Midea VCR M7 EVO: A POWERFUL (8000 Pa) and AFFORDABLE robot vacuum cleaner

This review examines an affordable robot vacuum cleaner called the Midea VCR M7 EVO. Its price at the time of writing is between $150 and $180. For this price, the manufacturer offers a robot with lidar, increased suction power up to 8000 Pa, a simultaneous dry and wet cleaning function, and control via a proprietary mobile app in Russian. Overall, it offers a reasonable set of features for the price, considering the exchange rate. Below, I'll thoroughly test the Midea VCR M7 EVO, highlight its pros and cons based on the test results, and then express my opinion. So, let's get started!

Equipment

The robot vacuum cleaner arrived in a branded box like this:

In addition to the robot itself, the package includes a charging base with a power adapter, a holder with a cleaning cloth, a spare HEPA filter, and an operating manual.

Appearance

Now let's take a look at the Midea VCR M7 EVO's design. It comes in black and has a round body.

Wall sensors are mounted on both sides of the bumper, and sensors in the center detect large obstacles in the robot's path. The top cover is glossy, which isn't the most practical solution. The body is 97 mm from the floor.

The robot's navigation is handled by a lidar sensor. It has a spring-loaded cover that prevents it from getting stuck under furniture. Two mechanical control buttons are located next to the lidar sensor. The dust container is located under the top cover and conveniently stores the robot's cleaning tool. The container holds 450 ml. The filtration system consists of a HEPA filter, foam, and mesh.

The water tank is removed from the rear, along with a holder and cleaning cloth. A pump is installed inside the tank for electronically controlling the water flow. The tank holds 250 ml. The cleaning cloth is a standard design, secured with Velcro and a pocket.

The robot has four anti-fall sensors installed underneath. There is no carpet sensor. It has two side brushes, three-beam and quick-release.

The central brush block is floating, which is a plus. The central brush is the same as the previously released ones. Midea S8+ And S10+Equipped with bristle inserts of varying elasticity, it can be removed from both sides for cleaning hair and fur.

The pros and cons of the robot's design will be discussed during the final review. Let's move on!

Technical specifications

The main characteristics of the Midea VCR M7 EVO, as declared by the manufacturer, are displayed on the screen:

• Li-Ion battery 5200 mAh.
• Suction power 8000 Pa.
• Operating time up to 180 min.
• Dust collector 450 ml.
• Water tank 250 ml.
• Obstacle clearance 2 cm.
• Robot dimensions: 353*97 mm.

Here I'd highlight the increased suction power, which will be verified in tests, and the capacious battery. The other specifications are quite standard for this price segment.

Functional capabilities

As for the robot vacuum cleaner's functions, it's controlled via the proprietary SmartHome mobile app. It's entirely in Russian. Everything is convenient and intuitive.

All main functions are displayed on the screen:

• Saving multiple cleaning maps in memory.
• Automatic zoning of premises into rooms.
• Selecting areas and rooms for cleaning.
• Virtual walls and no-go zones (and for wet cleaning mode).
• Suction power adjustment.
• Adjusting the degree of wetting of the napkin.
• Cleaning log.
• Setting up cleaning according to a schedule.
• Voice notifications in Russian.
• Automatic power increase on carpet.
• Yandex.Alice support.

Overall, it has all the basic functions for customizing cleaning parameters. The only thing I personally miss is a custom mode, allowing me to flexibly adjust the power and water flow level for each room individually.

Testing

A detailed video review with all tests has already been prepared and published on the channel:

Navigation

And finally, let's move on to the tests. First, we'll test navigation in a room with obstacles. The robot first navigates the perimeter of the selected area. It created a non-existent room behind a mirror, a typical problem with lidar robots. It didn't get stuck on the clothes dryer. After traversing the perimeter, the Midea VCR M7 EVO began cleaning the entire accessible area in a serpentine pattern. It also swept around the box and the chrome legs of the chair, moving them significantly. Then, it returned to its base.

Regarding house navigation, the robot cleans room by room, following the perimeter, then in a serpentine pattern. There were no uncleaned areas, and the cleaning speed was high, so this test was passed.

Passing under low furniture

Speaking about the minimum height for passing under furniture, a robot vacuum cleaner can pass under a 10 cm gap, which is good.

Suction power

Regarding suction power, in Gentle mode, the Midea VCR M7 EVO was able to completely clean debris from a 2 mm gap. In Quiet mode, the result was unchanged. In Standard mode, the robot managed to clean a 4 mm gap. And in Turbo mode, it handled 6, 8, and 10 mm gaps. So, this is truly a powerful robot vacuum cleaner. Test passed!

Dry cleaning

Cleaning performance on laminate floors is on par with similar products—it removed almost all debris, with the exception of small remnants in corners that are difficult for round robots to reach. The center brush did not pick up any pet hair, passing the test.

Carpet cleaning

The robot cleans low-pile carpets without any problems. Cleaning quality is slightly lower on medium-pile carpets, but most of the debris is still picked up. A few particles of debris are stuck in the pile, but I don't think this is a big deal given the carpet's original condition.

Wet cleaning

As for wet cleaning, it's primitive, and the robot vacuum cleaner failed to remove dried dirt from the floor. The cloth exerts little pressure on the floor and is only suitable for collecting dust and debris behind the turbo brush, slightly refreshing the floor.

Wet cleaning and carpets

And since there's no carpet sensor, the robot vacuum can't automatically detect carpets and avoid them when wet cleaning. However, the power automatically increases. Separate no-go zones for wet cleaning mode will help protect carpets from getting wet.

Obstacle clearance

The 2 cm high threshold allows the robot vacuum cleaner to move with the wet cleaning attachment installed.

Driving on black surfaces

The robot is wary of black rugs, however, detecting them by differences in height. This is also worth considering.

Noise level

Finally, we measure the robot's noise level. It's between 60-67 dB, depending on the selected power level. This is a standard noise level, and this is true even with high power!

Personal opinion

The Midea VCR M7 EVO robot vacuum cleaner has been thoroughly reviewed and tested. our evaluation system he managed to gain 119 points, which is a standard result for its price and given the lack of a self-cleaning station.

Overall rating of tested robot vacuum cleaners: https://robovac.washerhouse.com/en/rejtingi/robovac-obshhij-rejting-robotov-pylesosov-robo.html.

I'll highlight the robot's pros and cons, then share my opinion. I liked the following:

1. High suction power.
2. High-quality dry cleaning on hard surfaces and low-pile carpets.
3. Good filtration system in the dust collector.
4. Capacious battery.
5. Automatic power increase when driving on carpets.
6. Two side brushes, for those who still care.
7. Full Russification of the application and voice notifications.
8. Yandex.Alice support.
9. Good cross-country ability.
10. Availability of warranty and service.
11. Optimal price, considering navigation and functionality.

Among the shortcomings, I would highlight the following problems that I discovered:

1. The robot vacuum cleaner is afraid of black carpets.
2. There are problems with cleaning medium pile carpets.
3. Primitive wet cleaning by 2024 standards.
4. The top cover gets dirty easily.
5. There is no custom mode in the settings.

Overall, given the price at the current exchange rate, the comments are quite standard for this price segment. For the price, the robot vacuum is quite good and does its main job, which is why it was included in the updated ranking of the best robot vacuums under $200. There were no compelling reasons to recommend it, so if you're interested, the purchase link is below.

On this note, I'd like to end this review. Happy shopping, everyone. Bye!