While robot vacuums have steadily been growing in popularity over the last decade or so, until recently, I was yet to give one a go for myself. After all, living in a busy household with four dogs, I knew it would have its work cut out.
Therefore, when offered the chance to test the brand new SwitchBot K10+ Pro Robot Vacuum Combo, available at SwitchBot, which retails at a hefty $799.99, I couldn't wait to give it a go. While I found this tiny robot vacuum – the smallest in the world – brilliant in some circumstances, in others I felt it fell a bit short.
Given that our wider team has tested some of the best robot vacuums, there is a high bar to make that cut. Here's what I loved, what I didn't like so much, and exactly why.
SwitchBot K10+ Pro Combo: Specifications
Setting up the SwitchBot K10+ Pro Combo
I'll be honest, I felt overwhelmed when I opened this vacuum combo. It arrived in a relatively large box, which would certainly be difficult to transport without a car if that's a consideration, with lots of internal packaging to protect it during transit.
Aside from the base unit, cordless vacuum and the robot vacuum itself, it came with a pack of spare mop pads, a spare HEPA filter, a spare side brush, a full manual for setting up both the robot vacuum and cordless vacuum separately, and a Quick Start Guide for getting the whole unit up and running, all of which are filled with instructions and graphics. This certainly made setup much easier than it would have been without, but I have to say it still wasn't exactly quick.
With so many parts to put together and get my head around, I would say putting it together took around 20 minutes with the help of my partner. The real difficulty for me, though, started with actually using the vacuum.
I began by charging it for the recommended time. This robot vacuum model takes four to five hours to charge fully and can clean up to 120m² when fully charged, while the cordless vacuum takes between two and three hours, with 10 to 40 minutes of operating time, depending on the nozzle and suction power used. This isn't exactly quick and convenient, but, in its defense, it does look good enough to leave out and on charge in my living room at all times.
For starters, I found it pretty tricky to get the robot vacuum to map my ground floor. Despite using the app (available on Apple Store and Google Play) the robot seemed to keep getting confused, heading back to the base before mapping was complete, which was as frustrating as it sounds, not helped by the 'Please put me back on the floor,' objections from the robot when I tried moving it manually to fix the issue. It's worth noting that you can add multiple vacuums to the app, but this wasn't something I tried myself.
In fairness, the robot vacuum did maneuver effectively between separate flooring types, like hard wooden floors and rugs, as well as effortlessly gliding underneath furniture and right into corners. Once mapping was finally completed successfully, I was ready to start properly testing.
Vacuuming with the SwitchBot Robot Vacuum K10+ Pro Combo
Where this mini robot vacuum really impresses is when you simply just turn it on and let it do its thing. This is how I used mine the majority of the time when testing, and found it quick and easy to turn it on and set it to work. It navigates well, spins when it reaches obstructions, and doesn't get tangled and jammed, even with a lot of pet hair to contend with, as I have four dogs at home.
I especially appreciate the way it returns to its auto-empty station to empty and recharge without any interaction from me. Then, the dust back on the auto-empty station only needs emptying once every 70 days.
I also love the included cordless vacuum cleaner, and would even go so far as to say it's the best cordless vacuum I've ever tried, beating the likes of Shark and Dyson. It's super lightweight, with a surprisingly powerful suction power, and the green LED lights make it easy to spot any areas of debris, dust, and dander that I may otherwise have missed.
The cordless model also self-empties when placed back on the auto-empty station, but be cautious not to overfill it, as I did this and had to take apart the model to remove the blockage. That was my fault though, and once back on the station, it automatically suctioned out any remaining dirt and dust, leaving it looking like new again.
I tested all of the attachment heads, which include an anti-tangle floor brush, a flat head brush, mite removal brush and crevice brush, and loved each and every one. For me, this part of the SwitchBot K10+ Pro Combo gets a solid 5/5.
