A nimble vac for high-tech housework
At this price, it’s the little robot vacuum that could...
Vactidy Nimble T6 Robot Vacuum
Robot vacuums have been around for years and they continue to get better and more useful. Samsung and Dyson have made impressive machines but the market is dominated by US firm iRobot. However, unlike some other ranges of gadgets which drop in price over time, the cost of a decent robot vacuum still remains high enough to put off some buyers.
I was curious then, when my latest test gadget arrived this week from Vactidy. The Nimble T6 is a robot vacuum with Alexa or Google voice control built-in, which surprised me, given its attractive pricing.
It’s a circular design, which is used by most robot vac makers, but it’s a slim version of that style. With a height of just over 7cms it can find its way under chairs or beds, which is really useful if you’re concerned about keeping your home as dust-free as possible. In the box with the vacuum are some spare brushes, a cleaning brush, a spare Hepa filter, a remote control and a power- supply with base station.
The power supply connects to a small base station and the vacuum automatically parks itself on that when it needs to recharge.
On the underside of the base are some rubber strips designed to keep the base steady as the robot docks. However, I did find when I installed it on a shiny wooden floor the base moved around a little, unsettling the docking process. Moving it to a tiled surface fixed the problem, but where you place it permanently is a consideration.
The included remote control is useful, and if you opt to use it you don’t need to set up the robot on your smartphone. However, the free Vactidy app is easy to use and it’s worthwhile going through the quick set-up. With the app running on your smartphone you add the robot to your list of devices and it is registered on your WiFi network.
The vacuum uses the 2.4GHz
WiFi band, so if you have a newer 5Ghz broadband router, you’ll need to check both bands are operating.
As part of the set-up process, you can then link the robot to your Google or Amazon Alexa account. Once this was done I was able to simply say, ‘Alexa, start the vacuum’ and the Vactidy was off on its way. You can also set cleaning schedules using the app. You can choose a time and a cleaning mode and the robot will do the vacuuming and return to base to charge itself up when it’s done.
There are four cleaning modes and these can be set remotely, so there’s no need for bending over to press the button.
Once activated, the robot will find its own way around a room to clean it but there is also a useful edge cleaning mode. This sets the robot on a path around the perimeter of a room, ideal for getting at dust and dirt beside skirting boards.
The Vactidy is equipped with a three-point cleaning system and has two side-sweeper brushes that extend out and rotate, catching dirt and debris. This is how it manages to be very effective so close to skirting boards.
There’s also a spot-cleaning mode, so if something was dropped on a floor the robot can be set to start at
I ASKED ALEXA TO START THE VACUUM AND IT WAS ON ITS WAY
BATTERY LIFE IS GOOD AND IT CAN VACUUM FOR 100 MINUTES
the centre and slowly expand its cleaning coverage as it circles around. It’s also possible to change the suction mode, with the quietest setting still delivering 1000Pa of suction power. However, even when using the high-suction mode of 2000Pa, the robot is still quiet enough and not intrusive. The quiet mode could useful for early morning cleaning, or perhaps for those with sleeping infants.
Battery life is good, and it can vacuum for up to 100 minutes, covering 1,100 square feet in that time.
The dustbin has a 500 Ml capacity and whilst ample, if you run the robot regularly, a bigger dustbin may be useful for larger homes.
Overall, the Vactidy Nimble T6 is an excellent performer. Strong suction and multiple cleaning modes are great and voice control and scheduling work well. At this price, it looks like a tidy deal.