The most recent vacuum robot is known as the INOMI SE8. The manufacturer promotes the product as being stronger, slimmer, and better. So we put the INOMI SE8 through its paces again for a few weeks and compared it to other models. The outcomes were indeed unexpected. In addition to new convenience features such as the Wi-Fi smartphone app and Alexa support, the cleaning performance is excellent.
There are no standout features, but the performance is extremely stable.
So far, the INOMI series vacuum robots have impressed primarily due to their particularly appealing price-performance ratio and extremely simple operation. So far, no particularly compelling features or innovations have been discovered in INOMI devices, so these devices appear to have received little attention from tech-savvy testers or the industry press. This, in my opinion, is incorrect, as our testing of the INOMI SE8 revealed that, despite their low price, these devices deliver above-average performance in their price range. Aside from good cleaning performance, the flat design frequently allows vacuuming in places where others cannot reach (such as under furniture such as tables or sofas). Because of its intuitive and simple operation, which can also be controlled via a remote control, the series is also ideal for beginners and less technically savvy users.
At the time of this test, the retail price is around 269 euros (e.g., current Amazon and official website* prices). When you look at the device, you'll notice that it has integrated WiFi and can be controlled via a smartphone app for a relatively low price.
The scope of delivery includes:
vacuum robot itself
automatic charging station with power supply
Remote control with batteries
two spare side brushes
Replacement hepa filter
Brush cleaning tool
German operating instructions (multilingual)
The new INOMI SE8 is once again very compact, with a height of only 69 mm. The low height is very useful because it can frequently be vacuumed under a sofa or table, which collects a lot of dirt. Despite his short stature, he has a reasonably large dirt container with a capacity of 500ml. This means the robot can clean larger areas without having to worry about dirt falling out again. Overall, the dirt compartment is very user-friendly, and it is simple to open, empty, and clean. Again, triple filtering, which includes a Hepa fine filter, is a plus.
A lot of thought appears to have gone into the design as well, with the chic brown-black high-gloss finish looking good and appealing to many women in particular. The disadvantage is that fingerprints appear quickly, and dust is visible.
INOMI SE8 also includes tape.
INOMI SE8 now supports tapes as well. As a result, rooms or specific areas can be blocked off for the robot. It even comes with a 2-meter tape, which is unusual for a product in this price range. In testing, the entire system worked flawlessly; you can confine the robot to specific rooms without closing the door. This is frequently important for pet owners, as they should be able to move freely throughout the apartment, such as to their litter box. The tape can be glued to the floor or tucked beneath the rug.
The following buttons are available on the remote control:
Automatic cleaning start/stop
Arrow keys for manual control
Home button sends the robot to the charging station
Selectable suction levels 1 to 3
car wash again
Quick Clean (limited to 28 minutes)
edge cleaning
Spot cleaning (spiral cleaning)
It's also worth mentioning that the remote works really well. Manually controlling the robot using the arrow keys also works well.
INOMI SE8 now has three suction levels.
The functionality of the INOMI SE8 remote control is largely self-explanatory, with the emphasis on the button to change the suction power. The suction power can be adjusted in three gears, and the sound of the suction power indicates that the two suction powers are very different. On the one hand, the disparity is greater. The robot, on the other hand, will use a few beeps to indicate the suction power level that has been set.
In all of our tests, we always use the highest suction level, which is level 3. We measured a volume of around 60.8 decibels (1m distance) at this level, which is a decent but tolerable volume. If you want it to be quieter, lower the suction level; we only measured about 56 decibels at suction level 1 and 57 decibels at suction level 2. It's very quiet in the first two suction levels.
How thoroughly does the INOMI SE8 clean living areas?
To see if the robot would actually run through and clean all areas of the living room, we first strewn confetti throughout the 20-square-meter space. We then set the automatic cleaning function to maximum suction and let the robot clean until it returned to the charging station.
The INOMI SE8 was vacuumed for 46 minutes in this test, after which its battery (14.4V / 2600 mAh) drained and the vacuuming stopped.
The results were excellent, with nearly all areas cleaned thoroughly, even the narrow ones (next to the scraping post). Edge cleaning and carpet cleaning also went off without a hitch. It doesn't just vacuum around the charging station; the infrared blocking circuit prevents it from vacuuming near it. The purpose of such a blocking circuit is simply to prevent the charging station from being accidentally moved. In a single room, the INOMI SE8 performs admirably.
Test results and conclusions for the INOMI SE8
In the test, he performed admirably. It's especially nice to see that the manufacturer didn't skimp on cleaning performance during development. It cleans much better than many competitors. For that reason, we can wholeheartedly recommend it at such a low price! The robot is simple to use with a remote, even for inexperienced users, and it includes some gimmicks for tech-savvy users via the app and Alexa control.