Review: SwitchBot K10+ Pro – Facelift that makes sense

SwitchBot has just taken another step forward with robot vacuums by publishing a new K10+ Pro robot. It’s an upgrade to their previous model of K10+ that I’ve reviewed previously.

On this article I’m having a look on the new pro version and see exactly how it differs from the previous model. Most of the features and software setup are basically the same so I won’t be going through those. You can read the setting up process and software features from the original K10+ review.

Disclaimer: I’ve receive the tested device for free on reviewing purposes, but as always, the opinions are 100% my own and this does not affect the product review.

Specifications

Product specifications are quite typical for low- to mid-range robot vacuums (except the size of this thing):

• Suction power 3000pa
• Auto-empty station (capacity 4 litres)
• Vacuum dimensions 24.8mm (diameter) x 9mm (height)
• Mopping capability (using disposable mopping sheets)
• Lidar navigation, PSD and mapping
• Matter, SmartThings, IFTTT, Google, Siri and Alexa support

What’s in the box

There’s everything needed in the package to get started:

• K10+ Pro vacuum cleaner
• Auto-empty station
• User manual and a quick start guide
• Three dust bags (two extra)
• Two side brushes (one extra)
• Extra filter (one is already installed in the vacuum)
• 30 disposable wet clothes for mopping

Differences

K10+ Pro outlook is almost identical with the non-pro version, but two noticeable things can be seen: front radar has been changed and main brush has been switched into anti-tangle all-rubber brush. Everything else seems to be as it was on non-pro version externally.

Suction power

Under the hood has been done the most needed upgrade and the suction power has been increased from 2500Pa to 3000Pa. It’s a decent 500Pa increase compared to the non-pro version, which may not sound much, but it’s actually very noticeable. The bot can easily pick up crumbs from the floor where non-pro did have a slight issue.

Even though the suction power has been increased it does not seem to have increasing effect to the to the noise level, it’s as silent as non-pro version.

Better on corners

SwitchBot K10+ Pro claims to do better cleaning on the corners by increasing side brush speed to 200 rpm. During my test round, I did not see real difference between K10+ and Pro on corner cleaning results, but more is more. It can’t be a bad upgrade anyways, most probably it will clean up better on some environments.

Rubber brush

Obstacle avoidance

Maybe the second best upgrade is the PSD (Position Sensitive Detector) that helps the bot avoid obstacles better. While the non-pro version only relies on Lidar SLAM, the pro adds the PSD for extra obstacle detection.

I tested it with couple of dog bones and dog toys and it succesfully went around them properly. The non-pro did just pass through and sometimes got stuck. So no more collecting toys to be able to vacuum!.. in theory at least. It still won’t recognize everything and can get stuck occasionally.

Other noteworthy features

The K10+ Pro has even more noteworthy features that are also available on standard K10+.

• The SwitchBot K10+ Pro supports matter when using SwitchBot Hub 2 or Hub Mini Matter. The Matter support is still limited only to start/stop cleaning and is brought to standard K10+ too with a firmware update.
• Supports Alexa, Google, Siri, IFTTT and SmartThings. Also available with standard K10+.
• Easy to install and configure
• Great software

Conclusion

K10+ Pro has it’s improvements compared to the standard K10+, but it comes with a 100$ price increase. Is it worth it? Well, it depends. Standard K10+ is decent robo vac, but lacks the suction power. If you tend to bring sand or other heavy trash on a thick carpets or have pet hair hanging around, it could be justified to spend that extra money to get the pro version.

Pros

• Small size is a great choise for smaller apartments
• Auto-empty station
• Increased suction power is the most needed upgrade
• The vacuum is very quiet

Cons

• Still has trouble climbing tall doorsteps
• Mopping with pre-wet sheet is useless

Smart home score: 4/5