With the Shellbot SL60 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner, there’s no need to drag out a heavy vacuum or deal with a messy mop. While there are numerous robot vacuums on the market, Shellbot seeks to provide a superior experience to make cleaning one less thing to worry about. This review takes a look at this robotic vacuum to test all its features.
This is a sponsored article and was made possible by Shellbot. The actual contents and opinions are the sole views of the author who maintains editorial independence even when a post is sponsored.
Overview of Features
The Shellbot SL60 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner packs many amazing features into one incredibly useful cleaning device. One immediate standout is the smart AI obstacle recognition. By using an RGB monocular camera and 3D TOF, the vacuum accurately identifies and avoids obstacles. This includes everything from pet accidents on floors to socks.
It’s designed for busy homes and easily avoids tens of thousands of real-world objects. Thanks to the camera, it even detects obstacles in dimmer environments.
This vacuum also sports four suction levels to get the perfect clean for your home:
- Quiet – 800 Pa
- Standard – 1600 Pa
- Turbo – 3000 Pa
- Max – 4000 Pa
It also cleans quietly due to a streamlined design and dual noise reduction ducts. At the quiet setting, the noise level is just 58 dB.
To make sure no area is left unclean, the advanced LiDAR navigation technology uses lasers to accurately map every corner of a room. This allows for the most efficient cleaning paths. The vacuum features a 4000/s sampling rate, SLAM algorithm, and an impressive 8/m mapping range.
The SL60 includes two tanks: one just for vacuuming (0.106 gal.) and the other for mopping and vacuuming. The 0.07 gal. tank can mop up to 3111 sq. ft. There’s also three mopping settings for quick or deeper cleaning.
Thanks to the 5200 mAh battery, the vacuum can run for up to 200 minutes per charge and clean up to 2691 sq. ft. With overcharge and overheating protection, it’s safe to use. Plus, it can last from 500 to 1,000 recharge cycles.
Easily control the SL60 with your voice (Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa), via the included remote, or with the Shellbot app. Use the app to control the cleaning schedule, set up zones, and save custom maps for up to five floor levels.
You don’t have to worry about the vacuum’s battery dying in the middle of cleaning. When a low battery is detected, the last position is saved and the vacuum returns to its charging base. It’ll automatically resume once charged to 60 percent.
In the Box
The Shellbot SL60 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner includes everything you’d expect. There’s the vacuum itself, which has the 2-in-1 dust bin and water tank already installed, as well as the dust-only tank.
The charging base includes an internal area for wrapping up excess cord from the adapter. You get two side brushes (one is needed, while the other is a spare) and two mopping cloths.
A detailed user manual for both the vacuum and the app are also included. Finally, there’s also a cleaning tool for cleaning the brush and filters, along with a remote control and batteries.
Getting Started
Out of all the robot vacuums I’ve used, the Shellbot SL60 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner was the easiest to set up. It was already charged to 60% when it arrived, but I let it finish charging before actually using it.
Unlike many smart home devices, the SL60 works on hybrid 2.4 GHz / 5.0 GHz networks, so you don’t have to switch to a 2.4 GHz-only network to connect it. For someone like me who has a router that doesn’t let you manually switch between the two networks, this was a welcome change.
The pairing process between the Shellbot app and the vacuum only took around 30 seconds. After that, I was able to fully control the vacuum using the app.
Using the Shellbot SL60 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner
Before I dive into all the features of the app and remote, let’s take a look at how well the vacuum actually cleaned the floors. The initial mapping period is fairly quick and surprisingly accurate. It only took two to three minutes to map two rooms and begin cleaning.
I started with just the vacuuming feature to test the different suction levels. On the Quiet mode, you can barely hear it. There’s a setting to auto-detect carpet and increase suction. That’s really the only time you notice it running – and this setting cleaned my rugs and wood floors quite well.
As I increased the suction, it did get a little louder, but that’s expected. However, even on the highest setting, I could still hear the TV on my normal volume setting. There is a noticeable difference in how much dirt is picked up between the lowest and highest settings. I’d recommend using one of the two higher settings for dirtier floors or larger debris. For daily quick cleaning, one of the two lower settings works great.
When it comes to mopping, the Shellbot SL60 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner uses an S pattern by default, though you can also choose a Y pattern. I found the middle level (there are three mop levels) gave me the best results. It used a light amount of water, and when dirtier areas were detected, such as dried mud, it stopped and went over the area a few times before continuing.
As someone who owns multiple cats, I need a robot vacuum that’s not going to accidentally grab a curious tail. The SL60 slows down and maneuvers around obstacles with ease. Despite how many times one of my cats jumped in front of it, the vacuum avoided it and even went back to clean the area it missed.
This is also the first robot vacuum I’ve used that didn’t try to bump into water and food bowls. It detected them, cleaned within less than an inch of them and moved on with zero contact.
The only issue I ran into was the vacuum does seem to take a while to return to the charging base. I had the base in a well-lit area and didn’t move it during the cleaning process. I also didn’t move the vacuum out of its cleaning pattern. However, it took around five minutes to return to the base, which was just a few feet away.
Controlling the Vacuum
While the remote control is highly useful and allows you to create cleaning schedules, jump between vacuuming and mopping, and start/pause cleaning, it’s not nearly as useful as the app itself. However, for basic features, the remote works well.
The Shellbot app (for both iOS and Android) provides the best results.
Some of the things you can do with it include:
- Set schedules
- Save maps
- Create cleaning zones and zones to avoid
- Choose between vacuum and mop levels
- See cleaning statistics
- Choose how many times an area is cleaned (either once or twice)
- Start, pause, and return the vacuum to the charger
Everything is straightforward to use, too. However, if you’re having any issues getting started with the app, the included app manual will answer most any question you have.
Final Thoughts
The Shellbot SL60 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner is a truly impressive robot vacuum that avoids obstacles with ease. Powerful suction and a long-lasting battery make this a powerhouse for daily and deep cleaning. It’s a true set-it-and-forget-it cleaning device that will work well in most any home.
You can pick up the Shellbot SL60 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner for just $213.60 after a massive discount along with the $60 coupon code SHELLBOT.
All screenshots by Crystal Crowder
Is this article useful?
Subscribe to our newsletter!
Our latest tutorials delivered straight to your inbox