More and more 2-in-1 proposals combine vacuuming and washing to offer complete room cleaning. These high-end devices, with many accessories and a lot of AI, are designed to simplify our lives and put our homes in order without forcing us to make significant efforts. Samsung’s latest solution, the Jet Bot Combo AI, does even better because it expands internal cleaning automation, reducing human intervention to a minimum, thus proving to be a valuable ally for the home. Having tested the robot vacuum cleaner, I recommend purchasing it, even though €1,599 is a cost not everyone can afford. But if, on the other hand, budget is not an issue, putting the benefits and limitations on the table, the Samsung Jet Bot Combo AI is undoubtedly an option to consider for easier household cleaning.

Robot Vacuum Cleaner and Base

In the 18.8 kg package there are two main elements: the robot hoover and the charging base, called Clean Station Steam +. The robot is 10 centimetres tall and can walk around the house, squeezing itself into almost every nook and cranny. The base is large (444 x 547 x 510 millimetres) and must be placed near a power outlet to connect the power cable to switch the device on. On the robot, there is the LiDAR to map rooms, the frontal camera to detect obstacles, and two touch buttons to start/stop the robot and bring it back to the base.

To suck up dust and dirt, there is the large central brush, bordered by the two drive wheels and equipped with a hair grinder to prevent tangling of hair and animal hair. On the right side, there is the smaller rotating brush that sends dirt on the edges towards the centre to be captured by the larger brush, while for washing, there are two mop pads that rotate at 170 rpm.

There is no shortage of height sensors, one to recognise carpets, and two small water and dust tanks, which the robot fills and empties when it returns to the charging station after cleaning.

Simpler is the distribution of space inside the Clean Station Steam +, which houses three tanks: a 3.6-litre sewage tank, a 4-litre clean water tank and a 2.5-litre dust tank. Filling the clean water container and emptying the dirty water container is the only maintenance that needs to be done manually, apart from changing the dust bag, which should be done once every 3-4 months because the device’s automatisms take care of the rest.

The two other highlights of the Jet Bot Combo are AI Object Recognition and the SmartThings app, which are used to manage all Samsung devices. Via the app, it is possible to match the robot and obtain the mapping of rooms, which can be viewed in 2D and 3D versions. With AI technology, the machine recognises people, animals, cables and any other objects up to 1 centimetre in size to avoid any obstacles it encounters during cleaning.

For washing, the AI enables the robot to detect the most stubborn stains and to make them disappear. It returns to the base to sanitise the mop with steam and returns to the machine to deep clean. To remove dirt on the two rotating mops, the Jet Bot Combo implements a three-step cleaning process, with an initial wash at 50C-60C, followed by sanitising the mops with a steam jet at 100C and drying with water at 55C. This keeps the two mops clean and eliminates almost all bacteria and unpleasant odours. When the robot detects a carpet, the mops are lifted or released into the base depending on whether it is a short or long pile of carpet.

Many options to customise cleaning

Technically, the robot offers four cleaning modes: powerful vacuum cleaning, mop only cleaning, vacuum and mop together, and mopping after vacuuming. There are also four suction power levels on which the device’s autonomy depends. The default option is Smart, which adjusts the power to the type of surface and the condition of the floor; otherwise, there is Standard, Max, which turbocharges but lasts less than all of them, and Silent, which idles and extends battery life.

Among the many options offered by the SmartThings app is the possibility of managing up to four maps for as many rooms as possible, choosing the cleaning mode, starting from the centre and then moving on to the edges, or starting from the perimeter and then moving on to the central area. On the subject of customisation, in addition to the daily or weekly cleaning schedule, you can indicate areas not to be cleaned, choose the frequency and drying time of the two mops, and make the robot speak by opting for one of the 14 languages supported.

As mentioned, autonomy is variable because it depends on the mode chosen and the suction power set: it ranges from 70 to 180 minutes. However, taking suction and washing at Smart level, which I consider the most balanced solution, battery life is around 80 minutes. Recharging, on the other hand, takes almost five hours.

A useful eye in the house

Although the robot’s priority is to restore order and cleanliness in the home, the device is also useful for monitoring in real-time what is going on inside the home thanks to the front-facing camera and checking how dogs and cats are doing. Through the same camera, the machine also detects the dog’s barking, and if it barks continuously, it sends a notification so that it can intervene to calm it down.

Looking at the device’s limitations, it must be said that the lack of an extendable arm for cleaning the edges leaves some doubt because the action of the side brush is good but not exhaustive. Not too bad is the above-average noise the robot makes when returning to the base for emptying and the even greater noise when washing the mops, which is useful for their effectiveness on the more difficult-to-remove stains.

The Jet Bot Combo AI is available in Satin Grey and has five-year software updates. It costs €1,599 (although there is a model on Samsung’s German site for promotion for €999). Still, considering the cleaning effectiveness and the customisation of vacuuming and washing via app, it does its job impeccably.