Viomi SE is a robotic vacuum cleaner belonging to the Xiaomi ecosystem. It offers a suction power of 2200 pa, 12 sensors and a moping function. It is an affordable robotic vacuum cleaner that is gaining in popularity. We have been using it in the editorial office for several weeks and we have thoroughly tested it.
Where to buy Viomi SE
We purchased the Viomi SE robotic vacuum cleaner from our international partner Geekbuying. At the time of writing, the review was available in the Czech warehouse, so delivery was extremely fast. The courier delivered it to us on the third day after creating the order.
VIOMI SE Robotic vacuum cleaner
Basic parameters of Viomi SE
Let's start with a few basic parameters of a robotic vacuum cleaner. The Viomi SE has a suction power of 2200 pa and the engine can develop 15 revolutions per minute. It is carbon-free, manufactured by the Japanese company Nidec, which guarantees a long service life.
The lithium battery from Samsung has a capacity of 3200 mAh and is sufficient for vacuuming 200 m2 or operation for 120 minutes.
The LDS system takes care of space mapping and navigation. The rich equipment is complemented by 12 different sensors, including a sensor in a dust container, a wheel speed sensor, anti-collision sensors, a 6-axis gyroscope and more.
What can you find in the package?
The robotic vacuum cleaner was delivered to us in a box, from which it was immediately clear what was inside. Personally, we are not advocates of such packaging and we prefer if such a product is packaged in another box without printing.
After opening, a mop with instructions for use was waiting for us at the top. Beneath it was the vacuum cleaner itself, housed in a protective plastic wrap. A docking station, a charging cable, a spare mop and a dust and water container (2 in 1) were placed in a separate compartment next to the vacuum cleaner. There were 2 more rotating bristles under the vacuum cleaner.
The box is reinforced around the perimeter, which prevents damage to the vacuum cleaner during transport. We missed a spare filter in the package, which is located on the lid of the dust and water container. It is not included in the package by default, but it would certainly please.
Design and processing
Viomi SE was really successful in terms of design. The vacuum cleaner is white with the brand logo Viomi in pink-gold color (so-called rose gold) on the upper side.
It has a bumper at the front, which is gently pushed in contact with an obstacle. The sensor is located in a small hole. The back is equipped with charging connectors, which automatically connect to the docking station.
At the top, in addition to the Viomi logo, there is also an LDS system that scans the space and a button with the function of on / off and return home. After looking inside, where you can get by opening the top lid, you will find a container for dust and water and also a small brush to clean the filter.
The underside is dominated by wheels with a deep pattern and a rotating brush that traps dirt. At the edge, a three-arm brush rotates to sweep the dirt towards the rotating brush. The quality of workmanship is at a high level and the design of this vacuum cleaner is suitable for every modern household.
First switching on Viomi SE
We tested the robotic vacuum cleaner in a 3-room apartment with an area of 7 t0 m2, in which a family of three lives with a small child, without animals. Most of the vacuumed area is laminate flooring. There are tiles in the kitchen and in the hallway, and smaller carpets are just in front of the couch and by the bed. The whole apartment except the bathroom and toilet is without thresholds.
It is necessary to insert a dust container into the vacuum cleaner, which also contains a water tank. This is inserted into the center of the vacuum cleaner after opening the top cover. Attach a bristle whisk to the underside and the vacuum cleaner is ready.
We placed the docking station in which the vacuum cleaner is charged between the cabinet and the chair, despite the fact that according to the instructions in the manual there should be at least 1.5 m of free space in its vicinity.
Even though we didn't leave enough space for the vacuum cleaner, it never had a problem returning to the docking station. By the way, the instructions are in several languages and written is very clear.
Add a vacuum cleaner to Xiaomi Home
When you turn on the vacuum cleaner for the first time, it will prompt you in a pleasant voice to pair it with the application. Viomi SE works with the Xiaomi Home (Mi Home) smart device application, as the brand belongs to Xiaomi.
