Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum Mop Essential G1: Xiaomi's Most Affordable Robot Vacuum Cleaner

We welcome all readers of the site. robovac.washerhouse.com! I've finally gotten my hands on Xiaomi's most affordable robot vacuum cleaner at the time of writing. It's the Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop Essential, also known as the Xiaomi MiJia Sweeping Robot G1. The former is for the European market, the latter for China. Otherwise, these models are identical in specifications and functionality. However, I still recommend buying the European version of the Vacuum-Mop Essential, which has a Russian voice package. As for the price, it ranges from $110-$150. The average retail price for the robot is $120. Below, I'll review and test the Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop Essential in detail, after which I'll express my opinion on whether this robot vacuum cleaner is worth buying. So, let's get started!

Equipment

The robot vacuum cleaner arrived in a box like this:

The manufacturer's delivery set includes:

1. Charging base with cord storage compartment.
2. Wet cleaning nozzle with a microfiber cloth installed.
3. Power adapter.
4. Tool for cleaning the dust collector and central brush.
5. And the operating instructions are in several languages, including Russian. But I got the robot from a subscriber who forgot to include the instructions in the box. So I can't show you.

The package contents are minimal, with no spare parts, remote control, or motion limiter. This is a drawback.

Appearance

Now let's take a look at the robot vacuum cleaner itself. It's designed in the traditional Xiaomi minimalist style. It's round and matte white. A soft-touch mechanical bumper is installed at the front. Two control buttons are located on top: start/pause and a forced return to the charging base.

The combined water and waste container is located on top, under the lid. The water tank is detachable from the dust container.

Its capacity is 200 ml. The water flow rate is adjustable in the app. The dust container is large enough to hold up to 600 ml of dry waste. It features a triple filtration system consisting of a mesh, foam, and HEPA filter.

Let's look at the robot's underside. It has two side brushes. They are three-pronged, tumbled, and attached with screws. The central brush is a non-detachable, bristle-petal brush.

A wet cleaning attachment is installed underneath. Water flows through three holes onto the cloth. The cloth itself is microfiber, with lint-free sides, so this robot will be less effective at cleaning floors along baseboards.

Overall the build quality is good considering the price.

Technical specifications

Main features of the Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop Essential:

• Li-Ion battery with a capacity of 2500 mAh.
• Suction power up to 2200 Pa.
• Operating time up to 90 min.
• Cleaning area up to 80 sq.m.
• Dust collector capacity is 600 ml.
• The volume of the water tank is 200 ml.
• Obstacle clearance 20 mm.
• Noise level up to 65 dB.
• Dimensions 350*82 mm.
• Weight 2.8 kg.

For a budget robot vacuum, this model has good maneuverability and above-average suction power. Otherwise, the specifications are quite standard. We'll test some of these claims in our tests below.

Functional capabilities

Now let's take a look at the Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop Essential's functionality. It's controlled via the Mi Home app, and connecting to a Wi-Fi network was straightforward for me.

The main work panel displays the generated map. Thanks to its gyroscope, the robot creates a map of the room in real time, but does not store it in memory.

The main functions are listed below the map. These include returning the robot to the charging base, starting and stopping automatic operation, adjusting the suction power, and adjusting the wetness of the cleaning cloth when the attachment is attached.

The settings include scheduled cleaning. You can select the days of the week and times for the robot vacuum to run. There's a spot cleaning mode and manual control, as well as a cleaning log where maps are saved. You can enable "do not disturb" mode and adjust the volume and language of voice notifications. Incidentally, the European version of the Vacuum-Mop Essential speaks Russian.

You can also monitor the status of consumables, activate the device's sound alert, and select perimeter cleaning mode. You can also change the robot's name, select its location, share control with other family members, and update the firmware if necessary.

This is all the basic functionality of the Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop Essential. It has all the features that a budget-friendly device should have. robot vacuum cleaner up to $150 One caveat: you can't restrict the robot vacuum's movements with a magnetic strip, even if you purchase one separately. This is confirmed by numerous reviews on specialized forums.

It's also important to note that this robot vacuum automatically increases suction power when it comes into contact with carpets and supports the Yandex.Alice voice assistant (if you have the European version, not the Chinese one).

Video review

We recommend watching our detailed video review of the Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop Essential, including all the tests, which are duplicated in text form below:

Testing

Navigation

First, let's test this robotic vacuum's navigation in a room with obstacles. It first traverses the entire accessible area in a zigzag pattern. It didn't get stuck on the dryer, left dust around the chair legs, and didn't sweep the box separately. After the zigzag pattern, it switches to perimeter mode, traversing the entire accessible area, and then returns to the base.

