Robot Vacuum 5
2 independent reviewsRead the findings →The cheaper of Xiaomi's two flagship-style robots, with a hot-water mop-washing dock and a laser that drops for low furniture. It's strong value for mostly hard floors with a few flat rugs. Loose rugs and cables can trip it up.
See the alternatives below, or switch market.
Where it sits in Xiaomi’s range
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What reviewers found
Two home tests: nextpit in Germany and TechRadar Netherlands in the Netherlands over more than a month. Both liked the suction, the corner-reaching brush and mop, and the dock, and both rated the value highly. Cables are where they disagree: nextpit saw it steer round them every time, while TechRadar Netherlands had its mop pads tangle in a lamp flex. TechRadar Netherlands also found rugs a recurring problem, and its caution sometimes left corners uncleaned.
nextpit, hands-on, Feb 2026 · TechRadar Netherlands, hands-on, Just over a month at home, Dec 2025
Hard floors
Reviewers rate it highlynextpit found it convincing on hard floors, with the swinging side brush reaching into corners, and TechRadar Netherlands got consistently fine vacuuming results over more than a month, though cautious avoidance sometimes left small corners untouched.
Carpet and rugs
Mixed resultsnextpit found pickup dropped on carpet and especially on deep pile. TechRadar Netherlands saw rugs detected and the pads lifted, but found rugs left half folded after several runs, and once a mop pad came off on a thicker rug.
Pet hair
Not enough evidenceOnly nextpit looked at hair: little wrapped round the main brush, which it expects to need clearing about once a month. No other review we use has tested pet-hair pickup yet.
Mopping
Mixed resultsBoth found it solid rather than outstanding. nextpit called the mopping fine but behind flagship robots, and TechRadar Netherlands liked how the extending pad reached edges and corners, though the pads brushed against lamp and speaker stands.
Navigation and obstacles
Mixed resultsnextpit saw it steer round cables every time but swallow socks, while TechRadar Netherlands had a lamp cable tangle its mop pads. TechRadar Netherlands also found it almost never bumped furniture, but its caution skipped corners it had room for.
Dock and upkeep
Reviewers rate it highlynextpit and TechRadar Netherlands both found the dock handles emptying, hot-water pad washing and hot-air drying well. The only gap TechRadar Netherlands found is the lack of a detergent compartment.
App and software
Reviewers rate it highlynextpit found the Xiaomi Home app simple yet complete, and TechRadar Netherlands found setup and mapping smooth and the app clear, though it wanted more map editing and rugs weren't marked automatically.
Noise
Not enough evidenceNone of the reviews we use tested its noise yet.
Reliability and support
Not enough evidenceNone of the reviews we use has run it long-term or judged Xiaomi's support yet.
Value
Reviewers rate it highlynextpit called it by far the best robot it has seen for under €500, with features from far pricier models, and TechRadar Netherlands gave full marks for value, finding the suction a match for premium robots.
Verdicts come from independent, hands-on, finished reviews. An area needs at least two of them before we say more than “Not enough evidence”. We don't score robots ourselves. How this works
Strong on hard floors
nextpit found vacuuming convincing on hard floors, with the swinging side brush getting into corners consistently, though it lost efficiency on carpet and especially on deep pile. TechRadar Netherlands got consistently fine vacuuming results and liked how the extending mop reached edges. Both rated the mopping as solid rather than outstanding. In a mostly hard-floor home, it covers the everyday jobs well.
Rugs can catch it out
TechRadar Netherlands saw rugs detected accurately and the pads lifted over them, but after several runs some rugs were left half folded over, and once the robot lost a mop pad climbing a thicker rug. Rugs it had detected also weren't marked on the map automatically. If you have lightweight rugs, tape them down or add them to the map yourself.
Cables: the testers disagree
nextpit saw it steer round cables every time without dragging them, but it swallowed socks. TechRadar Netherlands found it spotted large objects well and almost never bumped into furniture, yet it missed a lamp cable near the sofa and wound the mop pads round it. Cables running along walls were fine. Nobody has shown why the results differ, so tidy loose cables before a run.
The dropping laser helps, sometimes
The laser turret can sink into the body to reach under low furniture, and TechRadar Netherlands found this let it clean under a cabinet it first seemed to skip. nextpit found it sometimes didn't lower the laser where it could have, so some furniture stayed out of reach. TechRadar Netherlands also saw its cautious avoidance skip small corners it had room for. Watch what it does under your own furniture before relying on it.
