T3's Switchbot Mini Robot Vacuum K10+ Pro review in a sentence: Compact cleaning with all of the usual robot vacuum features and functions on-board too.
I’m all for gadgets that make life easier and the best robot vacuum cleaner models do just that. They take the drudgery out of everyday cleaning around the house and, for the most part, they’re good at what they do. However, not all of them are quite as able to get into tight spots, which is where the Switchbot Mini Robot Vacuum K10+ Pro comes in.
While I like the recent models from big names like Shark, with its Shark Matrix Plus Robot Vacuum and Roborock with the Roborock Qrevo Master robot vacuum, the Switchbot makes a lot of sense. It’s a compact robovac, which means that it’s able to get in and indeed under items of furniture that regular-sized robot vacuums might bypass. Adding appeal is the way it takes up less space when docked too.
Funnily enough, I also recently tried the Hoover HG4 Hydro Pro, which was impressive and is another compact model, although it’s nowhere near as small as the Switchbot. This machine really is compact.
Switchbot Mini Robot Vacuum K10+ Pro review: Price and availability
The SwitchBot Mini Robot Vacuum K10+ Pro is available now available from the SwitchBot Amazon US website for $599.99. However, there’s a deal on now, which means it costs $419.99 when using their $180.00 coupon. Meanwhile, the Switchbot Amazon UK has the robovac for £599.00, which is also discounted to £419.00 when using the £180.00 coupon and SwitchBot’s Official Website Store.
Switchbot Mini Robot Vacuum K10+ Pro review: Is it any good?
Switchbot does offer a slightly less potent model, the Switchbot Mini Robot Vacuum K10+, but to be honest it’s worth heading for the upgraded Pro edition. This model boasts additional features and is much more adept at getting under desks and chairs, up close to wall edges and also corners too due to its compact design. It’s certainly small, with a 24.8cm x 24.8cm x 9.2cm overall size and those dimensions do mean it’s less intrusive around the home and better able to get into tight spots.
On top of that, there’s more suction power too, with 3000Pa over the 2500Pa of the non-Pro model. Tech trimmings that the other model doesn’t have include a position sensitive detector, which gives this higher-end model a little more control over detecting walls and avoiding obstacles. There’s also a nicely designed anti-tangle rubber brush on the underside, which should mean the Switchbot Mini Robot Vacuum K10+ is able to cope with bundles of hair, be they human or pet.
There are extra features that boost the appeal too. This is a relatively quiet machine during operation with 45dB being the Switchbot official figure for its silent cleaning mode. A Do Not Disturb mode also ensures the appliance isn’t going to spring into life at the wrong time, which is handy to know if you’re an owner who does something like shift work. Runtime is up to 150 minutes on a charge, while the base station contains a 4-litre dust bag pushing the emptying requirement up to an impressive 90 days.
Switchbot Mini Robot Vacuum K10+ Pro review: Performance
I found the Switchbot Mini Robot Vacuum K10+ Pro easy enough to setup and configure. I had to spend a little bit of time getting it out of the box, putting in the bin bag and then using the accompanying app to do the usual mapping of rooms. The app is respectable enough, with everything working as it should. I also gave the Switchbot an initial full charge too, thereby ensuring it was good to go and live up to the 150 minute runtime claimed by the manufacturer.
Of course, the really appealing aspect of this appliance is its size, which at around 25 by 25 by 9cm is pretty small. I don’t think I’ve tried anything quite as compact as this. That’s good news for anyone who gets frustrated by robovacs that trundle past areas of dust because the LiDAR reckons it's not going to fit. I spent some time doing a careful mapping exercise and, following that, the cleaning unit would get in and under the kitchen table, coffee table and low-slung book cabinets to get to the dirt.
However, while the Switchbot is more than capable on my hard floors it was a bit less great on carpets and rugs. I tend to find that to be the case for most robovacs though, so generally only use one on wooden floors and tiled surfaces. There’s a kind of mopping option too, although the Switchbot uses wipes rather than any sophisticated arrangement. This means it's okay for minor once-overs, but I’d say head for a beefier mopping model if that’s one of the key features you’re after.
Switchbot Mini Robot Vacuum K10+ Pro review: Verdict
The compact design of the Switchbot Mini Robot Vacuum K10+ Pro is what really makes it stand out from the crowd. It’s a reasonable performer too, with best results on easy surfaces like hard wooden floors or ceramic tiles. The suction in this scenario is good, though the appliance is less wonderful on thicker carpets and rugs. I’m not convinced about the replaceable wipe cloths that make up the ‘mopping’ side of the package either. I’d say this is a good bet for anyone needing a smaller machine that can get into places where larger models cannot. Other than that, it’s good but not great.
Switchbot Mini Robot Vacuum K10+ Pro review: Alternatives to consider
As I mentioned at the start, I have recently tested the Hoover HG4 Hydro Pro, which isn’t quite as compact as this model but it ticks all the boxes on the robovac front. It is reasonably small too. I was also a big fan of the Shark Matrix Plus Robot Vacuum with its vac and mop functionality. Similarly, the Roborock Qrevo Master robot vacuum is good, but both of these models are full-size appliances.
If size isn’t an issue then the iRobot Roomba Combo J9+ is a solid option and does a little bit of everything as does the eufy Clean X8 Pro machine. Elsewhere, have a look at the eufy X9 Pro as well as the keenly priced iRobot Roomba j7+.
