The world’s smallest robot vacuum cleaner is updated and becomes PRO, but what are the real differences? And is it worth the upgrade for those who already have K10+?
INTRODUCTION
SwitchBot always creates unique and unconventional products that certainly stand out from the competition, the company is banking heavily on this little guy by presenting at IFA 2024 that it will also have a “combo” version with an integrated wireless vacuum cleaner that self-empties in the base. Since the two models are very similar, I invite you to read my review of the K10+ and in this review I will limit myself to a technical comparison and explain the improvements of this new model.
UNBOXING AND FIRST IMPRESSIONS
The robot has the exact same dimensions and construction quality as the previous one, equipped with the same accessories: additional bag, filter and side brush and a pack of soaked cloths for the washing function.
DIFFERENCES K10+ VS K10+ PRO
There are many more or less significant differences. Let’s start with the suction power that goes from 2500PA to 3000PA, it may seem like a marginal increase but if we take into account that it is 20% it is certainly substantial. The brush has also been updated and is now completely made of rubber to minimize the possibility of tangling with hair and animal hair and to better manage different surfaces and carpets. Small changes also to the dust container which goes from 150ml to 200ml and sees a different position of the filter to improve suction and efficiency, furthermore an aspect not to be underestimated is now easier to remove for maintenance. The side brush motor has also been enhanced from 140rpm to 200rpm to improve cleaning of edges and corners. The sensors have also been updated, the simple infrared sensors have been replaced by PSD distance sensors to ensure better detection and avoidance of obstacles as well as ensuring, together with the LIDAR turret, better navigation of the environments and coverage of spaces during cleaning, it also avoids most obstacles but is careful of small and low objects such as cables, keys, socks etc.
PERFORMANCE
The first thing you notice about the K10+ Pro compared to the K10+ is the more efficient navigation system, the sensor update allows it to easily go around and avoid obstacles instead of crashing into them, in addition to this it is much more agile in cleaning around the legs of chairs and tables, in reality the two k10s are the only robots I have tried that are so small that they can fit everywhere, even between the legs of stools, office chairs and in spaces where other robots physically cannot enter, in fact the dimensions for both are 248×248×92.
The suction performance thanks to the targeted changes to the suction power, filter and brush have improved significantly, the rubber brush seems to do a better job on carpets and the 20% more PA gives that extra push when you need to vacuum a lot of dirt or large items, furthermore the hair tends to tangle much less on the new brush, its cleaning is much easier and requires less maintenance.
Another aspect that struck me is the speed and safety with which it cleans, a small Speedy Gonzales, vacuums the rooms almost in the same time as its bigger brothers.
Advice that I can give valid for all robot vacuum cleaners, given that the declared PA are reached only by setting the suction to maximum is to use high settings, in this case “power” or “max”, they will certainly be a little noisier but the quality of cleaning will be clearly better, perhaps making them work when you are not at home or in rooms where you are not at that moment, and above all making them work as much as possible because their main purpose is to keep clean, in this they are unbeatable.
Fortunately, the little Switchbot is very quiet.
Noise data:
Quiet mode: <48 dB
Standard mode: <54 dB
Power mode: <57 dB
Max mode: <59 dB
Even on the highest setting, the K10+ Pro remains relatively quiet compared to many robot vacuums.
The K10+ Pro has a 3200 mAh battery like the K10+ which translates to approximately:
150 minutes in quiet mode
120 minutes in standard mode
90 minutes in power mode
60 minutes in max mode
In my tests, the times were slightly lower, more than decent times considering the battery but certainly not suitable for large environments.
There is little to talk about the washing function, it does not shine for practicality or performance as it limits itself to dragging a small pre-moistened towel that gets dirty and dries very quickly, I would not recommend this robot for washing floors as the system excludes suction and is not very efficient, it can be good for freshening up small spaces but it is a forced feature that I personally, as in the previous one, would have done without.
APPS AND INTEGRATIONS
The application is very similar to that of the K10+ with two small additions, the option to resume cleaning if the battery runs out and the ability to choose the duration of automatic dust collection between 10/15/25 seconds.
The really interesting part of the Switchbot robots is that they integrate perfectly into their entire ecosystem, it is therefore possible to create useful and interesting automations, for example with a simple command or when a device detects that you have left the house the automation will turn off the lights, close the curtains and start the robot.
An important addition to the automation and home automation system, in addition of course to compatibility with the voice assistants Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant, is the addition of support for Matter and this also opens the doors to the connection with Home Assistant and Apple Home, however this seems to be possible only through the use of Switchbot Hub 2 or Hub Mini.
THE GOOD
- It is still the smallest robot in the world and it really fits anywhere
- Despite the small size of the base it has a 4-liter bag
- Very quiet
- No revolution but targeted and effective updates
THE BAD
- Superfluous washing function
- The suction is good for the size but not comparable to the competition in the price range
- To use Matter you need to have a Switchbot Hub
- Not suitable for large homes given the autonomy.
CONCLUSIONS
The K10+ Pro is a real gem and a fantastic work of engineering, it is not the most powerful robot on the market nor the one with the most modern features but its size makes it capable of tackling spaces that normal robots cannot.
I would not recommend it to those who already have the k10+, have a large home and need a floor-washing robot but highly recommended for those who have small homes and spaces that are difficult to reach, even for those who have no budget problems and want a second helper that can reach where traditional robots cannot.
You’ll find the K10+ Pro on sale for Black Friday, likely 30% off or more, so if you’ve been eyeing this little gem, grab it.
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