A dock that does the chores
nextpit and TechRadar Netherlands liked the dock's dust emptying, hot-water pad washing and drying. There's no detergent compartment, so check Xiaomi's instructions before adding cleaner to the water, including which liquid is allowed and how much. You still need to refill and empty the water tanks, clean the tray and check brushes and filters between runs.
This covers the standard Robot Vacuum 5. The Robot Vacuum 5 Pro adds camera-based obstacle avoidance and has its own page.
Our take
Should you buy the Robot Vacuum 5?
Best for: Homes with mostly hard floors and a few rugs. Skip it if: You have thick carpets or lightweight rugs that move easily.
Buy the Robot Vacuum 5 if your home is mostly hard floor with a few flat rugs, you want a dock that looks after the mops, and you're happy to keep cables off the floor. Skip it for deep-pile carpet or rooms full of rugs that move. The 5 Pro adds camera-based avoidance for more money, and the Xiaomi X20+ is a cheaper way to get a mop-washing dock.
The Robot Vacuum 5 is the cheaper of Xiaomi's two current flagship-style robots. It has the same body, dock and extending brush and mop as the Robot Vacuum 5 Pro, but spots obstacles with a structured-light sensor rather than the Pro's three cameras. The laser on top can sink into the body so it can reach under lower furniture, a feature usually found on far pricier robots.
The dock empties the bin into a bag, washes the mop pads in hot water and dries them with hot air, so there's little to do between runs. What you give up is some polish. There's no detergent tank, it doesn't always lower its laser when it could, and testers saw it tangle with a cable and rumple rugs.
Before you buy
The questions people ask about this one
Will it avoid cables and pet mess?
Cable results differed. nextpit saw its test cables avoided, while TechRadar Netherlands had a lamp cable tangle round the pads. nextpit also reported swallowed socks. Neither review tested pet waste. Clear those hazards and check the floor for pet accidents before each run.
Does it fit under low furniture?
Often. The body is 8.8cm tall and Xiaomi says it can clean under gaps higher than 9.5cm with the laser lowered, per the specifications. TechRadar Netherlands saw it get under a cabinet this way, but nextpit found it didn't always lower the laser when it could.
Can it leave the mops in the dock for carpet?
No. TechRadar Netherlands notes it can't drop the pads at the dock, but it lifts them over rugs it detects, and Xiaomi says they rise 15mm, per the specifications. You can also take the pads off by hand for carpet-only runs.
Can it cross rugs and raised thresholds between rooms?
Rugs are its weak spot in TechRadar Netherlands's test, with some left folded and one mop pad lost on a thicker rug. That tester had no raised doorway thresholds to try, and Xiaomi's UK page doesn't give a climbing height, per the specifications.
How often do I have to empty or refill anything?
The claimed 75-day maximum is for the 2.5-litre dust bag, per the specifications. Water needs attention much sooner: refill the clean tank, empty the dirty tank and clean the tray as needed, and check brushes and filters too. There's no detergent compartment, so follow Xiaomi's instructions before adding cleaner to the water.
Alternatives
Other robot vacuums to compare.
Robot Vacuum X20+
Why consider it: A cheaper Xiaomi whose dock empties the bin and washes the mops, and it vacuums far better than its price suggests.
The compromise: You have to mark rugs on the map yourself and tidy cables away.
Qrevo S Pro
Why consider it: Easy to set up, good with everyday dirt, and its dock washes the mops in hot water.
The compromise: It runs over small clutter and can't leave its mops behind.
L10s Ultra Gen 3
Why consider it: Most of the automation of a pricier Dreame, and both its testers rated it a strong buy for its class.
The compromise: They disagree about how well it spots small obstacles, and long hair and deep carpet aren't its strengths.
Specs
Full specifications
Each specification names its source. Manufacturer claims are not independent test results; unconfirmed figures are labelled.
Owner reviews
Do you own the Robot Vacuum 5?
Tell people how it’s held up: cleaning, maintenance, faults and support. Owner accounts are shown separately from independent reviews.
Sources
Where this page’s findings come from
Editorial reviews
- nextpit: Xiaomi Robot Vacuum 5 im Test ↗5 / 5Hands-on
- TechRadar Netherlands: Xiaomi Robot Vacuum 5 review ↗4 / 5Hands-on, Just over a month at home
Sources
Videos
- Steve-RVC : Xiaomi Robot Vacuum 5 Real Review: Is it Actually Good? (1 Month user experience) ↗
- Martijn Wester: I Tested Xiaomi’s New Robot Vacuums, the 5 series. Here’s the One to Buy. ↗
- Search YouTube for Xiaomi Robot Vacuum 5 ↗Search results may include company demonstrations or similar models. Check the source and model name; a demonstration is not an independent performance test.