The vacuum cleaner is easily added to the application just like other devices. Just find it in the list of devices, have the phone connected to the same WiFi network and the pairing will take place within a few seconds.
Then you just choose the room in which you want to see the vacuum cleaner on the initial screen of the application and the process is complete. Pairing is very easy and fast. Everyone can handle it.
After the initial pairing, Viomi SE will still be available on the mentioned Xiaoim Home home screen. It is available in the application from anywhere where you have an internet connection.
First vacuuming with Viomi SE
The vacuum cleaner starts by pressing the button on the top or by starting from the Xiaomi Home application. We chose the second option and simply clicked the Start button in the application. We didn't charge the vacuum cleaner before, we just turned on the docking station so that it could be recharged after vacuuming.
After clicking the start button, a warning popped up, but we didn't read it, which turned out to be an error. The application warned us that if we do not start from the docking station, the vacuum cleaner will not save the map. That's how it happened.
The first vacuuming begins with the discovery of space. Viomi SE first walked around the perimeter of the living room connected to the kitchen and then began vacuuming in well-known lines, which you can see on maps from robotic vacuum cleaners. At the very first switch-on, we were surprised by the low noise level, which increases when a higher suction force is selected.
After the vacuum cleaner passed the two rooms, it continued in the same way in the other rooms. He always walked first along the perimeter walls and then vacuumed the room. During this process, new rooms gradually appeared in the application as well.
At the end of the entire vacuuming, Viomi SE returns to the charging station.
Vacuuming, mopping and their levels
The application has three main options, which include vacuuming, vacuuming together with washing and separate washing.
When vacuuming, there are 4 levels to choose from according to the intensity of the suction power. They are quiet, standard, medium and strong mode. You can immediately recognize the selected mode also by the noise level, as the vacuum cleaner is significantly noisier in the strong mode.
As for the quality of vacuuming, the silent mode of course collects the least dirt. We did not notice any visible difference in the quality of vacuuming between the medium and strong modes.
Even with the strongest mode, however, the vacuuming is not perfect and in some places there is some dirt that the vacuum cleaner leaves. For example, he had a problem with the needles from the Christmas tree even in the strongest regime.
Vacuuming and moping offer a choice of three levels separately for each activity separately. The above-mentioned levels are available for vacuuming and 3 levels numbered are also available for washing with the floor.
The first level uses the least water and washing is there rather than wiping the floor. Even at the third, highest level, washing is not enough, so for example, the dried mud from Viomi SE shoes does not wash for the first time. If we wanted to wash the dried dirt from the floor with it, we had to send it to the same place several times.
In the mentioned mode of vacuuming and moping, the vacuum cleaner vacuums and washes at the same time. If you forget to connect a mop, both the application and the vacuum cleaner will notify you with their message.
Overall, we were satisfied with the vacuuming, but the washing is weak. We liked the voice comments of the vacuum cleaner, which announces when the vacuum cleaner starts, when it returns to the charging station and so on. The voice is, of course, in English, but it is very clear.
Space map and its adaptation
Viomi SE can store up to 5 maps. This is useful if you have a multi-storey family house, as one whole apartment is represented by one map.
In the application you will find the item Map Management, in translation map management. Click on this item to see more options. The first is the map editor, in which you can connect rooms or divide them into smaller ones. For example, we divided the living room and kitchen into two rooms. The editor also allows you to rename rooms.
The second option is to create virtual walls and forbidden areas. So if you don't want the vacuum cleaner to go to certain areas, you can simply add a virtual wall or a forbidden area in the shape of a square to the map. During its operation, the vacuum cleaner will avoid forbidden areas and virtual walls. It works exactly as expected.
The other two options in map management are spot vacuuming and area specific vacuuming. With both options, you mark the area you want to vacuum on the map. Although spot vacuuming marks a circular area, the vacuum cleaner does not vacuum in the whole circle, but only in its inner square, as you can see in the picture.
