“A robust companion app, adjustable suction levels, and an affordable price make this robot vacuum an enticing option.”
- Affordable price
- Automatically adjusts suction levels
- Powerful smartphone app
- Option to set restricted zones
- Easily stuck on obstacles
- Lackluster mopping abilities
Robot vacuums have come a long way over the past few years. No longer are consumers limited to high-end models that cost close to $1,000, as multiple companies have thrown their hats into the ring and are providing surprisingly efficient products for half the cost of their competitors.
The Yeedi Vac Max is one such robot vacuum. Listed for just $370 (and often on sale for much less), the budget-conscious product is billing itself as a powerful cleaning solution that punches above its MSRP. After putting the Vac Max through its paces over the last month, the robot vacuum has proven to be a reliable product — although there’s certainly room for improvement.
Powerful specs, affordable price
One of the most shocking aspects of the Yeedi Vac Max is its spec list. Whether you’re looking at battery life or suction power, the list is indicative of a product that should carry a much larger price tag. Here’s a closer look at what your $370 is buying.
- 3000Pa suction power with multiple power levels
- Functions as both a vacuum and mop
- Automatic power level adjustments
- Customizable home map using a smartphone app
- Ability to add virtual boundaries to your home
- 5200mAh battery for about three hours of continuous use
- Compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant
- One-year warranty
Using the powerful Yeedi app to map your home
Before you can have your robot cleaner whizzing around your house, you’ll first need to go through a rather lengthy setup phase. This process sees you connecting Yeedi to your home Wi-Fi network and installing the app on your smartphone. With that out of the way, Yeedi will then roam every corner of your home as it maps out your living space.
Regardless of what you’re looking to modify, you can do it all from your phone.
While this is going, you’ll have a lot of downtime to explore the smartphone app — and you’re going to need it. The Yeedi app covers just about all bases. Whether you’re looking to set up scheduled cleaning times, monitor the location of your smart vacuum, adjust suction power, or modify other cleaning preferences, you can do it all from your phone.
You can also set up virtual boundaries, which prevent Yeedi from venturing into sensitive areas of your home. The feature was an absolute lifesaver, as the Vac Max had a tendency to get hung up underneath my desk or when trying to clean between barstools. With just a few seconds of tapping away on the app, I was able to throw down virtual boundaries that prevent the smart vacuum from wandering into locations where it’s bound to get stuck.
After about a half-hour of mapping out my downstairs living space, Yeedi was ready for a full debut.
Not the sharpest tool in the shed
Unfortunately, that’s when things started to get a bit shaky. While mapping out my home, I found Yeedi backtracking and retracing its steps multiple times — something I thought was only part of the mapping process. However, that seems to be standard operating procedure. Even after a month, I still find Yeedi recleaning the same part of the home multiple times, while other locations are left undisturbed. The areas didn’t seem to be particularly dirty (some robot vacuums will cover the same area twice to ensure a thorough cleaning), so it left me wondering why Yeedi was giving it a second pass. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it is a bit frustrating.
Yeedi has a tendency to get stuck on objects.
Since Yeedi has a tendency to get stuck on objects (just like every smart vacuum), you’ll need to make sure your floor is free of toys, clothing, shoelaces, or other small items that can cause it to stumble. Yeedi has some decent pep in its step, but I’ve often found it hung up on small dog toys that I assumed it would sense as an obstacle and avoid. Instead, it likes to act as a bulldozer. Objects will then get tangled in its brush or prevent the vacuum from moving — at which point, you’ll get an alert that Yeedi needs to be reset.
Mopping is also a bit haphazard. Clipping and unclipping the mopping pad is a simple enough procedure (and there’s an option to limit Yeedi to just mopping) but it’s just one more thing to babysit if you want Yeedi to both mop and vacuum — I’d rather Swiffer the floor myself while Yeedi takes care of the carpet.
Several mopping settings are available that change the amount of water used in cleaning, although I found that the medium option was the most practical. Other settings either didn’t put down enough water for proper cleaning or soaked the floor more than necessary. The mopping functionality is a nice touch, but it’s not executed nearly as well as the vacuum.
Our take
Yeedi Vac Max is a surprisingly robust little robot vacuum. Offering a wonderful smartphone app, sleek design, and specs well above its price tag, the time-saving gadget checks all the right boxes — on paper at least. Real-world testing gave Yeedi some trouble, particularly with obstacle detection and retracing its steps. Neither of these is a dealbreaker, but they’re something to consider if you have a large home and don’t want to hear a robot vacuuming for hours on end.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more feature-complete robot vacuum in this price range.
For folks who just need basic cleaning and want to free up a few hours of chores every week, Yeedi is an easy recommendation. However, don’t expect this to give you a life free of vacuum maintenance.
A diminutive dust bin means you’ll be emptying its reservoir after each cleaning.
The lackluster obstacle sensor means you’ll be picking up objects around your home prior to a scheduled cleaning.
And the fact that Yeedi itself is prone to the same tangling issues as a normal vacuum means you’ll be periodically untangling its brush rollers. The good news is there’s an included brush and safety razor that makes maintenance simple.
But for $370, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more feature-complete robot vacuum in this price range.
Are there better alternatives?
If you’re looking for something in the same price range as the Yeedi Vac Max, consider the Eufy BoostIQ RoboVac 30. It carries a $250 price tag, offers a nifty companion app, and adapts its suction power based on the surface. You’ll only get 2000Pa of suction power (compared to 3000Pa with the Vac Max), and its sensors can be just as fussy as Yeedi.
Folks looking for something a bit more robust can spring for the Neato Botvac D8. It retails for $600, but you’ll benefit from a unique D-shaped chassis that helps clean in tight spots, the ability to map out restricted zones, and a large dust bin that can hold 0.7L of debris.
Before making a purchase be sure to check out our list of the best smart vacuums of 2022.
How long will it last?
Yeedi has a one-year warranty, so you’ll at least get a year of use out of it. But with proper care and maintenance, there’s no reason it shouldn’t last you much longer.
Should you buy it?
The short answer? Yes. Yeedi Vac Max is a great product given its price. While the mapping and detection systems could be a bit more robust, its powerful smartphone app, adjustable suction levels, and the ability to double as a mop put it near the top of its class. Just make sure you carefully prep your home before cleaning begins — otherwise, you’ll be forced to help Yeedi out of a jam.
