NEATSVOR X500: What can a $100 robot vacuum cleaner do?!

The NEATSVOR X500 is an affordable robot vacuum cleaner equipped with a gyroscope for navigation, dry and wet cleaning functions, and control via an app and remote control. And while the navigation is rather weak, gyroscopic robots While robots are becoming a thing of the past, many people still wonder which robot to choose for under $100, whether they're on a budget or don't want to spend a lot on their first robot. One such option is the NEATSVOR X500, priced between $100 and $120, or nearly $1.00 to $1.20 at the exchange rate at the time of writing. Below, I'll show you how the robot works, what it can do, and whether it's worth buying. Let's get started!

Equipment

Neatsvor X500 arrived in this branded box:

The package includes:

1. Charging base.
2. Power adapter.
3. A wet cleaning tank with a pre-installed cleaning cloth. The robot also comes with a dry cleaning container built right out of the box.
4. Spare napkin.
5. Remote control without batteries.
6. Robot cleaning tool.
7. Two spare side brushes.
8. Spare HEPA and foam filters.
9. Operating instructions.

The kit is well-equipped! All the necessary spare parts are included. That's a plus!

Appearance

Let's take a look at the design of the Neatsvor X500. Its round body is 75 mm high. This is one of its few advantages over lidar robots. This device can fit under lower furniture to clean.

The front features a soft-touch mechanical bumper. The control panel features a single control button, next to which is a Wi-Fi connection indicator. Navigation is handled by a gyroscope, hidden inside the case.

The dust container is removable from the rear. It features a triple filtration system, including a HEPA filter, foam filter, and mesh filter. The container is capacious, holding 600 ml.

A combined water and waste container can be installed in place of the dust collector. The water tank holds 350 ml and contains a pump for electronically controlling the flow rate. This container also contains a small waste collection compartment. According to the manufacturer, it holds up to 300 ml of dry waste. The cloth is attached to the base of the container with Velcro. Water is supplied to the cloth through six dispenser holes.

The robot's underside is equipped with three sets of fall protection sensors. It has two side brushes, each with a three-pronged design and quick-release. The central brush unit is non-floating. The turbo brush has a bristle and petal design, and one side can be removed to remove tangled hair and fur.

Overall, the Neatsvor X500's build quality is budget-friendly, as is its price. I'll discuss the pros and cons of its design in the tests and in the final review.

Technical specifications

The main characteristics of the Neatsvor X500, as stated by the manufacturer:

• Li-Ion battery 2600 mAh.
• Suction power up to 3000 Pa.
• Operating time up to 130 min.
• Cleaning area 120-180 sq.m.
• Dust collector 600 ml.
• Combined container 350 + 300 ml.
• Passability of obstacles up to 15 mm.
• Dimensions: 330*75 mm.
• Weight: 3 kg.

It's important to note that the manufacturer claims a maximum cleaning area of ​​up to 180 square meters. However, this figure is based on ideal conditions—a rectangular room without obstacles at minimum power. Under normal household conditions, the gyroscope is sufficient for effective cleaning of an area no more than 80 square meters. Furthermore, the battery is weak and won't allow for longer cleaning times at medium or maximum power.

Functions

Speaking of the robot's capabilities, it's controlled via the Smart Life mobile app. Connecting was straightforward, and the app interface is in Russian.

Main functions of Neatsvor X500:

1. Building a map of the premises.
2. Automatic cleaning mode.
3. Intelligent mode.
4. Perimeter cleaning mode.
5. Spot cleaning.
6. Remote control.
7. Power regulation.
8. Adjusting the water supply level.
9. Setting up cleaning according to a schedule (time, days of the week).
10. Cleaning log.
11. Voice notifications in Russian.
12. Yandex.Alice support.

It's worth noting that the Neatsvor X500 can create a real-time map of a room in a separate section, but unfortunately, the maps created are not saved in the cleaning log, allowing you to see whether the robot has cleaned the entire area.

These same functions are duplicated on the remote control, which is convenient for the elderly or if it is not possible to connect the robot vacuum cleaner to a Wi-Fi network for some reason.

