Housmile Robotic Vacuum Cleaner Review: Incredible Value!

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The uber-simple Housmile robotic vacuum performs surprisingly well for its $100 price tag.

No, you can’t program it to clean while you’re gone, you can’t control it using your phone or a remote, and it won’t recharge itself automatically.

But when it comes to doing the job it was designed to do – cleaning hard floors and low-pile carpets thoroughly – this simple vacuum outperforms many pricier robotic vacuum cleaners.

And it’s a STEAL at this price.  No wonder Amazon lists it as their Best Pick.

Overall Impression

The Housmile robotic vacuum cleaner is one of the least expensive cleaning robots you can buy.

It lacks many of the advanced features of more expensive brands like Neato and Roomba. It lacks walls or beacons, scheduling features and remote control.  And it can’t handle thick pile carpet.

But for such an inexpensive robot, the customer feedback is overwhelmingly positive – with 86% of Amazon buyers on rating it very high.

There is an upside to the Housmile’s simplicity, too:  this vacuum cleaner super-easy to use.

Setup takes less than a minute, and you don’t have to link it to your router or download an app.

Just press the power button to get it moving. There is another button for selecting your cleaning mode.

And… that’s pretty much it.

We’d like to see a scheduling feature and maybe a remote control added, but their absence is, honestly, not a big deal.

If you are looking for the least expensive robotic vacuum cleaner that won’t give you headaches, then definitely consider the Housmile.

If you want something more advanced, the check out our recently-updated guide to the best robotic vacuum cleaners selling today.

Cleaning Ability

Do not underestimate the Housmile’s cleaning ability due to its price.

In many ways, this really is a ‘dumb’ robotic vacuum cleaner that does only one thing well – clean your floor.

That’s because the Housmile robot vacuum has everything it needs to do that job well.

Let’s start with power.

This unit is equipped with a powerful (but quiet) motor that effortlessly picks up 99.7% of dust.

It also picks up pet hair fairly well. But if you have heavy-shedding or long-haired pets, it will probably struggle to keep up. See our recommendations for the best robotic vacuum cleaners for pet hair, if that is your situation.

The Housmile uses a 3-in-1 cleaning process to scrub your floors.

As it moves about, it sweeps dust and debris in using one main brush and two side brushes; then, it vacuums up the dust and debris using powerful suction; and finally, it filters everything through an integrated HEPA filter.

The Housmile robotic vacuum can clean all types of hard floors including tile, vinyl, linoleum, and hardwood.

It also cleans low-pile carpets thanks to its powerful suction which automatically adjusts power depending on the surface being cleaned.

The low profile design allows it to clean under furniture without getting stuck.

But as with any other robotic vacuum cleaner, it will not do a good job if you leave clothes, toys and other items strewn on the floor.

Make sure the floor is clear before starting any robot vacuum cleaner.

Cleaning Modes and Battery Life

The Housmile robotic vacuum cleaner comes with a high-capacity 2600 mAh Li-ion battery that can run continuously for up to one and a half hours. This is long enough to clean an area of 1,600 square feet.

Unfortunately, this vacuum cleaner is not self-charging.  It doesn’t even come with a home base. Instead, you need to plug its cord into an outlet to recharge it.

There are two cleaning modes:

• The small room mode runs for 30 minutes and is ideal for…well, small rooms.
• The big room mode runs for 50 minutes to cover the maximum area.

Like I said: really simple.

Navigation

The Housmile uses infrared sensors along its bottom edge to navigate around the room and to avoid obstacles like furniture and walls.

It slows down when approaching an obstacle and lightly bumps it before changing direction.

The Housmile cleans along wall edges quite well, using the side brushes to clean debris along the edges and corners.

When it gets to the stairs, three anti-drop (cliff) sensors located at the bottom immediately stop the vacuum cleaner and reverse it away from danger. So you can leave the cleaner to do its thing without worrying that it will tumble down the stairs.

One great thing about the anti-drop sensor is that it doesn’t interfere with the cleaner’s navigation.

A lot of other robotic vacuum cleaners tend to stall when they reach a dark carpet, tiling or hardwood. This is because the anti-drop sensor thinks it’s about to fall down the stairs.

The Housmile has no such problem.

This unit is really low-profile – it’s only 2.4 inches high meaning it can fit under almost any furniture clean hidden dust, hair and other allergens. You won’t have to bother moving furniture to make way for it.

If it gets stuck on something like carpet tassels or a cord, the Housemile activates an anti-tangle feature to try and free itself. This involves stopping the main and side brushes and sometimes spinning the brushes backward.

The Housmile is quite light, weighing 2.6 lbs. In contrast, the LIFE A4s Robot Vacuum Cleaner weighs 4.9 lbs, and the Roomba 960/980 weighs a whopping 8.6 lbs.

