First look: Dyson 360 Vis Nav robot vacuum cleaner review | Choose (2023)

Dyson's first robot vacuum cleaner for the Australian market: 360 Vis Nav.

Our expert testers review a production model borrowed from Dyson ahead of its release so we can see how the vacuum performs in our rigorous hard floor and carpet suction tests. Here's how we can help you decide if it's worth the $2,399 price tag.

On this page:

• Mercmale of the Dyson 360 Vis Nav
• cleaning performance test
• corners and edges
• App and privacy connections
• carpet suction power
• performance of animal hair
• How easy is the Dyson 360 Vis Nav to use?
• Should You Buy One?

The D-shaped blue machine uses a 360-degree fisheye lens to help you navigate the house. Dyson says it also has 26 sensors that perform specific tasks, including dust detection, wall detection and obstacle avoidance.

Beneath the unit, the long brush bar combines soft, fluffy nylon (for picking up dirt from hard floors) with stiffer nylon bristles (for carpets).

Made in Malaysia, measures 10cm high, 33cm wide, 33cm long. It weighs 4.4 kg and comes with a two-year warranty.

Mercmale of the Dyson 360 Vis Nav

You won't find some new features on other high-end models from brands like iRobot, but that's probably not a big deal.

For example, the lens doesn't work as a home security camera (like some other vacuum cleaner brands), but given recent privacy concerns about how robot vacuum cleaner makers use and store sensitive data, this might be preferable for some. .

There's no automatic dust tower at the charging station like you see on higher-priced Ecovacs models, but emptying the on-board bin itself isn't a problem.

Another common feature you'll find on robot vacuums is a mopping attachment that spreads water onto microfiber pads as it moves the floor, and the instruction manual notes that the machine should only be used in a dry location.

Our testers weren't too happy with the mop heads they tested, and losing that feature isn't necessarily a huge issue.

So what exactly do you get for $2,399?

Dyson touts its mapping technology heavily, even going so far as to say that its "advanced processor thinks and adapts, gathering data from sensors to pinpoint your position to within 71mm" and that its suction power is "more powerful than any other robot". as powerful as a vacuum cleaner" (in boost mode).

We decided to put it through our tests to see how it compares to the competition.

cleaning performance test

In our hard floor test, grit was spread on an L-shaped vinyl surface to see how well the robot picks up debris from the floor, around walls, and into corners.

Sand provides a measurable way to analyze dust accumulation and also allows us to see if the robot has missed large areas.

We've also placed some obstacles (including tables and chairs) to see how you navigate these areas.

360 Vis Nav has several cleaning modes:

• Auto:This default setting adjusts the suction power based on the amount of dust the robot detects on the floor.
• Fast:Suitable for "fill-in" cleaning of open areas.
• quiet:For longer runtime and quieter cleaning.
• Support financially:For maximum suction power and a more thorough cleaning.

After preparing the 360 ​​Vis Nav (including charging and discharging the battery several times), we ran it on our tough test surface in the default automatic mode.

Because the sand is so rough, the vacuum will switch to a higher power level most of the time it's going through these areas. After only 13 minutes the battery was empty and the device went back to the base to charge it (takes 100 minutes).

We decided to discard the results of this run because while loading, we accidentally interrupted the cleanup mission while checking the bin to see how much sand had accumulated. This seems to prevent the bot from picking up where it left off.

After letting the machine do its job, our second pass was more successful and achieved excellent results removing dirt from hard floors. But again, the battery only lasted 12–13 minutes before returning to port twice for recharging (90 and 95 minutes each).

In the end, cleaning the floor took 28 minutes of actual cleaning time, but with all battery charges it was 3 hours and 32 minutes.

During this time, the robot seems to run at full power most of the time and has a high-pitched tone (we measured 65 dBA, slightly louder than normal conversation). When driving over an already clean surface, the noise is dampened.

Since many people use robot vacuums for maintenance or "complementary" cleaning, we also tested the robot's performance on a quiet, low-power setting designed for longer runtimes.

In this mode, the robot can still collect most of the sand without having to return to the dock to load. Only some areas around the chairs and tables were not vacuumed.

The motor isn't noisy or harsh, and we measured a relatively quiet 58 dBA.

corners and edges

Robot vacuums often have rotating corner brushes on the bottom to remove dust and debris from corners and walls. Instead, the 360 ​​Vis Nav features a small red "side actuator" that pops out of the device as it moves along the edge of a wall, redirecting suction to the sides.

While the D-shaped machine allows you to pull right up to the edge of a wall on the go, there were actually a few areas in our test room that didn't get vacuumed, as well as some areas around tables and chairs that didn't get vacuumed, which we felt was the Case was will only qualify is good.

App and privacy connections

In fact, every robot vacuum we've recently tested has an app associated with it, which often acts as a hub for all of the brand's other "smart" devices.

While basic tasks like stopping and starting can be controlled via the robot's built-in display, you can use apps to view more detailed information, such as: a map of your space, and have more control over weekly scheduling and no-zone settings.

Connecting the linked MyDyson app to the 360 ​​Vis Nav was easy: we scanned a QR code on the robot and followed the on-screen instructions to set up an account (this requires your name and email address ). A cool feature of the app is that it displays a "dust map" of your home, highlighting the intensity of the dust.

Comparing before and after the race, there is a clear difference in the amount of dust that corresponds to the sand collected.

At the time of writing, Dyson's privacy policy (which covers a selection of robot vacuums currently sold in other countries) states that "Camera images will remain on your device and Dyson cannot access them". Once the policy is updated with 360 Vis Nav, we will check for the changes again.

In terms of future features and functionality, Dyson says all software updates will be received automatically over WiFi.

carpet suction power

Most robot vacuums we've tested still don't pick up carpet dust well, and even with the stiff nylon bristles on the handle, the Dyson 360 Vis Nav outperforms many of the iRobot Roombas we've tested in this regard.

However, despite its borderline score on carpets, it's still an acceptable result, better than most robot vacuums.

performance of animal hair

When you're not hitchhiking with your robot vacuum, your pets must be shedding everywhere, right?

We spread cat fur on the surface of a test carpet to see how well the vacuum works. Except for a few bumps and a few strands, most of the hair was removed leaving very little on the brush.

How easy is the Dyson 360 Vis Nav to use?

In general, the usability of the 360 ​​Vis Nav robot is good.

The dust container can be easily removed and carried to the main dust container by the handle. The emptying operation can be performed with just one hand as it is done by sliding the red lever on the handle, so you don't have to get your hands dirty.

While we didn't measure the capacity of the dust bin, it appears to be larger than most other robot vacuums.

The robot's low profile also means it can get under low furniture, which we've tested with success, and Dyson says the wheels can be as high as 21mm.

When we tested it, it worked on everything from hard floors to high rugs, and on fringed rugs we found it stuck but could detach from the tassel.

For allergy sufferers, there's an integrated HEPA filter that's accessible on top of the vacuum cleaner, and you'll get a reminder when cleaning is needed.

Whilst most functions can be controlled via the app, it is very easy to use, the on-screen display will alert you to various problems (e.g. if the filter is not installed correctly) and you can choose in which ​by pressing the button ​Mode to start cleaning sides of the screen.

Should You Buy One?

Ultimately, the Dyson 360 Vis Nav is a solid performer and worth a look. Note, however, that deep cleaning may take a while if you use it in automatic mode as the battery takes time to charge and discharge. . We expect future updates to better manage battery life in automatic mode.

When we test the next batch of robot vacuums later this year, we'll buy the 360 ​​Vis Nav outright and retest the latest software update to see if it brings any improvements.

Stock Images:Getty unless otherwise noted.