Trifo Max review: A robot vacuum cleaner that doubles up as security camera

The Trifo Max robot vacuum cleaner is not meant for deep cleaning jobs, but it is good for everyday floor cleaning from dust and dirt

American AI-based home robot maker Trifo recently launched in India the Trifo Max vacuum cleaner. It is a disc-shaped robot for everyday floor cleaning jobs. With a built-in camera and speakers, the robot also doubles up as a security camera.  Like other vacuum cleaners of its kind, the Trifo Max has a circular built that measures 3.3-inch in depth and 14.2-inch in diameter. On its top side, there is a camera for navigation and home surveillance, and two buttons -- power button and home button. On the bottom, it has a flap covering its 0.6-litre trash container. The bottom also has the vacuum cleaner’s suction hose with a single rotating brush sitting on its opening, and a side brush to pick dust and dirt from otherwise hard to reach areas. For its movements, the vacuum cleaner has three wheels (two big and one small). There is also a port for USB charging.

The Trifo Max robot vacuum cleaner packs a 5,200mAh battery and offers up to 3,000pa suction power.

 

Details aside, the Trifo Max is easy to set-up and use, especially through its smartphone app named Trifo Home. The app is available on Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App Store for Android and iOS smartphones, respectively. Through the app, you can set-up the vacuum cleaner, control its features, and monitor the robot’s movements. The app also lets you adjust the suction power and manually control the robot movements.

 

With regard to features, it supports motion detection through the company's special navigation system called SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping). It uses its camera to create a digital map of the entire home as it roams around from one room to another while performing the cleaning chores. It moves across the corners and cleans the floors from visible dust and dirt. The robot does the cleaning operation for about an hour before heading back to its dock for charging. Though the on-battery time seems decent, it is not the best and leaves you asking for more.

For smart homes, the Trifo Max supports Alexa and it can be controlled through voice commands when used with a compatible Alexa device and linked through the Trifo Home app.

 

The Trifo Max also offers floor mopping functionality. It may not be effective but it nonetheless does the job if there is not much to be cleaned. For mopping, there is a separate attachment that is easy to attach with the main device. The Trifo Max works well in both automatic and manual mode.

Coming on to its home surveillance utility, the Trifo Max uses its built-in camera to stream live footage that can be viewed through the app. The robot has a built-in speaker too that lets you communicate with someone in close vicinity to the robot. This feature comes handy in situations where you need its attendant to know something immediately. Moreover, you can also view people from a distance and keep an eye on kids and pets. While everything seems good, the camera is placed at an angle that does not seem best suited for its operations. 

Verdict

 

The Trifo Max is a smart robot for home cleaning chores. It navigates freely while performing the floor cleaning operations. Though not meant for deep cleaning, it is good for everyday floor cleaning jobs. It picks up visible particles from the floor like dust and dirt. Moreover, its ability to reach corners and clean them through side brush is impressive. With Alexa support for voice commands and easy to use smartphone app, the Trifo Max fits well in a tech-rich smart home set-up. Trifo Max is available for Rs 23,000 while its slightly upgraded version Max Pet is available for Rs 27,000. Trifo is running a deal on both the devices till the end of this year under which Trifo Max is available for Rs 18,000 and Max-Pet for Rs 24,000.