Viomi V3 Max Robotic Vacuum Overview
The Viomi V3 Max is one of three robotic vacuums the company sells.
It uses LIDAR navigation and a long list of sensors for precise movement and better coverage without bouncing off your walls. And should you ever have a rug or carpet flooring, the V3 Max's a carpet sensor auto-boost can kick in and sweep up accumulated dirt without any problems.
Compared to the highest-priced Viomi Alpha UV, the V3 Max lacks the sterilizing UV light and the self-emptying dust bin station.
In addition to robotic vacuums, Viomi also sells cordless stick vacuums, air and water purifiers, and a long list of smart household products.
The company is backed by Xiaomi, a successful Chinese smartphone maker. Viomi's primary focus is centered around household tech products, including smart refrigerators and app-controlled dishwashers. They currently have 60 different appliances for sale, over 900 patents, and have served over 5.1 million households.
The V3 Max Robotic Vacuum fits the mold of highly intelligent home tech to the tee.
This capable robotic vacuum and mopping system matches or surpasses most of the features of the best-selling Roomba iRobot. It has more powerful suction, can map five levels, and comes with multiple mop options.
Viomi's V3 Max promises a superior clean, but how does this vacuum actually perform?
I had a chance to try the V3 for myself. Keep reading to see my full Viomi V3 Max Robotic Vacuum review and to find out where this robovac impressed and where it fell short.
How The Viomi V3 Max Performs
I spent a few weeks testing my V3 on multiple levels of my home and various types of flooring. Overall, its cleaning ability impressed, but the performance wasn't completely glitch-free. Here's what I loved about the V3 Max and what I wished it did better.
Setup
Getting the V3 put together and connected to my internet took almost no time at all. Once I had the app downloaded, all I needed to get started was to tell the bot to begin cleaning and watch the map appear.
Once the initial cleaning was complete and the robot returned to the dock, I had the option to save the map, rename it, and customize the rooms by splitting, merging, and renaming them as needed.
Adding additional maps to the app involves the same process. Unlike other multi-floor robots I've tested, the V3 does require you to move the base station to the new level along with the robot. This is true not just of the first time you map a new level, but every time you want to clean that level.
It is a bit of a hassle, but the base station is compact, lightweight, and easy to move around.
Cleaning Power
Overall, I was very impressed with the V3's cleaning abilities. It is one of the only robovacs I've tested that didn't leave debris behind when transitioning from hard flooring to carpet while set to standard suction.
I believe this is because the vacuum opening sits closer to the ground on this model than most. This design allows for more effective cleaning on both hard flooring and carpets-and in between!
Vacuuming
In terms of effectively cleaning carpets, this is one of the more impressive robot vacuums I've tested. It has a suction rating of 2700Pa, which is reasonably high. But even compared to similarly powerful models, it packs a punch.
It quickly removed all visible debris from low-pile carpets and rugs and had no problem fluffing up areas of higher pile carpeting.
The carpet auto boost function adds a lot to its cleaning abilities. I never had to open the app and fiddle with the power settings because it kicks in whenever the robot is on a carpet. However, there is a noticeable delay from when the robot hits the carpet until the increased suction turns on.
This isn't a big deal for carpeted rooms but does leave some edges less clean than others in rooms with area or throw rugs.
This robot was able to clean my high-pile shag area rug better than any I've tried so far. In fact, it tried to clean it too well. The robot constantly errored out with stuck brush errors while trying to vacuum this rug.
In the end, the rug looked great, but I had to babysit the vacuum and constantly restart it.
Overall, this vacuum is an excellent choice for those with medium or low pile carpets. If you have very high-pile carpeting, the V3's powerful suction becomes a frustrating flaw.
Mopping
When set to standard S-shaped mopping, this vacuum performs about like all the others I've tried. The floor looks shinier afterward, but it's not really all that clean.
It's the Y-shaped mop setting that really sets this robot apart. Instead of moving straight back and forth lines, the robot moves in a Y pattern with backward and forward movements. This Y-shaped cleaning movement scrubs each area of the floor twice.
The highest water setting seemed to be the only way to get the best out of both mop settings. At this level, the tank held about enough water to mop around 400 square feet.
Despite having a carpet sensor, the one flaw in the mopping system I've found in all dual-purpose robots (except for the Yeedi Vac Station) is that they will happily mop over carpet unless you manually set no-mop zones. And, getting these zones placed correctly is not an easy task, especially if you have area rugs.
Overall, though, I was impressed with the mopping functionality and like that you can set the robot to mop while vacuuming or only set it to mop if needed.
Smartphone App
Of all the vacuuming apps I've used, I like this one the best.
It has two main areas. The main page allows you to customize the map, set cleaning modes easily, and start various cleaning tasks. The settings tab houses all of the rest of the features, settings, and device information.
Most of these apps are set up like an endless maze of submenus, but this robot vacuum's app is fairly intuitive once you get the hang of it.
Obstacle Avoidance
The V3 has dozens of sensors combined with the LIDAR allows the robot to make quick, accurate maps.
The wall sensor and LIDAR keep it from running into walls and substantial obstacles like couches. The bumper sensor allows the robot to navigate less substantial obstacles like chair legs and toys.
I've found these bumper sensors come with varying degrees of sensitivity. I'd put the V3 on the less sensitive end. It will happily push around lightweight objects, including full dog water bowls and stuffed animals.
It will even challenge chair legs if the chair is light enough. This could spell trouble if you have fragile furniture or delicate decorations balanced precariously around the house.
This robot does not have smart obstacle avoidance, meaning that it will contact small obstacles rather than sensing them and moving around them without touching them. This is only an issue if you have pets that have frequent accidents or young children who are likely to leave delicate toys lying around.
Battery Life
The V3 Max is advertised as having a 300-minute battery life on the lowest power setting. Most of the floors in my house are around 400 square feet and I have yet to run it down to less than 85% battery with these single-level cleanings.
Things to Consider Before Buying a Robotic Vacuum
Adding a robot vacuum to your cleaning arsenal can drastically reduce how much time you spend caring for your floors each week. But with so many options out there, all with different features, it can be hard to know which product is exactly right for you.
Here are a few things worth considering that will help you narrow down your choices.
- Cleaning modes. Some robot vacuums only vacuum, while many newer models can also mop.
- Sensor type. LIDAR sensing robots make the most accurate maps and tend to clean most efficiently. But robots utilizing less powerful sensors tend to be less expensive.
- Dustbin and water reservoir size. Larger dustbins and water reservoirs are a must for large houses but come with a steeper price tag.
- Auto-emptying capabilities. Many premiere robot vacuums come with special docks that automatically empty the dustbin. These only need to be emptied about once per month rather than after using like your typical robot vac.
Final Thoughts on The V3 Max
If you want a powerful cleaning machine that can tackle most kinds of carpet and scrub your hard floors like a real mop, you'll love the Viomi V3 Max Robotic Vacuum.
Powerful suction and a host of sensors team up to give this robot unparalleled vacuuming power. But it is the special mopping settings that truly allow this bot to stand out from the competition. These features paired with an intuitive and highly functional app can make cleaning hassle-free and efficient for many homeowners.
To learn more about the V3 Max or to purchase one for yourself, click here.