Name: Ultenic T10
Brand: Ultenic

Robot vacuums are a simple way to keep your floors clean while requiring minimal attention and maintenance, as long as they work as expected. Unfortunately, many of them underperform, but high-performing ones such as the Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra can cost a thousand dollars or more!

At an MSRP of $499 (and frequently on sale for less), the relatively affordable Ultenic T10 looks like a promising alternative. It can map your house, vacuum, and mop, while also being able to connect to your smart home setup and smart home speakers. Let's see whether it holds its promises and if it's worth your buck.

Ultenic T10

8.00 / 10

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Ultenic T10: Design, hardware, what's in the box

The Ultenic T10 is round, similar to most competitors, and features a barely visible side brush to clean edges. The vacuum cleaner's overall design is understated, making it a discreet addition to any room. Its white plastics are compatible with most interiors, despite the relatively large dome covering the LIDAR sensor. Although the latter may seem a bit high, the vacuum's compact dimensions of 13.78-by-13.78-by-3.86 inches make it easy to fit in any corner and give it a chance to slide under most furniture, ensuring your floor is left dust-free.

The build quality is great, with plastics feeling sturdy and durable, meaning they'll probably resist occasional bumps. The shiny white coating does, however, make settled dust visible over time, requiring an occasional wipe.

When turned upside down, Ultenic's T10 looks similar to a Roomba vacuum cleaner, with two large wheels on each side, a caster wheel at the front flanked by two edge sensors, and a side brush. At the center, it features a single soft-bristle brush perfect for hard floors. (Which may be less effective when it comes to cleaning carpets, but we'll talk about that later.) Finally, a mop can be attached at the back, letting the T10 clean your floors with fresh water while vacuuming, ensuring perfect cleaning results. The mop is attached under the dust bin and can be removed independently, which is convenient. But you rarely have to remove it, except to refill the clean water tank located within the dust bin module.

Let's not forget the T10's relatively compact docking station, measuring approximately 11-by-4-by-7.8 inches. It can be placed in a corner or under high furniture without being noticed, except by the T10, which will gladly return to it for a self-emptying session. Changing the bag is easy, as you only need to open the top cover and slide it out.

Lastly, Ultenic is pretty generous in terms of what's in the box since the T10 ships with two dust bags, two mops, two filters, an extra side brush, a cleaning tool, and a remote control. The latter lets you manually move the device around, locate it, adjust its cleaning strength, pause a cycle, and dock it. The manufacturer went beyond what most competitors include in the box, which will help you last several months without having to purchase additional accessories.

Ultenic T10: Software, cleaning, and battery

The Ultenic app is fairly easy to use and lets you connect the T10 in just a few steps. Once paired, the T10 will glide around your house to map it. The mapping quality is excellent, although it sometimes detects imaginary areas, mainly around mirrors or large windows. The T10 is not as good as Roomba's or Roborock's but remains reliable, especially considering its lower price point.

The app lets you rotate and customize the map to edit and name the rooms, as well as create cleaning and no-go zones. With these customized zones, you can quickly send the cleaner to a specific area without vacuuming an entire room. They also prevent the T10 from cleaning certain areas, which is particularly useful around the dog's water bowl or in an area with lots of cables.

You can also send the T10 to a particular spot without creating a new zone or room, which comes in handy after dropping a bag of flour on the floor, for example. Besides manually launching a cleaning cycle, either through the app or a vocal assistant such as Google and Alexa, you can also schedule T10 to run according to specific routines — with the ability to set suction power and water level for each of them. For instance, you can schedule it to clean more thoroughly on Mondays to remove the dirt left over from the weekend.

During a cycle, the app lets you see where the device has already cleaned and how long it's been running. You can pause or end a cleaning session and ask the T10 to return to its base. The app also lets you adjust the suction power and the water level while cleaning, which can come in handy if you realize your floors need a bit more attention than usual.

The T10 can also say what it's doing out loud, thanks to built-in spoken instructions, available in several languages. Interestingly enough, these weren't very understandable in English, but they were much clearer in French. Regardless, the instructions give you an idea of what's going on without having to check your phone. Their volume is customizable, and they can be entirely turned off if you find them annoying. Another interesting feature within the app is the ability to share your device with other people, allowing them to control it without using your Ultenic account.

