FORBES SMARTCLEAN WITH HOME MAPPING TURBO ROBOTIC VACUUM CLEANER A RELIABLE INDIAN-MADE ROBOT

In a country where domestic help is still the norm and robot vacuums are often seen as expensive toys for the ultra-rich, the Eureka Forbes SmartClean with Home Mapping Turbo (₹19,999-₹22,999 depending on offers) enters the ring with a bold claim; it can keep an average Indian home clean with minimal human intervention. After living with this machine for close to a month in a 450 sq ft 1BHK apartment in Mumbai, here's my no-filter verdict.

- Words By: Shintu Dhang

DESIGN & BUILD QUALITY

The Forbes SmartClean resembles typical LiDAR robots with its matte-black design (34 cm diameter, 9.8 cm height) and raised turret, giving it a "UFO" look. Weighing 3.3 kg, it’s easy to carry between floors.

Build quality feels solid; the soft bumper accommodates gentle collisions, and the plastic on the 600 ml dustbin and 350 ml water tank is durable. Underneath, a single side brush, a floating primary brush roll, and two large wheels handle 18-20 mm thresholds effortlessly, even navigating 15 mm marble strips in my apartment without issue.

The compact charging dock is lightweight, and the robot has successfully returned after 29 out of 30 cleaning runs, with one failure due to a yoga mat blocking the path.

MAPPING & NAVIGATION

Eureka Forbes has licensed the SLAM algorithm used by many Chinese brands, resulting in impressive performance. The SmartClean accurately mapped my 1BHK in under 8 minutes, correctly identifying rooms and adding sensible dividers.