Kyvol Cybovac S31 Robot Vacuum and Mop Review

Smart home gadgets are supposed to make our lives easier. Robot vacuums do that in a very obvious way. How could you improve on that process even more? The Kyvol Cybovac S31 Robot Vacuum and Mop sets out to make the job easier by emptying the dustbin for you after each use. Does this make it easier? I put the Cybovac through its paces to see if it’s easier.

Setting Up the Cybovac

Included in the Kyvol Cybovac S31 Robot Vacuum and Mop packaging is:

• Vacuum
• Dust emptying base
• Remote with two AA batteries
• Cleaning brush
• Spare side brushes
• Water tank with washable mopping pad
• Extra washable mopping pad
• 10 disposable mopping pads
• Spare HEPA filter and sponge
• Two spare dust bags
• User manual
• User guide for app

The spare dust bags are with the dust emptying base. The user manual says the cleaning brush is in there too. It took me until I emptied the dustbin to find it, but I did. It’s in a separate little compartment inside the dustbin.

The manual says to have 1.2m in front and 0.5m on each side of the base. I don’t have that type of space on my wall, yet it still works fine. A white light comes on once you plug it in. The vacuum needs to be placed in the base to charge. While I had it turned upside down to look for the contacts to line it up correctly to charge, it yelled at me – loudly! Very loudly. It scared me! I made a mental note to check for a volume control. It was so loud and sudden – I have no idea what it even said.

I could not get it lined up correctly, but it activated, drove around in front, and parked itself. It also yelled at me again. It needs to charge for 6.5 hours, but you’ll get 24 cleaning hours from that long charge.

There is also an app to use with the Cybovac. It’s available on both Google Play and the App Store. Once you open the app and either log in or create a new account, click the + in the upper-right corner and then click on the S31 to pair it via Wi-Fi.

Using the Cybovac

While I already mentioned that one feature of the Kyvol Cybovac S31 Robot Vacuum and Mop is emptying the dustbin for you, it has another great feature as well, and this I am most impressed with. It also has a mapping function. Even after just that brief moment when the vacuum had activated and drove only within six inches of the base, once I viewed the vacuum in the app, I saw it had done a really good job of mapping out the top floor of my home.

The first map it did after just those few seconds and inches is shown above. I have to admit – that’s impressive! The laser navigation system does this with 29 sensors. But again, it sat in one corner of my home and determined this with accuracy!0

There are several ways to use the Cybovac. You can push the start button on the vacuum or use the remote, the mobile app, or Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.

The Cybovac is very methodical when it cleans. It goes back and forth until it covers a complete area. I’ve tested some robot vacuums that zigzag around, but the Cybovaac is much more methodical.

If you check in on the app, it will show you the areas that it has already cleaned. As it cleans, it also refines the initial map it designed. While you’re in the app, you can head to the Setting and turn the volume off so that it isn’t yelling at you. You can also adjust the loudness of the vacuum itself.

When the Cybovac returns to its base, it automatically empties into the Dust Emptying Base. This is very loud as well. The manual suggests that you empty the dustbin every time. This made me question why you would need to do that with its self-emptying feature. I was told by the company that they suggest emptying after every use, but it’s not a must. I did empty the dustbin after the first use and found just a few pieces of dust and dog hair. From what I normally find after vacuuming, I can assure you there is much more inside the base. You also also see the tiny cleaning brush outside its hidden compartment in the picture above.

Mopping

The Kyvol Cybovac S31 Robot Vacuum also has a mopping function. I only have one carpeted room in my home, so that is always a plus. It ships with two washable mopping pads and 10 disposable mopping pads. The water tank needs to be filled with water, then either a washable or disposable pad needs to be attached with velcro. The whole thing gets clipped to the bottom of the Cyborac.

I used the washable pad first, and it dribbled a little water on the floor but never enough to wash the floor. I left it attached, and it was soaked the next time I vacuumed/mopped. It still didn’t properly mop my floor. I tried with the disposables too. That was my biggest disappointment with the Cybovac.

Defining the Mapping Function

As mentioned earlier, the mapping functionality is the most impressive of the Cybovac, and that’s from the first moment on. After the initial map of my first floor that it drew, the Cybovac honed in on the design and refined it. Yet, there are areas where I don’t want it to go. And sometimes you don’t want to vacuum the whole upstairs – just certain rooms.

That’s where the mapping really came into play. I was able to take the map that was created and manipulate it. I named, divided, and merged rooms and created “no-go zones.” Even though the Cybovac is smart enough to not go downstairs, I had a vacuum do that twice. I didn’t want the same fate for the Cybovae, so my stairs are now a no-go zone. And by naming rooms, I can tell it to just vacuum the kitchen. It couldn’t be any easier or work any better.

Sticking Points

I had three sticking points: one minor and two major ones. The discrepancy between whether to manually empty the dustbin is minor. It does not affect the function of the vacuum. The mopping function not working is a major issue. It’s an integral function and should work better.

My other major issue is one I didn’t see mentioned on other reviews, so I must be one of the few it affects: When I am watching TV, using the TV remote tells the vacuum to start cleaning, and there is no way to turn the vacuum off, like others I have used. It was very annoying. This was something I questioned. I was told by the company both my TV remote and the Kyvol remote are controlled by infrared, and there is a possibility they use the same spectrum band frequency. It was suggested that I shouldn’t have the TV and vacuum near each other. They were about three feet apart. I moved the vacuum to the spare bedroom, but that reset the map, so I had to relabel and redivide the rooms.

Final Verdict

The Kyvol Cybovac 531 Robot Vacuum and Mop has the same basic functions as other robot vacuums, with spot cleaning, deep cleaning, etc., but what sets it apart is the dustbin emptying and mapping. The mapping alone deserved a rating of 5. However, I had to take off for the mopping and the remote issue, so I deducted a half point for each. It’s a very impressive vacuum with two issues I just couldn’t look past. You can get it now on Amazon for $469.99 after clipping the $30 coupon on the already-discounted price.