A Smart, Budget-Friendly Robot Vac
Tesvor S6
The Tesvor S6 is a robot vacuum with large capacity dust bin, smart compatibility, remote control, and good cleaning performance. In our tests it was able to remove 95% of all debris we tested it against. The LIDAR system enables strong navigation while cleaning. It also has the option to be paired with a mopping kit and used as a robot mop. Check PricePros
- Up to 120-minute run time (90-120 minutes, depending on suction power)
- Advanced straighter navigation and digital smart mapping
- Optional mopping capability (tank sold separately)
Cons
- Struggled with cleaning fine debris, like sugar
Cleaning Performance
To put this vacuum to the test, we ran a cleaning run on three different floor types and against a mix of 4 different debris including rice, sugar, cereal, and kitty litter.
The three different floor types we test on include:
- Hardwood floors
- Low pile carpet
- High pile carpet
Cleaning performance of the Tesvor robot was pretty good on all floor types. The only noticeable area where it struggled was cleaning fine debris from the carpet (ie: granulated sugar).
Overall
95%
Hardwood
99%
Low Carpet
90%
High Carpet
95%
What’s our process?
Each of the aforementioned debris types was spread across our testing lane. The base surface of our testing lane is an engineered hardwood floor. For our carpet tests, we slide in a low pile and high pile carpet insert on top of the hardwood floor.
Our vacuum cleaning process strives to be as consistent, fair, and true to real-world use as possible. Our tests utilize the following procedure:
- Measure the weight of the testing debris
- Spread the respective debris type evenly across the central portion of the testing lane.
- Run the vacuum cleaner over the testing lane.
- Measure the weight of the debris that the vacuum removed from the lane.
Hardwood Floor Cleaning
When cleaning hardwoods, the Tesvor did an excellent job, removing up to 99% of all debris that was tested. It left a small bit of sugar where the vacuum stopped cleaning, but for the most part, it’s very minor.
Low Pile Carpet Cleaning
When testing on low pile carpet, this vacuum was able to clean about 90% of the debris on low pile carpet.
Visually, it looked good and was able to capture all of the larger debris or debris on the surface. But finer debris or particles sunken deeper into the carpet fibers were not as easily cleaned.
High Pile Carpet Cleaning
When tested on high carpet, the results were pretty consistent with the results from the low carpet. Overall good performance, but struggled with fine debris (mainly sugar).
Overall, the Tesvor cleaned 95% of debris from the high pile carpet.
S6 Design
The Tesvor S6 has a lot of shared similarities with other robot vacuums on the market. It has a round body with a front bumper, a camera on the top, and simple controls.
This vacuum has a glossy black finish and white LEDs.
What’s on the underside?
The underside of the vacuum has a standard-sized central brushroll
- Brushroll: The brushroll uses a rubberized paddle and spiral bristles to agitate and sweep debris into the dust bin.
- Spinning brushes: Spinning side brushes on the left and right edge of the vacuum are designed to capture debris along edges and in corners.
- Wheels: There are three wheels in this vacuum—2 large wheels for traversing different floor types as well as a small navigational wheel for making tight turns and steering.
- Contact chargers: The two metal squares to the left and right of the front wheel are charging contact pads. These pads let the vacuum know when it has successfully reached the charger.
- Edge sensors: Sensors along the edge of the Tesvor keep this vacuum from dropping off the edges of areas, like stairs or other lofted spaces.
- Filter housing: Lastly, is the compartment that houses the filter. Similar to other models like Roomba, the Tesvor has a button on the side of the vacuum that releases the HEPA filter housing.
Which controls are on top of the robot?
The top of the vacuum has two simple buttons:
- Start a cleaning cycle.
- Return to the charger.
Additional features can be assessed by pairing this vacuum to the smartphone app, Amazon Alexa, or by using the remote control.
The remote control allows the following features:
- Power on / off
- Start or pause a cleaning cycle
- Send to charger
- Adjust suction power (3 levels)
- Schedule a cleaning
- Spot clean
- Navigation
There are three different suction levels with this vacuum—low, normal, and max mode. It can also spot clean or offer scheduled cleanings at a set time each day.
Size & Dimensions
The S6 robot is a moderately sized robot with a low profile.
- Diameter: 13.4″
- Height: 3.9″
- Weight: 7.7 pounds
Accessories & Parts
The Tesvor S6 has a simple set of parts and accessories with additional add-ons available for purchase.
What’s in the box?
Here is a complete list of parts and accessories included with the Tesvor:
- Charging base: robot self-docks back to the charger when it’s time
- Spinning brushes: two brushes snap into the bottom of the vacuum and captures debris along corners and edges
- Remote control: wirelessly controls the vacuum from anywhere in the near vicinity
- Cleaning tool: small bristles gently clean hard to reach areas within the housing of the vacuum, like brushes or filters
- HEPA filter: includes a traditional filter as well as a filter pad
In addition to the parts listed above, you can also purchase an optional mopping kit.
This system includes an automatic electric control water tank that works with the vacuum to release the right amount of water for the job, selecting from three different water output speeds.
RELATED: Looking for another mopping robot? Check out the Roborock S6 review.
Tesvor Features
The Tesvor S6 is a pretty intelligent system that offers a lot when it comes to automated floor cleaning. Here’s a quick list of some of the best features that Tesvor has to offer.
- 2-in-1 vacuum / mopping
- Large dust bin
- Long run time
- App control
- Voice command via Amazon Alexa
- Smart navigation & mapping
2-in-1 Vacuum & Mopping
Although the Tesvor system only comes as a standard robot vacuum, having the mopping kit available is a nice perk if you’re looking for a system that can do both.
