In the rapidly evolving world of smart home appliances, robot vacuums have transitioned from expensive novelties to essential household tools. However, for many homeowners—particularly those living in multi-storey properties like townhouses—the “set it and forget it” promise often falls short. Many mid-range robots struggle with complex layouts, lack the suction to handle diverse floor types, or require expensive ongoing maintenance in the form of disposable dust bags.
Enter the Vexilar W15 GreenBin. This latest offering from Vexilar (a brand formerly known as Vactidy) aims to disrupt the market by offering flagship-level performance at a price that challenges the established giants. Currently retailing at £259.99, the W15 is a high-spec powerhouse that promises to simplify life for busy families and pet owners alike
As someone living in a three-storey townhouse, I put the W15 through its paces to see if one robot could truly manage the logistical challenge of multiple floors, varied surfaces, and the sheer volume of debris that comes with a high-traffic home.
Design and the Innovation of the “GreenBin”
At first glance, the Vexilar W15 follows the classic, sleek circular aesthetic common to high-end robots. Its low-profile design (standing at approximately 9.8cm) allows it to glide under standard bed frames, sofas, and kitchen plinths where dust bunnies typically congregate.
The real innovation, however, is the GreenBin self-emptying docking station. Most self-emptying robots on the market utilize disposable paper bags. While convenient, these bags are a recurring cost—often costing owners upwards of £70 per year—and contribute significantly to landfill waste.
The W15’s station is bagless. It uses a sophisticated multi-cyclone filtration system to extract dirt from the robot’s onboard bin into a large 4-litre canister.
- Economical: No more buying replacement bags.
- Eco-Friendly: Reduces the environmental footprint of your cleaning routine.
- High Capacity: The 4L bin can hold up to 90 days of dust and hair, meaning you only need to empty the dock four times a year.
Unprecedented Power: The 10,000Pa Suction
Suction power is measured in Pascals (Pa), and for context, most high-end competitors from brands like Roborock or iRobot typically sit between 4,000Pa and 6,000Pa. The Vexilar W15 shatters these benchmarks with a staggering 10,000Pa of suction.
In a townhouse setting, where the ground floor might be hard tile (prone to grit) and the upper floors are plush carpet (prone to deeply embedded dust), this power is transformative. During my testing:
- Hard Floors: It effortlessly picked up heavier debris like dry cereal and small pebbles tracked in from the garden.
- Carpets: The “Turbo Mode” was particularly effective. You can actually hear the difference as it increases power upon detecting carpet, pulling out fine dander and pet hair that my previous robot had left behind.
The W15 offers three distinct modes:
- Quiet Mode (60dB): Perfect for nighttime cleaning on the bedroom floor without waking the household.
- Standard Mode: The “Goldilocks” setting for daily maintenance.
- Turbo Mode: Maximum power for deep-cleaning rugs and high-traffic areas.
Mastering the Three-Storey Challenge: Multi-Floor Mapping
One of the biggest concerns for townhouse owners is whether a single robot can handle multiple levels. Many budget models can only “remember” one floor, meaning they have to remap every time you carry them to a different level—a process that is both frustrating and prone to errors.
The Vexilar W15 is specifically designed for this scenario. Its 360° LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) navigation system scans the environment 2,160 times per second. This allows it to create a highly accurate map of a floor in as little as 15 minutes.
How it works in a Townhouse:
The W15 supports up to 5 different maps. This was a game-changer for my three-storey home.
- The Ground Floor: I set this as “Map 1,” including the kitchen, hallway, and utility room.
- The First Floor: “Map 2” covers the living room and hallway.
- The Top Floor: “Map 3” handles the master suite, spare bedroom, office, and bathrooms.
To clean, you simply carry the lightweight unit to the desired floor and start the cleaning via the app or voice command. The robot’s Intelligent Navigation recognizes which floor it is on by scanning the surroundings and automatically loads the correct map. You don’t even need to move the heavy docking station between floors; once the cleaning is finished, the robot returns to the exact spot where you started it, waiting to be carried back to its base for emptying.
Intelligent Navigation and No-Go Zones
Living in a busy home means the floor is rarely “perfect.” There are charging cables, pet bowls, and perhaps a child’s Lego project in progress. Older “bump-and-turn” robots would have spent half their time stuck or destroying a toy castle.
