The 360 S7 Robot Vacuum Cleaner Review: A Surprisingly Effective Option
Finding a reliable robot vacuum cleaner that can efficiently navigate your home, effectively clean your floors, and offer a seamless user experience might feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. While the market offers a plethora of choices, many struggle to strike the perfect balance between functionality and overall performance. However, the 360 S7 robot vacuum cleaner, despite being a relatively unknown player in the Indian market, has managed to capture attention for its surprising effectiveness and robust feature set. This comprehensive review delves deep into the 360 S7’s capabilities, exploring its navigation, app integration, cleaning performance, and battery life to help you decide if it’s the right choice for your home.
What is the 360 S7, and What’s in the Box?
The 360 S7 is a versatile robot vacuum cleaner equipped with a dual-functionality system. It excels in vacuuming, effortlessly picking up dust and debris with its 2,000pa suction power, and can be transformed into a mopping machine by attaching a designated external fitting. The device boasts a single rotating brush that effectively pushes dirt towards the vacuum intake, ensuring a thorough clean.
The package comes with the robot itself, the external mop fitting and its accompanying cloth, the charging dock, and the power adapter. You’ll also find several removable components within the robot, including the main roller brush, the dust bin, the sweeping brush, a replaceable EPA filter, and a dedicated tool with a small brush for manual bin cleaning and a blade for removing stubborn tangles from the brush.
The external mop fitting, featuring a small water tank, conveniently attaches to the bottom of the 360 S7, dispensing water onto the floor to activate the mopping function. For those days when only vacuuming is needed, simply detach the mop fitting. A small speaker on the device provides clear voice prompts to keep you informed about its cleaning process.
Control is easy, thanks to two conveniently placed physical buttons on the top of the 360 S7: one to start or stop cleaning and another to send the robot back to its charging dock. While the manual controls are sufficient for basic operation, the 360 S7 truly shines with its accompanying app.
360 S7 Navigation and Mapping
The 360 S7 employs laser navigation, a sophisticated technology that surpasses traditional navigation systems in its accuracy and reliability. A module atop the device functions as a laser scanner, meticulously mapping your home by detecting walls and obstacles. This advanced technology provides a comprehensive understanding of the environment, allowing the 360 S7 to navigate swiftly and efficiently through your space.
The 360 S7’s navigation system excels in obstacle avoidance, gracefully detecting and maneuvering around objects of varying sizes. The device rarely bumps into walls or furniture, showcasing its remarkable accuracy and precision. Occasionally, it might get stuck due to items obstructing the main brush, highlighting the importance of ensuring loose carpets and rugs are stored away during operation. For carpeted areas, the app allows you to define no-go zones, preventing the mopping function from venturing onto unsuitable surfaces.
The 360 S7 operates with speed and precision. It effectively vacuumed and mopped my 600-square-foot home in approximately 30 minutes. Opting for separate vacuuming and mopping sessions also yielded the same cleaning time, often resulting in a more thorough clean.
360 S7 App
While the 360 S7 can be controlled manually using its physical buttons and by attaching or detaching the mop fitting, its accompanying 360Robot app elevates the user experience, offering a plethora of customization options and remote control capabilities. The app is available for both iOS and Android, granting you the power to monitor and manage your cleaning robot from anywhere with a Wi-Fi connection.
Although setting up the 360 S7 with the app requires a bit more time, around 10 minutes, the intuitive interface and comprehensive features make the effort worthwhile. The app grants access to a multitude of controls and information, including a clear map of your home after the robot completes its initial scan. This map allows you to define specific room markings, create no-go zones, set the cleaning order and suction power for each room, and even choose whether to vacuum and mop simultaneously or only mop.
The 360Robot app goes beyond basic cleaning functions, displaying the battery level, offering the ability to manage multi-storey spaces by saving multiple map layouts, and providing manual remote control. You can even update the firmware through the app, ensuring seamless operation and access to the latest features. This feature-rich app empowers users with complete control and flexibility over their cleaning experience.
