Robot vacuums have gotten more affordable throughout the years while getting better. They are becoming less of a luxury item and more of a necessity these days. The latest robot vacuums can clean better and even reach places such as under the bed or sofa where a conventional vacuum can’t.
TP-Link’s new Tapo RV30 Plus is a great robot vacuum with excellent cleaning capability, low maintenance and an impressive app for RM1799. If you have a busy schedule and wish to get a great robot vacuum that wouldn’t break the bank, the Tapo RV30 Plus might be the one to get.
The Tapo RV30 Plus is vastly superior over the older Tapo RV10 Plus with the new LiDAR sensor. The robot vacuum is now fully aware of the surrounding of your home with a millimeter grade accuracy. TP-Link also enhanced the suction power to 4200Pa with a larger 5000mAh battery capacity.
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The Tapo RV30 Plus comes with the auto-empty dock and TP-Link also released another Tapo RV30 model without the auto-empty dock included. However, TP-Link will not be selling the auto-empty dock separately. It’s not possible to buy the Tapo RV30 and only add-on the auto-empty dock in future.
The design of the Tapo RV30 Plus is rather neutral and that should look coherent with most interior design styles. Its slim profile allows the robot vacuum to easily navigate under most furnitures such the bed or cabinet effortlessly. This greatly enhanced the cleaning coverage of the Tapo RV30 Plus.
LiDAR Navigation
The standout feature of the RV30 Plus is the LiDAR sensor, which allows for precise and super-accurate navigation when operating. This advanced LiDAR sensor enables the robot vacuum to optimize its cleaning path, efficiently covering every nook and cranny while avoiding obstacles.
During my test, the Tapo RV30 Plus is vastly superior over my older robot vacuum without LiDAR navigation. After the initial mapping, the Tapo RV30 will retain the map for future cleaning session. This means the robot is vastly more efficient, cleans much faster while not missing any spots.
I can even direct the Tapo RV30 Plus to clean selected rooms or selected areas on the Tapo app. This feature is perfect for quickly cleaning a particular room that accumulate more dirt. The robot vacuum is also great at avoiding obstacles and navigating around complex area like the dining room.
Another key benefits of LiDAR navigation is the ability to set up virtual walls within the Tapo app. The virtual wall feature can prevent the robot vacuum from entering certain rooms or zones. It is rather useful for protecting delicate items or keeping the vacuum away from pet or kids area.
Excellent Cleaning Capability
Equipped with an impressive 4200Pa suction power, the RV30 Plus is excellent at removing dusts and even larger debris from various surfaces. It did a really good job at cleaning my home which is primarily tiles and vinyl flooring. In fact, the suction power is strong enough to even pick up coins.
With the strong suction power, TP-Link included a HEPA filter to ensure fine dust and particles cannot escape from the enclosed system. However, for those with longer hairs, it might get caught on the spinning brush which will require additional maintenance to remove them every month.
The RV30 Plus features a huge 5000mAh battery, allowing it to clean larger spaces without recharging. During my test, it can clean and mop my 1500 sq ft property on high suction power with around 60% battery left to spare. Hence, I reckon the battery life should be good for properties up to 3000 sq ft.
Tapo RV30 Plus Auto-Empty Dock
The Tapo RV30 Plus comes with a convenient auto-empty dock that automatically removes all the dirt collected by the vacuum and into a dust bag in the dock. This actually reduced most of the maintenance and allowed me to enjoy a consistently clean home with minimal effort needed.
Upon completion of every cleaning job, the auto-empty dock will automatically remove all dirt dust from the robot vacuum. In fact, the suction power is so strong where I no longer need to clean the robot vacuum manually. The internal trash bin is totally spotless once the auto-empty dock did its job.
TP-Link claims the dust bag will last up to 70 days and it is extremely easy to replace them. The dust bag is sealed once removed from the machine so it wouldn’t make a mess. Replacing them with a new bag will take less than 1 minute and the replacement bags are rather affordable as well.
I really enjoyed the auto empty dock as it greatly reduced the amount of maintenance required. My older robot vacuum require weekly cleaning of the filters and internal trash bin. The Tapo RV30 Plus eliminated this task entirely and it also ensures the vacuum is always operating at the best efficiency.
Mopping Function
The Tapo RV30 Plus comes with a mopping feature with a built-in water tank. It will further enhance the cleanliness by removing sticky residue from the floor surface. TP-Link included a reusable mopping pad that further removes dirt and grime from hard floor surfaces such as tiles and vinyl flooring.
When mopping mode is enabled, the Tapo RV30 will vacuum and mop the floor simultaneously. However, the mopping pad must be removed and cleaned manually after each cleaning task. However, the Tapo RV30 Plus can function without the mop attached, operating like a normal robot vacuum.
The mopping function of the Tapo RV30 Plus is great for maintaining cleanliness and providing a polished finish on the floor. However, for more stubborn stains and liquid spills, I will recommend using an actual mop instead as the mopping cloth might not achieve optimal result in these scenarios.
TP-Link also included a replacement mopping cloth, sweeping brush and HEPA filter with the Tapo RV30 Plus. There’s also a small cutting tool to remove tangled hair from the robot vacuum.
Tapo App and Setup
Tapo RV30 Plus is controlled on the Tapo app where it shows the location of the robot vacuum in real-time on the map. It will display the area where the robot has cleaned and the remaining uncleaned space. This is great to ensure the robot did a thorough cleaning across my entire home.
The app also comes with custom cleaning schedule, specifying the day and time where the robot will automatically clean my house. This is great as I prefer to have the robot working when nobody is at home so I will always come back to a clean home after a long day at work.
The standout feature of the app is the ability to clean specific areas and specifying virtual walls or no-go zones. This feature is particularly useful to prevent the robot from entering kids area with toys. By simply drawing a line on the app, the robot vacuum will avoid these areas during the cleaning process.
Apart from that, the app also allow for some configurations such as the suction power and water flow of the mopping feature. It will also remind you when it’s time to replace the dust bag. If the robot vacuum got stuck, it will stop automatically and send a notification on the app as well.
Closing Thoughts
The RV30 Plus is a dependable robot vacuum that delivers an excellent balance of performance and value for your home cleaning needs. Its LiDAR navigation, auto-empty dock, and powerful suction make it an ideal choice for families seeking an affordable and reliable home cleaning solution.
My favorite feature is the LiDAR sensor which greatly enhanced cleaning efficiency without missing any spots. The auto-empty bin is another great feature as it greatly reduced the maintenance required for the vacuum and ensures the vacuum is always operating in an optimal condition.
Currently troubled to choose either RV30 Plus or Xiaomi’s X10,
Awesome review by the way, thank you!
if i have budget around this price, is there any better option?
I believe at this budget, this is the best robot vacuum with great navigation and auto empty dock. Personally I really like the auto-empty dock as a normal robot vacuum get full really quickly. This Tapo RV30 Plus can last for a really long time without cleaning.
Thanks for the review, can you give the measurements of the vacuum? Thanks again.
I copied them from TP-Link official product page
Robot Vacuum: 342.6 × 342.2 × 95 mm (13.5 × 13.5 × 3.7 in)
Auto-Empty Dock: 227 × 191.4 × 381.3 mm (8.9 × 7.5 × 15 in)