The W15’s LiDAR navigation is coupled with Matrix Cleaning Mode. Instead of moving randomly, it follows a systematic grid pattern, ensuring 98% coverage. I watched it navigate around the legs of my dining chairs with surgical precision.
Through the app, you can also set up to 15 No-Go Zones or virtual walls. In my townhouse:
- I blocked off the area around the Dog’s water bowl.
- I set a virtual wall at the top of the stairs (though the robot has built-in drop sensors to prevent it from falling, the virtual wall provides extra peace of mind).
- I designated “Mop-Free Zones” for the rugs we have in the kitchen.
The 3-in-1 System: Sweeping, Vacuuming, and Mopping
The W15 is a versatile multitasker. It features a dual-tank design: a 300ml dustbin for dry debris and a 200ml electronic water tank for mopping.
While most 2-in-1 robots just “drag” a damp cloth, the W15 allows you to customize the water flow levels via the app. For the muddy pawprints in my hallway, I set the water flow to “High.” For more delicate areas like laminate flooring, you can set it to low.
The Matrix Cleaning is particularly useful here, as the robot passes over the same area multiple times in a cross-hatch pattern, ensuring that stubborn residues are lifted rather than just smeared.
Battery Life and Endurance
A frequent pitfall of high-suction robots is that they drain their batteries too quickly. The W15 mitigates this with a high-capacity battery providing up to a 180-minute runtime.
In practical terms, it managed to clean all three floors of my townhouse (roughly 150 m² of actual floor space) on a single charge when used in Standard Mode. If the battery does dip below 15% mid-clean, the robot will intelligently return to its station, recharge, and then resume exactly where it left off.
Accessibility and Smart Controls
Vexilar has done an excellent job of ensuring the W15 is accessible to everyone.
- The App: The interface is intuitive. Setting schedules for each floor is simple—I have the ground floor clean at 8:00 AM after the morning rush and the bedroom floors clean at 2:00 PM when the house is quiet.
- Voice Control: It integrates seamlessly with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri. I frequently find myself saying, “Alexa, tell the vacuum to clean the kitchen,” after a messy cooking session.
- Apple Watch Support: Being able to start, pause, or send the robot home from my wrist is a surprisingly handy feature when my phone is in another room.
- The Remote Control: This is a thoughtful inclusion. For family members who aren’t tech-savvy, or for a quick “spot clean” without opening an app, the physical remote is a lifesaver.
Value Proposition: Why the W15 Wins
When looking at the current market, you generally have two choices:
- Budget Brands (£150–£200): Often lack LiDAR, use random navigation, have low suction (2000Pa), and have no self-emptying dock.
- Premium Brands (£500–£900): Feature high suction and self-emptying docks, but often require expensive bags and software subscriptions.
The Vexilar W15 occupies a “sweet spot.” At £259.99, it provides the high-end hardware (10,000Pa, LiDAR, bagless dock) usually found in the £600+ category. When you factor in the £70 annual saving on dust bags, the W15 essentially pays for itself within three years of ownership.
Final Verdict: Is the Vexilar W15 Right for You?
After testing in a busy, multi-level environment, the verdict is clear: the Vexilar W15 GreenBin is an exceptional piece of home technology.
It excels where others fail—managing the logistical hurdles of a three-storey townhouse with ease thanks to its robust multi-map support. The sheer power of its 10,000Pa suction ensures that no floor type is too challenging, and the bagless GreenBin system finally solves the problem of “hidden costs” in robot vacuums.
Pros:
- Class-Leading Suction: 10,000Pa handles everything from fine dust to heavy grit.
- Bagless Innovation: Significant long-term savings and eco-friendly design.
- Perfect for Townhouses: Seamlessly manages up to 5 maps with precision LiDAR.
- Versatile Control: App, Voice, Apple Watch, and Remote options.
- Quiet Operation: Surprisingly peaceful even on Standard settings.
Cons:
- Manual Carry: While it manages maps for 3 floors, you still have to physically move the unit between them (as with all current robots).
- Mopping: Great for light cleaning and dust, but not a replacement for a deep manual scrub on very dirty floors.
If you are looking for a reliable, powerful, and low-maintenance cleaning companion that won’t break the bank, the Vexilar W15 is currently the best value-for-money option on the market. You can find out more details at the links below.
Filed Under: Gadgets News, Reviews, Technology News
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