After reading hundreds of articles about all the existing home cleaning robots, and having spent hours understanding the various acronyms of famous manufacturers such as Roomba, in the end I chose the Xiaomi Roborock S6 (which is very similar to the S5). I chose it for these reasons:
– low cost: allows to have two functions at the cost of a single Roomba
– dual cleaning functionality: vacuum cleaner and “wet rag”
– Free app and advanced management: other brands require the purchase of additional equipment for the management of no-zones
My experience is definitely positive, a highly engineered product, completely removable and easy to clean, and spare parts are cheap and easy to find. The original packaging already includes a set of spare parts of various types: this too is a nice surprise.
The S6 model is the latest generation and compared to the previous S5 model (which now has a super advantageous cost) it has only a few improvements on the battery and the possibility of removing the wheels with the brush.
The connection between the Android phone and the robot requires a 2 Ghz wifi network (5 Ghz is not supported) and bluetooth. The procedure is automatic, very fast and completed immediately without a hitch.
The Android App is truly advanced and well-made, it allows you to see the path taken for cleaning in real time and to configure many aspects and save the house map, so that you can divide it into “rooms” and set the zones off -limit (ie where you don’t want it to go). It is possible to make him clean even just one room or even a specific point (say about a square of 1.5 meters on each side).
With great surprise it also manages to overcome small obstacles, such as the thresholds of the doors (which are made of wood and raised by 2/3 cm), even if with a little difficulty.
The washing function is enabled by inserting the tray with water only (not with detergent, otherwise it blocks the nozzles over time). The robot then first sucks and then wets, as the tray is placed on the back. The washing consists of a rag initially wet by us, which is kept wet by means of drop water from the tray, through small holes, and it is also possible to choose between two types of flow. On my parquet you get the effect of a slightly wet floor, I would say the “right” wet. The removable sponge, after washing, was gray, so cleaning was effective. It certainly does not replace manual washing with detergent and “mop”.
The cleaning times are good, in 45 minutes it cleans all the rooms, for a total of about 50 square meters of floor, using about 20% of the battery. All calculated and viewable on the App.
It does not require particular attention, even if “raising” the chairs avoids getting stuck and saves in time, not having to go around it a thousand times.
The only improvement that I hope to implement soon is the ability to save two different maps, one for the vacuum cleaner function, the second for the washing function. This is because washing cannot be done on carpets, and I have three and that it is not possible to move / lift them.
At the time of purchase you will find two models available: the S50 and the S55 (or S60 / S65). In practice, the last code (0 or 5) indicates the color (white or black) and nothing else, the models are identical in features.
The international version of the Roborock S5 model can be found on offer on amazon here: Xiaomi Roborock.
For your convenience, here are the direct links to the white S50 and black S55 models (identical in functionality), with relative spare accessories (I would say at a very fair price) when you finish those that are already supplied:
The Roborock S6 model compared to the Roborock S5 has some interesting improvements such as the battery, the simplicity of disassembling the brush underneath and the more powerful software. The battery lasts longer, but in my apartment (80sqm and with 3 carpets) for a complete cleaning it never consumes more than 20%.
If I wanted to save (rather than nothing …) I would buy the S5 model with the indication “FREE shipping from Amazon”, in order to also have their “guarantee”:
Xiaomi Roborock S5 (S50 e S55)
Also Amazon has available the Xiaomi Roborock S6 model:
If you want to save money compared to Amazon, Gearbest is one of the best options, and allows faster delivery compared to Aliexpress. Specialized in quality electronics products, among many things he has the Roborock S6:
Best price for Roborock S6
Aliexpress also has these beautiful stickers that can be applied as decoration but also for protection:
Protective and decorative stickers for Xiaomi Roborock
The reviews are excellent and you can also use your own image to have it truly personalized! But be careful to follow their directions and send a high quality photo. Otherwise the sticker will be “grainy” and you will have the “pixel” effect as we read on some reviews, in my opinion unfair being a problem of who provided the photo and not of the service offered by the seller. In fact, the “original” stickers supplied by them – as seen on the reviews with photos of those who purchased the product – in fact have an excellent quality.
I hope I have been helpful!