Apartment dwellers, rejoice! This tiny robot and handheld vacuum combo surprised me

There’s a robot vacuum for everyone, whether it comes down to features, price, or size. The SwitchBot K10+ Combo was designed with a specific user in mind: apartment dwellers and those looking to cover small cleaning areas. 

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This robot vacuum is tiny. Only 9.8 inches in diameter, the K10+ is no larger than a dinner plate. The base station is equally compact, even though it has a stick vacuum and a set of attachments. It is designed to be stored as a tall but compact single unit for small homes, and it performs better than I expected.

The vacuum is a pretty good unit for its size and specs; I was surprised at how well it performed with challenges like pet hair and obstacles. This robot has 3,000Pa of suction power, a far cry from the 20,000Pa found on current flagship models, but it runs smoothly and quietly.

The K10+ isn’t a high-end robot vacuum, so you can’t reasonably expect it to perform as well as one that costs three or four times as much. Yet it rose to the challenge to clean the areas I sent it to, even my dog’s bedroom.

For navigation, the SwitchBot K10+ uses a LiDAR sensor for mapping and can effectively avoid furniture and large items on the floor. However, its price point doesn’t allow for advanced sensors and AI visual recognition, so this robot didn’t consistently avoid cords on my floors; I had to rescue it a few times during testing. 

One of my favorite things about the SwitchBot K10+ Combo is that all the attachments for the handheld vacuum are stored on top of the robot’s base station. Whenever I need the stick vacuum, which is very lightweight compared to others, I don’t need to bend down to grab it or another attachment. This isn’t a big deal for most users, but I have a neuromuscular illness that limits my mobility when it flares up, so I appreciate small accommodations that save me trouble. 

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Because of my illness, I initially side-eyed the SwitchBot K10+’s handle for the handheld vacuum. When using the cordless vacuum, you’re basically holding it by the battery enclosure — it doesn’t have a curved, ergonomic handle. You push it around (which takes little effort because it’s so lightweight) by a long handle, like you’re holding a wand. 

I thought this handle would be uncomfortable, as my hands struggle to grip objects due to my ailment. But the handle was surprisingly comfortable to use, at least for the 40-minute periods the battery lasts. I didn’t have to grip it tightly, probably thanks to the unit itself being so lightweight. It also has a matte instead of a glossy finish, so it doesn’t slip out of my hand. 

The stick vacuum glides effortlessly and suctions everything in its path. Its green light shows dust and debris on your floors to ensure you don’t miss a spot. It performed great on hard floors, but its lowest setting wasn’t strong enough to remove pet hair from my rugs, so I always had to increase it. 

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When docked, both the robot and cordless vacuum automatically empty their dust bins into a dust bag at the charging station. The dust bag can hold up to 70 days’ worth of dust and debris, though your mileage may vary. 

The biggest downside I found with the SwitchBot K10+ Combo is the robot’s mopping ability. In this review, I’ve referred to this model as a robot vacuum because the mopping feature is almost an afterthought. 

The robot doesn’t have a water tank. Instead, it has a removable mopping plate to which you can attach one of the included wet wipes to mop. Unsurprisingly, the mop pad — or wipe, really — dries out after a few swipes. I’d use this robot’s mopping feature to refresh certain areas rather than mop an entire apartment. 

ZDNET’s buying advice

The SwitchBot K10+ Combo robot and handheld vacuum is perfect for apartments, small homes, or small cleaning areas. It’s compact enough to fit in a laundry room but can tackle other small areas, like a master bedroom or office. 

I’ve used the robot and stick vacuum to clean up after my dog’s pet hair, especially now that he’s shedding his winter coat, and haven’t had any issues with hair tangles. I use the stick vacuum often to clean around his bed, vacuum edges, and pick up dropped kibble, and it’s performed well on hard floors. 

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Because the robot and handheld vacuums don’t feature especially strong suction power, I’d recommend them to someone with mostly hard floors, as long as they don’t need a reliable mopping feature. 

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