Review of the Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X20+. The king of millimeter precision

It seems like several years have passed since the last time I reviewed a robot vacuum cleaner. During this time, a new subclass of models with cleaning stations has emerged—they now come with containers for clean and dirty water, which has improved the efficiency of wet cleaning. But progress hasn’t been limited to just the stations. The review of the Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X20+ will also help us explore an interesting feature claimed by the manufacturer—they promise extremely high precision (literally “millimetre-level,” though with an asterisk of caveats) in the robot’s obstacle avoidance.

5 reasons to buy the Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X20+:

• Completely takes over maintaining clean floors in a large apartment or multi-story house.
• Performs both dry and wet cleaning with customizable settings for each room.
• Builds a fairly accurate map of the premises and saves different floors separately.
• Convenient app with integration for Mi Home, Google Assistant, and Amazon Alexa.
• Offers an attractive price compared to competitors with similar features and suction power.

3 reasons not to buy the Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X20+:

• You still don’t trust automated cleaning (who knows whose side the robot will take during a machine uprising).
• You’re unhappy with regularly refilling the station with water and occasionally replacing the dust bag.
• Your budget can’t handle a robot vacuum with a cleaning station.

What the Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X20+ can do

The Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X20+ is a robot vacuum designed for both dry and wet cleaning, equipped with a cleaning station that houses not only a charging dock but also a dust bag and two water containers—one for clean water and one for dirty water. It has a suction power of 600 Pascals, which is not the highest on the market compared to models where manufacturers specify suction power in Pascals. For instance, brands like Samsung or iRobot often indicate suction power in watts. However, it is still relatively high for robot vacuums.

However, some generalized correlations can be used for approximation. For household vacuum cleaners, a suction power of 30 W may correspond to roughly 2000 Pa (Pascals).

For navigation and mapping, the Xiaomi X20+ uses an LDS (Laser Distance Sensor) and combines it with the proprietary obstacle avoidance system called S-Cross, which claims “millimetre-level precision” in movement. Dry cleaning is handled by two brushes: one on the side, which sweeps dust and debris under the robot’s body, and another, a roller-shaped brush, which helps suction everything into a small dust container that gets emptied periodically when the robot returns to its base.

Wet cleaning is implemented in an interesting way—previously, it involved a semicircular cloth that was attached like a sticker to the underside of the robot. Now, there are two round cloth pads attached to two rotating platforms that can (!) lift themselves when the robot detects a carpet. This allows the Xiaomi X20+ to avoid dirtying carpets with dirty water (if you have carpets—unfortunately or fortunately, I don’t, so I couldn’t test this feature).

Additionally, this robot has a remote control and can be managed via the Mi Home app (it can also be integrated into the Google or Amazon smart home ecosystems). The app provides access to all the features we now expect from a robot vacuum: visualization of the map and the robot’s location, scheduled cleaning, creating no-go zones, and the ability to clean a specific room only. However, there are a few extra features that aren’t necessarily expected (and in general, some interesting new functionalities have been introduced over the past three years, which will be discussed in this review).

For navigation and mapping, the Xiaomi X20+ uses an LDS (Laser Distance Sensor) and combines it with the proprietary obstacle avoidance system called S-Cross, which claims “millimetre-level precision” in movement. Dry cleaning is handled by two brushes: one on the side, which sweeps dust and debris under the robot’s body, and another, a roller-shaped brush, which helps suction everything into a small dust container that gets emptied periodically when the robot returns to its base.

Wet cleaning is implemented in an interesting way—previously, it involved a semicircular cloth that was attached like a sticker to the underside of the robot. Now, there are two round cloth pads attached to two rotating platforms that can (!) lift themselves when the robot detects a carpet. This allows the Xiaomi X20+ to avoid dirtying carpets with dirty water (if you have carpets—unfortunately or fortunately, I don’t, so I couldn’t test this feature).

Additionally, this robot has a remote control and can be managed via the Mi Home app (it can also be integrated into the Google or Amazon smart home ecosystems). The app provides access to all the features we now expect from a robot vacuum: visualization of the map and the robot’s location, scheduled cleaning, creating no-go zones, and the ability to clean a specific room only. However, there are a few extra features that aren’t necessarily expected (and in general, some interesting new functionalities have been introduced over the past three years, which will be discussed in this review).

