Tefal Explorer Serie 60: A slim robot vacuum cleaner for pet hair

Greetings to all readers of the site robovac.washerhouse.comWe've received a new robot vacuum cleaner from Tefal for review. The ROBOT EXPLORER SERIE 60 RG7455 model. We can see the optional ANIMAL KIT attachment, which makes it clear that the robot is suitable for vacuuming pet hair. A key highlight of this model is its slim body, measuring just 6 cm from the floor. This is an excellent height; you can count on one hand only models that boast such a height, especially those with a high-quality central turbo brush. Furthermore, the robot is controlled via an app, equipped with a gyroscope for navigation, and is suitable for both dry and wet cleaning. It's a good start. The price ranges from $200 to $250, depending on seasonal discounts. Let's take a look at the design of the Tefal Explorer Serie 60 robot vacuum cleaner, what other features it boasts, and most importantly, how it cleans. Let's get started!

Equipment

Let's start with unboxing. The robot vacuum cleaner comes in a branded cardboard box. Upon opening, you'll first see a greeting from the manufacturer and a whole packet of documents in an envelope.

In terms of the number of instructions and instructions, this is the most complete vacuum cleaner, just take a look.

In addition, the box contains:

1. The robot vacuum cleaner itself.
2. Charging base.
3. Power adapter.
4. Tool for cleaning the dust collector and removing hair from the central brush
5. Water tank with two replaceable microfiber cloths.
6. Tool for removing the swivel caster.

This is the entire package. The remote control and motion limiter are missing; it will become clear later how much of these are missing components.

Appearance

Now let's take a look at the robot vacuum cleaner itself. The body is truly slim, with a unique look. In the center, we see the Tefal logo and model name. On the right are two control buttons: Start/Pause and Forced Return to Base. Between them is a Wi-Fi connection indicator.

The dust container is located under the top cover. The power button is located next to it. The container has a convenient carrying handle. A HEPA filter is installed, and the lid opens for easy emptying.

Incidentally, the tank capacity is only 400 ml. This is due to the low height of the housing. A half-liter container wouldn't fit without losing the same height. On the back, there's a hole for connecting to the suction channel. It's also equipped with a rubber seal for a better seal.

On the top of the housing is a sticker with the manufacturer's recommendations for the proper use of the dust container. We can see that the manufacturer recommends cleaning the HEPA filter with the special brush included in the kit. The filter itself cannot be washed with water, but the container itself can be washed; the main thing is to dry it thoroughly before replacing it.

Moving on, a soft-touch mechanical bumper is installed around the entire perimeter of the robot. On the right side, we see a wall sensor, also known as a time-of-flight camera.

It calculates the distance to walls and helps the robot clean the perimeter more thoroughly. A rubberized insert is installed at the front, protecting furniture and other objects from damage when the robot touches them.

Let's take a look at the Tefal Explorer Series 60's underside. We see two side brushes, three-pronged, with bristle tassels. A turbo brush with an anti-tangle system is located in the center. The turbo brush has a dense bristle pattern and looks very high-quality. The design is clearly not budget-friendly. The brush's special shape allows pet hair to wrap around a depression in the polyurethane rather than along the entire brush. This makes it easier to clean with the included comb.

The nozzle with the cleaning cloth is installed from below in special slots. The cleaning cloth has a large surface area. Here's what the robot looks like with the reservoir installed:

That's all there is to the robot's design. Overall, the materials are high-quality, and the build quality is also on par with mid- and premium-priced models. There are no complaints about its appearance at all.

Technical specifications

Let's look at the main characteristics of the Tefal Explorer Serie 60:

Type of cleaning	Dry and wet
Power supply	Li-Ion battery (capacity not specified)
Opening hours	Up to 90 minutes
Charging time	300 minutes
Cleaning area	Up to 80 m2
Height of obstacles	Up to 15 mm
Dust collector capacity	400 ml
Water tank capacity	110 ml
Overall dimensions	340x60 mm
Weight	3 kg
Noise level	Up to 65 dB

Functional capabilities

Now let's move on to an overview of the robot vacuum's features. Since there's no remote control, all functionality is available in the app. First, you need to download and install it on your smartphone. There's a QR code on the box and in the instructions; scan it, and you'll be redirected to the app itself, which you'll need to install.

