The SwitchBot K11+ is an exciting new player in the highly competitive robot vacuum market. What makes it special: It is significantly more compact than many of its competitors, but still comes with a practical suction station and supports modern smart home standards such as Matter. But how well does the SwitchBot K11+ perform in everyday use? Is the 6,000 Pascal really enough? How reliably does it navigate through the home? We answer these and other questions in the SwitchBot K11+ test.
Technical data
| Model | SwitchBot K11+ |
| Dimensions | Robot: 248 × 248 × 92 mm (2.3 kg) Station: 240 × 180 × 250 mm (4.2 kg) |
| Suction power | 6,000 Pa |
| Suction modes | Quiet, Standard, Powerful, Max |
| Mop function | Disposable wipes |
| Brushes | Main brush: Anti-tangle rubber brush, Side brush: V-shaped side brush |
| Navigation | LDS laser + SLAM |
| Obstacle detection | Infrared + PSD |
| Suction station | – Stores waste for up to 90 days – 99.99 % antibacterial dust bag |
| Operation | Mobile app, physical buttons, voice assistant, remote control |
| Connectivity | WLAN 2.4 GHz + BLE |
| Rechargeable battery | – 3200 mAh – <5 hours charging time |
| Price | € 239.98 * |
Scope of delivery
- SwitchBot K11+ Robot Vacuum Cleaner
- Suction station with inserted dust bag
- 1x spare dust bag
- Mop holder
- Wet wipes
- Power supply unit
- Operating instructions
SwitchBot K11+ test: design and workmanship
The design of the SwitchBot K11+ is deliberately minimalist. At first glance, it appears simpler than models from Roborock, Dreame or Ecovacs, for example, but behind the restraint lies pragmatism. The compact design is clearly the biggest advantage.
With a diameter of less than 25 cm, the K11+ can also move through tight spaces and small corners. This allows it to reach areas that are usually inaccessible to models just under 10 cm taller. The glossy upper side is smooth and unagitated. Only the small LiDAR tower and the two illuminated control buttons stand out.
In my opinion, the magnetic holding mechanism of the maintenance cover is too weak. If you turn the robot upside down to attach the cleaning cloth, for example, the flap regularly fell off in the test. Otherwise, the workmanship is robust: nothing looks cheap or unstable, the moving parts such as bumpers or brushes are firmly attached.
There is a wide rubber roller on the underside that covers almost the entire width. This should be slightly smaller than on larger models. It is supplemented by a side brush, which is designed to remove dirt from the corners. Unfortunately, this cannot be extended. On paper, the K11+ offers a mopping function. However, this is very rudimentary.
No water is used here, just damp disposable wipes. The mop holder has a very simple design. This is where you clip in the wet wipe, which is then pulled across the floor. As the mopping unit is attached to the suction unit, it is clear that the K11+ cannot mop and vacuum at the same time. However, the mopping function is obviously not the main focus here. The suction station is much more exciting.
This is significantly smaller, but also more stylish than its predecessor, the SwitchBot K10+ (Review | € 279.95 *). Under the wood-look cover is a 4-liter dust bag and the mopping unit. According to SwitchBot, the dust bag only needs to be changed approximately every 90 days – depending on how often the robot is used.
SwitchBot K11+ test: Navigation and obstacle detection
The SwitchBot K11+’s navigation is based on LiDAR technology. This means that it maps the home using a laser scanner and then cleans it systematically. In practice, the robot navigates quickly and efficiently. It creates a fairly precise map on the very first trip, which can be adjusted later in the app. It reliably recognizes larger obstacles such as chair legs, tables or furniture edges and drives around them.
The movement logic is well thought out: it does not move around haphazardly, but cleans in clear parallel paths. Obstacle detection works less well. Cables or light objects are often sucked in or moved before the robot recognizes that it should avoid them. Users should tidy up or raise cables before starting. Socks or small toys are also potential tripping hazards for the robot.
One positive feature is that virtual exclusion zones can be set up in the app. This allows you to define areas that the robot should avoid. No-mop zones can also be marked if you want to use the damp cloth. This is of course practical for areas with carpets. However, it can be difficult to define the no-go zone here. Unfortunately, the Robo does not automatically recognize carpets. The only thing that helps here is to mark the area at random or to pick up the carpet.