Appearance of the Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X20+

Let’s start with the most interesting part—the station. I like that it’s made of matte plastic, which doesn’t show fingerprint stains and looks neat. The white color, on one hand, makes it (along with the robot) stand out as a “white crow,” drawing attention in the interior (unless your decor is in a “Provence” style, like in our kids’ room). On the other hand, it is universal (like black or gray) and relatively suitable for any interior.

Inside, there are two large 4-liter water containers: a white one for clean water and a black one for dirty water. Everything is made of durable and practical plastic, easy to open and close, with handles for carrying 4 liters of water — everything is thoughtfully designed. For convenience, the clean water container has a mark indicating the maximum water level up to which it can be filled.

At the bottom of the station

The lower part of the station features a removable ramp for the robot to dock (it really needs both convenience and precision to automatically align with the charging contacts). Another removable part of the station’s design is the section used for cleaning the mopping pads. After every 8 square meters of cleaning, the robot returns to the station to wash the pads—this setting can be adjusted in the app. As a result, this bottom section is constantly covered in dirt.

In theory, there’s a self-cleaning function where the station automatically pours water into the bottom tray and then sucks the dirty water back up after 3 minutes. This is supposed to be enough time to “wipe” the surface clean. However, in practice, I found it less convenient—it’s easier for me to remove the plastic cover and manually wipe it down with a cloth instead of relying on “automation.”

That said, with daily cleaning, this area will always get dirty, and crawling on all fours every day to clean under the station isn’t very appealing. However, since the robot is always docked in this spot, the dirt isn’t constantly visible. For this reason, I still have questions about the practicality and regularity of this additional “automatic” cleaning feature.

Directly above the robot

Above the robot is a compartment with a dust bag. It’s hidden behind a cover that is also very easy to remove and reinstall. A new bag costs 799 hryvnias. For me, it filled up after a month of use (3-room apartment with daily cleaning). Whether to buy a new one or clean out the old one is an open question that everyone will decide based on their own perspective.

For me, the first time, it was perfectly fine to simply empty it over a trash bin. However, I don’t have factors like a dust allergy. In such a case, I would probably have opted to buy a new bag.

The robot itself

The robot looks standard and, at first glance, is not much different from its predecessors. It’s the same round unit with a laser module that constantly rotates as the robot moves, providing, as the military would say, “situational awareness.”

A dual button (“power-home”) on the body is used for all actions—pausing cleaning, resuming cleaning, or sending the robot back to its base. There are two charging contacts at the back and a large camera module in the front section.

Differences from previous models

The differences become more noticeable when you flip the robot over. The two rotating mopping pads immediately catch the eye. These pads are continuously washed with clean water (and then dried after cleaning is finished), so they look much tidier than I expected based on my previous experience with robots designed for wet cleaning.

In addition to periodically cleaning the roller brush, you’ll sometimes need to remove the side brush to clear hair from its axle. It’s also necessary to remove the swivel wheel occasionally, as hair can wind around its axle as well. Over a month of use, I’ve done this just once, and it seems sufficient.

Of course, all moving parts have a lifespan, which you can monitor in the app. With daily use, it’s recommended to replace these components roughly once a year.

What the Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X20+ app can do

To operate the vacuum, you’ll need the standard Xiaomi ecosystem app—Mi Home (available for Android and iOS). After adding the Xiaomi X20+ to the app, its icon appears on the main screen, along with notifications from the robot.

As you can see, I don’t really have a Xiaomi ecosystem set up yet—just an old lamp that isn’t currently in use and a Wi-Fi repeater that I previously used with the TV to boost the signal (this is no longer necessary in the new apartment, as cables are now routed through the walls to the TVs).

Map and operating modes

The robot starts creating a map immediately after its first run and continuously improves it with each cleaning session. After a month of use, its laser finally managed to reach under the large bed in the bedroom and identified it as a separate room (on some screenshots, it’s labeled as Room 8, and on others as Bed—I later renamed it for clarity).

