INTRODUCTION

   Believe or not robot vacuums have helped countless people all over the world gain more free time in their daily lives and yes, I happen to be among those people. Now of course I’m not saying that robot vacuums can produce the same exact results as any person using a broom and a mop (one can clearly cover more area and of course clean it better) but they do a good enough job that you may not have to. On top of that not only can they be used remotely (via their smartphone apps) but one can always use more than just a single robot vacuum, not just in order to cover a larger area (for example 1 vacuum per floor) but also for better results (if used on the same level/floor). So, all that's really left is to see which robot vacuum is ideal for you and in a market currently filled with them that may not be the easiest thing. Today I'll be testing one of the latest robot vacuum cleaners released by Proscenic, the 850T.

   Proscenic" is a combination of “prosperous” and “scenic”, which symbolizes the future of intelligent life. The company was founded in 1993, it is a comprehensive home appliance manufacturer integrating R & D, manufacturing and sales. The company established branches in Japan, United Kingdom, Germany, France, to build a solid foundation for the brand's localized marketing and after-sales service, strives to build Proscenic into a leading brand in the smart home appliance industry in the next 5 -10 years.

   It's been roughly a year since i reviewed a robot vacuum cleaner and last time i did it was again a model by Proscenic and more specifically the M6 Pro (review here). Unlike the mid-end M6 Pro however with its LDS (laser distance sensor - Lidar) navigation the 850T is a far more "entry-level" model which uses the classic gyroscope navigation (IPNAS 2.0 system) meaning it bumps onto things quite a lot (not to mention its map is far less accurate). Still the 850T does feature a powerful motor rated for 3000Pa of suction power, dual side brushes, remote control (extremely convenient for older people), dual electronic water tank (300ml water tank with 300ml dust container), 500ml dust container, anti-fall and edge-cleaning sensors, HEPA filter, WiFi 2.4GHz connectivity, 2600mAh lithium-ion rechargeable battery pack (which according to Proscenic allows the 850T to run for up to 120 minutes) and support for smart home integration via voice commands (Amazon Alexa and/or Google Home). Needless to say, just like with previous models the 850T can be fully controlled by their Android/iOS App (includes several functions/commands such as auto-clean, automatic-mop, spot & edge cleaning and scheduling.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The 850T arrived inside a plain cardboard box that has a product drawing at the front and rear right beneath the company logo (a shipping sticker pointing to its internal battery is also present).

The product's electrical specifications are located on the left side in 8 languages.

Once again, the entire bundle is placed inside plastic bags and a formed piece of cardboard.

Contained in the box are the 850T robot vacuum with its dust bin (pre-mounted), dual water/dust bin with a pre-installed microfiber cloth, extra microfiber cloth, cleaning/cut tool, charging base with power cord, remote control with two AAA batteries, 4 brushes, 1 meter long magnetic tape (for restricted areas), app quick start guide, paper with links for Proscenic social media pages and the user manual.

THE 850T

The 850T features a nice glossy enclosure (diameter of 325mm) which Proscenic seems to be especially fond off (since they do point out the new design at the top).

Two touch buttons (3 LEDs in total) are located at the top of the 850T.

With a height of just 83mm the 850T should be able to fit under at least some of your furniture.

Turning the 850T over we see the two rubber coated wheels, 3 sensors (anti-fall and edge cleaning), main rolling brush, center wheel, rechargeable battery pack (removable) and an on/off switch.

I was surprised to see that the main brush used with the 850T was just as good as those used with the M6 and M7 pro models.

The 850T comes with its dust bin pre-mounted and in the above pictures you can see its HEPA filter and how it opens up.

The dual-bin however is far more interesting since it has a fill/empty rubber port on top, HEPA filter just over the dust bin area and water indicators (including a warning message).

After mounting both brushes the 850T is ready to charge.

Speaking of charging the charging base is pretty much standard.

The remote control is very easy to use and has all the functions one could ever hope for (perhaps way too many for older people).

It so happened that in time for this review i came in the possession of two more robot vacuums, the Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop P (LDS) and Essential (Gyroscope) which although i will not be doing standalone reviews for I’ve tested and included in the charts.

HOME APP

Even though you can control most functions of the 850T via the bundled remote you should also download the Proscenic Home App (Android/iOS).

After you create a new account, you will need to choose the 850T from the list of products.

The setup procedure is very easy, all you need to do is follow the instructions of the app so the robot can bind with your local WiFi network.

From the main product tab, you can check the map, change the motor power (quiet, standard and max), enable auto-clean, automatic-mop, spot-clean and edge-cleaning, set the desired amount of water dropped onto the mop and enable the remote-control mode.

The above screenshot shows a full pass with the 850T and is quite clear that it was nothing to do with what LDS model produce.

Inside the settings tab you change the name of the vacuum, check and clear the cleaning record, check for abnormal messages/warnings, use the scheduling function, enable the light switch, use audible feedback to locate the robot, activate Alexa, update the firmware and check the state of the vacuum’s replaceable parts.

Checking the status of the consumables is important since each last from 30 and up to 300 hours before in need of cleaning and/or replacing.

TEST RESULTS

Robot Vacuums may be home appliances but they are very advanced ones so I thought about running some tests like I do with most electronic devices. So here you can see the maximum cleaned area during all tests (single pass, start to finish), total battery life (in quiet - standard/balanced - strong/max modes) and noise levels again in quiet - standard/balanced - strong/max suction modes.

CONCLUSION

   For an “entry-level” model the 850T robot vacuum cleaner by Proscenic actually performed very well during my tests. Suction power is very good (although it doesn’t feel as 3000Pa, more like 2500Pa), battery life exceeded 150 minutes at quiet mode (remember, i don’t have any carpets in the lab which should require more power and thus battery life should drop faster) and as for covered area the 850T is the 2nd best model in the charts (currently anyways). Unfortunately, the gyroscope navigation is not very accurate and so aside bumping on most things in its path (which some people may not like) the 850T also doesn’t share the same map features (virtual wall/restricted area/editors) one can use from the app as with LDS models. The addition of a 1 meter long magnetic tape may help in some situations but it’s nowhere near as effective.

   Proscenic currently sells the 850T robot vacuum cleaner for just USD238 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 239Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) a price tag which is quite balanced for what you’re getting. Still even though I found no issues with the 850T the fact that it bumps on everything in its path (just like every other robot vacuum using a gyroscope navigation system) means that I strongly recommend getting an LDS model instead (like the M6 Pro). If, however spending more on a robot vacuum cleaner is not possible for you then the 850T certainly deserves checking out.

PROS

- Good Build Quality
- Size / Height
- Suction Power (3000Pa)
- Battery Life (Almost 3 Hours in Low Mode)
- Mopping Feature
- Remote Control
- Left & Right Cleaning Brushes
- Large Dustbin and Dual Tank Capacity (500ml / 600ml)
- Control App
- Replaceable Battery Pack
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Gyroscope Navigation (Maps Are Not Stored / Difficulty in Returning To Its Base From Afar / Map Detail / Lack Of Extra Features / Bumping Onto Things)
- Suction Power (Feels Weaker Than 3000Pa)
- Charging Base Size (Vacuum Is Exposed)