Vacuuming a specific area and spot vacuuming are therefore almost identical. Viomi SE is reliable in this and vacuums exactly in the marked space.
Endurance and charging
Viomi SE surprised with its endurance on a single charge. Our 3-room apartment with an area of 70 m2 has a free area of approximately 37 m2, which the vacuum cleaner was able to pass in an average of 45 minutes. Its battery capacity has decreased by approximately 40% after such vacuuming. Washing the floor is very gentle and only about 10% of the battery has been spent. However, the rinsing is slower and took about 59 minutes.
Of the aforementioned 60%, the vacuum cleaner is charged to 100% in approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes.
What else does Xiaomi Home offer?
In addition to the mentioned options for managing maps and vacuuming or rinsing, there are various other options and settings in the application. For example, there is vacuuming only around the perimeter of the map or repeated vacuuming, which vacuums the selected area twice in a row.
You know how to set the mode in which the vacuum cleaner should wash the floor. Y or S-shaped flushing is available. Y-shaped flushing is better, but takes a little more battery power. For a better idea, you can see what the Y-shaped washings look like among the screenshots from the application above.
In the application you will find records of each vacuuming and rinsing performed. The records show the map, time and content of the area that the vacuum cleaner has traversed.
A great feature is vacuuming planning, where you can choose the day, time and whether you want to vacuum or wash the floor (or both), you can also set the level of vacuuming and washing or specific rooms, or the entire map. The vacuum cleaner then automatically starts its operation according to the selected parameters.
The application allows you to create another map if you want to have more storage space. You can also delete the map, or you can turn on the vacuum mode, in which the map is not saved.
You can turn on and off the audible messages and their volume. The application also displays the status of individual components in percent. According to them, you know when it is necessary to replace a brush or filter or a three-armed bristle or mop.
You will also find a remote control for the vacuum cleaner, which does not work very well. The vacuum cleaner does not react to the control too quickly and always moves only in steps, not smoothly.
Since it is a smart home product, you know how to program its launch. For example, if you have any sensors available, you can condition that the vacuum cleaner is switched on based on the input from the sensor.
We currently only have cameras, scooters and a thermometer available, so switching on the vacuum cleaner when a certain temperature is reached or motion is recorded on the camera is not very useful. If we had a sensor on the front door, for example, we would be able to start vacuuming automatically every time we leave the apartment.
Overcoming obstacles
As we mentioned in the introduction, the whole apartment except the bathroom and toilet has no thresholds. The threshold leads to the bathroom and toilet, which is 2.3 cm on the outside and exactly 2 cm on the inside. The manufacturer states that Viomi SE can overcome a 2 cm obstacle. We were so wondering if he could cross such a threshold.
Unfortunately, he can't. The vacuum cleaner did not even try to overcome these thresholds. He hit them straight and continued, even though he noticed that there was free space behind the threshold. If we lowered the vacuum cleaner from the bathroom, he could get out of it, but he didn't get back on his own. In this way, he can really overcome only a 2 cm obstacle.
Final evaluation
We definitely recommend the Viomi SE robotic vacuum cleaner to anyone who wants to try this type of vacuum cleaner and does not want to reach for expensive models. It vacuums the floor perfectly, has a battery with sufficient capacity and also looks very elegant. The application offers a number of map customizations and other settings with the possibility of automation using other smart devices from Xiaomi.
A slight drawback is the weaker washing and overcoming obstacles, which can be a maximum of 2 cm high. It is no problem for Viomi SE to vacuum the whole apartment while you are at work, shopping or walking. You can control everything remotely from anywhere using the application.
VIOMI SE Robotic vacuum cleaner
In general, however, we can only recommend the Viomi SE vacuum cleaner. For its price, it offers excellent cleaning capabilities, many options in the application and is reliable. Thanks to these features, it fits into every household and the vast majority of households will not be asking for a more expensive model.
