The UWANT X100 is a wet and dry upright vacuum cleaner developed by a seemingly new player in this competitive market which seems to be bold enough to take on competitors such as Roborock, which also released their own version of an affordable hard floor washer. And this confidence is justified considering that UWANT is under Xiaomi’s umbrella, so it does have the resources, the tech and the expertise to build a proper device.
Indeed, the UWANT X100 does offer a dual-brush system to both clean the tiles and to mop them (with a special focus on scrubbing) and, despite the larger size and the weight of the device, the center of gravity is low enough so the device doesn’t feel heavy. The power-assisted forward and backwards motion is also a welcomed bonus. Additionally, the UWANT X100 seems to be able to cut pet hair, limiting the amount that gets stuck on the rolls and there is a self-cleaning function built in as well.
| UWANT X100 | |
| Check Device | UWantTech.com |
The battery life is not the greatest out there, being advertised as less than an hour on a single run (which is in line with what I saw when I tested it), but it was still enough to clean the entire apartment (about 1,300 square feet). There’s also a display that can be controller with a couple of buttons and you will also see that the X100 is unusually chatty.
It lets you know the status of the device and if something is not quite right (such as the water tank not being properly filled), it will nag you. A lot. So, overall, it seems the complete package, featuring all the features that are expected at this price point, so let’s put the UWANT X100 to the test and see how well it performs.
Design and Build Quality
These all-in-one wet and dry hard floor cleaners weren’t really a thing a few years back, not in this form, so they can be considered a fusion between the cordless stick vacuum cleaner and the industrial hard floor cleaners. Up to a certain point because while the latter is a bit messy when cleaning up the hard floor tiles, the devices such as UWANT X100 try to keep the mopping as tidy as possible, leaving only a faint trail of water behind.
Kind of what you see with the robot vacuum cleaners, but the advantage is that the two brush rolls and the way they’re positioned is a bit more effective than the single roller brush system. So, ideally, the device should clean well and mop the hard floors at the same time, thus limiting the time needed to clean up the house. But there is more because the UWANT X100 is quite large (measuring 44.8 x 11.1 x 9.7 inches or 113.9 x 28.2 x 24.6 cm) and, most importantly, it’s heavy.
Yes, at 11.5 lbs (5.24kg), the dry & wet hard floor cleaner should be difficult to maneuver, but, due to the low center of gravity, it’s actually very easy to operate the UWANT X100, easier than a lot of other cordless stick vacuum cleaners that I used over time.
Besides its excellent stability, the motors also help move the hard floor cleaner forward and backwards, so the end result is a fairly precise device that’s very easy to move around successfully reproducing a lightweight feeling. That being said, the UWANT X100 wet and dry upright vacuum cleaner does come mostly pre-assembled, with the exception of the handle, but I do think it would be better to have a look at each portion of the device and see its build quality.
The roller brush section
Obviously, each section is very important in a hard floor cleaner, but I do feel that the base with the roller brushes can make or break this type of device. So, what did the UWANT X100 use? It seems that the manufacturer went with a dual roller brush system and what’s interesting is that they’re positioned at the extremities and the rotating motors move them in opposite directions.
One roller brush has a silicone piece which helps gather the dirt easily (in a similar manner to most vertical vacuum cleaners out there), but the novelty comes with the second roller brush because it has a metallic piece (seems stainless steel) which sits very close to the brush and it has the role of cutting pet hair. I think it will do well at breaking large dirt particles in smaller pieces as well. I have been using the UWANT X100 for more than a month now and there were very few strands of hair around the rollers, so the metallic blade works very well.
The roller brush section also has four small wheels, two are omni-directional, while two are in fixed position and in the middle, there is a opening for an additional way of gathering the dust and dirt.
Moving up, we see that the roller brushes section is entirely made of plastic with a couple of transparent pieces which the manufacturer calls roller brush windows (you can see the brushes through them), but these are not just for show.
No, you will see two switches (on each side) which, when moved to the side will pop off the roller brush window. This way, it’s possible to remove the two roller brushes and clean them properly. There will also be some dirt stuck next to them that you need to clean as well. This is something that you will need to do after every cleaning session, otherwise, the efficiency of the roller brushes will drop significantly.
The Handle
The handle comes as a separate part and you will need to assemble it to the main body of the UWANT X100 – just align the connectors. And yes, the current will pass through the connectors to reach the two buttons at the top (the only way to control the wet and dry vacuum cleaner). The handle consists of a metallic rod and a plastic end, which, to be honest, didn’t completely convince me that it will last for a very long time.
