Midea VCR V12: All-in-One Station, Round Napkins, Object Identification System

The Midea VCR V12 robot vacuum cleaner is a fully-featured cleaning machine for $500. It features a self-cleaning dust bin on the station, washing cloths, and warm-air drying. The robot itself is also notable for its square body for improved corner sweeping, a lidar and 3D sensor combo on the bumper for precise movement, and the popular two round cleaning cloths. Overall, it seems like a perfectly adequate combination for its price. Below, I'll thoroughly test the Midea VCR V12, highlight its pros and cons, and then express my opinion on whether this robot vacuum is worth buying. So, let's get started!

Equipment

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

In addition to the robot and station, the delivery kit includes a spare waste bag and documentation translated into Russian.

Appearance

Let's take a look at the Midea VCR V12's appearance. Let's start with the robot vacuum itself. Its square shape allows the side brushes to better sweep debris into corners.

Case height 108 mm:

The main navigation unit is the lidar. The cover is spring-loaded, preventing it from getting stuck under furniture. Three mechanical control buttons are located next to the lidar.

There is a wall sensor located on the right side behind the bumper:

A set of sensors is installed at the front to detect and accurately avoid objects on the floor. This technology is called 3D Obstacle Avoidance.

The dust container is located under the top lid. Its capacity is 250 ml. The bottom is manually emptied with the press of a button. Of course, there's a curtain for automatic self-cleaning of the container at the station. The filtration system is based on a HEPA filter and a mesh screen. The robot itself does not have a water tank. The cloths are only moistened at the station during washing.

The robot's underside is equipped with six fall protection sensors. It also has a carpet detection sensor. It has two side brushes, which remains an important feature for some. The brushes are three-beam and quick-release.

The central brush unit is floating. The brush itself is made of bristles and petals. Unfortunately, it cannot be disassembled.

Behind the turbo brush are two familiar round cleaning pads. They attach to holders with Velcro. The pads themselves are thick and don't lift up on carpets or slide out to the edge of the unit. However, the familiar wall-washing algorithm, with the back end scrolling, is implemented. This solution minimizes the blind spot between the edge of the pads and baseboards or furniture.

Now that we've examined the robot, let's move on to the station. Here, the Midea VCR V12 self-cleans, washes the wipes with room-temperature water (i.e., without heating), and dries the wipes with warm air.

The napkin tray is completely removable, making it very convenient for maintenance and easier to clean.

The dust bag is located under a lid in the center of the station. A cleaning brush is attached to the lid. The dust bag itself has a capacity of 2.5 liters. The build quality is better than most other self-cleaning robot vacuums.

The station has four control buttons on top of it. Under the lid are 4.7-liter tanks for clean and dirty water. There's no detergent compartment. This station also can't be connected to a sewer or water supply.

So far, I can say that the Midea VCR V12's design has both strengths and weaknesses. All of these will be discussed in the final review.

Technical specifications

The main characteristics of the Midea VCR V12, as stated by the manufacturer, are displayed on the screen:

Robot vacuum cleaner:

• Li-Ion battery 5200 mAh.
• Suction power up to 5000 Pa.
• Operating time up to 180 min.
• Dust collector 250 ml.
• Water tank: none.
• Obstacle clearance up to 20 mm.
• Dimensions: 350*342*108 mm.

Station:

• Clean water tank: 4.7 l.
• Dirty water tank: 4.7 l.
• Bag in the station: 2.5 l.
• Dimensions: 412*380*567 mm.

Overall, all the characteristics are standard for this price segment and the realities of 2024.

Functional capabilities

Speaking of features, the Midea VCR V12 is controlled via the proprietary Smarthome app. Connecting to the network is seamless. The interface is in Russian.

The main functions are displayed on the screen:

• Self-cleaning dust collector.
• Washing napkins.
• Drying napkins with warm air.
• Identifying objects on the floor.
• Thorough cleaning along walls and corners.
• 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.
• Setting the frequency of washing napkins.
• Cleaning log.
• Setting up cleaning according to a schedule.
• Yandex.Alice support.

I'll note here that there aren't actually that many settings, but all the basic functions are included. The company has taken a unique approach to the napkin wash cycle. There are three modes:

1. Return for washing every 14 square meters, with the washing process taking 85 seconds.
2. After 10 square meters and 100 seconds of washing.
3. Or after 8 square meters and 115 seconds.

It is also possible to turn off the object detection system and enable the thorough wall wash mode, which I mentioned earlier.

Testing

A detailed video review of the Midea VCR V12, including 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 the Midea VCR V12's navigation in a room with obstacles. The robot first navigates the perimeter of the room, then cleans the entire accessible area in a serpentine motion. It didn't get stuck on the dryer's legs. It swept around the box separately, but due to its large body, it couldn't navigate around the chair legs. It only swept partially.

Speaking of navigation within the house, the robot vacuum cleaner cleans room by room, following the perimeter, then in a serpentine pattern. Every 8 square meters, as I determined, it returns to the station and washes its cleaning pads, then resumes cleaning from where it left off. In total, the robot returned to the station and washed its cleaning pads four times during the cleaning process. There were no uncleaned areas; this model has excellent navigation!

