Launched last year, the Wyze Robot Vacuum entered the market as one of the lowest-cost models that featured LiDAR mapping. Some thought it might be “too good to be true,” but after using one for the past few months, I can say that it’s actually a fantastic option for those wanting higher-end features without paying an astronomical price. So, without further ado, let’s take a closer look at the features, setup, and function of the Wyze Robot Vacuum in our hands-on review.
Setup is easy and map creation only takes a few minutes… once your floor is clean
While this is something that most LiDAR robot vacuums require, it’s worth mentioning if you’ve never worked with one before. Some robot vacuums just somewhat bounce around to clean your home, with little setup required. Well, since Wyze leverages LiDAR for whole-home mapping, you’ll find that it has to actually navigate around your entire house in order to build its initial map.
Once the first map is built, Wyze will continue to update the map every time it vacuums. Throughout usage, I’ve found that occasionally, when a reflective surface is placed near the Wyze Robot Vacuum’s path, it can get a bit confused as to where it’s at on the map, or create a new “room” entirely based on the reflection. Something else that I’ve noticed is if the Wyze Robot Vacuum enters a room, or starts in a room that’s vastly different from what it was before, it can also get confused as to where it is on the map. This can be fixed by just moving a few things on the floor to shake things up, but it’s something to keep in mind. Generally, this only happened when reflective surfaces were around, so if anything, I’d say just try to avoid that at the “eye” level of the vacuum.
You’ll have to babysit Wyze Robot Vacuum for the first few cleanings, but after that it’s essentially set and forget
This kinda goes along with what I was already saying, but the first few times you have Wyze Robot Vacuum clean, you’ll have to babysit it. The app allows for what’s called “no-go zones” where you create a virtual barrier where the vacuum doesn’t, well, go. We created these zones in several different places: under my wife’s piano (because of cords), in the kitchen on the rug (because of tassels), and under our side tables in the living room (again, because of cords). These are things we found in the first few times that Wyze was cleaning, as it helped to avoid it getting caught, tangled, or pulling things it shouldn’t be messing with. It’s quite easy to add and remove no-go zones as well, should they need to be modified. Once they’re set up, though, it’s really just a set-and-forget device, and it does a great job at keeping the floors clean.
Virtual barriers and rooms make localized cleaning and avoidance extremely simple
On the topic of mapping still, once the map is created, you’ll be able to split up your home into individual rooms. The only catch is sometimes a wall is “too short” or doesn’t have somewhere to snap to, so you kinda have to make do there. Either way, the virtual rooms feature is the key selling point for my wife. She can easily tell the Wyze Robot Vacuum to clean the kitchen and kitchen alone after dinner, and 20 minutes later, it’s done. It didn’t have to wander around the house, bump into random things, or take forever. It’s just a single room and it finishes quite quickly.
Detailed scheduling makes cleaning a thing of the past
While we primarily use the Wyze Robot Vacuum for spot cleaning, the detailed scheduling options truly can make cleaning a thing of the past. You can set the schedule to not only run at certain times, but clean specific rooms with preset suction power for each one. This allows you to really dial it in, using high suction to clean dirty areas while nobody’s home and low suction to tidy up the crumbs after dinner once folks are asleep. Once you take the time to set up a proper schedule, you really won’t have to worry about vacuuming again… outside of emptying the dust cup every several days.
The robot itself is quite smart in how it navigates your home
Once the map is made, the Wyze Robot Vacuum will begin navigating your home whenever cleaning. Unlike traditional robot vacuums, it tries not to bump into things that it doesn’t have to. This comes from the LiDAR functionality, as the robot can essentially “see” what’s in front of it. It’s really quite fun to watch it vacuum and see how it’ll tackle obstacles that are in its way.
The app is easy to use and only missing one major feature: voice control
The app really does everything it needs to. You can tell it to start cleaning, pause, or return to its base. Have it re-make the map if a lot has changed in your home. You can even tell it to only clean a specific room, schedule cleaning, or check the battery. It really has all the features and functions you could want. However, the one thing it doesn’t have is the ability to use voice control through either Alexa or Assistant. You’d expect Alexa support built-in, but sadly it’s not there and there’s no real ETA as to when it’ll come, either. I really wish I could use one of my smart speakers to start cleaning since there is official support with most major platforms for such a function; however, Wyze just doesn’t offer it. Hopefully this will come in a future update, as it’s something they could add through software fairly easily.
9to5Toys’ Take
If you’re in the market for a lower-cost, feature-packed robot vacuum, Wyze could be a good option for you. I don’t have much experience with robot vacuums, but I can say in the time that I’ve had with it that the Wyze is quite capable, especially for its price point. I especially love that it can clean specific rooms and has customizable no-go zones to keep it from messing things up.
In the end, I would absolutely recommend the Wyze Robot Vacuum to anyone in the market on a tighter budget. LiDAR is the key selling feature here, and it works surprisingly well. It’s accurate, creates straight lines on the carpet as it vacuums, and never misses a spot since it cleans methodically.
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