Milagrow iMap 16 Pro robot vacuum cleaner review

The disc-like shape of robot vacuum cleaners is a standard one, but the actual size and dimensions tends to vary. The Milagrow iMap 16 Pro is a bit smaller in size, but it stands a bit taller than competing options such as the Xiaomi RVC X10, primarily because of the differences in the Lidar navigation module. It should therefore fit more easily into small gaps and get to hard-to-access places, but might be a bit too tall to get under some low furniture such as sofas and cupboard units.

The back of the Milagrow iMap 16 Pro has the removable component, which has both the dustbin and the mop water tank, along with the mop cloth which usefully attaches onto a separate detaching module at the bottom of the tank, making it easier to remove and clean. However, this design is a bit tricky for a couple of reasons - the mop tank slowly drips water when the cloth fixture is out of place, and the dustbin flap and filter components are a bit difficult to clean.

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The charging dock of the Milagrow iMap 16 Pro is small and plugs into a standard 6A socket, but it’s a bit too light weight and unbalanced compared to the weight and bulk of the robot itself. On a few occasions, the robot caused the dock to shift out of place when moving, which was inconvenient and hassly. It all felt a bit unrefined on the whole.

A big talking point on the Milagrow iMap 16 Pro is its suction rating of 14,000 Pa - probably the highest among options in this price category. There’s also a 5200mAh battery, Lidar laser-based navigation, and Wi-Fi connectivity to be able to use the app to control the robot and monitor cleaning. Usefully, the iMap 16 Pro also comes with a remote control, which you can use to quickly operate the device for basic tasks or commands.

The Milagrow iMap 16 Pro works with the Smart Life app (Android and iOS). It might be a bit difficult to find given the lack of Milagrow branding on the app itself, but the user manual of the device has a QR code you can scan to find it quickly. Once you have the app installed, linking the robot to it is quick and easy. Just keep in mind that you need to connect to a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network for it to function, since the robot doesn’t support 5GHz connectivity.

This app isn’t dedicated to this device or even Milagrow devices in general, so there are a few other things. However, once paired, you’ll get a tile to access the iMap 16 Pro’s functionality, which shows battery and charge details, the live cleaning map, and other settings. It’s largely uncomplicated, although it does take some time to load up, especially the live map and updating the cleaning stats and position of the robot.

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You can also set up specific cleaning preferences, including whether to sweep, mop, or both, water consumption, and suction power. Notably, there are four suction levels - quiet, normal, strong, and strong plus - with the last one being the loudest and most powerful, drawing on the full 14,000 Pa of rated power.

 

 

 

 

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The Milagrow iMap 16 Pro uses Lidar navigation, widely considered the best option for modern robot vacuum cleaners at home. There are also sensors to prevent the device from rolling off a ‘cliff’ such as stairs or ledges, and the iMap 16 Pro can also climb small heights, so it won’t have any trouble getting onto rugs or minor changes in flooring.

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In practice, the cliff sensors didn’t always work properly with the device occasionally driving itself off small steps from which it needed human intervention to get it back on track. The solution to this was to set virtual walls and no-go zones using the app, which ensured that the iMap 16 stayed operational during cleaning runs.

The performance of a robot vacuum cleaner largely depends on the suction power, and the Milagrow promises a lot with a massive 14,000 Pa of power available. Understandably, the entire 14,000 Pa isn’t always in use give the obviously heavy battery draw with this; normal modes will set to a lower suction power, while also running quieter.

Indeed, all of that power does show in the cleaning, with the Milagrow iMap 16 Pro delivering excellent performance for its vacuum functionality. The quiet and normal modes are fairly effective on their own, but having the option to step up to higher and more effective suction modes is a useful touch for when there’s more significant cleaning to do. Power it up and it gets loud and drains battery a lot faster, but gets the job done - useful for when there’s a particularly big mess in a small area.

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Water flow levels can also be set, and you can choose specific rooms to work on while also selecting no-mop zones for areas such as carpets and delicate flooring where water might be a problem. The only issue here is that removing the mop fitting will cause some water to drip if there’s any in the tank, even if you aren’t using the mopping mode. You’ll have to drain the tank for when you only want to vacuum, but it’s an annoying flaw to have to contend with.

Battery life depends on the modes used and the area to cover, as well as whether you have it run in straight lines for speed or a Y-pattern for cleaning efficiency. The device has a big 5200mAh battery which goes a long way in powering the intense suction modes, but set it down to normal and you’ll still manage to clean about 2000 square feet and run for about an hour before the battery runs out. Smaller homes shouldn’t face any battery issues, but like all robot vacuum cleaners, the iMap 16 Pro can go back and charge itself mid-task, and resume where it left off once it’s charged.

The Milagrow iMap 16 Pro is fairly straightforward as far as robot vacuum cleaners go, but has a big advantage over much of the similarly priced competition - much more powerful vacuuming capabilities. With 14,000 Pa, it promises to be an effective solution to your automated home cleaning requirements, but the overall package doesn’t quite tick all the boxes.

There are some minor design flaws, and the standard package doesn’t come with a self-cleaning station, as is the case with competing devices such as the Xiaomi RVC X10. Get this for the sheer suction power on offer if that’s what you really need, but options with better features and a bit more refinement exist for the same price or less.