One minute review
You may not be familiar with Roidmi, it is because it was launched in 2015 and is relatively new to the floor care market. However, in this short time, Roidmi has won several design awards for its cleaning devices and it certainly has a design-driven approach to the products it creates. With several popular models under its belt, Roidmi is ready to compete with big floor care brands like Dyson and Shark.
The Z1 Air is the brand's latest cordless vacuum and is its most affordable model to date, though it's not available in the US or Australia. And as you'd expect from a cheaper vacuum, it doesn't come with any accessories as standard. But since some accessories often end up collecting dust, we don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. You can buy any extra accessories you need and this way you only give storage space to the ones you are going to use.
With up to an hour of run time and three power levels to choose from, this cordless vacuum isn't short on features despite its lower price. It has a multiple air filtration system and what Roidmi calls triple noise reduction technology for quieter suction.
In the test we were impressed with its good grip on carpets and hard floors, it is robust and manoeuvrable but it is better on hard floors than on carpets. It's great for anyone looking for a more affordable cordless vacuum, as long as they don't have too many rugs to deal with.
Roidmi Z1 Air price and availability
The Roidmi Z1 Air is available through Euronics online at €199. It is not available in the US or Australia.
This is an affordable cordless stick vacuum that comes with a limited range of accessories. Additional accessories including flexible extension tube, pet brush and electric pet bed/mattress brush can be purchased directly from Roidmi.
Integrated
- Modern Matte White Look
- Three power levels
- 0,65 liter dust container
This elegant matte white vacuum cleaner has a stylish appearance. It comes with a floor head, extension and crevice tool. There's also a wall mount in the box, although this doesn't actually hold the vacuum off the floor, it just holds it to the wall as long as the floor head rests on the floor to support the weight. There's no bulky charging station though, just a regular power adapter that plugs directly into the main unit.
There is an on/off switch on the handle, one press turns the vacuum on and another press turns it off, no need to hold down the button. At the top of the handle is another knob to adjust the power level. , choose between eco, standard and boost modes. There's no light or display to confirm what power level you're on, so you have to cycle through them and rely on the loudest sound to confirm you're in boost mode.
The 0,65-litre bin isn't the largest we've seen, but it should hold enough dirt for multiple cleanings and it empties easily by holding it over the bin and pressing the release button. A cleaning brush is provided in the box, useful for cleaning the filters, but they are also washable. It is recommended to replace the filter every three months.
The main body of the handheld weighs only 1,6 kg without accessories and when the extension bar and floor head are attached, it weighs 2,7 kg. Overall size is 119,1 x 25,9 x 22,1 cm (H x W x D), but can be disassembled for easy storage if you're short on space.
Performance
- Less control on the mat
- can feel heavy
- Easy change between power levels
With very little assembly required and few accessories to choose from, this simple cordless vacuum is easy to use and after charging, it's ready to go right out of the box. It doesn't stand on its own, so when you use it with the main floor head, you'll have to put it on the floor or prop it up against something if you have to stop briefly to pick up a stray sock.
The motorized floor head is highly maneuverable and easily turns around corners, gliding smoothly over hard floors. But it can get a bit spirited on the mat, especially in boost mode. The higher the power, the more the rotating brush of the vacuum cleaner will pull and the less we will feel that we have control of the direction of movement on the carpet. In contrast, on a high-pile carpet, it doesn't slide very well and requires a bit of effort to push.
Overall dirt pickup is good, carpets came out noticeably cleaner, although there was some loose debris around the edges of the room. However, by switching to the crevice tool, we picked up everything the main floor chef missed. His hair bounced off the mat without getting tangled in the rotating brush. He excels on hard floors, picking up all the dust and debris in his path.
Despite its lightness, it did feel heavy after extended periods of use, but you shouldn't notice it too much if you're just looking at the kitchen floor. Although if you plan to use it in portable mode you will notice that it feels heavy quite quickly.
For stairs, we connect the bottom head directly to the handheld vacuum, which makes it quite heavy and difficult to use. But the large floor head made quick work of tackling the stairs and the crevice tool came in handy for picking up dirt from the edges of each step.
Emptying the dust container is simple, the lid opens and allows the dirt to fall out. But we did have to remove some lint by hand because the hairs got tangled around the center filter and trapped inside. We found the filters to be a bit tricky to remove the first time, but once you know how to do it, it's pretty straightforward.
The vacuum is loudest in boost mode, registering 78dB on carpets and 80dB on hard floors, which is the same noise level as a truck traveling down the highway at 40mph, making it one of the Loudest cordless vacuums we've ever tested. However, eco mode was noticeably quieter.
Battery duration
- The vacuum lasts up to 60 minutes.
- three hour charge
- Lights up to indicate battery level
Runtime depends on operating mode, you should get up to an hour in eco mode, 30 minutes in standard mode and 10 minutes in boost mode according to Roidmi. We tested it in boost mode and the battery lasted nine minutes vacuuming with the main floor head.
There is a power indicator in the form of three lights next to the charging port. As the battery depletes, the lights go out, so when only one is on, you know the battery level is low. According to Roidmi, charging takes three hours, and sure enough, when we let the battery run out, a full recharge took around 2 hours and 50 minutes. All three lights flash while charging and stay on after fully charged.
Should I buy the Roidmi Z1 Air?
Buy it if...
Don't buy if...
First revision: January 2022
You can also check out our Shark Anti Hair Wrap Flexology cordless vacuum cleaner review.