Tefal X-plorer Serie 95: a powerful and highly practical robot vacuum cleaner with advanced wet cleaning

Hello to all readers of the site! I received the new flagship from Tefal for review – the Tefal X-plorer Serie 95 robot vacuum cleaner. Looking ahead, I’d like to note that this is one of the most powerful and most practical robot vacuum cleaners I’ve had the pleasure of testing. The model is equipped with a powerful motor developing suction power up to 12,000 Pa, lidar for navigation, all the cutting-edge features in the app, advanced wet cleaning, and an extended package that includes three different central brushes to choose from and two or three different cloths (depending on the model). The price of the robot is around $500, which places it in the premium segment. Below, I will thoroughly examine and test the Tefal X-plorer Serie 95, after which I will express my opinion on whether this robot is worth buying and whether it deserves to be called one of the best. The best robot vacuum cleaners of 2021. So, let's go!

Equipment

The Tefal X-plorer Serie 95 arrived in this branded box:

In addition to the robot vacuum cleaner itself, it contains:

1. Charging base.
2. Power adapter.
3. A wet cleaning attachment with a red cloth installed for cleaning up after pets (as claimed by the manufacturer).
4. Spare blue cloth for everyday wet cleaning.
5. Replaceable central brush in the form of a lint roller for cleaning on hard surfaces.
6. Another replaceable silicone turbo brush for collecting long hair.
7. Robot cleaning tool.
8. Manufacturer's documentation is available in several languages, including Russian.

It's worth noting that the white version of the robot (Tefal X-plorer Serie 95 White Total Care RG7987WH) should come with an extra green cleaning cloth. According to the manufacturer, this cloth is suitable for collecting fine dust during dry cleaning.

Overall, the package is good, but I think it's missing a spare HEPA filter and side brushes. I'd also like to point out that there's no remote control included.

Appearance

Let's take a look at the design of the Tefal X-plorer Series 95. It's black with a matte finish. The robot is also available in white. The height of the body is 10 cm.

The front features a soft-touch mechanical bumper. A side wall sensor is visible on it.

The control panel has two mechanical buttons: start/pause and a forced return to the charging base. Navigation is handled by a lidar sensor, which is equipped with a mechanical button to prevent the robot from getting stuck under furniture.

The combined water and waste container is located under the top lid. The manufacturer's instructions for using the container are located on it. It's important to note that the manufacturer allows the HEPA filter to be washed with water. The tank holds up to 220 ml of water.

The dust container's filtration system consists of a mesh, foam, and HEPA filter. The dust container opens easily for emptying. A transparent curtain inside prevents debris from spilling when the container is removed. The dust container itself holds up to 500 ml of dry waste.

By the way, the Tefal X-plorer Serie 95 supports electronic water supply regulation, but the pump itself is located in the robot.

Let's take a look at the robot vacuum's underside. It has four fall protection sensors, two side brushes secured with screws, and a central brush. Out of the box, the robot comes with a bristle and petal brush. It can be removed from both sides for easy cleaning of tangled hair and fur.

This is what a silicone brush for collecting long hair looks like; it is also collapsible:

And the most unusual solution is the lint roller, which can be disassembled on both sides in a similar manner:

All three brushes disassembled:

The wet cleaning attachment has three holes for dispensing water onto the cloth. The cloth is attached using Velcro and a groove, making it very convenient.

Overall, the build quality of the robot vacuum cleaner is high, and I have no complaints about it so far.

Technical specifications

The main characteristics of the Tefal X-plorer Serie 95, as declared by the manufacturer:

• Li-Ion battery 3200 mAh.
• Suction power up to 12000 Pa.
• Operating time up to 225 min.
• Dust collector capacity is 500 ml.
• Water tank capacity is 220 ml.
• Obstacle clearance up to 20 mm.
• Dimensions: 350*100 mm.

The only important characteristic to highlight is the incredibly high suction power compared to similar devices, which typically claim between 2,500 and 3,000 Pa. But I'll definitely test this on the test bench.

Functional capabilities

Let's move on to an overview of the Tefal X-plorer Series 95's features. The robot vacuum cleaner is controlled via a proprietary mobile app. Connection is quite simple; just follow the manufacturer's instructions.

On the main control panel, the robot vacuum cleaner creates a room map and automatically divides it into rooms. It also displays information about the last cleaning below the map. Below, the four main operating modes are displayed in a row:

• automatic cleaning of the entire available area;
• "Zone" mode, which allows you to select areas on the map for cleaning and even give names to these areas;
• "Room" mode - you can select the rooms you want to clean and the order in which these rooms will be cleaned;
• Local cleaning at the specified point on the map.

To the right of the map is the "Map Zoning" section. Here you can combine several rooms into one, divide a room into separate zones, name the rooms, and select a user mode. I'll go into more detail about this. You can set the appropriate suction power and water flow rate for each room. For example, in rooms with wood flooring, it's best to set the mop to a minimum or medium level to avoid damaging the flooring. And in rooms with tile, you can set the mop to a more intense level. A very convenient and functional solution.

Another section to the right of the map is called "virtual boundaries." Here you can set no-go zones on the map, even specific ones for wet cleaning mode. This is a plus.

