In all my time reviewing things for the internet, I don’t think I’ve ever once been given the opportunity to tackle a vacuum cleaner. MOOSOO targeted my one weakness (well, one of many) and included the word robot in the offer, so here I am, drinking coffee and writing this while a tiny robot zips around underfoot, hoovering up my detritus.
Build quality & design
Lightweight yet solid, the MOOSOO is low profile enough for any living space. You could easily fit it under a desk or coffee table so it’s tucked out of the way, and even in motion, it’s not intrusive in the least, besides the telltale thunk when the plastic front bumper meets a skirting board or table leg.
It’s topped off with a glossy, reflective finish that I personally am not a fan of, being a magnet for fingerprint smudges and dust build-up within seconds of cleaning. Disassembling it to clean out the brush and accumulated dust/dirt is incredibly simple – everything just disconnects in a very intuitive way.
Performance
Vacuum cleaners can be a bit of a tricky purchase, especially in the budget range (which, for a robot cleaner, this technically would be). But the MOOSOO robot is genuinely a bit surprising, pulling hair and dust out of carpets fairly efficiently.
From our experience with it, I wouldn’t say it’s a full-on replacement for a traditional vacuum. The suction power definitely does the job, but it won’t hit all those little nooks and crannies, often veering away from edges of rooms thanks to its obstacle detection programming. What it’s perfect for are those midweek cleaning top-ups – you can stick it on in the background whilst you do something else and come back to clean floors. It comes with sweeping brush heads for increased efficiency on hard surfaces, and the chunky wheels make sure it can get everywhere it needs to go.
Watching the MOOSOO find its way around is kind of endearing, in a weird way. It can navigate smaller obstacles, compensating its direction to continue cleaning the current area, but will regularly stroll directly into walls, only backtracking when the bumper connects.
For large, open plan living spaces this may not be a concern at all, but if you’re living in a flat, it won’t be the most efficient way to clean your floors. When it’s done cleaning (which seems to be an abstract measurement depending on the position of the moon or something) or on low power, it will take itself back to the charger, reversing in with all the timidity of a learner driver.
It also comes with a washable HEPA filter and full Alexa voice control/app support, allowing you to start the cleaning process remotely from out of the house. This is touted as a big feature for MOOSOO‘s robot, but it’s just as easy to use it disconnected from WiFi or apps with simple button pushes. I actually feel like it would be more effort to use an app, however that functionality could be a great selling point to some people (like the ones desperately trying to justify their purchase of an Alexa.)
Value for money
The robot can be bought from Amazon for £179.99 currently, with a voucher taking that down to £149.99. The MOOSOO website currently lists it as £114.96 plus shipping. Probably the closest competitor from a premium brand – iRobot’s Roomba Combo – weighs in at £299.99, and that comes with a mop feature too.
If you’re not concerned about that functionality, the MOOSOO option is an easy buy, delivering similar vacuuming performance and features at almost a third of the price from MOOSOO directly. As you might imagine, Amazon is practically flooded with similar options at this price point, and while you can find a few cheaper options on there, it’s always something of a quality roulette.
MOOSOO robot vacuum cleaner overall thoughts
An easy to use, a relatively cheap robot vacuum cleaner that makes keeping your living space presentable a breeze. At the moment, you can pick it up for a significant reduction from its RRP, so if you’re looking for a decent robot vacuum that does what it says on the tin with a minimum of fuss, you should definitely consider MOOSOO.
Depending on your living space, it probably won’t be a full-on replacement for a standard vacuum, but it’s a great way to keep things clean through busier weeks. Or just to leave the busy work to your robot assistants while you eat digestive biscuits on the sofa, perhaps lazily sprinkling the odd crumb on the floor so they earn their keep.
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