The X20 Max is the Xiaomi’s most complete robovac that aims to offer complete cleaning at an affordable price point. Xiaomi already makes some of the most affordable smart home products on the market. These range from cameras to speakers, but also include robot vacuums, like the Xiaomi S20+ we recently reviewed.

The Xiaomi X20 Max rivals higher-end models that can not only clean your floors autonomously, but also wash and dry their mop without human intervention. It’s a well-rounded product, offering hot water mop washing and hot air drying. It also comes with an extending side mop to clean along edges, as well as a specific roller that minimizes hair entanglements.

With these features, it’s meant to compete with mid-range models from leading brands like the Dreame L40 Ultra or the Roborock Qrevo Pro, at a fraction of their price. Let’s dive deeper into what the Xiaomi X20 Max has to offer, and how it compares to the competition.

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Simple and bespoke design

The Xiaomi X20 Max has a relatively simple design, featuring a matte black finish with silver accents. The dock comes in a vertical shape, with a top cover that conceals the large water tanks. A striped front cover hides the dust bag, making it easily accessible. The baseplate houses a removable washboard, making it easier to clean in the sink.

As for the robot, it comes in a standard circular shape with a top flap that makes it easy to access the dust bin. The robot also features a LiDAR dome at the top, together with two quick access buttons. At the front, it has a 3D structured light, which helps it detect and avoid obstacles.

As for the underside, the robot uses two rotating mop pads for wet cleaning. The right mop pad can also extend to reach the edges and corners, maximizing the cleaning coverage. The main roller is hybrid, featuring bristles and rubber blades. The X20 Max also comes with a specific anti-tangle brush in the box, designed to cut hair before it gets tangled around it.

The overall build quality is good. The robot doesn’t necessarily feel premium, which is fine given its price. However, it doesn’t feel cheap either and seems relatively solid.

Straightforward app, but could do with a few more features

The X20 Max works with the Xiaomi Mi Home app, making it easier to integrate with other devices, both from Xiaomi but also other brands.

Like most robovacs, it scans your space to generate a map of your home. It can’t automatically categorize rooms based on their types, but does a good job at recognizing boundaries. Although it doesn’t automatically classify different areas, it reliably detects room boundaries. Once the map is created, you’re free to edit the layout by combining, dividing, or renaming rooms. You can also set virtual barriers or no-go zones that the robot will steer clear of.

However, while the X20 Max can detect and avoid obstacles, it doesn’t plot them on the map, unlike most competing products.

Within the app, you control how and where the vacuum cleans. Since the X20 Max doesn’t include a dedicated smart mode, you have to tweak the cleaning parameters manually. There are four modes available: vacuum only, vacuum and mop, vacuum before mopping, or mop only. Depending on the mode, you can adjust suction power and mop moisture levels. It’s also possible to customize a cleaning schedule for each room and choose the cleaning sequence for a more personalized experience.

While it doesn’t have a lot of extra features, you can still set a Do Not Disturb interval and a regular cleaning schedule. Carpet preferences are also flexible, letting you decide whether to raise the mop pads, traverse carpets normally, or steer clear of them altogether. However, you can’t change these settings mid-cleaning, meaning you’ll have to stop the process if you want to switch to a lower suction level.

Additionally, the app isn’t particularly user-friendly, and starting a cleaning cycle or changing some settings requires a few too many taps. There aren’t many customization options, such as off-peak charging or different obstacle detection levels. In short, you can mostly customize the mop extension frequency, as well as its cleaning and drying settings.

Beyond the app, the X20 Max also works with Alexa and Google Assistant for hands-free operation.

Decent vacuuming efficiency

The Xiaomi X20 Max comes with 8,000Pa of suction power. This is enough for hard floors, especially thanks to the hybrid brush that lifts dirt from grouts and crevices to vacuum it efficiently. Similarly, the side brush does the same with debris and dirt on the side, directing it towards the main roller. However, it tends to push larger items further away, defeating its main purpose.

On carpets, the robot automatically boosts its suction power for deeper vacuuming. However, it’s not the best option for rugs, as it tends to struggle to remove pet hair, even on thin ones. Its suction power is too limited for high-pile rugs, and you may want to consider another model with higher suction power and dual rollers. Thankfully, the X20 Max comes with liftable mop pads, meaning it can automatically raise them to avoid wetting carpets.

