With the RC3S, AENO offers a new and affordable vacuum robot. This should impress with a stylish design, high reliability and, of course, particularly good suction power.
This should be made possible thanks to a Nidec motor. The RC3S should also handle animal hair well.
All of this in the €300 price range. Sounds good at first! But what does it look like in practice? Can a small manufacturer like AENO bring a robot vacuum onto the market that can keep up with the big competition?
Let’s find out!
At this point, many thanks to AENO for providing the RC3S for this test.
AENO robot vacuum cleaner RC3S in the test
The AENO RC3S relies on a very classic design. We have a round vacuum robot with a LIDAR sensor on the top and two small rotating brushes on the front.
This uses a stylish black high-gloss plastic, which makes the robot vacuum cleaner look very high-quality. However, it is to be expected that this surface will certainly wear and scratch somewhat over time.
On the front we have three control buttons directly on the vacuum cleaner.
The dirt collection container is somewhat unusual. This cannot be removed via a flap, but is located in the rear of the vacuum robot.
There it has to be removed to empty it. Excitingly, the suction motor is also integrated into the dirt collection container.
The container itself is relatively large for modern robot vacuum cleaner standards, but I found it a bit more annoying to empty. On the one hand, the position in the rear is a little harder to reach, and on the other hand, the flap is very tight to open.
Nevertheless, this is criticism at a very high level. In general, the first impression of the AENO RC3S is positive.
RC3S and RC2S
In addition to the RC3S, AENO also offers the RC2S. These two models only differ in color.
If this doesn’t matter to you, then you can freely choose between the RC2S and RC3S.
The AENO app and functions
To use the RC3S, you need the AENO app. This is very simple and tastefully designed.
The connection to the vacuum robot worked absolutely smoothly. The only thing that is displayed in the app is the wrong color of the robot vacuum cleaner, which is just a small detail.
Compared to other vacuum robots, the app and the range of functions are quite “manageable”. But I don’t mean this in a positive or negative way, because the app is easy to use, clear and all the important core functions are there.
The RC3S creates a map of your apartment on the first trip. This map is very accurate and is initially automatically divided into different rooms.
You can also freely edit this room layout, as well as the order in which the rooms should be processed. You can also adjust the suction power etc. individually for each room. Excellent!
Creating NoGo zones etc. is also possible via the app. The only thing I might be missing would be carpet detection. Otherwise, everything I need from a robot vacuum cleaner is available in the app.
Feature:
Live map room division adjustable order for room cleaning adjustable suction power on a room basis zone cleaning NoGo zones
RC3S navigation
Like most good vacuum robots, the RC3S has a rotating laser sensor on the top (“LIDAR” sensor).
This allows the robot to create a map of your apartment and drive through it in a controlled manner in straight paths. This prevents the user from forgetting or skipping a room. If the room is accessible, the robot will work through it sooner or later.
The navigation of the RC3S was pleasingly precise. The robot also seemed very safe and confident.
The processing of my living space really worked perfectly and the ability to determine the order in which rooms are to be processed is very helpful!
In short, the general navigation of the AENO RC3S is no worse than the upper/mid-range models from Ecovacs, Dreame or Roborock.
Obstacle avoidance
Obstacle avoidance with the RC3S is comparatively easy. We have the usual flexible bumper and to a certain extent the LIDAR sensor that supports this.
However, there is no camera or other sensors that allow the RC3S to recognize smaller objects.
In principle, chair legs and the like are not a problem. The robot vacuum cleaner moves on contact, but it also manages to work its way out of tight situations.
What is more problematic are small objects such as socks, cables, pet toys or chair legs that are at an angle. The RC3S tends to get stuck here.
You have to clear away such objects before vacuuming or set up no-go zones in these areas.
How well does the AENO RC3S vacuum?
AENO advertises the RC3S with a suction power of 2500pa and a Nidec motor. Nidec is a large Japanese engine manufacturer that enjoys a good reputation.
Accordingly, I was curious to see how well the RC3S sucks. However, in practice, a large part of the suction power depends on navigation, how well the robot vacuum cleaner covers your apartment, and the rotating roller on the bottom.
This uses a mixture of medium-hard bristles and a rubber lip.
In practice, I am very satisfied with the suction performance. For the €350 price range I would classify this as above average.
On smooth floors we have almost 100% cleaning with the usual house dust and hair. Practically everything the robot runs over is also recorded.
The cleaning performance also looks good on carpets, although the lack of a “carpet mode” hindered the RC3S somewhat. The suction results are noticeably better in turbo mode, especially on deep carpets, but this is not necessary on smooth floors, for example.
It would be great if the robot vacuum could automatically increase the suction power when it is on a carpet.
Normal short carpets and carpets are cleaned well. Here, even in standard mode, I would rate the suction power as appropriate for the €350 price range.
Cleaning is also possible
In principle, the AENO RC3S can also clean wet with the included attachment. However, to be honest, I would not recommend this robot vacuum if you place particular value on this function.
The RC3S relies on a super simple setup with just a cleaning cloth that is dragged across the floor.
The cleaning performance is “OK” for freshening up floors or perhaps removing pollen residues even more thoroughly, but this simple setup is much more than that.
Better than nothing and good cleaning robots are very, very rare in this price range, but it wouldn’t be my first choice for this task.
Up to 150 m²
According to the manufacturer, the AENO RC3S can cover up to 150 m² or 130 minutes of work on one battery charge.
For me, the battery life was slightly lower or the battery life specified by the manufacturer refers to a low power level. I would recommend the RC3S for smaller to medium-sized apartments (up to +- 100 m²).
Conclusion
If you don’t need a suction station or a “special” cleaning function, the AENO RC3S is a completely sufficient choice for you and it doesn’t have to be an expensive vacuum robot.
The AENO RC3S offers impeccable navigation and above-average suction performance for this price range. In my test, the vacuum robot worked reliably and without any problems.
The app was also convincing and offers all the important functions, such as room cleaning, an individual cleaning sequence, etc.
There are only two points where we notice that the AENO RC3S is not a flagship vacuum robot. So the cleaning function is kept quite simple. Robot vacuum cleaners with washing stations etc. provide a lot more.
Obstacle avoidance is also easy. If you have a very chaotic household with lots of little things lying around, cables, toys, socks, then the AENO RC3S will have a harder time with you.
I would recommend the AENO RC3S for small to medium-sized apartments, with a simple to complex layout and a reasonably good basic organization (that there are few things lying around).
The AENO RC3S will do a good job here due to its strong navigation and suction power.
POSITIVE
good and reliable navigation
high suction power (both on smooth floors and on carpets)
good app with good functionality
quite large dirt collection container
Volume manageable
chic design
NEGATIVE
no suction station
Cleaning function is quite rudimentary