Minibot X5 Robot Vacuum Cleaner Review

Minibot X5 Robot Vacuum Cleaner Review

Buy it at Amazon: Minibot X5 Robot Vacuum Cleaner [Affiliate Link]

Takeaway: Good for daily cleaning, works only on hardwood/tile floor but picks up dust/hair well.

The robot vacuum comes with a charging base, A/C adapter, remote control, two double sided sticky tapes, three rubber bumpers, 2 AAA batteries for the remote, 2 replacement sweeper brushes, a replacement filter sponge, a cleaning brush, and a manual. It does not include a virtual wall (not compatible?) and the wet mop bin is sold separately from the basic vacuum unless you purchased the upgraded model.

The X5 vacuum measures 12.5” in diameter and 3.5” tall, so it’s a little bigger than other robot vacuums that I’ve tried before. It has a single power/auto-clean button on the top and the top face is made of tempered glass to resist scuffs and scratches. There’s an LCD panel in the middle that displays battery life, error messages and cleaning schedule. The rest of the functions and controls for the unit are on the remote, which requires 2 AAA batteries (included).

The unit is pretty easy to set up, but I found it odd that if the unit encounters the dock while cleaning it'll simply push it around rather than avoid it like I've seen with other brands. The only way to ensure accurate docking is to use the sticky pads and mount the dock to the floor so it can't move. You can set a schedule using the remote control to choose a daily cleaning time. For spot cleaning, simply place the robot near a particularly dirty area and press the 'Spot' button. To activate auto clean mode, press the ‘Auto’ button. There's also an edge cleaning mode that follows the perimeter of a room that works reasonably well and a ""Full Go"" mode that has the unit automatically start its cleaning cycle after it completes charging on the dock.

It also handles obstacles quite well and maneuvers around chair legs, furniture, and people with ease. You can also use the remote to manually change its direction. This vacuum doesn't work on carpet or over rugs with fringe and is only suitable for hardwood, cement, or tile flooring. If you have short transitions between rooms, it can typically cross them, but if the transition is taller than 1/4"" it'll likely either change direction or get stuck on it.

For vacuuming, the unit performed within my expectations. It picked up a ton of dust, hair (human and pet), and debris. It runs for about 2 hours before returning to its charging base. It does a nice job on hardwood and tiles floors with few obstacles. When run daily, the floors tend to stay cleaner.

Buy it at Amazon: Minibot X5 Robot Vacuum Cleaner [Affiliate Link]