The bottom row of buttons on the main control panel controls the forced return to the charging base, the cleaning cycle, and the power and water level adjustments. Incidentally, you can also enable an automatic power boost when entering carpets and an intensive wet cleaning mode. In this mode, the Tefal X-plorer Serie 95 moves in a herringbone pattern. robotic floor polishers, which allows you to better remove dirt from the floor.

If you go to the "More" section, you can set up a cleaning schedule by selecting the time, days of the week, suction power, water flow level, and specific rooms to clean. You can also manually control the robot and select a local cleaning mode. You can search for the robot vacuum cleaner by sound and select a desired cleaning map, meaning the Tefal X-plorer Serie 95 stores multiple maps in its memory. You can also enable user mode, view cleaning history, and adjust the robot's volume (it makes sounds when its status changes, but does not speak). There's also a do-not-disturb mode and a section for monitoring the status of consumables.

Overall, the functionality is broad, similar to other premium robot vacuums currently on the market. It's also worth noting that the Tefal X-plorer Series 95 supports control via Yandex.Alice, which is a plus.

Testing

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

Navigation

Let's move on to the tests. First, we'll test the Tefal X-plorer Series 95's navigation in a room with obstacles. The robot vacuum first navigates the perimeter of the room, then begins cleaning in a snake-like pattern across the entire accessible area. The legs of a clothes dryer presented a bit of a challenge, but the robot managed to escape the trap and continue cleaning. It also swept around a box and the legs of a chair before returning to its base. Navigation is good!

As for navigation within the home, there are no complaints either. The Tefal X-plorer Series 95 cleans room after room, first along the perimeter, then in a serpentine pattern. Cleaning speed is high, and there are no uncleaned areas. Test passed successfully!

Suction power

More interestingly, it's worth testing the claimed 12,000 Pa suction power. At maximum power and with the bristle-petal brush installed, the robot was able to suck debris out of crevices 2 and 4 mm deep.

He showed a similar result with a silicone hair brush.

But with a fluffy roller, the robot vacuum cleaner managed to collect debris even from a 10 mm gap.

This is indeed a high suction power, but a similar result was added by some others powerful robotic vacuum cleaners, which I tested. In any case, the Tefal X-plorer Series 95 has high suction power, and this fact is confirmed by real-world tests.

Dry cleaning of laminate flooring

Let's test the quality of debris collection on laminate flooring. With any of the three brushes installed, the robot demonstrated excellent cleaning performance, leaving no debris on the floor!

However, we see that the standard bristle-petal brush is in the worst condition, with fur and hair tangled around it. The silicone brush, as well as the fluff roller, picked up less hair. Therefore, these two options are easier to maintain.

I would also like to emphasize that the Tefal X-plorer Serie 95 sweeps out debris from corners better than most other round robot vacuum cleaners.

Cleaning the carpet

Regarding carpet cleaning, it's important to note that the bristle-petal and silicone brushes performed well, while the lint roller performed less well. This type of center brush is generally recommended for hard surfaces, not carpets. Keep this in mind.

Wet cleaning

The cleaning performance is good. The robot left no traces of dirt or streaks on the floor. The only area that wasn't cleaned was along the baseboard, but that's a blind spot for all the robot vacuums I tested.

Obstacle clearance

The Tefal X-plorer Series 95 has good obstacle clearance. The robot vacuum cleaner can climb thresholds up to 20 mm high. This is a plus.

Driving on dark surfaces

However, the robot is afraid of dark surfaces and recognizes them as elevation changes, which is important to take into account.

Noise level

Finally, we measured the noise level of the Tefal X-plorer Serie 95 in different modes. In floor polishing mode, with the suction disabled, the noise level was between 56-60 dB. At minimum power, the noise level rose to 61.5 dB. In medium mode, it reached 72 dB. At high power, the noise level was around 74 dB. In Turbo mode, the peak noise level was 82 dB.

Yes, this robot vacuum is noisy due to its high suction power. Therefore, I recommend running it on maximum power when you're not home to avoid the increased noise level becoming a distraction.

Let's sum it up

The Tefal X-plorer Serie 95 has been thoroughly reviewed and tested. our evaluation system he managed to gain 80 out of 100 points and confidently enter the TOP-5 overall ratingAnd in my opinion, it can rightfully be considered one of the best in the premium segment.

Now I'll express my personal opinion about Tefal's flagship. I liked the following:

1. Good navigation.
2. High suction power.
3. All advanced functionality in the application.
4. High quality dry and wet cleaning, and the robot can vacuum and mop the floor at the same time.
5. Three central brushes to choose from for different application conditions.
6. Good cross-country ability.
7. High quality execution and assembly.
8. Yandex.Alice support.
9. Availability of full service support from the manufacturer. Moreover, Tefal states that spare parts for its robots will be produced for 10 years from the release of a specific model.

As for defects, no critical ones were identified. There are only a few comments about the Tefal X-plorer Series 95, namely:

1. The robot is afraid of dark floor coverings.
2. Increased noise during operation.

Otherwise, I liked the product and can confidently recommend it. I hope future Tefal flagships will be equipped with a self-cleaning station and a sensor system for detecting objects on the floor. Then they will be even more competitive in the premium segment. Even so, the Tefal X-plorer Series 95 robot vacuum cleaner has lived up to all expectations.

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