Overall, the X20 Max does a good job cleaning everyday messes. However, it’s not the best option if you have pets or your floors tend to get dirty. It’s also not great at handling hair, as hair tends to get wrapped around both the standard and anti-tangle rollers.

Average mopping results

The Xiaomi X20 Max offers hot water mop washing, which is quite unique for a robot at this price. However, unlike some other models, the mop pads don’t come out hot when the robot leaves the dock, limiting the benefits.

The robot features a built-in water tank that continuously dampens the mops while cleaning. Even at the highest water flow setting, the floors remain damp but never overly wet. As a result, the X20 Max manages to refresh lightly soiled floors, but struggles a bit with dirtier ones.

There is no built-in detergent tank, but adding some directly in the water tank helps provide better results. With two passes, it manages to get rid of most stains, but sometimes struggles with dried ones.

As the X20 Max is a mid-range model, it doesn’t come with smart dirt detection features. Instead, you need to manually set it to perform two passes if your floors require a thorough clean.

To better clean edges and corners, the robot features an extending mop. It does a good job overall, but it doesn’t extend far enough to clean kitchen baseboards.

Overall, the Xiaomi X20 Max offers decent cleaning performance for everyday mopping. However, it’s not equipped to tackle tougher stains or areas that are particularly dirty with dried stains.

Good navigation and obstacle avoidance

When it comes to navigation and obstacle avoidance, the Xiaomi X20 Max does a good job. It uses a top-mounted LiDAR dome for navigation, together with a 120º structured light for obstacle detection.

It’s able to move from room to room reliably, and doesn’t get stuck or lost. It occasionally misjudges low clearances or paths, sometimes resulting in scratches on its sides or top. It also tends to pause in front of a wall while it ‘thinks’ before resuming operation.

As for obstacle detection, the X20 Max is able to sense and stay clear of most of them. It may miss small cables, but otherwise reliably avoids obstacles. Unfortunately, it doesn’t display the obstacle location on the map, unlike most competing robots.

A bit noisy, with a reasonable battery life

The Xiaomi X20 Max is not the quietest robovac around, producing about 60 dB of noise in standard mode. It’s not a problem when working or watching TV, but isn’t as quiet as some other models. The mop drying process can be annoying, as it produces about 45 dB of noise for several hours. It’s mostly a problem if the dock is in your living room, but it’s not noticeable if you’re a few meters away from the station.

As for battery life, the X20 Max can last for up to 120 minutes, which is enough for most houses.

Maintenance and care

Despite its affordable price, the Xiaomi X20 Max comes with plenty of perks that facilitate overall maintenance. It can wash and dry its mop pads using hot water and air, helping reduce mildew and bad odors. Similarly, the robot automatically empties its dust bin when it returns to the station.

The large water tanks and dust bag also minimize manual interventions, lasting several cleaning cycles without the need to refill or empty water. Unfortunately, there is no detergent tank built into the dock, meaning you have to manually add detergent to the clean water tank.

The washboard itself is removable, making it much easier to clean in a sink. However, it doesn’t clean the mop pads as efficiently as a dedicated brush. This means it’s best to machine wash them about once a month.

As for the rollers, they’re very prone to tangles, even the anti-tangle one. If you have pets or lose a lot of hair, it’s best to consider a model with a true anti-tangle brush.

Is the Xiaomi X20 Max the right robovac for you?

The Xiaomi X20 Max is a solid choice if you’re looking for an affordable robot vacuum with advanced features like automatic mop washing and drying. It offers reliable navigation, decent vacuuming power for everyday messes, and an extending mop for better edge cleaning. However, it has a few drawbacks, including average mopping performance, limited carpet cleaning efficiency, and an app that could use more refinement.

If you have mostly hard floors and want a hands-free cleaning experience at a budget-friendly price, the X20 Max is a great option. However, if you have pets, high-pile carpets, or need deeper cleaning power, you may want to consider a model with stronger suction and a more effective anti-tangle system.

Pros	Cons
Value for money	App features
Extending mop	Hair tangles
Hot water mop washing	Average cleaning performance

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