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Kärcher RCV 5 with suction station review: The best mid-range vacuum robot?

Kärcher RCV5 cover image
Picture: TechnikNews
(Post picture: © 2024 TechnikNews)

The German manufacturer Kärcher, which is best known for its high-pressure cleaners and industrial vacuum cleaners, recently introduced a new vacuum robot, the RCV 5. This robot is said to impress with its obstacle detection and suction power.

Compared to the cheaper RCV 3, the RCV 5 is said to impress with features such as 3D obstacle detection, significantly higher suction power and the carpet boost. There is also an optional suction station for the RCV 5, which I was also able to test. You can read what else the robot can do and whether it convinced me review below.

tl; dr

I really liked the RCV 5 review. It offers strong suction power, a chic and modern design and great overall performance. The navigation also convinced me, as the robot never got stuck or didn't know where it was during the entire test period. Thanks to the 3D object recognition, which is extremely good for this price range, the robot also recognized most obstacles and was able to successfully avoid them. I also liked the app, as it offers all the important functions and is easy to use. The same goes for the optional suction station. It is well designed and not too big, which means it can be easily integrated into the living space and has a 4-liter dust bag. Only the weak wiping function didn't convince me. I think it's more of a gimmick than a useful feature, as it can't remove heavier dirt.

Kärcher RCV5 top

Picture: TechnikNews

The price is still a bit high at around 350 to 400 euros, as the suction station is not included and has to be bought separately for another 180 euros if you want it. Overall, I really liked the robot and can recommend it almost without hesitation. If you can live with the slightly higher price and are looking for a high-quality vacuum robot with very good object recognition, you can get it here. You can buy the robot at all common electronics stores, as well as from Kärcher itself.

Unboxing & scope of delivery

The RCV 5 is delivered in a cardboard box with yellow accents, as is typical for Kärcher. In addition to the robot itself and the classic, simple charging station, the box also contains a power cable, a replacement filter, a cleaning tool and the usual paperwork. The suction station is delivered separately in another large cardboard box with yellow accents. In addition to the station itself, the box also contains a replacement dust bag, a new dust container, a new plastic cover for the suction process and the paperwork.

Initial setup & commissioning

After unpacking the robot, you first have to find a suitable place for the docking station. Once you have bought the suction station and unpacked it, you first have to remove the dust container from the robot. There is a cover glued under the dust container that you have to remove and replace with the new one with the suction openings. Then you put the new dust container in and put the robot on the station to charge. While the robot is charging, you can download the Kärcher Home Robots app. Once the app is installed, it guides you step by step through the setup process after you have registered.proprocess. This is quite simple. You simply connect the robot to the WiFi, let it start mapping and divide the rooms. Once you've done that, the robot is actually ready to go.

Design & processing

The design of the robot and its suction station reminds me a lot of the new Kärcher design language and I really like it. It is made almost entirely of white mat plastic. Only the permanently installed 240 milliliter water tank for the removable mop attachment is made of a semi-transparent dark gray plastic. On its laser tower, as well as on the front of the docking station, there is a Kärcher logo on a type of brushed plastic, also in dark gray. The front of the robot also has the large bumper, the camera, and the cross laser for obstacle detection, and on the right-hand side is the wall distance sensor. On the underside, in addition to the floating main brush and the side brush, there are also the charging contacts, the suction openings, the ultrasonic sensor and the 6 fall sensors.

The suction station, like the robot itself, is made almost entirely of white, matt plastic. Only a small area at the bottom of the front, where the robot docks, is made of black plastic with a high-gloss finish. This contains the dust bag, which is significantly larger than average, with a volume of 4 liters. The workmanship is also above average for a robot in this price range. Everything seems very stable and well thought out, which I found very positive.

Navigation & obstacle detection

For navigation, Kärcher uses a LIDAR tower in combination with a wall distance sensor. Overall, I really liked the navigation in everyday life and it leaves almost nothing to be desired. The robot always navigated reliably through my rooms and did not get stuck anywhere once during the entire test period, which is very commendable. Thanks to the built-in LIDAR technology, it doesn't matter whether it is broad daylight or night, as the robot can navigate even in extreme darkness. procan navigate without any problems.

