Ultenic T10 Robot Vacuum review

The Ultenic T10 is making its presence known in the field of robot vacuums. Its impressive features include advanced laser navigation technology and a multi-mapping memory function, which enable it to generate precise floor maps of every room in your home. Ultenic’s latest robot is a vacuum and mop all in one, and best of all, it’s self-emptying, with a dust bag capacity of 4.3 litres that only needs to be changed every 60 days. 

This innovative design from the China-based company puts the T10 in good stead to be one of the best robot vacuum cleaners on the market. But how does it actually fare up in practice? And is it worth spending £599.99 on? 

Robot vacuum cleaners are a novelty to me, something I’ve always been intrigued by but never taken the plunge to purchase. My wariness came not just from the high price tag of these devices, but from the fact that I’m not a particularly techy person and I anticipated needing a lot of patience to figure out how to use them. I was keen to test the Ultenic T10 to see how I got on with the device, and if I would be confident swapping out my regular hoover for a robotic replacement. The idea of being able to do other chores or simply relax whilst my house was being cleaned seemed blissful, but I was sceptical in believing that this would be hassle-free. In this review I put the Ultenic T10 to the test, so keep reading to find out whether this robot vacuum is worth the hype. 

Ultenic T10 Specs

• Model: T10
• Battery run time: 4 hours 10 minutes
• Charge time: 5 hours
• Number of settings: 5
• Bin capacity: 4.3 litres
• Suction power: 3000Pa
• Weight: 7.5kg
• Noise level: 60 dB

Who reviewed the Ultenic T10?

Katie Sims

Katie has been writing content for Ideal Home since spring 2022. Over the past few weeks, she has put the Ultenic T10 Robot Vacuum through a rigorous testing process, getting to know the ins and outs of the product and the best way to use it. A clean and tidy house is essential for her, so she was keen to see if the T10 would be up to the job of making her floors spotless. She was kindly allowed to keep the device after completing the review.

First impressions, unboxing and getting started

The box wasn’t light, but I could move it around on my own easily enough. The product was contained within three boxes in total, which felt a bit unnecessary; though the cardboard and paper from the first two boxes could be recycled, the first box could probably have been skipped altogether, and it was a lot larger than it needed to be. All the parts were individually wrapped in 07 plastic, which meant a lot of the packaging had to be thrown away rather than recycled.  There were also two polystyrene cut outs, which again, were non-recyclable. 

Once the robot vacuum and Auto Empty Base were out of their packaging, I was impressed with how they looked. I liked the crisp white colour and shiny finish, complemented by silver on the robot and black on the base. Altogether it was bigger than I expected it to be, and my first thought was that I would need to find a place to store the vacuum when it wasn’t being used.

I anticipated the set up process to be a lot more complicated than it was. Most of the separate parts in the box are spares to switch out at a later date, and getting the T10 started is simply a case of plugging the Auto Empty Base into the wall and pairing it with the robot vacuum by pressing the power and home buttons. A welcome message sounds and the robot automatically connects itself to the Auto Empty Base for charging. 

Getting set up on the Ultentic app is also fairly straightforward. I scanned the QR code on the vacuum’s plastic cover and was taken directly to the app to download, after which I just had to follow the on-screen instructions to set up my device. The user guide for the app came in handy for referring back to and verifying that I was doing everything right. Once I’d connected the vacuum to WiFi, the T10’s own hotspot was activated, which threw me off a little because I wasn’t sure if the device would use my home WiFi going forward, or the Ultenic WiFi (it uses home WiFi).

If you prefer to use voice control and own an Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, the user app guide has instructions on how to pair either of these devices with your T10. Or if you’re a little more old-school, you can control the robot via the battery-powered remote control, though Ultenic recommends using the app to enjoy the full range of the device’s benefits. In the app you can view the cleaning maps, adjust the vacuum’s suction power, switch between cleaning modes, set boundaries for no-go zones, plus schedule cleaning times.

What is the Ultenic T10 Robot Vacuum like to use?

I tried controlling the T10 via both the app and the remote control, and found the app to be much easier. I simply prompted the vacuum to start cleaning, and could pause and restart whenever I wanted. The T10 will automatically return to the Auto Empty Base when it needs to recharge or empty its dustbin, and will resume cleaning from the point it left off at if it didn’t finish its cycle.

