Xiaomi Robot Vacuum 5 Pro review: best vacuum and mop robot in its class?

A robot vacuum is supposed to make life easier and save time. In the end, you often still have to make sure nothing is lying on the floor, free it from cables, vacuum spots again and wash out the dirty mops. The Xiaomi Robot Vacuum 5 Pro wants to wipe out these problems, and at a recommended retail price (RRP) of €799. I will show which three features impressed me most and where Xiaomi still has room to improve.

Setup and what is in the box

Setup is foolproof, even for me, and done quickly. In the box are a charging and self-emptying station, the robot vacuum, two mop pads, cables and an instruction manual.

1. Hook the charging station up to the cable.
2. Attach the mop pads to the robot vacuum.
3. Fill the water tank for the mopping water.
4. Switch on the robot vacuum and place it in the station.
5. Download the Xiaomi Home app, let it show the device and connect it to the internet.
6. Send the robot on an orientation run.

During the orientation run it scans the living space with the AI triple camera. It does not drive over every centimeter, but positions itself in the middle of the rooms and draws a detailed map that way. That impressed me a lot.

Feature 1: suction power

Xiaomi advertises 20,000 pascals. Most models in this price range are at 7,000 to 8,000 pascals, although you have to be a bit careful with that figure (see the criticism below). The performance is truly brutal. It removes dust and dirt from hard floors and from carpet fibers. A little pile of coffee grounds on a carpet was almost gone after a single pass. That is the strongest suction power I have seen so far in a Xiaomi robot.

• Battery: 5,200 mAh, 140 minutes of continuous vacuuming and mopping.
• Modes in the app: vacuum only, first vacuum and then mop, or both at the same time, which is fastest.
• Floors: Wooden floors, smooth floors and low-pile carpets are no problem. It avoids very high-pile, fluffy carpets on its own and only vacuums the edge. I put it on one anyway, and it got tangled in the long fibers. It was simply smarter than me.

Feature 2: intelligence

It has an AI triple camera, an infrared sensor and a 3D dot projector. The robot recognizes over 200 different objects, including carpets, cables, shoes, toys, liquids and semi-solid, mushy dirt. It adapts its route and cleaning mode.

• On carpets it lifts the mop pads and does not mop there.
• It steers around objects and cables and cleans around them instead of bumping into them or driving over them.
• In corners it extends the side brush and mop pads.
• With liquids it stops vacuuming and mops instead.
• With mushy residue it drives around it and marks the spot on the map.
• It drives under low furniture that it just barely fits under, and retracts the laser tower completely to do so.

Feature 3: mop cleaning at 80 degrees

Most robots wash their mops with cold water, which is questionable in terms of hygiene. The Robot Vacuum 5 Pro heats the water in the station to 80 degrees Celsius. That kills germs and dissolves dirt residues like grease much more effectively. For every round there is a hygienically clean mop, and you no longer have to clean the mop pads yourself. For me that is a game changer.

The Xiaomi Home app

The HD front camera can serve as real-time monitoring. You send the robot through the apartment while you are away. As a dog owner I find that mega for checking what Merlin is up to when I am not there.

In the app you can also set:

• Mode and suction power
• Water amount when mopping (I have a wooden floor and chose the lowest level)
• Path, meaning how tight the lanes are and how thoroughly it cleans
• Automatic cleaning at fixed times, for example from 8 a.m. when you leave the house
• Triggers with other Xiaomi smart home devices, for example when the doorbell rings or the Xiaomi air fryer starts

The fixed routines and sending it off while you are away are what I like best.

Two points of criticism

1. The 20,000 pascals are somewhat misleading. According to the fine print, that is the fan pressure, not the actual suction at the nozzle. There is no concrete figure for that. The performance is top without question, but the figure will still cause needless discussion in test comparisons.
2. Voice control only through third parties. It is available with Alexa and the Google Smart Home app, but not directly in the Xiaomi Home app. For some that may make it too complicated.

Verdict

The Xiaomi Robot Vacuum 5 Pro is a true high-end vacuum and mop device that, in my opinion, belongs in every household where vacuuming and mopping are among the unloved chores, at the RRP of €799. The suction power is strong and smart, and with the subsequent cleaning and maintenance you do not get stuck with any hassle.