It was when I started doing the pantry tests, as devised by our resident Consumer Expert and vacuum testing pro, Dan Fauzi. When I used their detailed methodology for how we test vacuums to put this SwitchBot system through its paces, the limitations of this mini model became apparent.
When faced with a teaspoon of sugar and a teaspoon of flour, the cordless vacuum effortlessly removed both, leaving not a single trace of either behind. The robot, however, either went around them, or spread them across the floor. The same occurred when I put down a larger amount of flour, which, in fairness, I then realized was far too much for such a small model.
The flour was not sucked up, but spread, and the cordless model was needed to perfect the clean-up. This same pattern was repeated when I attempted this flour and sugar test on carpets. I didn't do the usual cereal and lentil testing as, as such a small model, I knew this robot vacuum wouldn't cope with such large and solid debris. On their site, they state that it can pick up debris 'as small as a peanut shell.'
But, when left to its own devices, there was a small but noticeable difference in my floors, which definitely looked a little less dusty, and it worked well in bedrooms where our pets are generally not allowed. For simply switching it on and letting it get to work it's fine, good even, but for one cent shy of $800, it's an expensive investment and our other robot vacuums have performed better.
Mopping with the SwitchBot K10+ Pro Combo
It genuinely interests me that this robot vacuum can claim that it ‘mops.’ When was the last time you went about mopping your floors by using a singular wet wipe? While the robot went about busily ‘mopping,’ my tile and wooden floors didn’t really look much cleaner at all, only slightly damp, and the wipe on the robot was quickly filthy. It does come with a pack of pre-moistened spares, but these need such regular changing that it's much quicker and much more effective to grab a mop and get the job done yourself. That being said, it did collect some residual dust, so it would mostly be useful for switching on, just after you mop to pick up any remaining debris. But doesn't that defeat the point of this sort of automation?
For this reason, I didn't even attempt our usual pantry tests of seeing how the robot fares with various spillages, like ketchup, mustard, pasta sauce, an egg and milk and cereal, as I knew I would just be making work for myself to clean up later.
The mopping plate also attaches over the roller brush, with the robot announcing that it's now in mopping mode, which means you can't vacuum and mop at the same time. For such a small vacuum, it's not surprising that there isn't room for a water tank that most conventional, mid-range robot vacuums use, but then, in my opinion, maybe it would have been best to skip this function altogether.
My verdict
I completely understand that the USP of this robot vacuum is its tiny size, and to that end it is small, sleek and effective in comparison to other market leaders such as our top pick, the much larger, eufy Omni Pro S1, which one of our team has also reviewed.
I've certainly enjoyed the novelty of using the K10+ and my home is less dusty for it, but that's not to say that I've stopped using my canister vacuum completely or cut down drastically – I certainly haven't.
However, the cordless vacuum is amazing, and the inclusion of it with the robot vacuum makes this model just about worth the higher price point, in my view.
But, where this model falls short is the mopping function. If you want a relatively affordable robot (in terms of other robot vacuums on the market, like the eufy Robot Vacuum Omni S1 Pro which retails at $1499.99) and live in a small home or flat, then this is a good option for its versatility and small footprint. But, in comparison to that high-end eufy model, the mopping function on the SwitchBot K10+ Pro Combo is in my view and testing experience, genuinely near useless.
I will continue to use and enjoy the robot vacuum, and certainly the cordless vacuum which has already found its way into my weekly cleaning routine, but will be giving the mopping a miss in the future. Therefore, my verdict is a mixed bag, and I'm not sure I'm a full robot vacuum convert just yet.
If you need an additional automated hand in vacuuming, could do with a cordless for spills or sofa cleaning, and don't have a lot of floor space to dedicate to a large floor unit, as many of the leading robot vacuums need, this unit is worth the purchase. Don't expect it, however, to knock your canister or main vacuum usage on the head or mop your floors better than you. It's the side dish of robot vacuum combo models, and not the main event.
Not convinced on whether you should buy a robot vacuum? Why not invest in one of the best upright vacuums instead.
