Hi everyone! Today we will review a budget robot vacuum cleaner for dry and wet cleaning called Midea I5C (vendor code VCR09B). The device, at a cost of about $150, is equipped with a gyroscope for navigation, controlled through the application and a remote control, while suction power up to 4000 Pa is declared and the ability to simultaneously vacuum and wipe the floor. At this price, it seems that all the necessary features are presented. I will test the Midea I5C in detail and will express my own opinion on how well it does its job and whether it is worth the money. Let’s go!
Equipment
The robot vacuum cleaner arrived in this branded box:
In addition to the robot itself, the package includes:
- Charging base.
- Power adapter.
- Mopping pad holder.
- Spare microfiber cloth.
- User manual.
- Quick guide to getting the robot started for the first time.
- Remote with batteries.
- Spare HEPA filter.
- And two spare side brushes.
The package is complete which is a plus!
Design
Now let’s look at how the Midea I5C is designed. The navigation of this robot is based on a gyroscope. The vacuum cleaner is available in both white and black colors. The shape of the case is round, the coating is not easily soiled. Case height 83 mm from the floor.
The front part has a soft-touch mechanical bumper. The control panel has a Wi-Fi network connection indicator and a Start/Pause button. The dust collector is located under the top cover. There is also a power On and Off button.
The container conveniently stores the cleaning tool for the robot. The mechanism for emptying the container produced very smart. When you press the button, the debris falls out through the bottom. So your hands will not get in contact with the debris in the process of shaking out the dust container.
The filtration system, unfortunately, is only based on a HEPA filter. But it is made well, the perimeter is hermetically glued, and it is allowed to wash the filter with water. Surprisingly, the manufacturer claims the volume of the container – 250 ml. Visually it seems that it is much larger, about 400 ml.
The water tank is quite capacious and is designed for 450 ml of water, it is installed at the back. Electronic adjustment of the liquid supply to the mopping pad is provided. The holder with a mopping pad is attached to the bottom of the case with two clamps.
There are 3 fall protection sensors on the bottom of the robot. The turbo brush block seems to be floating, but the cover itself floats, not the entire module, which is not really logical. The central brush is made of a soft fluffy pile. On both sides, it is disassembled for cleaning from wound hair and wool.
In general, I have no complaints about the design of the robot. At its cost, some constructive solutions are even pleasantly surprised.
Specifications
Specifications of Midea I5C, declared by the manufacturer, are displayed on the screen. I recommend you to pause the video and study the information:
- Battery: Li-Ion 2600 mAh
- Suction power: up to 4000 Pa
- Cleaning area: up to 120 sq.m. (40-60 sq.m).
- Battery life: up to 110 min
- Dust container: 250 ml.
- Water tank: 450 ml.
- Passage of obstacles: up to 17 mm
- Dimensions: 340*83mm
The suction power will be tested on the stand, but as for the cleaning area, I have a comment. Considering that the robot vacuum cleaner is navigated by a gyroscope, in real conditions it is able to clean effectively in areas up to 60 sq.m., and its battery is weak for a declared 120 sq.m. area.
Functionality
Let’s move on to the review of the functions. The Midea I5C robot vacuum cleaner is controlled via a mobile app and a remote control. First, let’s talk about the features of the application.
The main operating panel displays the battery charge. At the top right, you can go to the section for viewing the last built map. The map building accuracy is not very high. Of the functions, it is proposed to adjust the suction power, the level of water supply, as well as set up a cleaning schedule by selecting the time, days of the week and cleaning parameters. Below is the cleaning log. The lowest row of buttons: choosing one of three cleaning modes, starting the cleaning process, as well as forced return to the base for charging. In addition, manual control of the robot is provided. Well, from the additional features it is proposed to track the status of consumables and study the instruction manual in electronic form.
The remote displays such functions as forced return to the base for charging, manual control, Start / Pause, spot cleaning mode, bypassing the perimeter, cleaning in a zigzag path, as well as adjusting the suction power.
