Xiaomi X20+ robot vac review

Xiaomi X20+ two-minute review

If you’re in the market for a very keenly-priced and commendably efficient robot vac-mop with full self-cleaning facilities, consider putting the Xiaomi X20+ high on your shopping list. At a snip under £300, this package is a steal. It vacs, it mops, it self-empties the contents of its bin and then washes the mops before drying them using wafts of hot air.

Normally this level of functionality and smarts would cost you anything between £600 and £1,500, yet here we are with a budget-priced contender that achieves practically the same level of cleaning efficiency as most of the best robot vacuums, but at a fraction of the price. It's undoubtedly one of the best cheap robot vacuums on the market.

Despite its ace LiDAR navigation, the X20+’s obstacle avoidance isn’t quite up there with the iRobot bunch and nor is it as fully featured as a high-end Roborock like the S8 MaxV Ultra (here's more on how robot vacuums navigate and avoid obstacles, if you're interested). But, by Jove, this is still an impressive piece of kit by any stretch of the imagination. It’s also an excellent example of just how far robotics in the domestic market have advanced, and how much cheaper these little autonomous home helpers are becoming.

• Xiaomi T20+ for £299 at Xiaomi

Xiaomi X20+ review: price & availability

• How much does it cost? £299 and around €399
• Launch date: July 2024
• Where can you get it? In the UK and Europe

Given that the Xiaomi X20+ is equipped with so many fantastic features, I’m still trying to get my head around its price because normally a model with this much tech and this many smarts retails well in excess of £600. Yes, I know that robot vac prices have tumbled now that so many more competitors have entered the market, but £299 for a LiDAR-equipped robot vac with a cleaning station that self empties the robot’s bin and then washes and dries its mops? Seriously? Yes, seriously.

If you live in the UK, go direct to Xiaomi where you can snap up this wondrous beast for a knockdown £299 (you can be sure this model will also soon be available from Amazon and other Xiaomi stockists). Europeans, meanwhile, have a choice of Amazon sites including Amazon Netherlands (€433) and Amazon Belgium (€399).

The Xiaomi brand isn’t as present in the USA as it is Europe and the UK, but you can find a very similar model under the Dreame brand, which is an independent subsidiary of Xiaomi. For instance, Amazon US is selling the admittedly higher-spec Dreame L10s for $599.

• Value for money score: 5 out of 5

Xiaomi X20+ specs

Xiaomi X20+ review: design

• Great self cleaning vac and mop features
• Excellent LiDAR navigation
• Decent obstacle avoidance

Beijing-based Xiaomi has about 85 sub-brands under its belt, including robot vac manufacturers Roborock and Dreame, and cordless vac producer Roidmi. The company clearly wields a lot of clout when it comes to mass market appeal and the ability to keep prices realistically low. The sterling new Xiaomi X20+ is a case in point.

I’m a big fan of Roborock and iRobot but I have to say that I’ve been very impressed by this new model from Xiaomi, which behaves in much the same way as any premium model from those brands, only at a fraction of the price. Let’s look at this clever little home helper in more detail.

The Xiaomi X20+ comes in an oversized box but thankfully there are just two parts to contend with – the robot itself and its docking station. Setup is a veritable cinch and basically involves binding the product to your Wi-Fi; so far so good.

Now the package is set up and in situ, let’s start with the robot. With dimensions of 350 × 350 × 97mm, the X20+ is about the same size and height as the majority of robot vacs, though it does have a LiDAR navigation turret on top which may prevent it from going under very low-slung furniture. However, this writer would always recommend LiDAR over camera-based navigation systems, since LiDAR is much quicker at mapping an entire abode and generally better at navigation, too.

LiDAR-equipped robots also adopt a linear and therefore more predictable working pattern, as opposed to camera-based models that tend to zigzag all over the place. After two weeks of testing, this model has proved to be extremely adept at getting around the home without bumping into furniture and walls. However, you may need to lift and tuck any valances on sofas and beds, otherwise the LiDAR may treat them as a barrier and refuse to allow the bot to push through and vacuum beneath.

While the X20+ isn’t as accomplished as the iRobot fleet when it comes to dodging obstacles, its S-Cross obstacle avoidance system is perfectly good enough at spotting most larger items like toys and shoes. However, I cannot vouch that it will avoid dog messes, so be wary of this if you have any misbehaving pets or you may come home to a disaster.

