SwitchBot is doing something we’ve been waiting for a company to do ever since robot mops started taking the market by storm. The SwitchBot S10 robot vacuum/mop hooks up directly to a water line, which means that you never have to manually refill or empty a disgusting water basin again.
A problem we’ve always encountered with robot mops and vacuums is that they require a hub with a clean and dirty water tank. That tank needs to be manually refilled every so often. The dirty water tank needs the same attention, though it’s a little more straining on the senses. While most of the load is hands-free, refilling and emptying a robot mop’s reservoir is just another task that gets in the way when you need your mop to clean something up.
Announced at IFA 2023, the SwitchBot S10 mop/vacuum completely omits that issue by including a docking station that hooks into your water line at home. The small footprint allows the station to sit underneath a cabinet or in the bathroom away from traffic. As long as the hub is near and connected to an existing water and drain line, it can refill and drain the S10 as it cleans.
The S10 has a secondary station, as well. That one is meant for emptying the dust bin as it goes about its cleaning procedures throughout the day and heating the mop portion to deter bacteria growth. The dust dock is a bit bigger and will take up more space, but the smart play was creating a low-profile docking station for water duties that’s easy to set up, which is what SwitchBot has done.
What’s even cooler is that the SwitchBot S10 can fill itself with water and run over to a new SwitchBot Humidifier 2, filling it with water and completely omitting the need to manually refill it. SwitchBot’s ecosystem essentially sets up a completely autonomous water-operated cleaning operation.
As for the cleaning itself, the SwitchBot S10 employs a roller mop instead of rotating or vibrating pads. According to them, this makes for a better clean that doesn’t leave smears along the floor. As it rolls and cleans, a small blade on the inside of the S10 pushes the water out of the roller brush and contains it as dirty liquid, which will inevitably be drained into your sewer system. The roller brush automatically lifts when carpet is detected and water stops spraying, though we’re not sure what pile the S10 is rated for. Many vacuums claim to be carpet-friendly but don’t lift the mop pads up high enough.
For dry messes, the S10 is capable of a 6,500pa suction power rating, which will easily take care of dirt and dust hanging around in your house. SwitchBot has opted to use LiDAR sensors in the S10 for navigation and obstacle avoidance, though we’re excited to test out how well that operates.
There’s no word on whether or not the S10 will see Matter or Google Home compatibility, but the company has made a point of focusing on that with its other products as of late.
The SwitchBot S10 will launch at an early-bird price of $1,199.99 on Kickstarter in October. The SwitchBot S10 looks like it will mark a new step in robot vacuum/mop tech with an automatic draining station, which is really all we’ve ever wanted out of a robot mop.
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