Minsu NV-01 Review

When you talk about robot vacuums, you won’t see Minsu on many “best” lists.

But the NV-01 should change this perception with improvements in many areas, especially navigation.

This alternative is the newest robotic vacuum cleaner that is also capable of mopping floors.

It’s one of the cheapest options available right now at under $225.

Let’s find out in this review everything you need to know about this powerful robot and whether it is worth its price.

Quick look at the features:

• Efficient back and forth cleaning pattern thanks to the gyroscope + infrared + ultrasonic sensors built into this robot
• Comes with smartphone app as well as Alexa compatibility
• Dual side brush helps pick up dirt to the edges
• 2 hours run time
• ARM380S smart chip
• Suction 1500Pa
• Dual function of vacuum cleaner and mop
• 500ml dirt container and 100ml water tank

Positives

• Efficient cleaning mode
• Good size dirt bin 500ml
• It has Alexa compatibility
• long term time

Negatives

• Cleaning performance is not very accurate
• Not good at cleaning around chairs because of their width

What do you expect from Minsu NV-01?

Please watch this video to see what’s in the box, features, navigation, and how it performs.

In terms of features, this robot is similar to most of the robots coming from China.

It has two side brushes, a whisk applicator plus a mop for wet or dry wiping.

top view

Unique to the previous Minsu robotic vacuum cleaner (MST09), this robot has a rather unique shape. It’s not round – it’s square with rounded corners.

This one has a similar shape to the LG HomBot which makes it really spacious.

The downside to this design is that it compromises its ability to clean tight spaces such as the spaces between furniture legs.

The interface is very simple with three touch buttons with LED lights. This makes it very easy to read even during the day.

Minsu has also added a voice prompt to this bot to tell users the status of the bot when cleaning is finished or when there is an error.

View from the bottom

The robot’s core will reveal a very standard layout that you’ll see on most robots out of China. There are two side brushes surrounding the main cleaning brush in the middle.

Behind these brushes there is a hole where you can install the mop bracket. The stand itself has a small water tank capable of holding up to 100ml of water. Don’t expect this to clear a large room even though 100ml is not enough.

remote control

This robot comes with a basic remote control with access to basic features such as the default cleaning mode, instant cleaning mode, and return to the docking station.

The remote control requires two AA batteries, which are not included in the package.

Smartphone and Alexa compatibility

In addition to the remote control, you can download a smartphone application that allows you to control the robot even when you are not physically present.

Unfortunately, I was not able to successfully connect the app and the bot. The evidence is not very clear in this regard. I hope Minsu does a better job when it comes to clarity.

If you own Alexa, this bot is compatible with this device. Lots of homes have Alexa software so this robot can easily fit in.

Mobility

Before the operation, please watch the video I recorded above to see how the robot navigates.

If you look closely, this robot has a very efficient cleaning pattern which means it walks in predictable back and forth patterns.

One feature it lacks is the SLAM algorithm found in other bots such as RoboRock and Neato BotVac Connected.

This feature alone makes the robot “smart” in that it helps it track its location in the area it is cleaning.

So what you have is an efficient bot that lacks precision. Once he passed around the room, he just returned to the base of the house.

The wide body made it difficult to clean the areas around the chair. And it lacks edge cleaning, which you’ll see later in the cleaning test.

cleaning test

Before anything else, let’s take a look at the before and after pictures to give you an idea of ​​what this bot should work with.

Here are some snapshots before.

And some shots after letting the bot run its own cleaning cycle.

For the cleaning test, I sprinkled about 40g of Quaker oats, strength, some hair, and dust into different sections of the room to see how this robot worked.

You might say this is an exaggeration, but I like to run these tests to see where the bot is lacking.

And you will clearly see the vulnerabilities of the robot in the test.

Unlike the Neato BotVac or Xiaomi robot vacuum that goes through a second cleaning cycle, this robot only does it once.

Of 40 grams of dirt, the Minsu NV-01 can pick up only 33 grams. This isn’t bad, but it could be better. When compared to ILIFE or Xiaomi, this robot lags behind in performance. The biggest weakness will be in the edge cleaning section, which is where most of the dirt is left.

Even with two brushes to clean, she couldn’t clean the edges and corners very well.

I doubt you’ll clean up a mess of this size, but it’s a good idea to know potential weaknesses before buying a product, right?

What comes in the box?

Out of the box, you get the robot vacuum itself, an instruction manual, a quick start guide, four side brushes (two only replacement parts), a remote control, an extra HEPA filter, a mop bracket, and two microfiber towels.

Where can I buy this?

Right now, this robot is available on GearBest for less than $230.

to finish

The Minsu NV-01 looked promising, but I wouldn’t recommend it when there are cheaper options that work better. Its navigation was decent, but the pickup wasn’t very good. Not sure if this was bad design or the lack of suction, but it didn’t pick up surface dirt well.

With the likes of RoboRock E25 and Shark ION R85 Available in roughly the same price range, I would choose these options over this one.