The X20+ is equipped with a single 17cm rubber brush roller which, like almost all robot vacs, is centrally located between its two treaded wheels. A single clip-in spinning bristle brush mounted on the front right-hand side, meanwhile, flings most debris along the edges of skirting boards towards the main suction area. However, as is the case with so many robot vacs, the side brush does occasionally miss some detritus, so you may need to reach for one of the best cordless vacuums to finish the job. On the plus side, the X20+ produces an excellent 6,000 Pascals of suction power that's more than enough oomph for even the grubbiest and hairiest of carpets.

This writer’s floor space is mostly made up of engineered wood with loads of scattered rugs, and some of them are really thin. Since I don’t believe I’m the only household to have scattered rugs, a robot vac’s ability to ride over a rug’s edges without ruffling it up is of prime importance to me and I’m pleased to say that so far, the X20+ has been exemplary in this regard. In fact, it’s one of a very small handful of robovacs to have passed this test. I put it down to having a higher lip at the front, which allows it to traverse the rug’s tassels and thin, loose edges with relative ease. This is a massive bonus in my opinion because the alternative would be to remove all rugs when it’s out working, and that is simply impractical and not what anyone wants from a robot vacuum cleaner.

I’m not personally a fan of mopping robots because I have wooden flooring that could be damaged if mopped too frequently. However, if a robot vac is going to have a mop system attached to it, I’d prefer it to be of the spinning variety rather than a static mopping pad. And that’s essentially what the X20+ is equipped with. In fact, this model has two towelling mops mounted to the rear and they not only press down onto the floor while spinning at 180rpm, but they also lift off the ground by 7mm whenever the robot detects carpet.

Now let’s head over to this model’s meat and two veg: the cleaning station. I can’t stress this enough but if you have hairy pets in the home, you should avoid any robot vac that doesn’t come with a self-emptying bin system, or you may need to empty the robot’s tiny internal bin yourself every 10 minutes or so, especially during moulting season. This is especially true if you have a heavy moulting breed like a German Shepherd or Golden Retriever. Thankfully, the X20+’s docking station is equipped with a large 2.5-litre dust bag that should, according to Xiaomi, provide up to 75 days of use before you need to change it for a new one.

At this juncture I should point out that the Xiaomi’s cleaning station isn’t the prettiest looker. In fact, at 586 × 427 × 340mm it’s an incongruous white plastic monolith that sticks out like a sore thumb, so you will likely want to tuck it away, well out of sight. However, there are a few bonuses on board that make this unit stand out, especially at this low price point. As alluded to above, the X20+’s cleaning station not only empties the robot’s dustbin but it also washes both mops and then dries them using hot air to prevent mould and smells. Moreover, at four litres apiece the Xiaomi’s two water reservoirs – one for clean water, the other for the dirty stuff – are among the largest on the market, and that means far fewer trips to the sink for refills and emptying.

Given the mucky nature of cleaning a used mop, the cleaning station will need a bit of human intervention from time to time, but even this process is mostly fuss-free since the station itself has a self-cleaning option that fills the base of the unit with water. All you have to do is take a brush to it and, when done, the station automatically pumps out the dirty water and deposits it into the respective water tank. I can’t remember seeing any feature like this on any other hybrid robot vac, so hats off to Xiaomi’s technical department for including such a handy feature.

• Design score: 4 out of 5

Xiaomi X20+ review: performance

• Excellent suction performance
• Great mopping too
• Impressive docking station features

Xiaomi has created a cracking autonomous floor cleaner that punches way above its price point. I’ve had it running on a daily schedule for the past two weeks and have only had one issue, when the bot’s spinning side brush got tangled up with a thin shoelace. But that’s a normal occurrence with any robot vac, and part and parcel of ownership. Although this model’s obstacle avoidance is very good, you will still need to keep very small items out of its path and, for more efficient cleaning, pick up any larger clutter like toys and shoes.

This model is equipped with four levels of suction power – silent, standard, strong and turbo – and three levels of water output for mopping. I always tend to select the most powerful suction mode when it comes to robot vacs because I want the most efficient level of suction at all times. I’m not too bothered about the bot’s running time since I’ve never had one run out of juice mid clean. And even if it did, it would simply trundle back to its charging base for a top up and head out to finish the task. However, when mopping I’m mindful of my wooden floors so I always select the lowest amount of water.