360 S7 Cleaning Performance
The 360 S7 is a complete cleaning solution, offering sweeping, vacuuming, and mopping capabilities. While the sweeping function is primarily designed to push dirt towards the vacuum inlet, its single brush effectively manages this task, particularly good at collecting dirt from the edges and corners. However, like other robot cleaners, the 360 S7 may struggle to reach all the dust in the most secluded corners and edges.
Despite its limitations, the 360 S7 is remarkably efficient in everyday cleaning, comfortably handling crumbs and minor dry spills. Although the maximum suction power might not be as intense as some other options such as the Milagrow iMap 10.0, the 2,000pa rating is sufficient for most households. However, homes with pets might find the device less effective in tackling pet hair and larger debris.
Setting the suction power to its maximum level delivers a highly effective clean, though it does increase the noise level. The app allows you to customize the suction power for different rooms, enabling you to choose a quieter setting for less demanding areas while maximizing the intensity in more heavily used rooms.
The mopping functionality offers adequate performance, although it falls short of the capabilities offered by dedicated mopping robots like the iRobot Braava Jet M6 or the Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop P, particularly notable for their unique Y-shaped mopping patterns. Nevertheless, the 360 S7 manages to deliver a reasonable clean when used separately after vacuuming.
The mop fitting’s water reservoir is relatively small, limiting the amount of water available for mopping larger homes. The lack of control over water disbursement also requires users to monitor the water level and refill it as needed. However, the fitting is easy to attach and detach, making refilling a convenient process.
Like most robot cleaners, the 360 S7 requires regular maintenance to ensure optimal performance. Emptying the dustbin, washing the mop cloth, and removing tangles and debris from the vacuum roller and sweeping brush are essential steps in maintaining the device’s efficiency.
360 S7 Battery and Charging
The 360 S7 boasts a 3,200mAh battery, offering ample power to clean approximately 1400-1500 square feet of space simultaneously with vacuuming and mopping in one go. This battery capacity is sufficient for most Indian homes, comfortably completing cleaning tasks without needing to recharge.
A single cleaning cycle in my 600-square-foot home reduced the battery level from full to around 60 percent. Performing separate vacuuming and mopping tasks resulted in a battery level drop to approximately 35 percent. The 360 S7 typically took around three hours to charge back to full from this point. This charging time is relatively standard for this segment, and the robot is typically ready for a second cleaning session later in the day if needed.
Like other robot cleaners, the 360 S7 intelligently remembers its cleaning path, resuming its task from where it left off if it runs out of power mid-clean and returns to its dock for charging. The compact docking station can be conveniently placed near a power socket, allowing for easy setup.
Verdict
The 360 S7 robot vacuum cleaner, although not widely recognized, presents a strong contender in the market. While its price point of Rs. 34,990 might seem slightly steep for a comparatively unknown brand, the device’s comprehensive features and reliable performance justify the investment. It’s not necessarily the absolute best or the most affordable option available, but it delivers a balanced and effective cleaning solution that caters to diverse needs.
Despite being slightly less effective in mopping compared to dedicated mopping robots, the 360 S7’s impressive vacuuming prowess, accurate navigation, and user-friendly app interface make it a compelling option. Although slightly pricier than the Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop P, its advanced capabilities compensate for the cost difference.
Price: Rs. 34,990
Rating: 8/10
Pros:
- Highly effective vacuuming
- Impressive battery life
- Exceptional app with numerous controls and features
- Accurate and swift navigation
Cons:
- Basic mopping functionality with a low water reservoir capacity
- Requires frequent maintenance
- Slightly expensive
Overall, the 360 S7 robot vacuum cleaner proves to be a competent and reliable cleaning companion. Its strong performance and comprehensive features make it an excellent option for those seeking a device that delivers efficient and convenient floor cleaning without sacrificing quality.