Another small disadvantage: the dock itself must not be in a no-mop zone. This is impractical if you want to restrict mop use to certain areas. When it comes to overcoming obstacles, the K11+ does a solid job. It reliably copes with thresholds or carpet edges up to 1.7 cm. It should therefore be able to cope with most homes without any problems. However, it can’t compete with the climbing abilities of a Dreame X50 Ultra (Review | € 888.00 *).
The noise level while driving is acceptable. In normal suction mode, it is not disturbing and is still tolerable even at higher suction power. It becomes significantly louder when emptying. When the dust is sucked out of the robot into the dock, there is a loud noise, but it only lasts for a few seconds. However, this is the case with all suction stations.
SwitchBot K11+ test: SwitchBot App
The app is the heart of the K11+. It not only allows you to control the robot hoover, but also to manage other SwitchBot devices such as the smart door lock SwitchBot Lock Ultra (Review | € 249.99 *) or the video doorbell SwitchBot Video Doorbell (Review | € 129.00 *). The setup is straightforward. After connecting to Wi-Fi and the app, the robot creates a map of the home.
This map can then be customized. Rooms can be named, merged or divided. Virtual walls or zones can also be defined here. The K11+ is flexible when it comes to control options. You can also choose between one of four suction levels. The carpet boost mode automatically detects when the robot is on carpet and then automatically increases the suction power.
The cleaning modes are also practical. You can have the entire home, individual rooms or specific zones cleaned at the touch of a button. A few limitations tarnish the otherwise good impression. For example, room names are limited to 16 characters, which may be too few for some people. In addition, a dark overlay is placed on the map during the carpet boost, which obstructs the view of the cleaning progress.
However, these are minor issues that could be fixed with software updates. Integration into the smart home, on the other hand, works smoothly. Thanks to Matter, the robot can be easily controlled with Alexa, Google Assistant or Apple Home. Voice commands such as “Start cleaning in the living room” are recognized and executed reliably.
SwitchBot K11+ test: cleaning performance
The SwitchBot K11+’s cleaning performance is particularly impressive when it comes to vacuuming. The 6,000 Pa suction power is completely sufficient on hard floors. Even in standard mode, the robot reliably removes coarse dirt such as crumbs or oatmeal. In higher power levels, fine particles such as dust or hair are also no problem.
Thanks to the fully rubberized main brushes, hair does not get tangled up here either. The carpet boost pays off on carpets: the robot automatically increases the suction power, which means that cleaning is also quite good here. However, deep-seated dirt particles or high-pile carpets pose a real problem.
Here, current flagships such as a 19,500 Pa ECOVACS DEEBOT X11 OmniCyclone (Review | € 936.14 *) simply have a clear lead. The wipe function is little more than a bonus. The damp cloth wipes up light dust, but does not manage to remove dried stains or liquid residue.
In the worst case, it just smears the dirt. If you really value thorough mopping, you should take a look at the Narwal Flow (Review | € 1,299.00 *). Overall, the K11+ impresses with good suction power and only a rudimentary mopping function, which you shouldn’t expect much from. It is clearly optimized for vacuuming – and it does the job.
Conclusion
The SwitchBot K11+ is an exciting robot vacuum that stands out from many of its competitors thanks to its compact design and powerful suction performance. It really comes into its own in smaller homes: The dock takes up little space, the robot itself is maneuverable and, thanks to the suction station, you rarely have to worry about emptying it. The device’s strengths clearly lie in its compact form factor, but also in its good suction power, reliable navigation, smart home integration and app control.
The weaknesses lie in the mop function, which is little more than a gimmick, and the weak suction power on carpets. Obstacle detection is also unreliable. All in all, however, the SwitchBot K11+ is still a recommendable robot vacuum for anyone who wants a compact, unobtrusive and easy-to-use robot vacuum with good suction power in their small home. However, anyone looking for a serious mopping function will have to look elsewhere.
PRO
- Compact design
- Carpet boost
- Good suction power on hard floors
- Suction station (bag lasts for 90 days)
- LiDAR navigation
- Matter compatibility
- Good price-performance ratio
CONTRA
- Wiping function hardly usable
- Weakness on carpets
- Limited obstacle detection
SwitchBot K11+
Design & processing
Ease of use
Cleaning performance
Equipment
Price-performance ratio
88/100
The SwitchBot K11+ is a compact robot vacuum cleaner with a clear focus on the essentials - vacuuming.
