If I name the Thermomix brand, it probably sounds like something to you, but what if I mention Kobold. This company may not sound like much to you, or at least not as much as the previous one, but both belong to the same Vorwerk family but do different things: one makes food processors while the other makes vacuum cleaners. And precisely today I want to talk about one of these gadgets. I have been testing the Kobold VR300 robot vacuum cleaner and today I will tell you about my experience with it.
Kobold VR300 video review
Robot vacuum cleaner: specific vs versatile
Since the use of smart robots at home became fashionable, I have been lucky enough to try different types of this equipment. From those whose operation was based on walking forward until bumping into something and rectifying, others somewhat more intelligent where certain sensors were already included or, even, robots with an exclusive task such as vacuuming or scrubbing and others more versatile that did both tasks.
And this is exactly the case with the VR300, since it is a robot focused solely on the task of sweeping and vacuuming. Is this type of equipment better or should I opt for something more versatile? That is exactly what I ask myself every time a robot with these characteristics passes through my hands and what I want to answer in this analysis. But let's not get ahead of the game and first take a look at everything the Kobold VR300 has to offer.
In cleaning, design also matters
One of the important aspects of this type of equipment is its design and the accessories that accompany it. Depending on its shape and height, it will be able to access the different points of your house to clean them more or less easily. The VR300 has "D" shape, which will make it easier for you to access the corners compared to other models with a completely circular shape. In addition, the height also plays in your favor with your 9 centimeters from the ground.
As for the components, in its box they accompany it:
- main brush: this is in charge of collecting most of the dirt with its 1.800 revolutions per minute at full operation.
- Side brush: although it also collects everything that is on its way and makes the main job easier, this brush is essential for cleaning corners and places that are difficult to access.
- dirt container: where all the dust, hair and, ultimately, all the dirt that the robot captures in its path is stored. This has a capacity of 0,53 liters.
- tank filter
- Charging base
All this is accompanied by more than 15 sensors that allow you to navigate accurately and intelligently. Ultrasonic and infrared sensors with which you can avoid obstacles such as doors, furniture or even stairs without any problems and continue with your cleaning task.
Few, if any, faults I can put at the VR300 in this regard during my tests. My house is a standard home with standard decoration, with easier access points and other more complex ones. This robot has gone through all of them without any problem, cleaning under the table and in corners, leaving everything quite clean. In my case I do not have stairs, but I have been able to verify that it detects a large part of the obstacles without problems and easily dodges them. Of course, like the rest of this type of equipment, smaller ones such as cables or the legs of a portable clothesline for example continue to resist.
Creation of maps and cleaning modes
Another fundamental aspect of these devices today is the possibility of managing them from our own smartphone. On this occasion, Vorwerk has a fairly simple and intuitive app in which we can create the maps, switch between the different cleaning modes, create limits and other interesting things.
The first thing we must do is synchronize our robot with the app, something very simple if we follow the steps that it will indicate. Once inside, we must create the first map of our home. But it will not be the only one that this vacuum cleaner can memorize, since, if we have a house with several floors from the application, we can make it memorize all of them by clicking on "add map".
Now yes, we will have at our disposal all the possibilities that this app offers us. In it we can:
- Divide our house by rooms or groups of rooms: Thanks to this functionality we can tell the VR300 to clean a room or group of rooms in a timely manner, without having to complete the entire map of our house. In my case, I have created a group of 2 rooms including the living room and the kitchen with the name "Daily" so that they are the ones the robot passes through every day. We can do all this from the “Cleaning area” menu.
- Limit access virtually: in this same menu where we can create the different rooms is where we will have the possibility of adding virtual limits through which the robot cannot pass. In this way, if you have a place in your house with always loose cables or small objects, this limit will make cleaning the robot not a daily odyssey.
- Schedule cleanings: This is not something innovative within the market of these gadgets for the home. We can create schedules for the vacuum cleaner to start and clean our house. But, the best thing about this model is that we can select different cleaning zones depending on the programs what we believe An example of all this might be to create a schedule for Monday to Friday to clean that group of "Daily" and then, on the weekend, set another schedule for it to do a full house cleaning.
- Switch between different maps saved.
- Perform spot cleaning: if you need the Kobold vacuum cleaner to pass only through a specific place or you require a deeper cleaning, you can use this functionality. From the corresponding menu you can choose between the different options that it gives us (such as the ECO mode for a job more silence, cleaning with double power or a specific area of 4 x 4 meters) and activate it by clicking on "Start". Of course, this should be combined with the manual cleaning option or use the carrying handle to take her to the area where you need her to work punctually.
- Check battery status and alerts: from this application we can see the battery level What does our robot have? In addition, we will receive notification if you need us to let's empty the tank, if it has been stuck or every time finish your work and return to the base.
Back home to recharge batteries
And now that I mentioned the charging base, let's talk about a vital point of robot vacuum cleaners: their autonomy. The Kobold VR300 has a range that, according to Vorwerk, is capable of withstanding full power for 60 minutes. And if we select the ECO mode, would reach the 90 minutes cleaning an area of up to 120 m².
Does this work on a day-to-day basis? Well, the truth is that in an almost millimeter way. my house has some 37 m² of skillful surface removing the space occupied by the furniture, space that this vacuum cleaner takes to clean a few 50 – 60 minutes without having to go through the charging base and at full power (not counting spot mode double cleaning). Therefore, I can affirm that it fulfills what it promises in terms of autonomy.
On the other hand, something that I would like to highlight regarding the charging base is its "connection" system with the robot. Until now, all the models that he had tested had a system of pins or small plates both in the vacuum cleaner and in the base, which sometimes caused this equipment to fail when returning to it.
However, the VR300 has two wide strips on the base and another two on the body itself, which makes it very easy to "back to base" the robot. Also, I think the method of approaching her is useful and funny in equal measure, since the vacuum cleaner begins to "fuck" in reverse until it detects that it has been connected to the base. You can see this in more detail in our video review that I left you at the beginning of the article.
A great option at a high price
For all this, and after my tests during the last weeks, I think that the Kobold VR300 robot is an incredibly good option if what you are looking for is the maximum quality in cleaning your home. In addition, it is capable of avoiding obstacles thanks to its sensor system to work correctly on surfaces such as wood, tiles or even by short and long pile carpets (There is a limit that you can check in the user manual).
But of course, we already know what happens when we find something specific and that it does its job at the highest level, that the price increases. This model has a value of 899 euros if you buy it on the manufacturer's website and 799 euros on Amazon through the following link:
See offer on AmazonIs it worth paying this price? If you are looking for the best cleaning experience and can afford it, it is a recommended purchase in my honest opinion. But, if what you are looking for is a more versatile option that sweeps and scrubs penalizing certain details, this may not be the most suitable model for you.