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For my vacuum test on hard floor I selected the ‘strong’ setting and the results were very impressive. Yes, the side brush did fling a few pieces of crushed biscuit to the side but, left to its own devices, it soon gathered those up too. And while it also dealt very well with a scattering of flour, it did leave some deposits in the cracks of the flooring which I had to remove with a cordless stick vac. I don’t consider this a strike against it because even my Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra has had trouble lifting flour from deep crevices.

I performed the same test on a carpeted rug and the results were exceptional, even though I did need to run a second sequence for it to remove the majority of remaining flour. Granted, there was still a light dusting of flour on the rug after its second pass but this, too, is quite normal for robot vacs. In the end it was no hardship reaching for the Dyson Gen5detect which finished the job. And there’s the rub. Robot vacs are a brilliant time-saving investment but you should never discard the trusty stick vac because there’s still nothing more effective for intensive cleaning.

During my rug test, I can confirm that the raised rear mops just cleared the fibres. However, I did notice that the mops remained down on a thin rug in the kitchen when I ran a simultaneous vac and mop test. It seems that the X20+ may sometimes find it hard to distinguish between hard floor and very thin rugs. Again, I don’t consider this too much of an issue since the mops are more damp than soaking wet. Nevertheless, perhaps bear this in mind if you have thin but valuable rugs.

Regarding the mop test, I was mostly impressed by how well it lifted a squirt of honey and a teaspoon soy sauce off the floor in just two passes. However, while the mess was visibly removed I did notice some sticky residue an hour later which I had to remove with a wet rag.

My overall impression is that the Xiaomi X20+ is definitely one of the better robot vacs I’ve tested. It doesn’t make a racket (around 66dB from ten feet away), it vacuums extremely well and its mopping is pretty effective, too. Its navigation, meanwhile, is right up there with the very best, and at no time have I had any Dyson 360 Vis Nav moments where it suddenly forgot where it lived. It has, to all intents and purposes, been an extremely reliable and efficient floor bot that I would recommend to anyone looking for a versatile model that doesn’t cost the earth.

• Performance score: 4.5 out of 5

Xiaomi X20+ review: Mi Home app

• Intuitive interface
• Real-time mapping with customisable cleaning zones
• Multiple cleaning modes and scheduling options

The Xiaomi Mi Home app serves as the central hub for managing and controlling various Xiaomi smart home devices, including the company's popular line of robot vacuum cleaners. Mi Home has a clean, mostly intuitive interface that’s easy enough to get a handle on.

This app not only provides a detailed map of your home but you can see the robot's current position and the areas it has cleaned in real time. You can also define specific zones on the map where you want the vacuum cleaner to focus on or avoid altogether. This feature is particularly useful for targeting high-traffic areas or skipping certain rooms. The app also provides the wherewithal to add room dividers and barriers like no-go zones and virtual walls.

Like any robot vac, the Mi Home app allows you to schedule cleaning sessions at specific times and set different schedules for different days while offering multiple cleaning modes to suit different floor types. For instance, you can easily switch between modes from within the app and adjust the suction power for more efficient cleaning. And for those who like RC cars, you can steer this bot around the home yourself using the app’s virtual joysticks – just for a bit of fun.

• App score: 4 out of 5

Should you buy the Xiaomi X20+?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if…

How I tested the Xiaomi X20+

My home is open-plan with engineered wood flooring so it’s an easy space for any robot vac to get around. However, I do have a lot of rugs scattered about and some of them are very thin. I’d say half the bot-vacs I review have trouble negotiating the thinnest rugs without ruffling them up, but this model proved to be very adept at scaling even my thinnest rug. Not every time but more often than not.

The X20+ also proved its worth when it came to my vacuum test. I first created a specific area in the app and the bot headed straight there and completed the task with aplomb, collecting all the crushed biscuits and all the flour bar the remnants that were wedged in the floor cracks. It impressed just as well on carpet and while some of the flour did defeat it, it wasn’t enough of a fail for me to mark it down significantly. Its mopping, too, was pretty impressive and par for the course for a robot mop.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed September 2024