The market for robot vacuums has picked up quite significantly over the past few months, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic. This has led to the entry of Trifo, the Santa Clara, California-based robotics perception company in India. Its Trifo Max is a mid-range vacuum cleaner that is part robot, part security camera. While the Trifo Max seems interesting on paper, does it match the suction power offered by similar robot vacuum cleaners from the competition? We’ll try to find all that and more in our review. Trifo Max price in India: Rs 21,990 Trifo Max specs: 3,000 Pa suction power|0.6L dust capture capacity|3.3-inches tall|120-minutes battery life|security camera built-in|Can be operated via a mobile app|Amazon Alexa support Trifo Max review: What’s new? The Trifo Max has the standard circular shape you see on most robot vacuums, except this one has a camera at the rear. The upward-pointing camera isn’t meant for navigation but acts as a security camera. This allows the robotic vacuum cleaner to be used as a monitoring home when you are not present or around. On the vacuum, you will also notice two physical buttons, one to start or stop cleaning and one to send it home to the charging station. Turn it over and there will be a single spinning brush bar and a hatch in the top that opens to remove the dustbin. The 0.6-liter bin is decent-sized, which can be pulled out easily. A flap at the front allows you to easily open it and get the debris and dirt out. Then there's the charging base which needs to be plugged into a wall outlet, where the robot docks and charges. Setting up the Trifo Max is easy. Take out the robot vacuum from the box and plug in the charging base. Now, download the Trifo app from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store to your smartphone, create an account, choose the specific vacuum model, select your Wi-Fi network, and enter the password. Once connected, you can control the vacuum cleaner, change its movements, adjust the suction power, and manually control the Trifo Max. Trifo Max review: What’s good? Perhaps the strongest part of the Trifo Max is a 3000 Pa suction power, although a loud robot vacuum, it does the job well. The vacuum works best on tile and hard floors, though it should also work fine if you have wooden or carpeted floors. In my testing, I’ve found that the Trifo Max manages to suck up dust, hair, and other debris without many issues. Like many other robot vacuums, the Trifo Max does also offer floor mopping functionality. To start mopping, simply fill the water reservoir and attach a mopping pad. Once finished cleaning, the robot vacuum automatically returns to its charging station. Expect the Trifo Max to last for up to 2 hours when fully charged. I also liked the Alexa integration wherewith one command where you can start the Trifo Max and use its features. But one feature that makes the Trifo Max different from other robotic vacuums is the presence of a 1080p Full HD security camera and a motion sensor. It is a nice feature to have, especially since the device has a microphone and speaker allowing for two-way communication, but I am not sure how many people would want to use a robotic vacuum cleaner as a security camera. Trifo Max review: What’s bad? I have had mapping issues with the Trifo Max and I think that’s the weakest part of this robotic vacuum. Even though the company claims the Trifo Max improves its mapping accuracy depending on how frequently you use the machine, its mapping capabilities remain problematic. Look, the reason why I would want to use a robotic vacuum in the first place is the comfort and peace of mind. The basic problem with the smart mapping feature is that it’s inaccurate in the first place - and the reason is the troublesome navigation. Many times during the testing I have noticed that the Trifo Max cleans a small portion of the room and instead of moving around the entire place. Another issue with the Trifo Max is that you need to map the entire room all over, if you want to clean another room. That’s frustrating in my opinion. Trifo Max review: Should you buy it? No. The reason: there are better options available in the market. Before you purchase any robotic vacuum cleaner, you need to understand that they are suitable for smaller families with pets or small children or for anyone who can’t devote time to clean the house on its own. While reviewing the Trifo Max, I have observed that a robotic vacuum works best for homes that are slightly spacious with limited furniture, because these devices often get stuck on small obstacles, and get confused in a room full of furniture.