During the test, I noticed that the robot was making a lot of unnecessary movements, returning to areas it had already cleaned. Furthermore, during the test, it increased its suction power several times, as if recognizing the carpet. Overall, it seemed to be behaving strangely. As a result, it took about 17 minutes to clean an 11 square meter area, and its cleaning speed isn't particularly fast. Real-time mapping also lags.

Regarding cleaning the entire house, there are also some comments. In my case, the robot's usable area is about 34 square meters, and that's five rooms. The robot correctly mapped the living room, bedroom, and hallway, but then it went into the children's room, and the map got lost, resulting in it combining the living room and children's room into one.

As a result, not only was the map generated inaccurately, but there were also some uncleared areas, albeit small ones. These failures were most likely due to minor slippage on the carpet and dark laminate flooring. Therefore, the multi-room navigation test failed. I think this robot vacuum is best purchased for a total area of ​​approximately 40-50 square meters, no more, to avoid any issues with uncleared areas.

Suction power

The Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop Essential has a relatively good suction power, and it was able to suck up debris from a 2mm deep gap, like most robot vacuum cleaners on the market.

But it’s worth noting right away that this model has a significant competitor in terms of power – this is 360 C50, which showed much better results at a cost of $80.

Dry cleaning of laminate flooring

There are no complaints about the dry cleaning performance. The robot was able to pick up all the debris from the floor, except for corners, where round robots can't sweep. Most of the debris was collected in the dust bin, while hair and fur were caught on the central brush.

Cleaning the carpet

On the carpet, the Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop Essential also demonstrated good cleaning performance, successfully picking up fur and hair from the carpet.

Wet cleaning

The wet cleaning performance was also impressive. The robot was able to remove all the dirt from the floor without leaving any marks or streaks. It only left one line along the baseboard, but so far this has been a weak point of all the robot vacuums I've tested. So, I have no complaints about this budget model.

For delicate wet cleaning, the Vacuum-Mop Essential is a good budget option. It's also worth noting that the robot vacuum cleaner can vacuum and mop simultaneously, which is important. The tank is large enough for the entire cleaning cycle, and it has a good capacity.

Obstacle clearance

The robot has good obstacle clearance, easily crossing thresholds up to 2 cm high. This test was passed successfully.

Dark coatings

But the robot vacuum cleaner recognized the dark rug as a height difference, which is a minus.

Noise level

Finally, let's check the Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop Essential's noise level in different modes. At minimum suction power, the noise level is around 62 dB, but when accelerating, the wheels become quite noisy, causing the noise meter to record up to 66 dB. In standard mode, the noise level is around 64 dB. And at maximum power, it doesn't exceed 67 dB. The noise level is standard for a robot vacuum cleaner.

Let's sum it up

Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop Essential has been thoroughly reviewed and tested. our evaluation system he was able to dial 49 out of 100 points, if we're talking about the European version. If you're considering buying the Chinese Mijia G1, it scored 45 out of 100 points Due to the lack of Russian-language voice notifications and Yandex.Alice support. The results are decent, considering it's a budget robot vacuum, but I have a few complaints, one of which would put me off buying it. Let's take it one step at a time.

If we talk about the positive aspects, then this is undeniable:

1. Building a map of the premises.
2. Simultaneous dry and wet cleaning.
3. The presence of a central brush, which effectively collects debris and hair.
4. Control via mobile application.
5. Electronic regulation of water supply and suction power.
6. High quality dry and wet cleaning.
7. Good cross-country ability.

As for the disadvantages, there are also quite a few of them:

1. The navigation is weak, and even the cartography is worse than many similar devices with a gyroscope.
2. The robot vacuum cleaner is afraid of dark surfaces.
3. Does not work with magnetic tape.
4. Well, the equipment is meager.

Personally, my biggest gripe is the navigation itself and the fact that the robot can leave unkempt areas and re-run already cleaned ones. This slightly dampened my impression of Xiaomi's robot, which, for me, is one of the best on the market. Otherwise, it's a good option for the price; at least it's a real robot vacuum, not a toy. Therefore, if you have a small living space, such as a one-bedroom apartment, or you plan to use the robot vacuum in just one or two rooms, then this option is worth considering. Similar options will either offer a more basic wet cleaning performance or have significantly poorer build quality.

Well, in general, I also recommend considering the Chinese version of a more advanced model in the line - Mijia 1C, which costs around $150 and already comes equipped with a camera for navigation, can zone a room into rooms, and supports no-go zones in the app. Alternatively, consider the European version of the Xiaomi Mi Robot Vaccum-Mop, but it will cost around $170 or more. This robot vacuum cleaner is one of the best in its segment and has received numerous rave reviews from customers, and after our review, it left a more positive impression.

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

Analogues:

• Eufy RoboVac R450
• ELARI SmartBot
• Midea VCR03
• Ecovacs DeeBot N79S
• iLife V50 Pro
• Midea VCR16
• iPlus X500pro