The compact and lightweight build allows the Housmile to move quickly across the floor while making very little noise. It cleans faster than most robotic vacuum cleaners.

This robot vacuum is ideal for all types of hard floors and low-pile carpeting. The wheels and brushes will not leave any marks or scratches on the floor.

The motor is quieter than most other robotic cleaners, too. You can watch TV as it cleans and won’t scare your pets or wake the baby.

The only navigation issue I’ve seen is that it sometimes struggles to move from a hardwood floor and onto carpet. this has to do with the low-profile design.

If you have a thick carpet edge, then keep an eye on the vacuum cleaner in case it gets stuck.

HEPA Filtration

The Housmile is not the best robot vacuum cleaner for allergies (our top choice for allergies is the Roomba 880).

But it still does a decent job removing dust, hair, dander and other allergens from your home.

It uses a HEPA-style filter to capture the smallest of particles. According to the company, the vacuum cleaner can capture up to 99.7% of dust.

The debris is collected into a large top-access bin that’s easy to remove and clean.

Automation & Scheduling

The Housmile has no automation or scheduling features at all. At this price, this should not be a surprise.

So every time you want to clean, you’ll start it manually.

Unfortunately, plugging it into a smart WiFi plug that you can automate won’t work, because the Housmile doesn’t use a charging base – it plugs into a socket, so it can’t simply detach and start cleaning.

There’s really no way to automate charging.

If you want a robotic vacuum cleaner with scheduling, try the ILIFE A4s or any of the current iRobot Roomba models except the Roomba 614.

For the best WiFi-connected robot vacuum that you can automate and integrate into your smart home, buy a Roomba 980, 890 or 690.

The NeatoBotvacConnected series also has WiFi and works with various smart home hubs.

What It Misses

The Housmile robot cleaner is a bare bone product. This vacuum does not have most of the advanced/convenience features currently available in higher-priced models, including:

• WiFi/smart home integration
• smartphone/app control
• remote control
• multi-room cleaning
• walls / beacons to limit cleaning to certain areas
• Alexa, Google Home or Siri voice control
• room scanning algorithms
• automatic return-and-recharge
• programmable cleaning schedules
• auto-resume

But the lack of these features is not necessarily a bad thing.

If you don’t care much for the convenience items, then the Housmile is plenty good enough.

Like most robotic cleaners, this vacuum struggles to overcome small obstacles less than 2 inches wide without issues. So you’ll have to do some pre-cleanup yourself before you set the Housmile loose. Remove things like toys, clothes, electric cables and pet feeding bowls from the floor. This reduces the chances of an accident or the robot cleaner getting stuck.

The Housemile also lacks the deep-cleaning capabilities of pricier alternatives.

It doesn’t have multi-room cleaning and cannot map out an entire level of your house for efficient cleaning.

It also doesn’t use any virtual wall barriers, so you’ll have to close the door to keep it within the room.

The only key features I think they should have included are weekly scheduling for those with a busy schedule and remote control for spot cleaning.

But even these are not truly essential, so I think you’ll still love the Housmile vacuum even without them.

You just have to start it manually whenever you want it to clean and hope that it doesn’t leave any spots untouched (it usually doesn’t).

Maintenance

• After every cleaning session, empty the bin and wipe it down. The bin has top-access, so it should be easy to remove. It opens wide, allowing you to reach inside with a wiping cloth. Also, remove the filter and clean it. This ensures the vacuum cleaner maintains full suction when cleaning.
• Wipe dust and debris from the surface of the vacuum cleaner and especially on the sensors. The sensors are located on the underside and the sides. Failing to keep the sensors clean could cause the cleaner to hit obstacles or fall down the stairs.
• Remove any debris and hair stuck on the brushes.
• Replace the filter and brushes at the intervals recommended by the manufacturer. Check the user manual for guidance.

Note: There are several accessories and replacement parts included in the package. These include extra side brushes, an extra filter, and four screws.

Pros

• Least expensive robot vacuum that cleans well
• Really easy to set up and operate
• Reliable
• Large, easy-to-remove debris bin
• HEPA filter
• Decent battery life
• Super-low profile so it doesn’t get stuck under furniture

Cons

• Lacks a lot of advanced features including WiFi, multi-room cleaning, scanning & mapping and self-charging
• Cannot clean a thick pile carpet
• No remote control or smartphone app
• No programmable cleaning schedules

Specifications

Dimensions: 8.9 x 2.4 x 8.9 inches

Weight: 2.6lbs

Running time: 90 minutes

Recharge time: 3-5 hours

Multi-room navigation: no

Entire level cleaning: no

Recharge and resume: no

Scheduling: no

WiFi: no

Remote control: no