My and My NaviBot, Day 4: Power and Noise

MARCHANDS €     Amazon.co.uk  336.03  Dixons  336.03  Amazon mark...  419.99  Compare prices

On day four with the Samsung NaviBot SR8855, I'm on a mission to find out just how much power it uses and exactly how noisy the little beast is!

Once you set the NaviBot off cleaning a room, it's hard enough to hear yourself think, let alone have a conversation. To me at least, my new robotic friend seems really quite noisy, so let's get out the trusty sound-level meter and see just how much noise it emits.

With the sound-level meter fired up it's a bit of a different story. At a distance of 1 metre away, it recorded a noise level of 65 dB, which really isn't that loud compared with the 70 to 82 dB emitted by the average bagless vacuum cleaner. In fact, 65 dB is worthy of one of the so-called 'ultra-quiet' vacuum cleaners currently on the market. But whereas the NaviBot's noise output it's actually that loud, it does go on for a very long time, as it takes a good 20 minutes to clean a room, compared a quick 5-minute blast with a regular vac. And even then, it isn't as effective. Your best bet, then, is to programme the NaviBot to clean your home while you're out: it has a timer function, so don't hesitate to use it!

Let's compare the Navibot with the Electrolux ZB2903, a kind of cross between an upright vac and a handheld vacuum cleaner that I've also got at home. Which do you think made the most noise? Well, surprisingly enough, my Electrolux stick vacuum contraption emits 74 dB when working at full blast, which is a fair bit more than the NaviBot.

The rival: Electrolux ZB2903 MARCHANDS €     Amazon.co.uk  49.00  Very  49.00  Amazon mark...  54.99  Amazon.co.uk  89.99  Amazon mark...  104.48  Compare prices

The power-hungry NaviBot

A regular vacuum cleaner, whether with or without a bag, consumes between 1300 and 2200 W when in operation. If you use it for 40 minutes a week, that makes for a consumption of 45 to 77 kW per year. In other words, it would cost you between £6 and £10 per year in electricity.

The Samsung NaviBot SR8855 actually consumes much less power than a regular vac, at just 7.1 W, but it does so continuously. If we times that by the number of hours in a year we get a total annual consumption of 61 kW, or around £8 worth of electricity per year. So ultimately, the NaviBot consumes as much electricity per year as a regular 1800 W vacuum cleaner.

My Electrolux ZB2903 stick vacuum cleaner continually consumes 3 W (it's rechargeable on a base that's constantly plugged in). That makes 26 kW per year, which is as much as an 800 W vacuum cleaner. That makes it slightly more economical than our robotic buddy, but nowhere near as much fun!

> Me and My NaviBot, Day 3: An All-Over Rover

> Me and My NaviBot, Day 2: Nathalie vs NaviBot in the Kids' Pigsty!

> Me and My NaviBot, Day 1: A New Member of the Family

 

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