Midea I5C: A budget-friendly robot vacuum cleaner with wet cleaning and increased power

The Midea I5C (part number VCR09B) is a budget-friendly robot vacuum cleaner for both dry and wet cleaning. Priced at around $100, it features a gyroscope for navigation, is controlled via an app and remote control, and boasts suction power of up to 4000 Pa and the ability to vacuum and mop simultaneously. At this price, it seems like it has all the necessary features. I thoroughly tested the Midea I5C and then expressed my opinion on how well it performs and whether it's worth the money. So, let's get started!

Equipment

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

In addition to the robot itself, the delivery kit includes:

1. Charging base.
2. Power adapter.
3. Holder with napkin.
4. Spare microfiber cloth.
5. Operating instructions in several languages ​​(Russian is not on the list).
6. A quick guide to getting your robot up and running for the first time.
7. Remote control with power supply elements.
8. Spare HEPA filter.
9. Two spare side brushes.

The set is complete, that's a plus!

Appearance

Now let's take a look at the Midea I5C's design. This robot uses a gyroscope for navigation. It's available in both white and black. Its round body has a dirt-resistant finish. Its height is 83 mm from the floor.

The front features a soft-touch mechanical bumper. The control panel features a Wi-Fi connection indicator and a Start/Pause button.

The dust container is located under the top cover. The on/off button is also located there. The container conveniently stores the robot's cleaning tool. The container's emptying mechanism is well-designed. Pressing the button causes the dust to fall out through the bottom. This prevents your hands from coming into contact with the dust while emptying the container.

Unfortunately, the filtration system only uses a HEPA filter. However, it's well-made, the perimeter is hermetically sealed, and it can be rinsed with water. Surprisingly, the manufacturer lists the container's capacity as 250 ml. Visually, it appears to be significantly larger, around 400 ml.

The water tank, however, is quite capacious and holds 450 ml of water. It's mounted at the rear. Electronic control of the amount of liquid flowing to the cloth is provided.

The holder with a napkin is attached to the bottom of the case using two fasteners.

The robot has three drop protection sensors on the bottom. The turbo brush assembly appears to float, but it's the cover itself that floats, not the entire module, which doesn't quite make sense.

The central brush is made of soft, fluffy bristles. Both sides can be removed to remove tangled hair and fur.

Overall, I have no complaints about the robot's design. Considering its price, some of its design features are even pleasing.

Technical specifications

Main characteristics of Midea I5C, as declared by the manufacturer:

• Battery: Li-Ion 2600 mAh
• Suction power: up to 4000 Pa
• Cleaning area: up to 120 sq.m. (40-60 sq.m).
• Battery life: up to 110 min
• Dust collector: 250 ml.
• Water tank: 450 ml.
• Obstacle clearance: up to 17 mm
• Dimensions: 340*83 mm

Suction power will be tested on the test bench, but the cleaning area is a bit of a challenge. Considering the robot vacuum's gyroscope-based orientation, in real-world conditions it can effectively clean areas up to 60 square meters, and its battery isn't strong enough for 120 square meters.

Functional capabilities

Let's move on to a feature overview. The Midea I5C robot vacuum cleaner is controlled via a mobile app and remote control. First, let me explain the app's features. Connecting was straightforward, although the prompts are in English, which isn't very user-friendly.

The main control panel displays the battery charge. In the upper right corner, you can access the section for viewing the most recently generated map. The accuracy of the map is not very high. Functions include adjusting the suction power and water flow level, as well as setting up a cleaning schedule by selecting the time, days of the week, and cleaning parameters. Below is a cleaning log. The bottom row of buttons allows you to select one of three cleaning modes, start the cleaning process, and force the robot to return to the base for charging. Manual control of the robot is also available. Additional features include monitoring the status of consumables and viewing the Russian-language operating instructions online.

Yes, and it's important to note that the Midea I5C supports control via Yandex.Alice. This has been verified.

The control panel features functions such as forced return to the charging base, manual control, Start/Pause, spot cleaning mode, perimeter cleaning, zigzag cleaning, and suction power adjustment.

