Robot vacuums can be quite expensive, with midrange options like the Shark AI Ultra costing nearly a thousand dollars. However, TP-Link’s Tapo RV10 Plus offers a cheaper alternative with a self-emptying station and Mop Attachment. While it may not be as advanced as other models, it can still be a great choice for smaller homes without mixed flooring.
Tapo is a smart home brand owned by TP-Link, known for its routers. The RV10 Plus is its first robot vacuum and features a sleek design and easy setup. It is also compatible with Google Home and Amazon Alexa. One standout feature is the self-emptying bin, which doesn’t have any traps or malfunctions. It consistently empties dirt without any issues.
The vacuum takes about 1.5 hours to charge from 5 percent to 100 percent and offers around three hours of cleaning on a single charge. It has three different vacuum power levels to choose from and comes with a mop attachment with a 300-mL water tank. The lowest water level works well on wooden floors and leaves enough water in the tank after cleaning.
Unlike many other vacuums, the TV10 Plus uses gyroscope navigation to determine its position and navigate around obstacles. This navigation system is cheaper and faster than laser systems and does not raise privacy concerns like cameras. It efficiently cleans each room in long S-shaped passes and picks up pet hair and debris.
However, unlike mapping vacuums, the TV10 Plus cannot be programmed to clean specific areas of the house. This means you need to manually stop it from going onto carpeted areas when mopping. The app does offer remote control, but it may be easier to use magnetic boundary tape to set automatic boundaries.
Additionally, gyroscope navigation can sometimes miss doorways on low-friction surfaces, causing the vacuum to spend all its cleaning time in one room. This may not be an issue for homes with predominantly hardwood floors and an open floor plan.
Overall, the Tapo RV10 Plus offers a good value proposition for those looking for a self-emptying robot vacuum with a mop attachment. It may have some limitations, but for smaller homes without mixed flooring, it can be a great choice under $500. However, for those with specific needs or larger homes, it may be necessary to invest in more expensive options.
