Ultenic T10 hybrid robovac/mop that auto empties (cleaning review)

The Ultenic T10 hybrid robot vacuum self-empties its dustbin into the docking/charge station and has a clip-on robomop plate. A good package all around and currently on special for $650 (usually $850).

You may not have heard of Ultenic or its extraordinarily powerful class-leading 3300pa suction Ultenic U10, but Aussie company Robot My Life is doing its best to sway other brand buyers.

Melbourne-based Robot My Life is the importer for the excellent Hobot Window cleaners, the best Robot mop Legee7 and a range of Moebots to keep your grass in check. In fact, owner Glenn Lee is only interested in the best of tech.

“We search the world for the best robot tech and bring it to Australia where we can sell, service and support it to very high standards. Good tech means good reliability.”

In the Ultenic T10 case, Glenn compared it to Roomba S9+, Roomba i7+, Roborock S6 (Viomi S9+) and Deebot N8 Pro+. At 3300pa suction power, it is 700pa more powerful than its nearest competitor. Its 4.3-litre self-emptying dustbin is nearly twice as much as some of its competitors. And the 5200mAh battery gives up to 280 minutes for 250m2 cleaning (low power mode) – twice as much as some of its competitors.

Ultenic T10 hybrid robot vacuum and mop

Website	Manufacturer product page and Robot my Life product page
Price	RRP $850 but on introductory special at A$650 inc Australia wide shipping
From	Robot my Life
Warranty	12-months ACL from Robot My Life
Company	Ultenic is a China-based company and a fast-emerging brand in Europe and Asia. It has several R&D patents.
More	Five tips for choosing a robovac/mop
Inbox	Ultenic T10 Dock/charge/empty station Two dustbags (plus one in the station) two whisker brushes (one in use) Mop plate and two microfibre fitted cloths Two HEPA filters (one already fitted) Remote and batteries Cleaning brush/hair cutter

First impression

White and round with a spinning LiDAR turret on top and an IR detector on the front. The whole unit, auto empty station and the robot vacuum/mop are a neat package. Otherwise, it is a fairly standard round robot vac/mop design.

One omission that we noticed is a waterproof base ‘sheet’ on the station (as comes with the Leege7) to stop a damp mop from resting on your floor. It is easy to cut some thick plastic or Perspex and sit the station on.

Setup – easy

The Ultenic App is on Google Play and Apple App Store. The App collects location, identifiers (telemetry), diagnostic data, contact info and usage data. Even though Ultenic is a China-based company, it states that the information resides on US Based servers. We are happy that it is not invading your privacy unlike some of its competitors.

If you link this to OK Google or Alexa, you are subject to those app’s privacy policies.

Now the App does not get the best rating, and that is because it is pretty new – version 2.1.0 dated 5 November. It is also for all Ultenic products. We had no issues with the App or with Wi-Fi (2.4Ghz).

Over the past three weeks, I noticed a few more App features, including auto recognising and numbering rooms and spaces.

It has all the usual no-go zone settings, clean once or twice (handy for carpet) as week as room naming and scheduling.

The App is the best way to activate it and select different modes. Using voice control loses a lot of functionality – basically, start cleaning or cleaning a named room.

Remote control

It has a battery-operated IR remote control that provides quick access to many App features. Once you have set up the Ultenic T10, mapped the area and selected defaults, the remote is the easiest way to start cleaning.

Self-emptying dustbin – gimmick or necessity

The extra self-emptying functionality is nice. It raises the issue – would you rather have the best robovacs/mop at a higher price and manually empty its dustbin or a typical robovac/mop and occasionally empty the docking bin? Don’t worry – it uses a 4.3L disposable bag good for a couple of months’ cleaning. Let me tell you the answer.

The self-emptying dock adds to the price, so you are paying for convenience. The Ultenic T10 is quite a good robovac/mop – but its lower-cost sibling, the Ultenic DS5 Pro (review coming soon) at $450, is very good too.

Navigation

It has the latest Gen 3 LiDAR that helps build a 2D, 360° map and reduces issues with dark walls and bright lights. This couples with Simultaneous localisation and mapping (SLAM) used by most robot vacuums. It also has front and both sides Infrared sensors that effectively avoids all but minor obstacles.

If you prepare the house first (see Five tips for choosing a robovac/mop), it is 100% reliable and completes its cleaning returning to base 100% of the time.

House prep – yes it is necressary

As much as Gen 3 LIDAR and IR have improved reliability, you need to go through the full house prep (see Five Tips above).

We tested with various obstacles, including Lego bricks, sports shoes with long laces, and a child’s stuffed toy. It managed to avoid the obstacles, albeit the lighter Lego bricks were flicked out of the way. It will get caught in shoelaces and cables – these must be out of harm’s way.