Testing

A detailed video review of the Midea I5C has already been prepared and published on the channel. I recommend watching the video:

Navigation

Finally, let's move on to the tests. First, we'll test the Midea I5C's navigation in a room with obstacles. After leaving the base, the robot vacuum cleaner navigates the perimeter, then switches to cleaning the available area in a serpentine pattern. Its touch on objects isn't very precise, and we see that the robot has moved the box and the dryer. The Midea I5C doesn't clean around the box or the chair legs separately. Moreover, it gets stuck on the dryer's legs, and when it slips, the map shifts. As a result, the robot spent over 20 minutes driving around the room, redoing the map, passing over the same spots repeatedly. We decided to return it to the base, and it completed this task and found the charging base.

When it comes to navigating within the house, the robot traverses the entire accessible area in a serpentine pattern. Within a 70-square-meter area, only one issue was encountered: the robot got lost between the legs of kitchen chairs due to frequent touches, resulting in it not cleaning part of the room properly. This is typical for budget robots with a gyroscope. For comparison, I've displayed a map generated by the larger Midea M6 robot under the same conditions. You can see that the geometry is very similar.

In any case, the Midea I5C's navigation isn't the best, even among gyroscope robots, so as mentioned earlier, it's best chosen for cleaning a small area.

Suction power

In terms of suction power, the Midea I5C was able to partially remove debris from a 4 mm gap. This robot vacuum cleaner has increased suction power, but not as powerful as its claims suggest.

Dry cleaning

Dry cleaning performance was good. The robot vacuum picked up most of the various debris from the floor. It only missed the corners, which is a problem with almost all round robot vacuums. Hair got tangled in the center brush, but the bulk of the debris was collected in the dust bin. Test passed!

Carpet cleaning

However, there are some complaints about the carpet cleaning performance, and the main problem is the robotic vacuum's poor maneuverability, causing it to slip and get stuck on medium-pile carpet. The robot picked up some debris, but in any case, it wasn't up to the task.

Wet cleaning

Wet cleaning also left a less-than-ideal impression. The cloth doesn't press firmly against the floor, and as a result, the Midea I5C is unable to remove even slightly dried-on dirt. It also failed this test.

Wet cleaning and carpets

Speaking of wet cleaning on carpets, the Midea I5C couldn't drive onto a carpet to test whether it could avoid carpeting in wet cleaning mode. I think, given the price and the lack of even a carpet detection sensor, it's not capable of this.

Obstacle clearance

Well, here's a clear demonstration of the obstacle-crossing problem. The robot couldn't even cross a 15mm threshold, let alone a 20mm one. Although it's worth noting that it did manage to cross a 15mm threshold once. So, the Midea I5C's off-road performance is far from excellent.

Driving on black surfaces

There are also issues with driving on black surfaces; the robot is wary of black carpet. However, in its defense, I can say that this is a problem with most robot vacuum cleaners, and the Midea I5C is no exception.

Noise level

As for noise levels, at minimum power, it ranges from 60-62 dB, in standard mode it reaches 63.6 dB, and at maximum power, the peak was 67 dB. This model's noise level is standard.

Personal opinion

The Midea I5C robot vacuum cleaner has been thoroughly reviewed and tested. our evaluation system he managed to gain 61 pointsThe results aren't great, due to a number of issues that will be listed below. But considering the cost, there are more expensive models below the robot. overall ratingI'll share my own opinion about the robot.

I liked the following:

1. Capable of vacuuming and mopping the floor at the same time.
2. Complete set.
3. Control via app and remote control.
4. Increased suction power.
5. Good quality dry cleaning.
6. Convenient dust collector.
7. Yandex.Alice support.
8. Budget cost.
9. Availability of warranty and service.

Regarding this last advantage, it's important to note that this model is available on the website of Midea's official distributor in the Russian Federation. So, when purchasing from them, you can count on after-sales service.

Speaking about the shortcomings, the following were found:

1. Poor navigation.
2. Doesn't clean carpets well.
3. Not able to clean dirt from the floor.
4. Poor cross-country ability.
5. Afraid of black floor coverings.

Therefore, I would recommend this robot vacuum primarily for dry cleaning of small, uncarpeted areas, or areas with low-pile carpets. This model's wet cleaning function is more of an option for picking up dust and small debris, to assist the brushes. During sales, the Midea I5C is very attractively priced, and if these drawbacks are minor, you might want to consider this budget-friendly robot vacuum. It would also be a suitable gift for elderly relatives, provided the conditions are right.

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