It sweeps, it mops, it maps, it talks, it self-empties… oh my! Yeedi has recently released their self-emptying robovac and after a couple of weeks of testing, we can confirm that it is truly impressive and competes quite nicely as a cost-conscious alternative to the more expensive versions from other well-known brands.
Yeedi Vac Station Setup
Setting up the robovac is simple. The vac station assembles with two simple screws (screws and screwdriver are included), you then snap on one spinny brush, and you are good to go. Then download the app and follow the instructions. The Yeedi robovac literally talks to you the whole way through, telling you exactly what to do and when to do it (we named ours GladOS for this reason, Portal fans know what we mean). Overall the process takes about 5 minutes and then you are good to go!
The app recommends that you let Yeedi run 3 times to completely map out your space. It does so with a combination of bumping around, scanning with its sensors, and mapping with its top-mounted camera. We found that it had our 850sq ft. space mapped out accurately on the first go, but let it refine itself a few times just in case. Once mapped, you can label the areas on the map and tell Yeedi where to go and when.
The app is also easy to use and very clear, telling you when maintenance is needed, giving you a variety of analytics, and keeping track of when brushes or filters might need replacing. Additionally, Yeedi connects to Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, but not Homekit.
Yeedi Vac Station Features
The Yeedi robovac is packed full of features, including a 3d vSLAM camera at its top that helps it quickly and accurately map your area to ensure efficient cleaning routes. Having run with the cheaper “drunk toddler” bump-and-go robovacs for the past few years, this is a game-changer for us and it feels luxurious to have it available at your disposal.
vSLAM mapping with a camera is technically not as advanced as the LiDAR found on other units, but it is becoming more popular because it captures more data and offers the potential for future improvements in smart features. We certainly had no complaints as it mapped our space quite accurately.
The Yeedi also features a .45-liter dustbin inside, which isn’t very large but that’s not a problem since the auto-empty station can handle up to 30 days of cleaning without having to change the bag! When it is full, simply pull it out and plop in a replacement.
The vacuum clocks in at 3000 pascals of variable suction power. Autodetecting when it is on carpet or flooring and adjusting the vacuum accordingly. By comparison, a standard upright vacuum runs around 20,000 pascals, but robovacs aren’t meant to replace a normal vacuum, just reduce how often one needs to use them.
We liked the silicon blades on the rolling brush that work amazingly well at pulling pet hair out of carpet and help prevent tangled hair mussing up the works. As someone with an eternally shedding corgi and also very long hair myself, this is a stellar feature to have.
This vacuum also has a mopping feature that works well enough. Simply fill up the .24-liter water tank in the back and attach the microfiber mopping pad to it, and it will clean about 1000 square feet of floor space on one tankful. Note: do not use hot water, and do not use chemicals in the reservoir, just normal tap water. The cleaning power of the mop is akin to a good wet Swiffer once over. It is light and gets the job done without being sopping wet or leaving behind wet marks. You can also have it vacuum at the same time for peak cleaning.
As with vacuuming, this isn’t going to replace your normal mop or swifter, but it will help reduce how often you need to pull them out. It is really cool that this robovac mops and vacuums at the same time. There are sensors on the bottom that tell the robovac when it is on a rug or carpet and to shut off the mop sprayer while vacuuming them.
When the robot is done with the job it returns to the vac station and a small jet engine fires up to empty the dust bin into the vac station’s larger receptacle. It is very loud. Oh, and if your space is too large for it to clean in one go, the robovac will remember where it left off and then return to that spot to finish the rest of the job after it is sufficiently charged.
The Bottom Line of Yeedi’s Vac Station Performance
The robovac cleans our 850 sq ft. space in just under an hour. It is fast and efficient. We see a noticeable difference in the dust and pet hair on our floors and carpet after it runs. The mop isn’t perfect, but it is a great stopgap between normal moppings. More often than not though, we leave the mop pad off and just run it as a vacuum.
It gets around our space quite well and is able to get over the half-inch thresholds to the various rooms without much trouble. The Yeedi is even able to run on the very heavy thick carpet in one of our rooms that always stops our other robovac in its tracks.
One thing it is not however is quiet. The vacuum isn’t particularly quiet when ramping up to its full 3000 pascals of power, nor is it quiet when it empties itself at the vac station. So we do not recommend scheduling this when you or your kids are trying to take a nap.
Overall, the entire Yeedit Vac Station package feels very high quality, the matte white finish looks great. It is fast and efficient and the auto-emptying feature is fantastic for a set-and-forget cleaning solution. The price is fantastic compared to other self-emptying vacuums, and the feature set is more than enough for most. You can check one out yourself for $499 on Amazon.