On the main screen, you can switch between standard cleaning and customized cleaning for each room. You can also pause or resume cleaning, check the device’s status (shown in the header at the top), and manage the station—triggering forced robot dust bin cleaning or washing and drying the mopping pads.

Additionally, from the main screen, you can select a rectangular cleaning zone or a specific room to summon the robot (there are separate buttons for this on the right-hand panel).

Here, you can compare the apartment layout I created using homestyler.com while planning the renovation with the map the robot has generated over time. In my opinion, for an automated system, it looks quite decent and relevant to the task of maintaining cleanliness.

Settings for each room

I really liked the ability to customize cleaning for each room. In total, there are 48 possible combinations—4 cleaning modes, 4 suction power levels, and water supply levels.

In practice, I found that the standard settings are sufficient for most rooms. I only added double cleaning for the bedroom and set maximum suction power and maximum water supply for the kitchen (also in two passes).

Overall, cleaning the kitchen turned out to be a challenge because the chosen floor tiles require daily cleaning. Thanks to the robot, I can now wash the kitchen floor just once a week, as the Xiaomi X20+ handles daily maintenance well. Two wet cleaning sessions per day are enough for this.

Scheduled Cleaning

Using a cleaning schedule is the key advantage that allows you to automate the process and relieve the burden of maintaining cleanliness at home. All you need to do is refill the water (the robot will notify you if it’s running low) and empty the dirty water (unfortunately, the notification only comes when the container is full, but it’s better to empty it daily, especially in summer heat). After a few days, dirty water starts to smell, though the odor is easy to eliminate by rinsing the container with any foaming cleaning product.

The flexibility of the scheduling settings is so advanced that I can’t imagine how it could be improved further. In addition to selecting the date and time, you can choose the cleaning mode (I left it on automatic, following the room-specific settings) and the cleaning radius (a specific area, though unfortunately, only one area can be selected at a time—perhaps this is an opportunity for improvement—or all rooms).

Automation Scenarios

Unfortunately (or fortunately), I don’t have other devices from the Xiaomi ecosystem, so I wasn’t able to test the robot’s interaction with other gadgets. However, everything here is standard—you add a new scenario, give it a name, select a start condition, and choose the action for the selected device.

As an experiment, I added a push notification to inform me when cleaning in the living room (where the station is located) is finished.

Creating zones and virtual walls

This is a feature that has been available for several years on robot vacuums capable of working with maps—creating virtual walls and restricted cleaning zones. I set up just one wall, where the kitchen and balcony are divided by separate doors that turn the balcony into my office. It’s not that I don’t need cleaning there; it’s just that the robot can’t cross the door threshold anyway.

Interestingly, despite the obstacle, the Xiaomi X20+ still managed to map part of the kitchen area near the balcony as much as its laser could reach.

Settings (What else the Xiaomi X20+ can do)

The list of settings spans three entire smartphone screens. This is probably the most extensive range of settings I’ve seen in robot vacuums. It highlights the fact that this robot belongs to the top-tier models available today. Below, I’ll list all these features in the order they appear in the menu.

Replacement of consumables

Keeping a record of all actions is not particularly important in practice, but it is an inherent part of any programmed or automated system. You don’t need to check these logs regularly, but they can always help pinpoint when the robot completed its work. In daily life, this feature is more about recalling a specific time or moment—logs can help you figure it out (e.g., “Ah, I heard it working at that time, so it was definitely before 3 PM”).

However, tracking the lifespan of consumable parts (and their list) is very useful. In my experience, the lifespan of vacuum robot consumables is about a year. But back then, I didn’t live in a three-room apartment, and the lifespan depends on the hours of operation (i.e., the size of the cleaned area). So in my case, replacements will likely be needed more frequently than once a year.

You can also configure the dust collection by the station—I left it at the default setting (automatic collection). The station empties the robot’s dust container every time it returns to the base (and with wet cleaning, as a reminder, it returns after every 8 square meters of cleaned floor).

Station self-cleaning and sponge cleaning

As I mentioned earlier, the developers are slightly misleading here—the “self-cleaning” process isn’t fully automatic. It takes three minutes: first, the robot moves out of the station, then the station fills the tray with water, and after three minutes, it sucks the water back in. The user still needs to wipe the tray with a cloth. In my opinion, all of this can be done manually with a damp cloth, without involving automation.

