Trifo Emma Robot Vacuum review: Multi-function 2-in-1 cleaning with 3000Pa suction

The

Emma robot vacuum from Trifo

 is a multi-function robot vacuum that will sweep and mop the floor at the same time.

It has a 600ml dustbin and a small water tank. The dustbin is underneath the lid of the vacuum and is simple to empty with no complex catch mechanism to open the dustbin itself.

Inside the box are the robot vacuum and docking station. There is also a slim water tank and 10 mopping pads which attach to the bottom of the mopping pad using velcro strips. There is also a secondary silicone ‘pet hair extractor’ that replaces the roller brush and uses a rubber strip to sweep up hair and debris. Both the roller brush and the silicone rubber strip perform well at collecting hair, but the roller brush does need to be cleaned regularly.

Also: Best robot vacuum: Roomba isn’t your only option

Connecting to the app is simple — but there is limited information in the user manual about how to connect to the app. You can add Emma to the app by scanning the QR code or by pressing the power switch for about 5 seconds until you hear a beep. The robot will only connect over 2.4GHz Wi-Fi. Once connected, there is minimal functionality in the app. You can set a cleaning schedule and view the cleaning history. You can see the map when the robot is cleaning, but not every map is saved in the history section of the app.

You can not set no-go or no-mop zones for this vacuum, nor can you set virtual walls. Basically, you can invoke cleaning from the app, send it to its recharge station and adjust the suction setting of the robot. However, although basic, the app performs well.

The Trifo Emma robot vacuum

 does not have any Lidar bump on the top of the robot, so its mapping function is poor and bears no resemblance to the shape of the floor space cleaned compared to other robot vacuums I have reviewed.

I also felt that the robot would often run out of battery and not go back to its charging station. Its 2,600mAh battery will charge in around three hours and is supposed to run for 110 minutes, according to Trifo’s website.

However, this seemed to be an exaggeration as the robot would often run out of battery and not make it back to its charging station. I tested its battery claims by operating the robot on full power and took regular screenshots using the app.

After seven minutes, the remaining battery showed 80% reduction to 61% after 18 minutes after seven minutes. After 27 minutes, the battery had dropped to 49% and 40% after 35 minutes.

After 45 minutes clean the battery dropped to 24%, and as soon as I had taken a screenshot of the robot vacuum, I noticed that the battery was now 6% after 46 minutes and showing low battery.

The battery quickly dropped to 3% still at 46 minutes, and then the robot reset its cleaning time and deleted its cleaning area whilst still showing 3% of battery. It then reset its map and stopped as it could not find its cleaning station. According to the app, to get anywhere near the 110 minutes promised by Trifo, I used the robot on its minimum suction power or quiet mode. When the robot was at minimum suction, it could actually find its way back to the charging station.

To use the mopping feature with the robot, clip the mopping module onto the bottom of the robot and attach a mopping pad to the robot. Wet the mopping pad and start the robot. Make sure you refill the mopping module every 20 minutes of mopping your hard floor. 

If your floor is very dirty, take the mopping pad off regularly, wash it, and reattach the clean pad to the robot to make certain that the pad does not dry out.

The Trifo Emma robot vacuum is available

on Amazon for $199.99

 — and currently has a $50 off coupon. For an affordable multi-function vacuum with no bells and whistles,

The Trifo Emma robot vacuum is a reasonably performing device at a low cost. Make sure you do not use it at maximum suction power if you want a longer cleaning time, and remember to refill the water tank.