MIELE SCOUT RX1
{DETAILS}
SCREEN1
A very basic LCD screen not befitting
the stylish look
2
BUILD QUALITY
Glossy finish and eye-catching design, but lightweight and plastic
3
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
Supplied with magnetic strip to block off doorways
and restrict movement
Cold robot efficiency and tech wizardry – but not for pet owners
Looking every inch the pimped out Roomba, the Scout’s Smart Navigation system features a gyro sensor for tracking directional movement and a digital camera that continually scans the ceiling to make sure every inch of floor gets cleaned. Combined with seven front-mounted IR sensors (ten in all) scanning 180° to prevent collisions, it works seamlessly. More polite than the Roomba, it bumps into fewer obstacles, navigating around chair legs and along skirting with precision.
Battery life is impressive at 120 minutes, but as with all robot vacs, assuming you’re out when it cleans and it can return to base for recharging before finishing the job at hand, it doesn’t make a whole heap of difference.
Controls are clear and simple and the LCD display is bright enough, but the remote control is basic (you can chose start time but not day) and programming feels more like changing the time on a clock radio than empowering a robotic revolution.
The twin extra-long side sweepers get right into the corners, and despite not getting as close to furniture as the Roomba the extra reach does the job. There’s even a dedicated corner/edge mode that hits the outskirts of the room twice for double dust-busting, and it can negotiate rugs and door frames up to 2cm thick, which is mightily impressive and means the RX1 spends less time getting stuck.
So far so ruthlessly efficient, but despite the bank of cameras and sensors we were not that impressed by the Scout’s performance. At six inches the sweeper is half the width of the Samsung and got tangled faster than the Neato and Roomba. It performed particularly badly with pet hair on both hard floor and carpets, and picked up significantly less fluff, dust and debris compared to the Roomba. Disappointing given Miele’s vacuuming pedigree and the price tag. LOVE Corners like a pro and hugs skirting boards. Battery life will cover even the largest living room HATE Poor pet hair cleaning. Basic controls and no daily timer function. Doesn’t give carpets enough love T3 SAYS Superbly efficient, sensor-heavy robo-maid with great looks but no personality