and fill the tanks periodically, the SwitchBot S10 takes care of all of your water wants.

That’s as a result of it comes with a Water Station that, simply as a dishwasher or washer already does in your home, hooks immediately as much as your chilly water feed and your drains.

When it was first introduced again in September final yr at IFA, there was nothing fairly prefer it available on the market however Roborock now provides plumbed-in dock choices with the likes of the S8 MaxV Extremely and Qrevo Slim, and different manufacturers have additionally launched it to their line-ups.

Mixed with the common self-empty station, SwitchBot says the S10 can go for 2 months with none handbook intervention.

With add-on units, together with a humidifier and dehumidifier, this S10 is greater than only a robotic vacuum cleaner; it’s a helper that helps keep indoor air high quality.

At its greatest it’s excellent, however a barely sophisticated setup routine and a few fiddly configuration choices do maintain it again barely.

Learn our full SwitchBot S10 assessment to seek out out extra.

Design and elements

It’s common to see a robotic vacuum cleaner with a self-empty and self-clean docking station, such because the Dreame L40 Extremely or Roborock Qrevo Slim. The SwitchBot S10 mixes issues up by having two separate docking stations.

The primary one is the self-empty station, which appears to be like very like these from some other producer.

This takes huge 4-litre luggage, that are simply sufficient for 2 months’ price of grime, if no more. Replacements are $15 / £15 for pack of 4, which works out as fairly good worth.

There’s then the separate mopping station, which is designed to sit down beneath a kitchen cabinet door in entrance of the plinth.

This docking station is plumbed in to your water provide, for recent water and drainage, and it may be full of detergent to spice up cleansing energy. There’s no want for energy, because the SwitchBot S10 gives this when it docks, topping up the docking station’s battery.

Simply bear in mind that the docking station might include a flat battery, which prevents the robotic from discovering it after preliminary setup. I needed to manually cost my mopping station through its USB-C port to get it working, which the handbook doesn’t point out.

In case you don’t have an simply accessible drain and water outlet, SwitchBot sells an non-compulsory add-on package for the mopping station that provides water tanks.

At $80 / £80 this add-on is kind of costly, and it implies that you find yourself with two cumbersome docks to put quite than one. In case you’re not going to make use of the plumbed-in possibility, a robotic that has an all-in-one dock makes much more sense.

Because the SwitchBot S10 makes use of the mopping station to fill with recent and empty soiled water, the robotic can do some intelligent issues with the non-compulsory add-ons: the humidifier and dehumidifier.

With the humidifier, the SwitchBot S10 can fill its tank up with recent water after which routinely high up the humidifier’s tank; with the dehumidifier, the robotic can empty the tank and pump the water out into through your drainage pipes.

That’s a really intelligent concept if you happen to fancy both gadget and don’t wish to must do any handbook upkeep. 

The primary robotic vacuum cleaner is much like many others, with a LiDAR dome on high and buttons to start out a clear and return to the dock.

There’s additionally a digital camera on the entrance, which is used with AI to keep away from frequent obstacles, with various levels of success.

Inside there’s a small bin, which might be eliminated in an effort to clear it out and in addition wash the filter.

Beneath, there’s the acquainted sight of a facet brush and a major brush bar for agitating and eradicating grime from laborious flooring and carpets.

Slightly than microfibre mopping pads, the SwitchBot S10 has a curler. Recent water is put onto the curler, after which a squeegee removes grime and water and shops them in a separate tank. It’s an analogous system to these utilized by laborious ground cleaners and the Eufy Omni S1 Professional.

Right here, the SwitchBot S10’s curler isn’t as huge because the S1 Professional’s, and there’s fairly a spot between the curler and the sting of the robotic.

When a carpet is detected, the curler might be lifted 7mm off the bottom, permitting the SwitchBot S10 to go over a brief pile carpet with the hazard of getting it moist.

The app

• Plenty of cleansing possibility
• Wants cautious adjustment to get one of the best clear

Management of the SwitchBot S10 is through the SwitchBot app, which is house to the entire firm’s merchandise, such because the SwitchBot Lock Professional.