Definition of objects

Speaking of the floor detection system, the robot vacuum touched all six objects. It even ran over a simulated pet dropping and chewed on the cord, causing it to go into error mode. The same happened in complete darkness. So, ultimately, I can say the Midea VCR V12's floor detection system is ineffective. While it's a bit more accurate than typical lidar robots, you shouldn't expect it to avoid objects on the floor.

Suction power

As for suction power, the Midea VCR V12 was only able to fully clean a 2mm gap. It also managed to partially clean debris from a 4mm gap in one area, but in any case, the robot's power isn't high. I'd say it's average.

Dry cleaning

The collection performance of various types of debris on laminate floors is good. It cleaned corners a little better than most other round robots, but it wasn't perfect. A little hair got caught on the center brush. We also saw that the cleaning pads were dirty with debris. This is because the cleaning pads don't lift up in dry mode, and what's even stranger to me is that they rotate even in dry mode. They simply aren't moistened with water at the cleaning station.

Carpet cleaning

The same debris was scattered on a low-pile carpet. And I can say that the Midea VCR V12 thoroughly cleaned the carpet.

It was also capable of cleaning medium-pile carpet, but not as effectively. A small amount of debris remained in the pile. The robot likely simply lacked the power.

Self-cleaning

Immediately after the "dirty tests," I checked how well the robot vacuum self-cleaned. I returned it to the station and started the self-cleaning process. The results were good. The dust bin was empty, so this robot's self-cleaning function is working well!

Wet cleaning

The cleaning performance on slightly dried-on dirt is also excellent. The cloth presses firmly to the floor and absorbs dirt.

Moreover, the robot was able to remove even dried-on coffee and sauce stains. Granted, not on the first try. It took the thirteenth, to be precise. But it was still up to the task. I'll share my own observation here. Along the entire stand, the robot was able to remove all the stains in six or seven passes, as it moved more slowly and rotated its back end. However, the very center of the stand required more passes, as the robot moves very quickly and the contact time between the wipes and the stains is shorter than with similar devices. Therefore, I can say that the wipes press hard on the floor and the robot itself is heavy, but due to its high speed, it doesn't remove stains as quickly as it could.

Wet cleaning and carpets

Regarding wet cleaning on carpeted floors, even with a carpet detection sensor, the robot doesn't detect them. Therefore, they need to be protected from getting wet by setting off-limits zones for wet cleaning mode. Thus, by setting the "Dry, then Wet" cleaning mode, the Midea VCR V12 will first vacuum the entire floor, including carpets, and then wet clean, avoiding them. Incidentally, this robot also, surprisingly, doesn't have an automatic power boost mode.

Alternatively, you can completely remove the wiper holders and run the robot vacuum cleaner for dry cleaning without the wiper. This might be a good option for some.

Washing quality of napkins

I'll talk about the effectiveness of the station itself separately. Let's start with the cleaning quality of the wipes. Even after extensive testing, the wipes look significantly better after washing at the station. In everyday use, after washing the floor, the wipes are thoroughly rinsed at the station. A minimal amount of dirt is removed under the pressure of warm water. This is a plus.

The station itself is easy to clean. Remove the tray and drain, rinse them in the sink, and then return them to the sink.

Obstacle clearance

The robot has excellent maneuverability. It can easily cross a 2 cm threshold!

Driving on black surfaces

But he's afraid of the black mat, because the anti-fall sensors detect black as a chasm. This is important to keep in mind.

Noise level

Finally, let's measure the noise level of the Midea VCR V12. It ranges from 58 to 67 dB, which is average.

Personal opinion

The Midea VCR V12 robot vacuum cleaner has been thoroughly reviewed and tested. our evaluation system he managed to gain 152 pointsThe result isn't as high due to a number of issues, which will be listed below. However, for the sub-$500 price segment, the rating is on par with most similar devices.

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

I'll highlight the pros and cons I discovered during testing, and then share my own opinion about the robot.

I liked the following:

1. High-quality dry and wet cleaning on hard surfaces.
2. A convenient and efficient all-in-one station. The robot vacuum cleaner cleans itself efficiently, removes dirt from its cloths, and dries them completely with warm air. The station is also easy to clean thanks to its removable tray.
3. Increased capacity of water tanks at the station.
4. Thorough cleaning of floors along walls thanks to the rotating rear part of the robot.
5. The robot vacuum cleaner sweeps better into corners thanks to its square body shape.
6. Yandex.Alice support and overall full Russification of the app.
7. Good cross-country ability.
8. Two side brushes.
9. Availability of warranty and service.
10. Optimal price, considering the presence of a multifunctional station.

As for the disadvantages, there are the following comments about the robot:

1. The item detection system is not working correctly.
2. The wipes do not rise when driving on carpets or in dry cleaning mode.
3. The robot vacuum cleaner does not detect carpets, and therefore does not automatically avoid them or increase suction power on them.
4. There are problems with cleaning medium pile carpets.
5. There is no water tank in the robot itself.
6. The station cannot be connected to the sewerage and water supply.
7. Afraid of black carpets.

In conclusion, considering all the comments, I would recommend the Midea VCR V12 primarily for cleaning hard floors. It's well suited for this task, and given the price, it may be the optimal option for those who aren't bothered by the aforementioned drawbacks. However, similar devices in this price range also have their share of flaws.

On that note, I'd like to end this review. If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments. Happy shopping, everyone. Bye!