Connecting to the app shouldn't be a problem. Just follow the manufacturer's instructions. The interface is in Russian, so it's very easy to figure out.

The app offers features such as starting and pausing cleaning, adjusting suction power (3 levels), spot cleaning, forced return to base, wall-cleaning mode, and the ability to turn voice alerts on and off. You can also set up scheduled cleaning, view consumable status, and enter information to help the robot better understand the conditions it will be working in. There's also a page with answers to frequently asked questions and information about after-sales service.

Overall, it has all the standard features for automatically maintaining a clean home. Unfortunately, it lacks advanced features such as room mapping, zone limiting, and, conversely, cleaning in selected areas. There's also no manual control of the robot.

Testing

We recommend watching a detailed review and test of the Tefal Explorer Serie 60 in the video below:

Below we have posted all the test results in text format.

Navigation

First, let's look at how this robot vacuum navigates its surroundings. To begin, a simple task—traveling through a single room with a useful area of ​​11 square meters. To track the robot's movements, we attached a damp cloth to the bottom. This will leave a wet trail where the robot passes.

First, the robot vacuum cleaner slithered through the entire accessible area, then circled the perimeter and returned to its base. There were no untidy areas left. The gyroscope and the TOF camera mounted on the bumper performed flawlessly. It took the robot about 14 minutes to clean 11 square meters, which is the standard cleaning speed for robots without advanced navigation.

Within five rooms with a total usable area of ​​34 square meters, the robot didn't get lost and covered almost the entire available space. Only a small section of the room where the base is installed remained. However, the robot didn't go over the same areas twice, easily accessing carpets and cleaning alongside furniture. Even the manufacturer's website lists a recommended cleaning area of ​​up to three rooms. In our case, there were five. Cleaning 34 square meters took about 40 minutes. That's quite fast.

Dry cleaning

Let's see how the Tefal Explorer Series 60 handles various types of debris, including hair, fur, sand, paper shreds, and grains. We scattered all the debris within a limited space on a laminate floor. Let's see if the robot can handle the task.

As you can see, the robot removed almost all the debris. A small amount remained in the corners, due to the round shape of the body. Most popular robots are unable to clean corners perfectly, so in our case, the test was successful.

Most of the debris, including pet hair and fur, is collected inside the container. Some debris has accumulated on the mesh insert of the HEPA filter. Some hair has gotten tangled up in the center brush, but this can be easily cleaned with the included cleaning tool.

Wet cleaning

Let's see how the Tefal robot vacuum cleaner cleans the floor. We poured water into the nozzle through a special hole with a sealed valve, pre-wetted a cloth, and attached the mop to the robot.

For our test, we stained the laminate flooring with dirty shoe prints. We'll see if the robot vacuum can remove slightly dried-on stains.

As you can see, the Tefal Explorer Series 60 did the job. There were no traces of dirt or even streaks left.

Cleaning the carpet

Now let's test the robot vacuum on a high-pile carpet. We've scattered some fur and hair on it to see if the robot can handle the task.

The Tefal Explorer Series 60 collected all the stray hair and fur. Despite its compact size and small wheels, it glides effortlessly across the carpet.

The brush caught long hair, and the dust bin itself collected hair that had been on the carpet. So, the robot is indeed suitable for vacuuming pet hair; it's powerful enough to vacuum the carpet. Incidentally, this robotic vacuum automatically detects carpets and increases power to maximum when entering them.

Suction power

The following test will demonstrate how the Tefal Explorer Series 60 vacuums debris from crevices of varying depths: from 2 to 10 mm. It can only vacuum from crevices as deep as 2 mm.

Yes, the robot doesn't offer powerful suction, but its key feature is improved dust collection, thanks to the turbo brush design, on standard flooring. Furthermore, the vacuum cleaner handled standard floor cracks of 2 mm.