Overall, the functionality is quite standard and matches the navigation of a robot vacuum cleaner.

Testing

A detailed video review of the Neatsvor X500, 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 Neatsvor X500's navigation in a room with obstacles. I deliberately limited the space it could travel outside the room to test a few things. When leaving the base, the robot vacuum cleaner starts cleaning the entire accessible area in a serpentine pattern, then cleans the perimeter and returns to the base. The legs of the clothes dryer didn't cause any problems. The robot didn't clean around the legs of chairs or boxes, either. We also see that its touch on objects isn't very gentle, which is typical of most gyroscope-based robots. I won't count this test.

When it comes to navigating within the house, the Neatsvor X500 first cleans the entire area in a serpentine pattern, then performs a perimeter check, and returns to the base. I'd like to point out that the robot created a fairly accurate map, which matches the actual geometry of the rooms. Here's a visual comparison with the map created by the larger Neatsvor X600 Pro. Furthermore, there were no missed areas, and this is in a 70-square-meter apartment. For a gyroscope-based robot, this model's navigation is excellent. This test has been passed!

Suction power

In terms of suction power, the robot vacuum cleaner was only able to vacuum debris from a 2 mm deep gap. The suction power is quite average.

Dry cleaning

The dry cleaning performance is excellent; the robot picked up all the debris from the laminate flooring, leaving only a small amount in the corners, where round robot vacuums can't reach. However, I should note that this model, despite its body shape, sweeps much better in corners than similar models. Pet hair and fur got tangled up in the center brush, although it appeared the side brushes were taking the brunt of the impact. The bulk of the debris was collected in the dust bin. Test passed.

Cleaning the carpet

The cleaning quality of medium-pile carpets is poor. Not only does the robot perform poorly on carpets due to its weak power and non-floating design of the central brush unit, but the turbo brush also gets stuck in medium-pile carpets, causing the robot to malfunction. It's only suitable for use on low-pile carpets.

Wet cleaning

The cleaning performance for light stains is generally good. The robot vacuum was able to remove dried-on dirt without leaving streaks. This is a plus. The only remaining area is a narrow zone along the baseboard, which is a blind spot for almost all existing robot vacuums.

It's important to note one crucial detail regarding wet cleaning. Since it requires swapping the dust bin for a water tank, this robot has separate dry and wet cleaning modes. In other words, when in mopping mode with the water tank installed, the Neatsvor X500 only sweeps; suction is disabled.

Wet cleaning and carpets

Since the robot lacks a carpet detection sensor, the Neatsvor X500 cannot automatically avoid carpets during wet cleaning. To protect carpets from getting wet, set up designated no-go zones for wet cleaning in areas where carpets are located.

Obstacle clearance

The obstacle clearance is 15 mm, as stated by the manufacturer. The robot is unable to overcome 2 cm thresholds.

Driving on black surfaces

There are also issues with driving over black surfaces. The robot recognizes the height difference and avoids it. However, there are no issues on hard black surfaces. This is important to keep in mind.

Noise level

As for the noise level, it ranges from 57.5 to 72.5 dB, depending on the selected mode. The noise level is quite standard.

Personal opinion

The Neatsvor X500 robot vacuum cleaner has been thoroughly reviewed and tested. our evaluation system he managed to gain 59 points.

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

I liked the following:

1. Quite accurate gyroscope.
2. Control via app and remote control.
3. Good equipment.
4. Complete Russification.
5. Capacious dust collector.

Speaking of shortcomings, here are the main comments that were found during testing:

1. Separate dry and wet cleaning.
2. Doesn't clean medium pile carpets well.
3. Afraid of black carpets.
4. Unable to cross thresholds 2 cm high.

Ultimately, I can say what I said in the updated robot vacuum buying guide: in 2023, buying a robot vacuum with a gyroscope makes absolutely no sense. However, if your budget is tight and the above concerns don't bother you, then you should make your own decision based on the pros and cons. However, if you do buy this device, it should only be if you don't have medium- or high-pile carpets, and only for dry and wet cleaning on hard surfaces in small areas.

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