Samsung Jet Bot Review with Auto-Empty Dock

Samsung’s premium priced Jet Bot+ pairs the very capable Jet Bot robot vacuum with an excellent auto-empty dock. The result is one of the best auto-empty robot vacuum packages you can buy.

Hands on with Samsung's Jet Bot robot vacuum

Samsung asked us if we’d be interested in testing this robot vacuum. We agreed, but what arrived wasn’t the Jet Bot (or Jet Bot+). It was their top-of-the line AI+ model. While we did take a look at what was sent, we immediately ordered the Jet Bot+.

We’re glad we did. While the more expensive AI+ didn’t fare so well in our tests, the standard Jet Bot model did quite well. After several months of real-world use, here’s what we found.

Jet Bot, Jet Bot+? Plus what?

• The Jet Bot and Jet Bot+ are the same robot vacuum.
• The Jet Bot+ also includes the Clean Station self-emptying base.

If you’ve bought or looked into the Samsung Jet 90 cordless stick vacuum (or other stick vacuums from that line) naming conventions for their robots may be confusing. A plus on the stick side doesn’t mean you get the Clean Station. The plus sign, at this time, represents an extra battery or attachment.

Now let's turn to robot vacuums. Where the Jet Bot and Jet Bot+ are concerned, the plus sign does indicate the model comes with the Clean Station. The robot vacuum itself shipping under each product name are identical. One box comes with a Clean Station and two bags, the other does not. As we continue, we’ll call out the Clean Station specifically. Otherwise, any talk about the robot itself applies to either product. And, the Jet Bot+ model with the Clean Station is the one we've given our highest recommendation.

Unboxing and set up

• High quality construction
• Simple set up
• Excellent detailed maps of floor plans

As we mentioned we purchased the Jet Bot+ which is the same as the Jet Bot just with the addition of the Clean Station self-emptying dock. After unboxing the robot the next step was to set it up using the Samsung SmartThings app.

Learn more

The setup process is the same as with most other robot vacuums that work with a companion app. We opened the SmartThings app, added the Jet Bot robot which connects it to the local WiFi network and were ready to go.

RELATED: Read our Samsung Jet Bot AI+ review and see how it stacks up!

We placed the robot’s Clean Station dock according to the instructions which means leaving a set amount of clear space to the sides and in front of it. This allows the Jet Bot enough room to maneuver to not only orient itself and dock, but to be able to clean on each side of it.

Initial floor plan mapping tests

After waiting for a full charge, we set the Jet Bot out to do a mapping run. The map that was created was not only accurate, but very with very straight, sharp lines representing the walls. After going through the exercise with other floor plans, we found the same result each time: Samsung's LiDar Sensor-Precision mapping system on the Jet Bot robot vacuum maps out a clean floor plan with walls that have razor-sharp straight lines lacking the sloppier lines of some inferior robots.

Creating Rooms and No-Go Zones

Defining rooms in the SmartThings app is another easy task. After mapping the area rooms are already created based on doorways or other indicators that could be perceived as a divider for a room. While our Jet Bot robot didn’t define rooms the way we would, it was easy to combine and then split them to our liking.

Creating No-Go Zones is done by simply dragging an area onto the map. We didn’t even create any initially as we were more interested in seeing how well the Jet Bot+ would navigate and clean.

Getting around while cleaning

• LiDAR system is excellent
• Gentler on baseboards and furniture than most robot vacuums
• Thorough cleaning

The Jet Bot cleans in a neat pattern of parallel lines. One aspect we always look at is how closely a robot maneuvers and cleans along walls and around objects. The Jet Bot+ uses a LiDAR sensor, a handful of other short-range sensors and the logic programmed into it to position itself and make navigation decisions. As a package, it all works very well.

Some robots scrape down baseboards and over time leave markings behind. Others are far from the edges and put too much reliance on their side brushes. The same goes for objects. It’s not uncommon to see robot vacuums take paths that are wider-than-you’d hope around the legs of chair or tables.

The Jet Bot+ had no such challenges. As it cleaned, it did very well along walls, beside obstacles, creating a sensical pattern along the way. Of all the robot vacuums we have tested to date, Samsung’s Jet Bot is among, if not the best, at staying close to, while not touching, walls and other objects beside it.

Getting beneath furniture and climbing over surface changes, like from hard floors to taller area rugs, was handled well, too. We rolled the Jet Bot over to find what Samsung calls EasyPass Wheels. They look much like what we see on other robots although they did seem to be more stiffly sprung than many competing brands.

Easy on baseboards and furniture

Two words that come to mind when trying to describe what the Jet Bot’s cleaning regimen: thorough and gentle. What we mean is that it doesn’t miss a spot when mapping or cleaning. And, while it cleans, it is cautious not to slam into walls, furniture, your feet or pets.