Dark areas of the floor

Robot vacuums have a problem recognizing dark tiles and carpet patterns due to height differences. This causes them to avoid extremely dark or black areas, which negatively impacts cleaning performance. Let's see how the Tefal robot vacuum cleaner performs in this regard.

The robot vacuum cleaner does not react to dark areas of the floor, so they will not interfere with cleaning, which is a plus.

Overcoming obstacles

Let's also check the robot vacuum's maneuverability. The fact that it can pass under low furniture is a plus. But can it go over thresholds or onto carpets?

The robot can climb over thresholds of 10 and 15 mm. However, it physically can't climb over a 20 mm threshold, as it's just 1.5 cm above the floor. The bumper will bump into anything higher. But even 15 mm is still an excellent result, especially for a thin robot vacuum.

Noise level

We also used a dedicated smartphone app to measure noise levels in different operating modes. At minimum power, the noise level is approximately 50 dB, at medium power, it's up to 54 dB, and at maximum, it's up to 56 dB.

Overall, the noise level is low.

Let's sum it up

That was the final test. Now let's evaluate the robot vacuum cleaner based on various criteria, taking into account its performance in testing, its price range, and its capabilities.

Navigation 7 of 10Although the robot can clean within a range of 4-5 rooms, the gyroscope isn't part of its advanced navigation system. As a result, the robot vacuum doesn't build a room map, meaning it can't continue cleaning after recharging or divide the room into rooms. Each time, it must relearn the room and use its bumper to mark the boundaries of the cleaning zone. However, a Time-of-Flight (TOF) camera is installed, which improves cleaning efficiency along walls. At a price of 20,000 to 25,000 rubles, gyroscope-based navigation isn't the best solution, but given the high build quality and reliability of the brand, the gyroscope is acceptable.

Versatility 8 out of 10The robot is suitable for both dry and wet cleaning, and its turbo brush effectively picks up both small debris and pet hair. Furthermore, thanks to its compact body, it can clean under low furniture, a significant advantage over competitors. Overall, it's suitable for both hard floors and carpets. One point is deducted for the lack of a remote control. It can only be controlled via an app or by simply activating the automatic mode with a button on the body.

Design and execution 9 out of 10. As mentioned earlier, the build quality is very high. The materials are on par with those used in premium robots. The central brush is exceptionally well-made, and the body itself is beautifully designed. There's even a wall sensor, two side brushes, and a mechanical bumper that wraps around the entire body. One minor criticism of the wet cleaning attachment is that the tank capacity is small, and there's no electronic water flow control.

Cleaning quality 8 out of 10. There are no complaints about wet cleaning; you've seen the test results for yourself. Cleaning on carpets and hard floors also met all expectations. The only caveat is its low suction power. Therefore, the robot is not suitable for deep cleaning carpets. However, on standard flooring, it does a good job of picking up debris and dust thanks to its well-designed turbo brush.

Functionality 7 out of 10. The lack of advanced navigation means many modern features are unavailable, such as cleaning in specific areas or setting no-go zones in the app. Furthermore, there's no virtual wall included to mechanically restrict movement. However, smartphone control is available, allowing you to adjust suction power, set up a cleaning schedule, and choose from three operating modes. There's even an automatic power boost when entering a carpet. This is sufficient for keeping your home clean.

Manufacturer support 9 out of 10. Tefal provides a warranty and service for its products. This robot is covered by up to 10 years of repairs, at least according to the box. Overall, the package is quite good, including a proprietary mobile app and the ability to order all accessories within Russia. So, the manufacturer has done a good job in terms of support.

Total 48 out of 60 points

This robot vacuum cleaner is interesting in its own way. It has some flaws, but its main advantage, compared to all its competitors, is its extremely thin body. So, if the height of a robot is a key factor for you when choosing a vacuum, you should definitely consider this option. The Tefal Explorer Series 60 is also suitable for pets. That's all I have to say. If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments below. Happy shopping!

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