Large Dust Bin
This vacuum can hold up to 600 mL of debris. While this isn’t the largest size dust bin on the market, it should be more than sufficient for most floor plans.
On the bottom of the dust bin is the HEPA filter which is designed to capture ultra-fine particles.
Long Run Time
There are three different suction levels on the S6—low, normal, and max suction.
- Low Suction: 120-minute run time
- Normal Suction: 100-minute run time
- Max Suction: 90-minute run time
Smart Control
The Tesvor S6 is wifi-compatible and can be controlled using an app on your smartphone.
From the app, you can:
- Start / stop a cleaning
- Change cleaning mode
- Send the robot back to the charging base
- View digital map of current or past cleaning cycle
- Draw “No Go Lines” for custom boundary cleaning
In addition to the app, you can also control it by pairing with Amazon Alexa. Pairing with Alexa or Google Home enables voice-activated controls for more flexibility and integration into a smart home setup.
RELATED: What is a smart home?
Navigation & Mapping
The navigation of the Tesvor robot is pretty impressive, due in large part to the LIDAR navigation system. It is able to sense obstacles prior to knocking into them and navigates in straighter, more methodically paths compared to older robot vacuums using V-SLAM technology.
Recharge & Resume
The Tesvor does have a long run time, but if it doesn’t complete the cleaning cycle before the battery runs low, it can charge up in the middle of a cycle. After charging, it can return back to the last area that it cleaned and start there, continuing the cycle until the job is done.
Usability & Maneuverability
The overall usability of the Tesvor was intuitive and easy to control. The buttons on the top of the vacuum were simple to figure out and make it easy to start and stop a cycle.
For additional features, the remote control was simple as well and took very little time to setup.
How long does it take to connect the app?
During our setup, getting connected to the app should have only taken a couple of minutes, but for some reason, it was having trouble connecting. We attempted all troubleshooting efforts suggested by the manufacturer, but still was not able to connect.
While this could have been user error or a faulty network, I have successfully connected dozens of robot vacuums and am familiar with the standard process.
This could cause delays in the setup or you may not encounter this problem at all.
Maintenance
October 22, 2020 Update – As part of an audit of all robot vacuum reviews on Modern Castle we have adjusted the Tesvor S6 score due to a lack of replacement part availability. Until the Tesvor S6 has more widely available replacement parts we would not recommend this model.
Proper maintenance of the S6 includes all of the basic maintenance tasks you would do with most other robot vacuums.
The short list boils down to the following:
- Regularly empty the dust bin by pouring dry debris into the trash after every use.
- Maintain the brushroll by using the cleaning tool or scissors to clip away any debris caught around the central roller.
- Replace HEPA filters (as needed).
- Replace the battery (as needed). Although the manufacturer doesn’t provide an estimate for battery lifespan, most robot vacuum batteries last 2-4 years.
One of our commenters mentioned that a different Tesvor model, the X500, may have cross compatible accessories. So while it’s not ideal to not have specific accessories for the S6, you may be able to use these instead.
Is the S6 a good value?
Okay, so specs, features, and performance aside—is the Tesvor S6 a good value?
The answer is yes.
This vacuum has good cleaning performance, a user-friendly remote and app and 2-in-1 capability to run as a vacuum and mop (if you purchase for the separate mopping tank and pad).
The digital mapping technology, no-go zones, and voice-control are a few of the other features that add to the overall value of the S6 robot vac.
Tesvor S6 Specifications
Specifications | Tesvor S6 |
---|---|
Type | Robot |
Manufacturer | Tesvor |
Model | S6 |
Length | 13.4" |
Width | 13.4" |
Height | 3.9" |
Weight | 7.7 lbs. |
Floor Type | All (indoor) |
Battery | 2,700 mAh |
Dust Bin Capacity | ~0.6 L |
Washable Dust Bin (on-board) | No |
No-Go Lines | Yes; One |
Returns | Yes (usually), Varies by retailer |
Warranty | 1-Year limited |
Price | Check Price |
Should you buy the S6?
I would recommend the Tesvor S6 if you’re looking for a robot vacuum with the following features:
- 2-in-1 vacuum and mop: If you’re looking for a system that can be a robot mop and vacuum, the Tesvor fits the bill for many budgets, even though you’d need to purchase the mopping kit separately.
- Good cleaning performance: The S6 had a solid performance when cleaning all floor types and most debris type. The only area where it had a small struggle was when cleaning ultra-fine debris (sugar) on carpeted floors.
- Great navigation: This vacuum did a fantastic job of navigating the area and completed the cleaning cycle fairly quickly as well. It navigates in straighter lines (due to LIDAR) than units with a more basic navigation system. In addition, it also generates a digital map in-app and you can easily set up no-go lines for a more custom cleaning path.
For more information on the Tesvor S6, visit here.
Updates
- October 22, 2020 – As part of a comprehensive audit of all robot vacuum review scores on Modern Castle the usability score was reduced from 90 to 50 due to a lack of availability of replacement parts. This reduced the overall score from 93% to 85%.
- September 23, 2020 – Initial version of the review was published.
Budget-Friendly LIDAR Robot
-
Design - 93%
93%
-
Performance - 95%
95%
-
Quality - 90%
90%
-
Usability - 50%
50%
-
Value - 95%
95%
Summary
The Tesvor S6 is a robot vacuum with solid navigation due to a LIDAR system mounted on top of the unit. The laser based navigation allows the robot to move in straighter paths and better navigation your home. It’s among the least expensive robots we’ve seen with a LIDAR system. Cleaning performance overall was quite good, with the S6 removing 95% of all debris we tested against. It also includes an optional mopping attachment if you have lots of hard surface flooring. The Tesvor S6 is a solid budget-friendly robot well worth consideration.