We live in the future. It is hard not to feel it as we walk around with supercomputers in our pockets that can instantly connect to the rest of the world. Robots are doing surgeries on humans, AI is becoming shockingly complex and just recently it seems like room temperature superconductors have finally been invented.

Unfortunately, in several other areas, promises of the future have not arrived. We all saw sci-fi and cartoons of robot butlers but that has yet to materialise … or has it?

Xiaomi’s range of robot vacuums are the closest we have to useful automatons to keep around the house – and which can get serious work done on their own. Even better is that, despite the fact that they’re so advanced and can do an impressive job cleaning up, Xiaomi has priced them very aggressively in South Africa, and you can pick one up for less than you think.

Xiaomi robot vacuums clean on their own, navigate through your living space with intelligent path planning, and can even be controlled by your voice or an app on your phone. The future really is here, and it arrived just in time. With the pressures of life and a poor economy, eking out time to clean properly can be a challenge, so the automatic cleaning provided by these robots is even more welcome. For those who always make time to clean, consider one of these robot companions for an even deeper clean, or to give you more time to focus on other parts of the house.

Best robot vacuums

With a wide range to choose from, which Xiaomi robot vacuum should you get?

Xiaomi Robot Vacuum E10

The Xiaomi Robot Vacuum E10 is for you if you want a genuine all-rounder that can do it all without breaking the bank. With a recommended retail price of just R4 499, a robot vacuum with this feature suite and price was unthinkable just a few years ago.

The powerful 5 000 Pa suction fan is adept at cleaning up messes in just one pass, unlike other automated vacuums that need to go over the same area again and again to do any useful cleaning. Those other vacuums also have no mopping features, while the E10 does, using a smart water tank to switch between three water levels to use the right amount of liquid to clean any surface.

The huge array of sensors, slim body and clever routing software combine to make a Xiaomi robot vacuum that can get into every nook and cranny. Set up your E10 to clean on a schedule, when you’re at home or away, and return to a job well done by your hard working robot. Outside schedules, simply use the voice commands to get going, especially useful when an unexpected mess hits the floor.

Get the Xiaomi Robot Vacuum E10 for a recommended retail price of R4 499 from Takealot, Yuppiechef, Tafelberg, FNB or Vodacom.

Xiaomi Robot Vacuum S10

The Xiaomi Robot Vacuum S10 is for you if you have a complex environment that needs cleaning. The S10 comes equipped with LDS laser navigation, which ups the game in mapping out your space.

The 360-degree scanning system quickly maps out its surroundings and gets to work with unparalleled precision. Go through the app to find an incredible amount of features attached to this upgraded system, such as zone separation, virtual walls and no-go areas, floor separation, and more.

The no-go areas function is great for many reasons. Did the kids leave their toys out? Are you working on a project that can’t be moved right now? Maybe there’s construction in your house? No matter the reason, you can enjoy automated cleaning from the S10 without interrupting what you have going on in your home.

The S10 still has a powerful 4 000Pa fan and mopping functionalities, and using the navigation software you can even assign different types of cleaning to different zones in your home.

Get the Xiaomi Robot Vacuum S10, with a recommended retail price of just R5 999, from Takealot, Yuppiechef, Tafelberg, FNB or Vodacom.

Xiaomi Robot Vacuum S10+

The Xiaomi Robot Vacuum S10+ is for you if you have a larger home that needs cleaning, or you want more battery life from your robot vacuum.

With a 5 200mAh battery, the S10+ ups the game for robot vacuum usage times. In standard mode, the S10+ can clean for up to two hours, covering a space of 200m². Aside from the ability to cover more space on one charge, this larger battery has extra use in South Africa, with its constant load shedding. We all forget to charge our important devices now and again, but with such a large battery and such a long runtime, you can get several cleans of smaller spaces from the S10+, even if you forget a charge here and there.

This battery life doesn’t come at the cost of features either, with the 4 000Pa fan, double-pad mopping system, laser navigation, app/voice control and more all still present.

Get the Xiaomi Robot Vacuum S10+, with a recommended retail price of just R9 999, from Takealot, Yuppiechef, Tafelberg, FNB or Vodacom.

Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X10+

The Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X10+ is for you if you want the ultimate, all-in-one robot vacuum experience – with zero concessions. While we may not have humanoid robot butlers for a while, the Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X10+ is the closest we can currently come to a fully automated, house-cleaning robot.

What makes the X10+ a cut above is the Smart Cleaning Station that acts as a dock and home for the robot vacuum itself. This will charge your robot vacuum, wash (and dry) its mopping pads, empty the vacuum dustbin, refill the mop water, and more. Anything that you would need to do yourself with other robot vacuums, this does instead. The Smart Cleaning Station is a pit crew for your robot vacuum, working autonomously to get it fit and ready for the next cleaning session.

Outside of the Smart Cleaning Station, the Robot Vacuum X10+ itself has a few tricks, like the RGB camera on the front of the unit. This camera works in tandem with laser navigation and S-Cross AI to identify objects in real time. This robot vacuum can identify important items like cables and clothes on the floor to avoid them while still cleaning.

Get the Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X10+, with a recommended price of just R19 999, from Takealot, Yuppiechef, Tafelberg, FNB or Vodacom.