But (as I’ve already noted), there’s little point in this cleaning process because dirt will reappear in the tray after the next cleaning session anyway. And since the dirt is hidden when the robot is docked at the station (which is most of the time when it’s not cleaning), it’s not really noticeable. Perhaps this feature will make more sense in the future, but for now, I’d recommend cleaning the tray by hand (after removing the plastic grate).

You can also adjust the threshold at which the robot returns to the station to clean the mopping pads. Instead of the default 8 square meters, you can set it to 5 or 10. The default settings work fine for me.

Editing zones and carpets

Although I wasn’t able to add the “Bed” zone to the “Bedroom” room (the algorithms likely couldn’t do this due to the lack of clear boundaries around the bed), this tool is still very useful. The only thing I miss is the ability to manually draw boundaries, as is possible, for example, in Samsung SmartThings. However, most users probably won’t bother with such details. It’s sufficient that you can divide the entire map into individual rooms and give them custom names. This isn’t just for aesthetics but for the ability to start cleaning in a specific room. If you don’t plan to use zoned cleaning at all, then the zone editor won’t be necessary for you.

It’s great that there’s an option to customize carpet cleaning settings. As I’ve mentioned, I don’t have carpets with pile, but you can set how the robot should handle these areas—whether to lift the mopping pads above the carpets and perform only dry cleaning or to avoid these zones altogether. You can also increase the robot’s suction power on carpets, which seems like a very appropriate feature.

Additional features and remote control

The “More Functions” section in the settings allows you to configure several options:

• Button lock on the robot (to prevent children from starting it) while it’s docked at the station.
• Locate the robot in the house (it will emit a voice signal).
• Adjust the volume (default is 75%, which is sufficient for me).
• Add a time zone (default is Kyiv).

Interestingly, the robot supports the Ukrainian language—you just need to download the language pack.

Remote control of the robot’s movements via a smartphone is more of a novelty feature. Every robot vacuum I’ve seen has this function, but it’s unclear in which practical scenarios it would be useful. It’s essentially a substitute for a physical remote control (which, honestly, robot vacuums don’t really need either).

Cleaning Strategy

Behind the impressive title “Cleaning Strategy” lies a useful feature that allows you to adjust the robot’s cautiousness during operation. You can choose between two modes:

• The robot avoids collisions and carefully navigates around obstacles.
• Or, it maximizes the cleaning area by getting closer to obstacles and lightly touching them.

I chose the second option—I liked it better. In this mode, I could see the robot working very close to obstacles—if not with millimeter precision, then definitely within less than a centimeter.

You can also manually tell the robot where it is located. This feature is likely intended for cases when the station is moved to another room. As an experiment, I relocated the station from the living room to the bedroom and launched the robot. The device’s mapping system adjusted within a few minutes, and I could see the new station location in the app.

Additionally, you can grant other family members access to control the robot. To do this, you need to provide their phone number or email associated with their Mi account (if they don’t have one, they’ll need to create one to gain access).

Overall impressions of the Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X20+

Overall, the Xiaomi X20+ leaves a positive impression. In addition to the standard features found in all robots in this class (dry and wet cleaning, mapping, scheduled cleaning), the use of two water containers significantly improves the quality of wet cleaning. Five years ago, robot vacuums were only capable of maintaining clean floors, but this model demonstrates clear progress in the industry.

After a month of use, I can confirm that the robot can fully handle dry cleaning on its own. For wet cleaning, I only need to mop the kitchen floor by hand once a week; in all other rooms, the robot’s wet cleaning is sufficient for comfort. It works perfectly with both laminate and tile floors in my home.

While the mapping process may have minor inaccuracies, these don’t affect cleaning quality and are more related to the presence of furniture and obstacles. It’s still advisable to remove anything that might interfere with cleaning (this applies to manual cleaning as well). The app’s customization options even exceed expectations, offering 48 combinations of cleaning settings that can be applied separately for each room. This, in my opinion, reflects the maturity of the industry and marks a significant shift from a “toy” that handles part of the work to a true helper capable of fully taking over cleaning tasks—much like how we fully entrusted laundry to washing machines.