Overall the map is accurate and a good basis to modify to allow for single or dual cleaning etc. It is not the easiest to change – few robovacs Apps are – until you get used to it.

Vacuum efficiency

We use 100g of test detritus ranging from sand to rice bubbles. All settings are at default.

• Hard floors 95% – only leaves the edges to do with a stick vac.
• Sisal ridged carpet 75% – leaving detritus in the carpet hollows
• Short pile carpet 85% – mainly leaving lint

It will auto range power from eco (estimate 2200pa), normal (estimate 2800pa), to hyperdrive (3300pa).

After three weeks, we decided to set carpet areas to 2x cleans, and the results were closer to 90% – very acceptable.

Combo dustbin and water tank

The water tank holds 200ml, and water flow is via a pressurised pump and three pin-hole outlets.

We estimate the dustbin capacity at a similar amount, and after 100m2, it was pretty full returning to the station.

Water volumes are low, medium (default), high and extra high. Medium left a fine film of water on the hard floors that dried in minutes.

Mop

There is no waterproof plate under the station, so you must remember to remove the mopping attachment before charging or storing it.

It is a typical microfibre cloth mop using a Y-cleaning pattern over the floor. It has no scrubbing action and limited downwards pressure. We use dried coffee and milk stains for the test, and it will not remove them. It is a ‘maintenance’ mop.

And like all similar robomops, you have to manually place it in hard floor areas (like bathrooms) off carpeted areas to prevent carpet mopping.

Maintenance

The temptation with self-emptying dustbins is that you forget to clean the robot too. After each use, you should clean the roller brush and remove hairs that wrap around it (replaceable every 6-12 months).

The HEPA filter is washable but will need replacement (two months of typical use). Sensors and wheels need a regular clean.

The station has a 4.3-litre bag that is said to hold about two months of typical use, and there is a filter that needs regular cleaning.

Size, weight

• Station 282 x 361 x 202mm x 3.82kg.
• Ultenic T10 – 350mm round x 98mm high x 3.6kg plus water and mop pad.

Power use

It has a DC 24V/1.2A/29W charger for a 14.4V/5.2A battery. Charging is about four hours. On eco, it will run for up to 280 minutes at around 1m2 per minute cleaning.

But if you select Hyperdrive (3300pa), it cuts the time down to just over an hour and standard about 2 hours.

Sill height and under furniture

It navigates 20mm with the mop plate and a little more without it. It will get under 105mm overhangs.

Noise

In all operation modes, it is between 50-60dB. In self-empty mode, that goes to 85dB.

Cybershack view – The Ultenic T10 is one of the better self-emptying robovacs

We have come to expect quality products from Robot My Life, and as an Aussie company, it will bend over backwards to help with any issues. You don’t get that from the majority of online merchants.

It certainly is class-leading over the Roomba i7+ and the Viomi Alpha S9 (Roborock)

Would I buy it?

The special price is very tempting, and it is a perfect choice for most. But you will still need a basic stick vac for edges, stairs, dusting, and longer pile carpet. And as it is a maintenance mop, you will need to manually mop to get a deeper clean.

Ultenic T10 summary

Item		Explanation	Grade
Shape	Round	All round shape robovacs have issues with edge and corner cleaning	Pass
Lidar	2D	360° single LiDAR builds a 2D map – Gen 3	Pass
Sensor	IR	A forward IR sensor helps to avoid obstacles	Pass+
Maps	5	Stores up to 5, but you must take the base station to each level	Pass
Map edit	Yes	All the usual including mop and no mop zones	Pass
Ultenic App	App	Google Play Store or Apple App store Meets all typical needs. Modes include vacuum, mop or both, suction (Off, eco, normal, hyperdrive), water volume (three levels), battery level and cleaning diary, area vacuum, S and Y shaped navigation pattern, up to seven schedules	Pass
Edge		Unable to clean edges and corners – same as all round robovacs	Fail
Carpet		It depends on carpet type – use a stronger suction setting and repeat clean patterns.	Pass
Sills	20mm	Like all mop plate round robovacs	Pass
Other Sensors	Collision and cliff	Typical forward bumper sensor and cliff detector stops it from going down the stairs	Pass
Suction	3300Pa	On max	Exceed
Dustbin	250ml	Adequate given self-empty function	Pass+
Water	200ml	Adequate for 100m2 or more – depends on the setting	Pass
Battery life		Claimed 280 minutes on eco setting, but the reality is about 120 minutes on standard and 60 minutes hyperdrive. Note that the cleanable area in m2 is roughly equivalent to battery life.	Pass+
Battery	5200mAh	14.4V/3.47A/50W	Pass
Wi-Fi	2.4GHz	Same as most robot vacuum/mops	Pass
Size		350mm round x 98mm high x 3.6kg	Pass
Dock	4.3L dust bag	Recharge time is about 4 to 5 hours	Pass

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