Vexilar W15 robot vacuum and mop review: an affordable 2-in-1 cleaner with a few niggles

Price on writing: £260 | Buy now from Amazon

How I tested

I tested the Vexilar W15 over the course of a month in a busy family home with two adults and two children. Our house has a mix of carpets, rugs, wooden flooring, vinyl, tiles and stairs, with the usual daily chaos of muddy shoes, crumbs and general clutter.

I used the robot cleaner for both scheduled cleans and ad hoc tidy-ups, letting it loose across different rooms and surfaces. I paid close attention to how well it mapped the house, how reliably it returned to base, and how it handled everyday debris.

I also carried out the Mumsnet cereal test, scattering crushed cornflakes across our wooden floor to see how effectively it picked up larger debris.

Related: Best robot vacuum cleaners, tried and tested

My verdict

After weeks of regular use, the Vexilar W15 feels like a no-fuss way to keep on top of everyday mess. It’s not trying to compete with the very top end of the market but what it does offer is a helpful mix of features at a price that feels accessible.

The standout element is the self-emptying, bagless dock. Not having to think about dust bags or constant emptying makes a real difference day to day, especially in a busy household. Suction is strong enough for routine cleaning across both carpets and hard floors, and the LiDAR mapping keeps things organised.

That said, it’s not without its quirks. The base station footprint is a little awkward to accommodate and the side brush doesn’t always stay in place. And the mopping function is fairly basic, so you’ll still need a proper mop for deeper cleans.

Overall, this is a solid mid-range robot vacuum that covers the essentials. If you want a cleaner that vacuums, mops and empties itself without stretching to premium prices, the W15 is an easy buy, as long as you can live with a few niggles.

Read next: The best robot cleaners with mops, tried and tested

What's in the box?

• Base unit

• W15 robot vacuum cleaner

• Side brush x2

• HEPA filter

• Remote control (with batteries)

• Mop holder and cloth

• Cleaning tool

• User manual

Read next: The best floor mops, as recommended by Mumsnetters

How easy is the Vexilar W15 to set up and start using?

The Vexilar W15 tackling cornflakes in our classic cereal spill test

Getting started is mostly straightforward. The physical setup is simple enough. Plug in the base, dock the robot and charge (for six hours) before use. There’s a QR code linking to a helpful setup video, which is a nice touch.

There’s a bit of a disconnect with the branding which I found a little confusing. The product itself is a Vexilar W15, the instruction manual references Cleanova and the app is Vactidy. When setting up my app account, the verification code landed in my spam folder, which slowed things down a little. 

Once connected, the mapping process is impressively quick. Within 19 minutes, the robot had created a clear layout of the ground floor and was ready to clean in a structured pattern rather than bumping around randomly.

One practical issue is the base station placement. The guidance suggests leaving around a metre of space on either side and two metres in front. In a typical family home, that’s not always easy to achieve, and it took some trial and error to find a spot where it could dock reliably.

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What's the Vexilar W15 like to use day-to-day?

The Vexilar W15 is slim enough to fit under some furniture

Once it’s up and running, the W15 is generally easy to live with. You can control it through the app or the included remote, which is useful if you don’t want to rely on your phone. I loved the fact that it fit under our main storage units in the lounge (although it wasn't slim enough to slip under the sofa, or compact enough to fit between our dining room chairs).

In everyday use, it follows instructions well. Scheduled cleans work reliably, and the ability to set no-go zones and choose specific rooms is genuinely useful, especially in a home full of shoes, cables and rogue toys. We experienced an unfortunate incident that saw my daughter’s Barbie dragged across the lounge so immediately marked the area around the toybox as a no-go zone.  

During normal cleaning, the unit is pretty quiet (more like a strong fan than a traditional vacuum) so it’s noticeable but not disruptive. The self-emptying cycle is extremely loud and best avoided during quiet moments or late evenings.

The Vexilar W15's side brush coming off mid-use

There are a few niggles. The side brush repeatedly worked itself loose during testing, and I didn’t manage a full clean without it coming off at least once. The remote control is also a bit clunky, particularly on carpets, and a little frustrating if you're used to accurate targeted spot cleaning.

Maintenance is fairly low effort. The mop cloth can go in the washing machine, and the dust system is refreshingly simple thanks to the bagless design. You’ll need to give the brushes and underside a regular wipe to keep things running smoothly.

Read next: The best robot vacuum cleaners for pet hair

How well does the Vexilar W15 clean carpets?

The Vexilar W15 does a decent job of cleaning dust and debris from carpets and rugs

For the price, the suction (10,000Pa) is impressive. On carpets, it does a solid job of lifting everyday dust, crumbs and hair, especially in Turbo mode. It’s not quite at the level of premium models, but it holds its own for routine cleaning.

It transitions between surfaces without much fuss and navigates rugs reasonably well, though it got a little stuck moving between our wooden floor and doormat. And thicker piles can slow it down slightly. Like most robot vacuums, it’s better suited to maintenance cleaning rather than deep carpet refreshes.

How well does the Vexilar W15 vacuum and mop hard floors?

Hard floors are where the W15 feels most at home. It handles dust, crumbs and general debris efficiently, leaving surfaces looking noticeably cleaner after a single pass (although it was disappointing to see the side brush fly off on a number of occasions, leaving edges dusty. 

In the cereal test, it picked up most of the crushed flakes in one pass, though a few pieces were pushed around before being collected. A second pass sorted the leftovers, which is fairly typical for robot vacuums at this level.

The mopping function is best seen as a light refresh rather than a deep clean. It’s useful for keeping on top of day-to-day marks, especially in kitchens and hallways, but it won’t tackle dried-on stains or sticky spills.

Water flow settings are easy to adjust, and the robot doesn’t leave floors overly wet, which is helpful if you’re cleaning high-traffic areas. You do need to keep on top of washing the mop cloth to maintain hygiene and performance.

Is the Vexilar W15 good value for money?

The Vexilar W15's jumbo dust bin compared to the Dyson V8 Cyclone

At £260, the Vexilar W15 sits firmly in the budget-to-mid range, and it offers a lot for that price. You’re getting strong suction, LiDAR mapping, a self-emptying dock and app control without stepping into premium territory.

Compared to cheaper models like the Ultenic T20 Pro, it feels more advanced, particularly in navigation and dust capacity. It’s also far more affordable than high-end options like the Eufy X10 Pro Omni, which adds more automation but at a significantly higher cost.

However, the mopping is basic and there are a few build quirks like the loose side brush and the fact that it sometimes started moving randomly when in charge mode. 

If you want a robot vacuum that can vacuum, mop and empty itself without a hefty upfront cost or ongoing bag expenses, it’s a decent choice but for slick, precision cleaning and mopping and a sleek design you might want to up the budget and plump for a more premium model. 

About Mumsnet reviews

All Mumsnet product reviews are written by real parents after weeks of research and testing. We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust. Sometimes, we earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. However, we never allow this to influence our coverage.

About the author

Rachel Erdos is an Editor at Mumsnet where she commissions, edits and writes content with a focus on product reviews, homeware roundups and family travel. She’s written buyer’s guides for publications including Expert Reviews and Coach as well as reviews and features for the Guardian, TripSavvy and Visit London.

As a mum of two, she’s always on the lookout for products that make life easier (and cleaning feel like less of a chore) at home and loves putting appliances and gadgets to the test to highlight best buys for families.