While cleaning, the T10 isn't particularly noisy, especially when using the standard suction setting. When using a more intense program, you will hear it, but you can continue going about your day without much disturbance as long as you've prepared your house for a cleaning session.

Ultenic T10: Drawbacks

Indeed, the T10 isn't particularly good at detecting obstacles. Although it can recognize table feet, walls, and doors — it struggles with smaller things such as shoes or forgotten items on the floor. For instance, one of my coffee tables has a round hollow base, which the T10 always struggles with. It's often managed to climb on top of the base and stay stuck inside, so I now put the table upside down on the couch while the T10 is cleaning. Similarly, the vacuum is not good at detecting cables and will happily gulp them up if left on the floor.

Besides these drawbacks, the T10 does a great job cleaning, especially when using the higher settings. It manages to catch dust, hair, and other debris on hard floors. And although the T10 can clean carpets, its soft-bristled brush is probably not the best option for thick rugs. You should instead consider a Roomba model with two semi-hard plastic debris extractors, which are much better at removing dirt from carpets.

The mopping feature is decent, although not very advanced, mainly because it requires a lot of maintenance and manual tasks. First, you have to manually remove the dust bin to refill the water tank, which is relatively small and may not be enough for a large house. Then, you have to manually install and remove the mop every time you use it, in addition to cleaning it, as there is no self-cleaning feature.

Finally, because there is no receptacle, you won't be able to leave the mop on if you have a hardwood floor since a wet mop may damage hardwood. Also, the mop is only humidified during the cycle, but it doesn't vibrate or scrub the floors. Instead, it merely sweeps floors with fresh water, which gives them a nice sparkle when needed, but it won't be enough to clean stains and tough dirt.

Whichever mode you're using, the T10's battery will have your back. It can easily last two to three hours, which is more than enough time to clean an entire house. If you happen to live in a particularly large home, the robot can automatically charge itself before resuming its mission.

Ultenic T10: Maintenance and care

Thanks to its docking station, the Ultenic T10 requires little maintenance; it can automatically empty its dust bin into the station's bag. It docks seamlessly with excellent navigation and always manages to find its way back to the station and attach without any assistance. Once docked, the somewhat loud process sucks out almost all the dirt from the vacuum's dust bin to prepare for another cleaning cycle. Surprisingly, little to no dirt makes its way out during the operation, and all the grunge securely transfers from the T10 to the station's bag.

The app also lets you customize how often you want the T10 to self-empty itself, such as after every cycle, every other one, after three, or never. The latter is mostly useful if you're bothered by the noise produced while the T10 empties itself, and if you prefer to trigger the self-cleaning process manually.

Besides replacing the bag, the self-cleaning station requires virtually no maintenance and care. The bag can last for months without needing to be replaced, and when it does need replacing, the app and an LED on the station will remind you to do so. Although the replacement process is straightforward, I would have preferred the more environmentally friendly (and less expensive) option to have a removable and washable basket.

A self-emptying vacuum doesn't mean you'll be able to forget it entirely. Indeed, the T10 is not self-cleaning and will require basic care to keep it running, such as cleaning and replacing the filters, wiping the sensors, and cleaning the brush. You'll want to do all this often, especially since hair frequently gets trapped in the bristles and the brush grille, impairing the T10's cleaning effect. The app can also remind you to clean and change the filters, but it's best to check once in a while, especially if you have pets, to avoid obstructing the vacuum conduct.

Lastly, if you use the mopping feature, you'll need to refill the water tank very often. This process is the most inconvenient, as it requires you to remove the dust bin and fill water from a small hole on the top, which often ends up in water spilling all over the dust bin. You'll also have to manually remove, wash, and install the mop every time, as it doesn't clean itself. As stated above, the mopping feature is more anecdotic than truly efficient, but it has the benefit of giving your floor a quick daily sweep.

Ultenic T10: Should you buy it?

If you're looking for an affordable all-rounder, the Ultenic T10 fits the bill. It cleans well and it's easy to use. Its precise navigation and effective vacuuming power will make sure your floors are dust-free. The mopping functionality is far from perfect but comes in handy when your floors need a quick wipe. Lastly, the docking station makes maintenance and care a breeze, as it only requires you to replace the bag once in a while.