As for the main intrigue—the promised millimeter precision—I initially thought it was more of a marketing gimmick. The robot seemed to navigate around obstacles and furniture at about 1 centimeter of distance. I assumed this was because the round mopping pads extended about a centimeter beyond the robot’s body, requiring that level of precision. But after adjusting the “cleaning strategy” settings, I was impressed—the robot began cleaning almost in contact with furniture (especially noticeable in the kitchen), making the process more thorough and precise. I highly recommend switching to the “wide coverage” mode unless the robot tends to knock over items like plant stands or similar objects in your home.

If I were to imagine what else such a device could offer, the idea of the SwitchBot Cleaning Combo comes to mind. In that model, the manufacturers aim to fully automate cleaning and relieve users of the need to replace water. The robot features two stations—one electric and one water-based. The latter connects to a water supply and drainage system. This allows developers to attempt to create the ultimate assistant capable of working for months without intervention. Whether this concept will succeed remains to be seen over time.

Price factor, neighbors, and competitors

To evaluate the price of the Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X20+, it’s helpful to start by comparing it with other Xiaomi robot models. This diagram will help visualize its position within the manufacturer’s lineup.

It’s not the most expensive model yet—it replaces its predecessor, the X10+, surpassing it in both suction power (6000 Pa vs. 4000 Pa) and price (24,999 UAH vs. 28,490 UAH). Naturally, the Xiaomi X20+ appears more expensive than most models because it belongs to the top-tier league of robot vacuums, thanks to its cleaning station. As a result, it offers more opportunities for cleaning automation.

Comparison with competitors

When comparing with other competitors, the differences in how manufacturers present technical specifications can complicate the process. For example, it’s difficult to compare suction power when some manufacturers list it in Pascals and others in Watts. This makes it challenging to directly compare the capabilities of the Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X20+, for instance, with the iRobot Roomba Combo J7+, which costs 42,999 UAH. However, even with such differences, a general picture can still be drawn.

What do we see here? The Xiaomi X20+ holds up quite well against competitors thanks to its 6000 Pa suction power and a more affordable price. Suction power of 7000 Pa is only demonstrated by models like the Dreame Bot L20 Ultra, which offers similar functionality but at nearly double the price. Meanwhile, the Dreame Bot L10s Plus is cheaper (22,999 UAH compared to 24,999 UAH for the Xiaomi X20+), but its design doesn’t include separate water containers, and as far as I understand, the wet brushes need to be moistened and cleaned manually.

While the Dreame Bot L10s Plus offers similar features (including lifting mopping pads over carpets), wet cleaning is clearly not its strong suit.

Even if this comparison chart is incomplete, the Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X20+ stands out as an attractive purchase thanks to its excellent balance of price and features.

In summary

The review of the Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X20+ shows that this is a next-generation robot vacuum cleaner, well-suited for both dry and wet cleaning. It offers a full set of features typical for modern robot vacuums, along with a charging station that serves to empty its dust container and store the water used for automatically washing its round microfiber mopping pads.

The device stands out with its high suction power (among the top on the market) and a relatively low price for its class, making it an attractive purchase and deserving of an editorial award—“We Recommend.” It’s worth noting that the “millimeter-level” precision promised by the manufacturer genuinely works, though you’ll need to activate the appropriate settings in the app.

I was also impressed by the accuracy of the apartment mapping (despite some issues with recognizing the bed as a separate room) and, overall, by the cleaning quality—which is arguably the most important factor when choosing a robot vacuum for your home.

While such a purchase might not be justified for a small apartment, it could be an excellent choice for a house or a three-room apartment.

Five things to know about the Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X20+

• It’s a robot vacuum with a cleaning station that automatically empties the dust container and washes the mopping pads.
• It has high suction power.
• The robot integrates with the Mi Home ecosystem and can also connect with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
• The app offers extensive customization options (48 cleaning combinations for each room).
• It truly has high precision when navigating near obstacles, but you’ll need to select the appropriate “cleaning strategy” in the settings.