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I found the most powerful robot vacuum on the market, and it's cheaper than you'd think
ZDNET's key takeaways
- The Yeedi M12 Pro+ is now available for $899, with a $100-off introductory offer when purchased on Yeedi's website.
- The Yeedi performs like a high-end, two-in-one robot, with 11,000Pa of suction power, roller brush technology to prevent hair tangles, and a self-washing station.
- Unfortunately, I had to make virtual boundaries around my medium-pile area rug as the mop pads repeatedly got it wet, even though they lift 9mm when over carpets.
Robot vacuum makers have been outdoing one another recently, launching stronger and better vacuums than the competition in quick succession. Roborock first launched its flagship S8 MaxV Ultra with a mighty 10,000Pa of suction power. Yet the title for strongest robot vacuum on the market was short-lived, as the Yeedi M12 Pro+ won it just three days later.
Also: Narwal launches a new midrange robot vacuum with flagship features
The new Yeedi M12 Pro+ gives me everything I've ever wanted but didn't get from earlier versions of the brand's robot vacuum and mops. A hands-free two-in-one robot, the M12 Pro+ features 11,000Pa of suction power, a self-emptying dustbin, self-washing extending mop pads, a V-shaped roller brush to prevent hair tangles, and a spot-cleaning feature.
View at AmazonThe charging dock, where the robot's battery is charged, the dustbin emptied, and the mop pads are washed and dried, is more compact than some competitors, including the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra's.
Also: I tested Roborock's most expensive robot vacuum and found 4 reasons to buy it
The suction power is evident as the robot travels across my home, where my family of five and a very hairy dog live. No crumb or hair is challenging for the Yeedi M12 Pro+, as it effortlessly picks up every morsel or paper clipping.
However, I wish it performed better in obstacle avoidance when approaching random items on the floor. I can't always pick up every little thing my kids toss on the floor or whatever stick my dog drags in through his doggy door before sending my robot out to clean, so object avoidance is a key feature for my use case. It is also important to run my robot vacuum and mop automatically, according to a schedule.
This M12 Pro+ robot got its roller brush stuck on larger papers than it could handle, like sticky notes and protein bar wrappers a few times, items that I would've hoped it avoided.
Because I like a 'set-it-and-forget-it solution' to floor cleaning, having my robot eating and choking on random pieces of mulch or small toys is one of the deciding factors when I choose a robot vacuum and mop. Mopping performance is another one.
My home has mostly hardwood floors, with some tile and area rugs sprinkled. So I need a good performing robot vacuum and mop. Because my kids spill things and my dog walks in with muddy paw prints, I can't just have any robot mop -- I need one that picks up the mess to have clean floors between deep cleanings.
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The robot vacuum and mop performs rather well for a $899 unit, and it even has a great mopping feature that I haven't seen in midrange robots: TruEdge adaptive mopping, which extends the mop pads to corners and edges to clean in places where the robot can't fit. The mop pads can retract automatically to avoid obstacles while mopping close to the edges.
I love watching the M12 Pro+ make its way across my floors, extending its mop pads and cleaning much like a person would if they were using a microfiber towel on floors. The dirty and clean water tanks are huge, with a 3.5-liter and 4-liter capacity, respectively.
The mop pads automatically lift about 9mm when the robot goes over carpets or a rug to keep them dry. I prefer a larger margin because the Yeedi Cube's mop pads, which go up by 8mm, would constantly get the medium pile on one of my carpets wet and dirty. For comparison, other robots that have never dirtied my rugs include the Eufy X9 Pro and Eufy S1 Pro, both lifting their mop pads 12mm, and the Roborock S8 MacV Ultra, which lifts the mop 20mm.
Also: The best robot vacuums for 2024: Expert tested and reviewed
The Yeedi M12 Pro+ effectively wet my area rug when set to vacuum and mop simultaneously. I wash my rugs at least once each quarter, so this is a small issue for me, but it could be a bigger issue for others. This only happened with the medium-pile rug, not the short-pile rugs in the entryways, and the app allows for virtual boundaries, which worked very well after I set them up.
The cleaning sink in the charging station detaches completely by pressing the two red buttons on the side, making this the easiest-to-clean base I've seen. Though you can run a self-cleaning feature on the app, detaching the sink where the mop pads are washed is very handy as that area gets disgusting quickly.
ZDNET's buying advice
The Yeedi M12 Pro+ is a standout robot vacuum and mop at $900, especially with the additional $100-off introductory offer. There are some setbacks, like the lower 9mm mop lift on carpets and the fact that it eats larger objects than it can handle, but the many positives outweigh the bad.
I'd go as far as to say that the M12 Pro+ and charging dock both perform like a $1,500 robot and mop combo. These robots are getting more expensive with each new model, so getting the chance to snag a top-performing, self-cleaning robot vacuum and mop for $900 is great in this market.