The mapping technology of the T10 is really clever. With the first couple of tests, I let the robot take separate maps of my kitchen and living room, but realised going forward it would be more efficient to have one large map of the whole downstairs area so the robot could vacuum both rooms at once. It was easy to delete the previous map and let the T10 start again, which is handy to know if you’re likely to change your furniture layout in the future.

The robot’s advanced laser navigation technology takes 360° scans to create an accurate floor map, taking into account any furniture and walls. A big chunk of my kitchen floor is taken up by the dining table and chairs, and there’s also the fridge and cupboards to navigate, but the T10 simply moved around any obstacles until it had covered all the available floor space. The process with the upstairs landing area and bedrooms was the same, and I liked how the app showed the map being created in real time. The maps are stored in the app under ‘cleaning records’, but the robot does automatically detect which map to use depending on where you place the Auto Empty Base.

I do enjoy how easy it is to schedule cleaning times on the app. You can select the time, mode and suction power, and set this up to be repeated every day, on weekdays, weekends, or specific days. You can set up multiple schedules at once and focus on different rooms or different modes. 

The modes to choose from are auto-clean, mopping, spot cleaning, zone cleaning, and room cleaning. I find the difference between some of these to be confusing, and I usually just stick to auto-clean, as this prompts the vacuum to clean the entire area of the chosen map, or spot cleaning, which is handy for zoning in on specific areas. I found the ‘zone’ function the trickiest to navigate; it gives you the option to separate different parts of the map but the drawing function is awkward to use, and I didn’t really think it was worth the hassle. Creating ‘no go’ zones is easier, but still a little complicated, as I had to figure out which areas of the map represented which aspects of the room. I did manage to create a couple of no go zones around floor lamps and boxes that were temporarily being stored on the floor, and the robot avoided these thereafter. 

The room cleaning mode could also be easier. The robot confused parts of my kitchen and living room as different rooms, mistaking furniture for walls. I tried to edit this later in the app under the partition management function, but again found this to be tricky. Merging zones together was easier, but splitting them was more difficult. The different functions in the app generally felt very faffy, hence why I chose to stick to the auto-clean and spot clean modes, and in fairness these alone are enough to still be able to enjoy using the T10.

How good is the Ultenic T10 at vacuuming?

The hoovering capabilities of the T10 are definitely good, and it leaves carpet fibres in particular with the smooth, flattened look they get after a good vacuum. It worked well on both my carpeted floors and hard floors, and I like how it doesn’t require different modes depending on the floor type. Sadly, the T10’s hoovering isn’t perfect. The oscillating side brush can often flick stuff out the way and into the path the vacuum has already covered, meaning these bits end up getting left behind. 

I found that the floors were left almost spotless after letting the vacuum run two or three times. One cycle alone isn’t usually enough for it to pick everything up, though I was still satisfied after a couple of runs. The spot cleaning mode is particularly useful for letting the robot focus on a specific area, and I also used the manual mode a couple of times, where the remote control or the app control lets you guide the robot’s specific movements. I wouldn’t want to resort to this every time though, as one of the main benefits of the robot vacuum is being able to do other things whilst it cleans. 

To hoover my living room and kitchen (16m2), the T10 took 17 minutes. I like how a message sounds to let you know when the clean is finished and the bot heads back to the Auto Empty Base to empty its dust bin and recharge. The emptying function is quite noisy, but this only lasts for around 15 seconds. Sometimes the robot does get confused if it finishes its clean far away from the Auto Empty Base, and I’ve had to pick it up a couple of times and place it closer to the base so it could find its way back. 

How good is the Ultenic T10 at mopping?

Mopping has always been one of my least favourite household chores, mainly because of the wet streaks left behind on the floors which I feel like I have to avoid for at least an hour afterwards. I was looking forward to trying the T10’s mopping function, and hoped it would do a good enough job so that I wouldn’t feel the need to go back over it myself. 