As soon as detected, the robotic must go on a mapping run to find its environment, routinely placing in rooms primarily based on the place it thinks they need to go.

If the robotic will get issues unsuitable, rooms can simply be cut up and merged, and there’s the choice to set no-go zones if there are locations you don’t need the SwitchBot S10 to go, and no-mop zones if in case you have delicate flooring you don’t wish to get moist.

After the mapping run, I had to attract a field across the tough location the place the mopping station was, after which the SwitchBot S10 goes out to seek out it.

As talked about earlier than, ensure that the mopping station has sufficient energy, or the S10 will fail to seek out it and can throw up an error.

A number of maps are supported, however if you need the SwitchBot S10 to mop on a number of flooring, you’ll want a number of mopping stations.

Earlier than stepping into cleansing, it’s price going into the superior settings. I came upon that Cut back Collision Mode was turned on, which has the reason: “As soon as turned on, your robotic will keep away from cleansing corners and edges within the map.” 

It’s laborious to assume why such a mode could be helpful. When I’ve a robotic vacuum cleaner, I would like it to wash all over the place. 

Cleansing choices embody choosing one or two passes, a selection of 4 suction settings and two water mopping ranges, and these might be set for all rooms or you’ll be able to fluctuate the settings on a room-by-room foundation.

There are additionally choices to hoover solely or vacuum and mop on the similar time.

For cleansing, I might choose the SwitchBot S10 to pick your complete map, rooms of my selection or a zone that I drew on the map.

Efficiency

• Highly effective vacuuming
• Deep mopping
• Edge cleansing isn’t excellent

There’s 6500Pa suction energy on faucet, which locations the SwitchBot S10 as a strong mid-range vacuum cleaner.

That exhibits in on a regular basis cleansing, significantly on carpet: lighter spills and basic mess are collected simply, however the robotic can’t suck grime deep out of carpet fibres.

I discovered mopping to be excellent out within the open. The curler does a superb job of selecting up grime and bodily eradicating the mess. Even the very hardest of stains, equivalent to dried-on ketchup, had been eliminated inside 4 passes.

It’s edge efficiency that lets the facet down. I discovered that even with the Diminished Collision Mode turned off, the SwitchBot S10 struggled to get near skirting boards and kitchen plinths, leaving a variety of mess behind. That’s each with vacuuming and mopping, the place the small curler leaves fairly an enormous cleansing hole.

Navigation is mostly excellent, though I discovered the AI impediment avoidance to be a bit hit or miss: the SwitchBot S10 managed to keep away from my pretend pet mess, however ran right into a cable and bought tangled.

Battery life is rated at 140-minutes on the bottom energy setting, however even on increased energy settings there’s sufficient energy to protection an average-sized ground with two passes.

I measured the SwitchBot S10 at 65.8dB, which makes it comparatively quiet for a robotic. That’s you’ll be able to clearly hear it, however the S10’s not too distracting to have working when you’re in the identical room.

Ultimate ideas

The SwitchBot S10 is actually completely different to the competitors and it guarantees a wider hands-free future with the dehumidifier and humidifier.

It’s an honest vacuum cleaner and nice mop on the open ground, however it’s not one of the best at edge cleansing, and having two docks quite than one isn’t essentially that handy. At this value, the marginally cheaper Dreame L40 Extremely is a greater general robotic vacuum cleaner.

How we check

Once we publish our opinions, you’ll be able to relaxation assured that they’re the results of “dwelling with” long run checks.

Robotic cleaners often stay inside an ecosystem, or a spread of merchandise that – supposedly – all work in concord. And they’re designed to supply a spread of various cleansing choices. Subsequently, it’s unattainable to make use of a robo cleaner for every week and ship a verdict.

As a result of we’re testing sensible house package all day, on a regular basis, we all know what issues and the way a specific sensible cleansing machine compares to options that you may additionally be contemplating.

Our opinions are complete, goal and honest and, in fact, we’re by no means paid on to assessment a tool.

Learn our information on how we check robotic vacuum cleaners to study extra.