Testing
Navigation
And finally, let’s move on to the tests. First of all, let’s check the Midea I5C navigation in the room with obstacles. After leaving the base, the robot vacuum cleaner passes the perimeter, then switches to cleaning the available area with a snake. Touching objects is not very accurate and we see that the robot has moved the box, as well as the dryer. Around the frame and legs of the chair Midea I5C does not sweep separately. Moreover, it got stuck on the legs of the dryer, and when slipping, the map is changing. As a result, the robot drove around the room for more than 20 minutes and rebuilt the map, passing through the same places many times. It was decided to return it to the base, and he coped with this task, found a charging base.
Speaking of navigation within the home, the robot passes the entire available area with a snake. Within 70 sq.m. only one problem was discovered – between the legs of the chairs in the kitchen, the robot got lost from frequent touches, as a result – part of the room remained uncleaned. This is a typical problem for budget robots with a gyroscope. For comparison, have a look at the map built by the older model – Midea M6 in the same conditions. You can see that the geometry is very similar.
Anyway, Midea I5C navigation is not the best even among gyroscope robots, so, as mentioned earlier, it is better to choose it for a small cleaning area.
Suction power
In terms of suction power, the Midea I5C was able to partially suck out debris from the 4mm slot. The power of this robot vacuum cleaner has increased, but not as high as stated in the figures by the manufacturer.
Dry cleaning
The quality of dry cleaning is good. The robot vacuum cleaner collected the bulk of the garbage of different structures from the floor. Did not sweep out only in the corners, which is a problem of almost all round robot vacuum cleaners. The hair is wrapped around the central brush, but most of the debris is collected in the dust container. Test is passed!
Carpet cleaning
But there are complaints about the quality of carpet cleaning, and the problem is in the poor passage ability of the robot vacuum cleaner, that’s why it skids and gets stuck on a carpet with a medium pile. The robot collected some of the garbage, but it did not cope with the task.
Mopping
Mopping also left not the best impression of the robot. The mopping pad is weakly pressed against the floor and as a result – Midea I5C is not able to wipe off slightly dried traces of dirt. This test also failed.
Wet cleaning and carpets
Speaking of mopping with a presence of carpets, again, the Midea I5C was unable to ride on the carpet to check if it was moving around the carpets in the mopping mode. I think, given the price and the lack of at least a carpet detection sensor, robot can’t do it.
Passage of obstacles
Well, here, in fact, I clearly demonstrate the problem with passage of obstacles. Even a 15 mm plinth robot could not overcome, not to mention 20 mm. Although it is worth noting that once it still managed to overcome a 15 mm plinth. So the Midea I5C’s passage ability is far from the best.
Passage of dark surfaces
There are also problems with driving on dark surfaces, the robot is afraid of a black rug. But in its defense, I can say that this is a problem of most robot vacuum cleaners and Midea I5C is not an exception.
Noise level
As for the noise level, at minimum power it is in the range of 60-62 dB, in standard mode it reaches 63.6 dB, and at maximum power the peak value was 67 dB. The noise level is standard for this model.
Personal opinion
The Midea I5C Robot Vacuum Cleaner was reviewed and tested in detail. According to our rating system, it managed to score 61 points. The result is not high, due to a number of problems that will be listed below. But given the cost, there are models below the robot in our rating table and more expensive in the overall ranking.
My own opinion about the robot. What I liked:
- Able to vacuum and mop the floor at the same time.
- Has a complete set.
- App and remote control.
- Increased suction power.
- Good quality of a dry cleaning.
- Convenient dust collector.
- Budget cost.
Speaking of disadvantages, here is what I noted:
- Weak navigation.
- Doesn’t clean carpets well.
- Not able to wipe off the dirt from the floor.
- Weak passage ability
- Afraid of dark surfaces.
As a result, I would recommend this robot vacuum mainly for dry cleaning in small areas without carpets. Or if the carpets are low pile. Wet cleaning in this model is more like an option for collecting dust and small debris, to help the brushes. During the sales period, the cost of Midea I5C is very attractive, and if the disadvantages are insignificant for you, you can consider this budget robot vacuum cleaner. It can also be considered as a gift for elderly relatives, if the conditions are suitable.
On this note, I would like to end the review. If you have any questions, ask them in the comments below. Happy tech shopping. Bye!