Switching between the vacuum and mopping functions is easy. I simply filled the water tank up and fixed the mop attachment to the bottom, then selected the mopping mode on the app. The hard floors in my house - kitchen and bathroom - were left looking clean and shiny after the robot had done its thing, and they didn’t have the dreaded wet streaks left by a standard mop. Overall I was pretty pleased with how the T10 worked as a mop, and though it’s not powerful enough to lift stubborn stains - I still had to go to work on one mark on the kitchen floor with a disinfectant and sponge after the robot had finished - it’s ideal for giving hard floors a light, surface-level clean.

Cleaning and maintaining the Ultenic T10 Robot Vacuum

One of the best features of the Ultenic T10 is its self-emptying capabilities. The Auto Empty Base is a bit bulky, and this does need to remain plugged in on the floor whilst the robot is cleaning, but in my opinion this is a small price to pay in return for not having to empty the dust bag for 60 days. The LED display panel will indicate when the dust bag is full, so there’s no need to keep checking yourself. 

After noticing that the vacuum wasn’t initially picking stuff up, I checked the roller brush at the bottom of the vacuum and noticed it was carrying a lot of entangled hair. The user manual recommends cleaning the roller brush once a week, but I decided to do this after every couple of cleans just to make sure it wasn’t hampering the vacuum. Cleaning the roller brush was made easy by the cleaning tool, though a lot of hair had managed to wrap itself quite firmly round the ends of the brush which I usually have to pull out with my fingers.

Although the robot automatically empties its dust bin into the Auto Empty Base after each clean, there is still a bit of maintenance required to keep the T10 in tip-top condition. The manual recommends cleaning the side brush and filters once a week, which is easily done with a Phillips screwdriver. These need to be replaced every few months, and the rolling brush needs to be replaced every 6-12 months. The Ultenic app displays usage of accessories so you’ll know when they need replacing, which is handy. 

I did need to find a place to store the T10, as it’s not something I really wanted to leave on my floor all the time. I put mine in the cupboard under the stairs, but it’s not the easiest to move around. I have to carry the Auto Empty Base and the robot vacuum separately, which means two trips every time I’m using it upstairs. Not a dealbreaker, but something to note if you want a device that is super-convenient and easily moved.

How does the Ultenic T10 compare to other robot vacuums?

Ultenic’s other robot vacuum is the D5s, which is around £340 cheaper than the T10. The higher price tag of Ultenic’s most recent robot comes from the laser navigation technology which enables it to create multiple, precise maps, and the self-emptying function. These are both great features that make for a smarter, more convenient cleaning device. Whether or not they justify such a leap in price is debatable; the self-emptying feature of the T10 is good, but I found that I was still having to clean the roller brush after every couple of uses, which isn’t much different to emptying the dust bag. 

Though the T10 is expensive, there are still pricier robot vacuums out there, such as the Miele Scout RX3. Miele’s robot costs £759, but it has HD home vision which allows you to receive images of your floor to your phone. This is an undeniably cool feature, though not something I personally feel to be a must-have. Robot vacuums generally go up in price the more smart features they have, so deciding which one is right for you often comes down to personal preference.

Should you buy the Ultenic T10 Robot Vacuum?

Overall I would recommend the Ultenic T10 to anyone looking to invest a fair chunk of money into a cleaning gadget, that also doesn’t mind getting to grips with an in-depth phone app. Though I personally struggled figuring out the different cleaning modes on the app, someone with a little more tech patience might not mind spending time on this. That being said, I did still enjoy using the T10 with just the auto-clean and spot cleaning modes, and the other modes aren’t necessary for the vacuum to be able to do its thing. They’re just additional features that some people might enjoy. 

The T10 is a good little vacuum and mop, and will definitely give your house an adequate clean. It isn’t perfect, and you may find that you need to let the robot cover the floor a few times for it to pick everything up, but it does get there in the end. Bear in mind that you’ll still need to use a hand-held vacuum for the edges and corners of a room, plus the stairs. Though I enjoyed the feeling of knowing my house was being cleaned whilst I was putting my feet up and watching TV, I’m someone who doesn’t mind getting the hoover out and doing the job myself. If the thought of being able to do other things whilst a device is cleaning your floor appeals to you, the T10 could be a nice addition to your home.