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360 S5 robot vacuum hands-on: Fabulous cleaning with multi-level mapping
360 S5 robot vacuum
pros and cons
- Multi-level mapping function
- Four power levels
- Well-written app
- Nothing to dislike
I like the 360 range of robot vacuums, and the 360 S5 does not disappoint. It has many features that are usually available in much more expensive models of robot vacuums.
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The 360 S5 robot vacuum is a floor-sweeping vacuum with a well-written app that allows you to schedule its cleaning times, customize different areas to be cleaned at different times, and manage up to 10 stored maps for multi-story homes.
It has LIDAR radar navigation, so it can map out a room and navigate across it in a structured way, unlike other robots that randomly zig-zag around.
It has four power modes so you can adjust the suction to match the type of flooring. Its 2200Pa motor also increases its power from standard to powerful mode when crossing onto carpet to make sure that the carpet gets a proper clean.
Like the 360 S9 robot vacuum, the docking station is sleek and unobtrusive, with its two electrode strips on its front for charging the robot. This style looks far better than most of the other docking stations I have seen.
The length of the power cord sits snugly behind a door on the back of the charging station, so there are no trailing leads to bother the vacuum. Its 580ml dust bin does not need to be emptied too often, but if the suction power is on Max, you will notice extra carpet fibres in the bin -- even with an old carpet.
In use, the S5 is surprisingly quiet. Auto boost -- when it encounters carpet -- is the only noticeable difference in noise. The S5 has no problems crossing threshold -- even the highest in my house -- that other, more expensive robots can not achieve. It will cross thresholds up to 2cm high.
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The S5 connected easily to the app, which is well written and has lots of features. It has intelligent zoning, which allows you to specify different rooms that can be cleaned at different times of the day.
You can merge or split areas and manage different maps for different floors of your home or office. You can specify different zones to be swept at different times of the day or select areas to be cleaned multiple times of day, too.
It has a remote control function, so you can drive the robot to where you want it to go, and it has voice integration with Alexa or Google to remotely start the vacuum using your voice.
I prefer to set the schedule for each zone and forget about the sweeping. I only remembered to use Alexa integration when demoing the robot to my friends.
I noticed that a couple of times that the robot went back to its docking station for a recharge after 32 minutes sweeping, then, after about 45 minutes of charge, returned to clean the remaining area.
Full clean compared to cleaning remaining area after recharge
At other times, the robot performed a full clean. The area cleaned is under 45 square meters in total, so I'm guessing that the robot, which will operate for up to 90 minutes on standard suction mode, will clean for almost an hour on powerful mode.
All in all, I like the 360 S5 robot vacuum, and its two-in-one mopping and sweeping cousin, the S9. It has a well-written app, has no-go zones, zone cleaning abilities, and is quiet in use. if you do not need the mopping function of a robot vacuum, then the S5 is certainly the robot to buy. If you need the two-in-one functionality, then get the S9.
You won't be disappointed with either model.