Xiaomi Vacuum-Mop 2S Test: A Robot Vacuum Cleaner That Knows Its Way

Thanks to its laser rangefinder, the Vacuum-Mop 2S precisely maps different rooms in the house and can systematically navigate there regardless of light conditions. Once it recognizes the environment, it starts by moving around the rooms, then clears the interior in a zigzag fashion while avoiding obstacles. If they’re high enough to intersect with its laser rangefinder, they’re often ignored before impact, but it’s not uncommon to see a vacuum-mob 2S trigger them while circling them in the absence of side sensors.

Minimal, on the other hand, is the risk of being knocked, pushed or pulled in the case of cables, which Xiaomi’s robot makes short work of. High quality models like Roomba J7+ Or Deebot X1 Turbo, the front-facing camera can detect even the smallest obstacles without touching them. During our testing, the Vacuum-Mop 2S carried an Apple charger, but no one needed to come to its rescue. No problem climbing over large cables like chair legs or thick carpets.

Depending on the obstacles and their position, the Xiaomi robot can change its path and sometimes give the appearance of forgetting a corner when observing its movements live in the app. However, during our tests, it always ended up coming back before moving on to the next section. So it is exemplary in this regard. However, note that it doesn’t go under curtains and its side brush isn’t very effective in corners.

The Vacuum-Mop 2S also encountered a problem with patterned carpet: When said patterns didn’t trigger its vacuum sensors and stop it from completing its cycle, it prevented it from moving normally. We couldn’t find similar stories by browsing user reviews, but obviously we had to point it out.