Dyson's first robotic vacuum, the Dyson 360 Vis Nav is pretty powerful. I like the strong suction, and retractable side brush, and the app that tells me where in my home is the most dusty. But that said, I did encounter some minor issues, due to its vision-based navigation. Plus it doesn't do any mopping, or have a dock to empty its dust bin like other cheaper robot vacuums.
Quick specs
- Automatic dust detection to increase suction
- MyDyson app with dust hotspots map
- 2.75hr charging time, up to 50 minutes run time
- 0.5L bin, HEPA filter
My home has an Ikea carpet with black stripes, which apparently throws off the 360 Vis Nav sensor. It would keep reporting that it's been lifted, and then stop moving. Dyson did get back to me on this, telling me that I first had to move the carpet for mapping, then set it up as a restricted zone, which I did. But it's still the only robot vacuum I've ever tested to have this issue. It's probably software fixable, but we'll see. I did get really frustrated in the first few days of testing, though. The great thing is that Dyson's customer service tried their best to help solve this, even sending a technician down to troubleshoot the problem. And it did work fine after figuring out the issue.
Issues aside, the 360 Vis Nav is one powerful sucker. It easily picked up everything in its way, including cat fur, litter pellets, fine dust, and dirt. I'm honestly impressed by how much it picked up while cleaning my home daily. Like its non-robot cousins, the Dyson vacuum uses the same cyclone tech, which separates the dirt from the air flow into a removeable bin. Emptying the bin is similar to other Dyson vacuums, just push the button on the handle and it all drops out. But you will still need to wiggle your fingers in to pull out any remaining dirt. Washing the HEPA filter is also easy, just press a button, it pops out, then rinse and dry.
One thing that stands out (pun intended) is the retractable brush. Unlike other robot vacuums with a side brush, the Dyson 360 Vis Nav has a brush that pops out to pick up dirt against the walls and corners. The D-shape with its flat front shape also helps it get much closer to walls compared to circular robot vacuums. The MyDyson app for the vacuum lets you zone rooms, set up restrictions, and see where the dusty areas are. You can also schedule when it cleans. Battery life is a bit short, it usually takes two runs on auto mode to completely clean my 4-room flat. But I'm guessing the stronger suction does take up a lot more juice.
At S$1,999, the Dyson 360 Vis Nav is expensive. You're paying for the very powerful suction, and the clever engineering. I think it's a great robot, but the Dyson premium is too high at this point. It also doesn't come with other niceties, such as mopping, or an auto-empty dock. And you can get those features on other machines such as the Ecovacs Deebot T10+ at around half the price. Get it from Dyson.
Note: Review unit provided by Dyson.
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