When the Jet Bot's IR Sensor encounters something unanticipated its approach slows and then the robot stops before any contact is made. If you’ve owned a less-intelligent robot you know what we’re talking about. This isn’t true obstacle avoidance that we are just starting to see in other pricier robot vacuums. But, within its constraints, the Jet Bot is more delicate than most where your baseboards, appliances and furniture are concerned.

Cleaning performance

• High Efficiency brush roll excellent on hard floors
• Good enough on carpeting
• Easy to use Samsung SmartThings App

Putting the robot thought its paces we found it cleaned well on carpets and exceptionally well on hard floors like tile, hard wood and concrete. The robot is quieter then most, and we thought that might mean it’s suction wouldn’t match up to other robots in its price range.

Gauging it against other robots is a bit tricky as Samsung doesn’t share it’s suction metrics either air watts or pascals. Specs say it has a 5W motor, but what that motor can do is a matter of how the robot’s cleaning systems work together. But, it did just fine.

Good on carpet, best suited for hard floors

One reason why it fared better on hard flooring is the Jet Bot’s High Efficiency Brush roll. Most manufacturers have opted for a brush roll that has both soft bristles and either hard bristles or rubber fins which agitate carpet fibers. The Jet Bot’s High Efficiency Brush roll is solely made of somewhat dense, soft bristles.

This approach makes it work much better on hard flooring as it provides better contact with the uniformity of its surface. This increases the effectiveness of its suction, helping it draw in small particles, debris and dirt on hard flooring. What we observed in real use: The Jet Bot vacuums up cereal, sugar, flour and kitty litter easily.

The Jet Bot+ does has a spinning side brush which agitates carpet but it isn’t enough to cover the width of the surface been cleaned. With all that said, we still found vacuuming performance to be adequate.

Clean Station auto-emptying base

One area where Samsung excelled at was in designing how the robot vacuum and Clean Station base work. On the bottom of the Jet Bot robot there is a door which leads to the dustbin. When the vacuum has made its way onto the Clean Station, that door is opened, and the dustbin is emptied into the Clean Station which is essentially a vacuum itself.

The dirt, dust and other debris from the dustbin get deposited into a bag inside the Clean Station. And, it worked seamlessly. Every time. We’ve seen other impressive auto-empty docks, and they all leave some amount of dirt and smaller debris on the dock. Compared with other the self emptying docks we have tested to-date, Samsung’s does the neatest job of emptying itself, leaving almost no debris behind.

How often you’ll need to change the bag in the Clean Station depends upon a number of factors. With daily use on mixed surfaces we went 6 weeks before changing the bag. If you opt for the Clean Station, and we think you should, the package ships with one bag installed as well as a spare.

Remotely start and scheduled cleanings

One of the biggest benefits of robot vacuums are the ability for them to run when you’re asleep or away from the house. The SmartThings app allows you to start a Room or Zone cleaning run as a one-off or on a repeating schedule.

The app also provides a Live Cleaning Report as it cleans.

Maintenance

Maintaining the Jet Bot is the same as other robot vacuums. Hair does inevitably get around the brush roll and side brush. So, periodically that needs to be dealt with. The most frequent kind of maintenance is emptying the robot’s dust bin. But, if you take our advice and go with the Clean Station, you don’t have to do that at all.

The filter should be tapped out periodically, too. Samsung also provides the status of the the Clean Station fine-dust filter, Motor Filter and Clean Station Dust Bag in the SmartThings app. The app also provides step-by-step instructions on how to clean the dustbin, brush, driving wheel, rotating brush and sensor windows.

Overall impression

We were impressed with the Samsung Jet Bot+. Its mapping was exceptional, and when cleaning its navigation was well sorted. As far as performance goes, the Jet Bot+ did a great job on hard flooring surfaces and well enough on carpeting.

After testing several, we wouldn’t buy a robot vacuum without a high-quality, well functioning self-emptying dock. And, Samsung’s Clean Station fits that bill.

Value

When introduced, the Jet Bot+ carried an MSRP of $799. After using the Jet Bot+ for an extended period time we find that price to be reasonable. In our real-world use, we think the Clean Station is a must, too. It does exactly what it should do and it truly does elevate owning a robot vacuum.

Samsung has used high quality material and components, and both the robot and Clean Station feel sturdy, solid and well constructed. This falls in line with the Samsung vacuums.

Since being released, a few other capable self-emptying robots have entered the fray. Whether in response to their competitive pricing or not, Samsung has regular discounts on all Jet Bot robot vacuum models. We think the Jet Bot+ with the Clean Station is a worthwhile purchase–if you can find it on sale, even better.