Tapo RV30 Max Plus: Affordable Robot Vacuum Cleaner with Auto-Empty Dock
Tapo, the smart home brand from TP-Link, now offers the RV30 Max Plus, an affordable robot vacuum cleaner with mopping function. The manufacturer equipped the household helper with a suction power of 5,300 Pa and an auto-empty station, charging a mere $299.99! Read this detailed Tapo RV30 Max Plus review to find out what the affordable robot vacuum cleaner with mopping function is capable of and what kind of compromises you have to expect.
Good
- Good suction power
- Mopping performance is better than expected
- Auto-Empty station is included
- Extensive app with numerous customization options
- Superb price-to-performance ratio
Bad
- Obstacle detection could be improved
Tapo RV30 Max Plus design and set-up
The Tapo RV30 Max Plus is a robot vacuum cleaner with a removable mopping plate. Know what's ingenious about it? The manufacturer combined the dust container and water tank into a single compartment. The base station now boasts an auto-empty function and doubles up as a charging point for the appliance.
Pros:
- Fairly small base station.
- 2-in-1 dust and water container.
Cons:
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The Tapo RV30 Max Plus is only available in one color—black. The robot vacuum cleaner looks unspectacular at first glance. The Tapo RV30 Max Plus measures 10 cm high and has a classic LiDAR navigation tower on top and a side brush behind. There is no fixed mopping equipment. Tapo wants users to attach the mop plate to the bottom of the dust and water container. A replacement cloth for the mopping plate is not included with the purchase.
The manufacturer has come up with something ingenious for the dust and water container design. Tapo combined both into a single unit. The 2-in-1 container has a capacity of 300 ml each for dust and water.
The base station is super compact in size, measuring 22.8 × 16.4 × 33 cm. There is a 3 L dust bag in the base station. Apart from the auto-empty function, the base station is responsible for charging the vacuum cleaner. The Tapo app supports the control of the appliance. Once a Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connection has been established, a firmware update is required before the robot vacuum cleaner can begin going about its duties.
Tapo app and smart functions
The Tapo app actually offers too many settings for a $299 robot vacuum claener. In addition to the usual suction and mopping settings, the software scored points with settings related to scanned floor plans. With the option to set the direction of travel, the app offers a function that many much more expensive models don't even do.
Pros:
- Precise mapping of the living space.
- Stores up to four maps.
- Direction of travel of the robot vacuum cleaner can be adjusted.
Cons:
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Before mapping an area, the manufacturer provides tips on how the robot vacuum cleaner can be supported during the mapping process. If you have carpets lying around, Tapo recommends removing the mopping plate and clearing small objects, such as cables, out of the way.
The robot vacuum cleaner then familiarizes itself with the surrounding terrain. It is noticeable here that the appliance does run into objects rather frequently and the obstacle detection did not leave a good first impression. Nevertheless, the mapping result is precise. In fact, the scanned map is more precise than we have seen from significantly more expensive models.
As with premium robot vacuum cleaners, there are options to customize the floor plan. For instance, assistance in the form of no-go zones, the addition of furniture, or the addition of carpets are all possible. The best feature is the option to set the direction of travel of the robot vacuum cleaner. With this function, the appliance moves along the direction of the floor and thus prevents scratching your floors.
Several power levels are available in the main menu for the vacuuming process. Here you can set the suction power across four modes and the water flow rate in three stages. You can also specify whether the robot vacuum cleaner should perform one, two, or even three laps. This is atypical for a robot vacuum cleaner software in the $299 price category, as the app displays the live location of the robot vacuum cleaner.
Suction, mopping performance, and navigation of the Tapo RV30 Max Plus
The Tapo RV30 Max Plus vacuums excellently. The robot vacuum cleaner's battery life is also impressive. The base station has an auto-empty function. However, cleaning the mopping plate can be a rather sticky affair.
Pros:
- Solid suction power.
- Only a few hairs get tangled in the main brush.
- Good battery life.
- Mopping performance of the mopping plate is better than expected.
Cons:
- Poor obstacle detection.
The Tapo RV30 Max Plus is an impressive example of how good a robot vacuum can be for under $300. The suction result of the household assistant is solid—at least on smooth surfaces such as parquet and tiles. This is not bad at all, with a suction power of 5,300 Pa. On carpets, the performance is not at the same level, but still respectable nonetheless.
| Test volume (g) | Suction volume (g) | Efficiency (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oatmeal (tiles) |
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| Sand (tiles) |
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| Sand (carpet) |
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If you want the robot vacuum cleaner to avoid carpets, you can either activate the mopping mode or play it safe by removing the mopping plate before cleaning. On the other hand, the robot vacuum cleaner scored highly when picking up hair. During the test, only a few hairs were found in the main brush. Not bad at all, as the manufacturer stated how the budget robot vacuum cleaner can overcome obstacles of up to 22 mm.
Surprisingly, the mopping result was better than expected. The reason for our skepticism is Tapo's choice of a mopping plate. However, it is completely understandable that the manufacturer did not use rotating mop pads based on its asking price of $200. The only catch here? Just like refilling the water tank, cleaning the mopping plate is also part of your job.
The base station has an auto-empty function for this purpose. After the cleaning tour, it will dock with the base station to empty the dust container and recharge. The RV30 Max Plus has a good battery life. After a 30-minute cleaning tour, the robot vacuum ceaner still has 65 percent battery power left.
Navigation and obstacle detection are hit-or-miss in reality. A LiDAR and dual navigation system are responsible for this. Obstacle detection during cleaning is not as good as when it went around mapping out the area. The robot vacuum cleaner is unable to recognize objects in its path and frequently runs into obstacles. Well, that's what the appliance's bumpers are for, right?
Tapo RV30 Max Plus technical specifications
| Technical specifications | |
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| Device | |
| Image |  |
| Price (RRP) |
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| Suction power |
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| Height |
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| Special features |
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| Suction function |
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| Mop cleaning and drying |
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| Automatic detergent supply |
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| Dimensions of the base station |
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Should You Buy the Tapo RV30 Max Plus?
If you are looking for an affordable robot vacuum cleaner with powerful suction power while having a mopping function is a bonus, then the Tapo RV30 Max Plus is the perfect choice. This budget robot vacuum cleaner even copes well with hair, but what is more amazing is the mopping result. We were skeptical at first because the manufacturer uses a mopping plate. Of course, the mopping plate doesn't scrub as efficiently as mopping pads on more expensive robot vacuum cleaners, but it doesn't need to. This is especially so as the mopping performance was really better than expected.
The only and biggest shortcoming is obstacle detection. Even though the navigation and mapping proved to be excellent, this little home helper often ran into obstacles. At least there is a small base station that takes a tiny bit of the maintenance off the robot vacuum cleaner's hands. All in all, the overall package of the Tapo RV30 Max Plus is impressive. The Tapo RV30 Max Plus costs $299.99 (RRP). We give it a solid buy recommendation and 4.5 out of 5 stars!
Where to Buy the Tapo RV30 Max Plus
The Tapo RV30 Max Plus is already available in stores. The recommended retail price for the robot vacuum cleaner stands at $299.99 a pop. You can buy it on Amazon or in the Tapo online store.
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