SAMSUNG POWERBOT VR9000
{DETAILS}
1
SCREEN
Big, bright icons, simple operation and very clear instructions
2
BUILD QUALITY A big old hunk of plastic, heavier than the rest
and built to last
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ADDITIONAL FEATURES Battery-powered Virtual Guard prevents Powerbot
from running off
Speed and precision – but you may need some earplugs
Unlike anything else on the market (although Dyson may give it some competition in the new year). Samsung has ditched the hockey puck look and created the first robot vacuum that actually looks like a vacuum cleaner. Well sort of. It’s a beast compared to the rest, features a whopping 12-inch sweeper bar (just like you’d find on a regular vacuum cleaner) and uses CycloneForce technology (just like a proper bagless vacuum).
The result is an extremely powerful appliance – Samsung claims it has 60 times more power than any of its competitors – that can suck up dust with excellent speed and efficiency. But great suction doesn’t guarantee a clean floor, which is why the robot half of the VR9000 comes with a load of impressive tech: two CPU chips, a bank of sensors and a Visionary Mapping Plus camera that takes 15 images per second to help plot the most efficient route around your house.
And the combination works; the Powerbot navigates with speed and precision and left our carpets all fluffed up and properly cleaned. It is extremely loud (although there’s a reduced power silence button), but we couldn’t hear it run from our home office so didn’t really care. That said, if you are bored at home there are whole minutes of fun to be had with the Point Cleaning function. Beam down on any spot with the remote control and the Powerbot will head straight over and give it a vacuum. Slick certainly, pointless (ahem), probably.
Unfortunately, the VR9000 isn’t completely problem free. It lacks side sweeper brushes, so you can forget about cleaning right up to the skirting boards. It also struggles to haul itself over most door mats and deep-pile rugs. But when it gets it right – which, to be fair, it does most of the time – it cleans just as well as a bagless manual machine. LOVE Full-sized vacuum power. Laser-guided spot cleaning. Smooth tracking for effortless cleaning HATE Can feel a bit too fast to be effective. Can’t clean right to the edges. Sounds like a jet fighter taking off T3 SAYS The Powerbot is a muscled-up dustbusting powerhouse – a genuine home help