Kärcher RCV5 front

Picture: TechnikNews

The built-in obstacle detection also surprised me in a very positive way. Kärcher uses a combination of camera and cross laser, which is also used in most high-end robots. My expectations of the obstacle detection were accordingly high and the robot really lived up to them. The obstacle detection of the RCV 5 is probably one of the best in its class. It always detected all obstacles such as cables, towels and slippers and successfully overcame them.

suction

Kärcher has installed a 5 Pascal suction motor in the RCV 5000, which is typical for this price range. This is intended to ensure clean floors in combination with the floating main brush made of rubber and bristles. It always managed to do this reliably in everyday use. The suction level can be set to Quiet, Standard, Medium and Turbo via the app, although I mostly used Medium in everyday use as this is the best combination.proThe difference is in terms of volume and suction power. Thanks to the carpet boost mode, carpets are automatically detected and the suction power is increased on them in order to clean them as well as possible. The main brush copes with hair entanglement only moderately well. Short hairs tend not to get entangled, but long hairs often get caught and have to be removed after a certain amount of time. Overall, the robot was able to completely convince me with its suction power and there is almost no need to make any compromises compared to the premium models.

Wiping performance

The wiping performance is kept fairly simple, as is typical for robots in this price range, and does not have a vibration or even rotation function. The RCV 5 has a simple wiping plate that is mounted under the water tank and exerts pressure on the floor. The water flow can then be adjusted to 3 levels using the app. However, you should still moisten the wiping cloth before use, as the water tank is more for re-moistening. The function is fine for wiping and removing fine dust, but unfortunately it cannot really remove stains. The wiping function is OK in my opinion, but that's all. If you want a robot that has a better wiping function and removes stains better, you will have to dig much deeper into your pockets.

Suction station

I really like the RCV 5's suction station. I was able to easily find a suitable place for it as it is not too big and is quite well designed. There is also a cable management system on the back of the station, which I have to say is a positive. It offers a 4 litre dust bag that only needs to be replaced every few months. The suction process takes about 20 seconds and although it is very loud, it also almost always completely empties the dust container. Overall, I really liked the suction station as it not only looks good but also offers an above average sized dust bag.

Charge the battery

The battery has a capacity of 5200 mAh, which is pretty average. It always lasted long enough to clean a floor in one go, even on the highest suction level. However, if the robot does not manage to clean on one charge, it will automatically return to its station, recharge, and continue cleaning as soon as it has enough battery. Once the battery is completely empty, it takes almost 4 hours to fully recharge, which is quite long, but not unusual in this price range.

Kärcher app

Like all modern robots, the RCV 5 also has an app, which is called Kärcher Home Robots. With it, you can not only start cleaning processes and create and save multiple maps, but also manage and adjust all of the robot's settings, and much more. In the maps, the user can then also specify the type of floor, set up virtual walls and zones in which the robot is not allowed to drive, and specify and name rooms. It is also worth mentioning that you can always see in the app where the robot is currently located and which areas it has already cleaned, which I liked. Overall, I really liked the app because it is quite manageable, but still has all the important functions.

Prices & Availability

You can buy the robot itself for around 350 euros. If you want the suction station, you have to buy it separately for 180 euros. This means that you have to shell out around 520 euros for the robot and suction station together, which is not exactly a small amount. Nevertheless, buying the RCV 5 can be worthwhile for anyone who wants a high-quality and stylish vacuum robot with top-class obstacle detection, great navigation and very good suction power. If you can cope with emptying the robot's dust container by hand after about every second or third cleaning, you can also save the money for the suction station. Personally, I would not want to be without this and the convenience it brings. You can buy the robot and its suction station at many common electronics stores, as well as from Kärcher itself.

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Jonas Wilhelm

Jonas lives near Ingolstadt and has been with us for over a year TechnikNews. He regularly writes test reports and news for the site. In his free time, he likes to find out about the latest technology when he's not listening to music too loudly or watching series. He also often meets up with his friends and enjoys cooking.

Jonas has already written 35 articles and left 2 comments.

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