Sure, the glossy gray finish looks good and it’s just the right shape to allow me to move the hard floor cleaner with no strain on my wrist. But, since this is the piece that’s going to be pulled and yanked all the time, I would have preferred something more rubbery, less prone to cracks over the time. Then again, I may be wrong and it will last for a very long time, but if it doesn’t, this is going to be a very problematic ‘accessory’ to get your hands on (due to the controls).
As for the buttons, there is a Mode and a Power button. The Power button will start the device and, if it’s an upright position, it will sit idle. Moving the UWANT X100 to an angle will start the vacuuming / mopping session. If you press and hold the Mode button for three seconds, it will toggle between two modes.
First, there’s the Standard mode which both cleans and mops at the same time, then there’s the Dry suction mode which disables the mop. If you press the button once while in Standard mode, it will enable the Turbo mode and lastly, pressing the button again, will enable the Smart mode. This mode apparently can tell how much dirt there is and it automatically adjusts both the suction power and the water output accordingly.
The main body of the UWANT X100
This section sits between the handle and the smart base, and it’s positioned close to the ground for the aforementioned low-center-of-gravity effect. The part that’s going to attract the most attention is, of course, the display, but there are other interesting components as well. The 20oz (600ml) dust bin is positioned close to the bottom and it can easily be removed (there is a spring operated switch).
And it’s a far more interesting dust bin than you think. At the top, there is a HEPA filter and did you see the two metallic connectors? Well, they’re there for checking when the tank is filled or if the filter is missing – be aware that you should clean the tank after every cleaning session since the water + dirt will result in a wild aroma (and bacteria). If you turn the UWANT X100 on the other side, you’ll see the battery pack attached to the side (with a ribbed pattern) and if you check its bottom, you’ll see that there are four connectors.
That’s where you attach the hard floor cleaner to the charging station. I did not find a way to remove the battery pack, so I assume there isn’t an easy way to do so. But, hopefully, it will last for long enough as to not warrant an early replacement.
Above the battery section, you’ll see another button which, when pressed, will release a water tank (which is about half the size of the dust bin). And it’s a well-design water tank since it’s easy to pour water inside (there’s a fairly large lid). You can also see the markings for the maximum water level for the mop and the minimum required for enabling the self cleaning function. You can enable the dust tank self cleaning option using the button underneath the display – and just like the circular display, it has a chrome-like border to highlight its position.
The Display
The UWANT X100 has a fairly large display that’s positioned to be clearly visible from the top and the manufacturer decided to leave some printed labels on the screen, so only the values are digital. After powering up the wet and dry upright vacuum cleaner, you’ll see the battery status covering almost half of the display.
Then, there’s the Mode display area which shows which mode is currently active (Standard, Dry suction or Smart) and lower, there are three more icons that can be displayed. The first is a reminder to let you know that you need to clean the dust bin, and the second will light up to let you know that the roller brush is either not installed or it’s blocked. The third reminder lets you know to fill the water tank.
The Smart base station
UWANT names the charging station a smart base station and I assumed it was because of its shape, but the self cleaning aspect can only be achieved of this base station as well. It is a very large piece, having a footprint that goes beyond the size of the UWANT X100 roller brush section and it has a very interesting part that goes up and curves to allow the connection to the battery pack from the hard floor cleaner.
Since it’s not ideal to put all the weight of the device on this section, the manufacturer has made sure that the roller brushes can rest in a dedicated area (carved in the middle). I also saw a couple of areas where there was a narrow rod pointing upwards which, I assume, are there for the roller brushes to dry. The base station has four silicone feet which will hold the entire assembly into place (it will not move an inch – I had to raise it to move around) and, at its rear, there is a connector for the Power cable.
The Performance of the UWANT X100
The Noise:
The robot vacuum cleaners usually try to keep as quiet as possible while cleaning the house (most having a dedicated Quiet mode) because it is required during the night. But, since this isn’t an autonomous vacuum cleaner, it didn’t really try to be quiet. Not at all actually because while measuring the noise level fairly close to the UWANT X100 (about 3 feet from it), I measured an average of 69dB. It’s not deafening or anything of the sorts, but you can still very clearly hear it from another room.
UWANT X100
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Pros
- Can vacuum and clean at the same time
- It's easy to maneuver despite its weight
- Cool looking display
- Has a self cleaning function
- Handles well pet hair
Cons
- It does not let you go under counters or even chairs
- It's not that great with edge cleaning
- The battery life is average