29 July 2023 , 07:00
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Shopping around for robot vacuums can be a bit of a minefield, but there's some obvious features to look out for now that technology has progressed.
Laser guidance, or LiDAR, is a huge bonus. It makes mapping more intelligent, and helps the robot find its way around the room and its obstacles.
A self-emptying function is also a great thing to have. The robot will return to the base station and all its gathered gubbins are sucked into a big bag, ready for another round.
And if you can find one with a mop attachment, you're winning, because one robot can perform two functions - vacuuming and polishing.
You might think bundling all this tech into one device is an expensive job, but the Proscenic X1 does it all - and it's quite a bargain.
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It's recommended retail price is £499, which is already a bit less than what you'd expect to pay for such a versatile vacuum, but we've found one on Amazon for £296.02 - and that's quite a bargain.
The amount of tech it bundles in for that money is really impressive. The laser navigation is called PathPro and it starts mapping your room before it's even left its base station.
It also makes it easier to pick out areas in your home for spot cleaning, and the robot will be able to judge obstacles more easily. Unusually, there's no "turret" on the top of the robot, which doesn't seem to hamper the guidance, but it does mean it sits lower, which is better for getting under chairs or bookcases.
The vacuum tech is decent, especially on hard floors. It has a 3000pa suction, which isn't market-leading, but it's pretty good, and this can be automatically ramped up or reduced depending on the surface it encounters.
Its spinning brush helps it remove detritus from corners and there's decent clearance for mounting rugs, or for crossing room divides.
The best bit about the vacuum function, though, is its self-emptying system. A 2.5-litre bag squeezes in to the compact base station and Proscenic reckons you won't need to empty this for up to 30 days under normal use.
What's more, a UV light in the cabinet effectively sterilises bacteria and reduces the transmission of pathogens, which is great news if you keep it in a bedroom or kitchen, for example.
The mopping system uses a pressured mopping pad which vibrates 3,000 times per minute to scrub away stains and there are three water levels, depending on how hard it's going to have to work.
Having previously tested a few Proscenic robot vacuums, I'd always found the app to be a weak link. And it's clear to see it's been worked on. It's far more stable and user-friendly. Still not the best in the business, but pretty good.
If you don't fancy using the app, there is a supplied remote control and you can of course just bark a command at Alexa or Google to start a session.
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But LiDAR mapping is a joy to use, and the system that comes with the Proscenic X1 is every bit as good as the others I've tried. It maps the room quickly and effectively, and the app makes it fairly easy to set up sections and routines for regular or one-off cleaning.
And the cleaning performance is great, it has to be said. Certainly on a par with some of the premium rivals from the likes of iRobot and Eufy.
It's not quite as competent at climbing up rugs and dividers as the aforementioned devices, so you might find it gets stuck more often, but in just about every other way, it performs as well or nearly as well.
And that brings me back to the price. Even at the RRP of £499, it's great to see so many features on board. If you hurry and you manage to bag one for less than £300, you'll have one of the best robot vacuum bargains out there.