Midea VCR08: A robot vacuum cleaner with an active chamber and wet cleaning

The Midea VCR08 is the company's flagship model at the beginning of 2020. This robot vacuum cleaner is designed for dry and wet cleaning of hard and carpeted floors. Its key features include a built-in camera, voice communication support, long battery life, smartphone control, and high suction power thanks to a powerful brushless motor. The robot is in the mid-price range, priced at around $150-$170. In this review, the Midea team robovac.washerhouse.com will try to figure out what the Midea VCR08 robot vacuum cleaner really is.

Equipment

The robot is packaged in two corrugated cardboard boxes: an outer protective box and an inner box with a plastic handle for easy carrying. The box features an image of the robot itself and a brief description of its main parameters and functions in Russian.

Midea VCR08 delivery set:

1. Robot vacuum cleaner.
2. Charging dock.
3. Power cable.
4. Infrared remote control + AAA batteries.
5. Two pairs of side brushes.
6. Spare HEPA filter.
7. Microfiber cloth (2 pcs.).
8. Vacuum cleaner cleaning brush.
9. Brief and detailed operating instructions.
10. Warranty card.

There is no movement limiter included, this is a minus.

Appearance

The robot vacuum cleaner's body is made of plastic. The main body is made of black (VCR08B) or white (VCR08W) uncoated plastic with a matte finish. The only difference is the profiled top rim, which has a mirror-smooth finish around the perimeter.

The Midea VCR08 has a near-perfect round shape and compact dimensions of 340 x 340 x 90 mm. The top panel features indicators for the camera, Wi-Fi network, and the return to dock option. The top panel also reveals a single backlit control button made of transparent plastic. Above it is the camera, protected by a durable cover.

The robot's front features a protective bumper, with a tinted window housing obstacle sensors, a docking station, and a remote control signal receiver. It also features a power switch and a socket for connecting the AC adapter and charging the battery directly from the wall.

The rear of the Midea VCR08 robot vacuum cleaner features charging contacts, a front swivel caster, drive wheels, two side brushes, a central V-shaped turbo brush compartment, a battery compartment cover, and a panel with two pairs of water inlets. Near the edge, behind the bumper, are infrared height sensors.

Technical specifications

Overview of the technical characteristics of the Midea VCR08 robot:

Type of cleaning	Dry and wet
Battery type	Li-Ion 14.4 V
Battery capacity	3400 mAh
Opening hours	110-140 minutes
Charging time	180-240 minutes
Maximum cleaning area	Up to 150 sq.m.
Power consumption	60 W
Suction power	600/1200/4000 Pa
Height of obstacles	Up to 18 mm
Dust collector type and capacity	Cyclone filter, 0.45 l
Water tank capacity	0.55 l
Overall dimensions	340x340x90 mm
Weight	3.5 kg
Noise level	57 dB

Functional capabilities

The Midea VCR08's navigation is based on a gyroscope, and the robot vacuum also uses obstacle and fall detection sensors. Please note that the camera has no effect on the robot vacuum's orientation. It is used solely for home monitoring.

The robot can perform both dry and wet cleaning simultaneously. Dry cleaning is performed using two side brushes and a central turbo brush, and has different operating modes. The collected debris ultimately enters the dust collector through a suction channel. The dust collector is equipped with a foam and pleated HEPA filter. For wet cleaning, a special container is filled with water, which automatically moistens the cloth on the bottom of the Midea VCR08. Incidentally, the cloth itself is quite large, which is a plus.

Next, let's look at an overview of the robot vacuum cleaner's operating modes:

• Automatic (snake-like movement) – the device cleans the entire accessible floor surface, after which it goes to the station to recharge;
• local – intensive cleaning of the most contaminated small areas in an expanding and then collapsing spiral;
• around the perimeter – cleaning the room along the walls, furniture and in the corners.

The Midea VCR08 robot vacuum cleaner also features a manual control mode with a remote control and a cleaning schedule setting.

Additionally, control is available via a smartphone app (available for Android and iOS). The app is localized in Russian, but has not yet been fully developed. Therefore, for the most accurate experience, we recommend using the English version.

We'd like to highlight the Midea VCR08 robot vacuum's camera feature. The camera's image can be displayed on a smartphone screen. Here, you can adjust the video quality, mute/unmute the sound, take a screenshot, and much more. The built-in camera allows you to monitor your home and even converse with its inhabitants. However, using the camera during cleaning is not recommended due to reduced performance. The vacuum also supports voice transmission through its built-in speakers.

These features are not unique. An active camera has previously been implemented in LG robots, as well as in the much-talked-about Cleverpanda i5In addition, the Midea VCR08 has a "supposedly German" twin: Weissgauff Robowash Vision.

Advantages and disadvantages

Considering the price of about $170, let's look at the advantages and disadvantages of the model in question.

Pros:

1. Optimal value for money.
2. Nice design.
3. Gyroscope.
4. Long battery life.
5. High suction power.
6. Dry + wet cleaning, several operating modes.
7. Built-in camera.
8. Voice communication support.
9. Turbo brush.
10. Setting up a cleaning schedule.
11. Control from a smartphone.

Cons:

1. There is no movement limiter included.
2. Raw application.
3. Judging by the reviews, there may be problems with wet cleaning.

In summary, it's a pretty good robot vacuum for the price. The active camera is mostly a marketing ploy, as it's rarely used, and there's a delay in receiving images. However, the wet cleaning function, gyroscope, and smartphone control make this model quite competitive in its price segment.

Finally, we recommend watching a video review of the Midea VCR08:

Analogues:

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• Samsung VR05R5050W
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• Ecovacs DeeBot OZMO Slim 10
• GUTREND FUSION 150
• iPlus X600pro