Shellbot SL60 in hands-on: Newcomer in practice check

Shellbot SL60: price and availability

Disclaimer: This hands-on is part of a cooperation between Nextpit and Shellbot. This had no influence on the editorial opinion in this test report.

It’s not every day that we are offered a product to test that is virtually impossible to find on Google. Shellbot’s official website is well hidden, product opinions on the devices are extremely rare. We were therefore curious to see how the Shellbot SL60 would fare, which is more in the upper price range with a recommended retail price of 560 euros.

Shellbot SL60

Notice: Shellbot is currently offering the SL60 at a greatly reduced price on Amazon. You will find a coupon for 100 euros directly in the offer. In addition, NextPit readers save with the voucher code MON4838E another 50 euros. You can enter the code directly during the payment process. The bottom line is that you get the Shellbot SL60 for 409.99 euros. However, you shouldn’t think too long – the offer is only valid up to and including January 18th.

Unboxing and setup

When first unpacking, the impression is good: the robot looks solidly made, the charging dock is chic and functional. The box also contains a remote control, a spare brush, a spare wipe and even a second dust container including a wiper tank. The few components can be put together and ready for use in just a few minutes, even if you don’t have any experience with vacuum robots.

The same applies to the Shellbot app, which we installed on an iPhone within minutes in the test. The app is set to English by default, even if the system language is German. However, you can set the language to German in the app settings. Basically, the setup works without any problems – I only get stuck at one point: When setting the password, for example, the app tells me “Password format is incorrect”. A few tries later I find out that no special characters are allowed.

A few minutes later, the SL60 is connected to the WLAN and ready to go. Before cleaning for the first time, the vacuum-wipe robot would like to complete a scan pass in order to record the floor plan using a laser scanner. It works without any problems – in a few minutes I can find a 2D map of my four walls in the app.

Here there are the usual options for cleaning robots to divide the floor plan into individual rooms or to set up forbidden zones. While the latter works perfectly, rooms cannot be divided at will. For example, I can’t separate the dining room and the entrance (in the screenshot: Entr/Dinner), although there is even a wall between them. That’s a shame, because I can’t have the footprints in the entrance wiped away without the SL60 also working its way through the dining area.

Otherwise, the app offers a pleasing number of setting options. For example, the suction power on carpets can be regulated separately, or the wiping pattern can be defined. Of course, automatic cleaning can also be programmed. There is also the option to control the robot remotely. In the absence of a camera, however, this only makes sense from the sofa – the SL60 is not a moving surveillance camera. On the other hand, this also protects the privacy of the residents.

Suction and wiping performance checked

The first cleaning run was a bit notchy. With more than 60 percent battery life, the robot first drives to the dock to catch its breath. He then stops on the basement stairs and asks over the loudspeaker to clean the “Cliff Sensor”. A swipe later, the problem is fixed and then no longer occurs. Unfortunately, the robot keeps hanging itself on the U-shaped feet of my cantilever chairs and begging for release.

But all of these problems can be easily solved: Let it be fully charged, wipe the “Cliff Sensor” once, declare the dining table and chairs a no-go zone in the app – and then the rabbit runs. With the 5,200 mAh battery, the robot manages around 70m² no problem with the standard settings for vacuuming and mopping. After the first complete cleaning process, the robot adds further elements to the floor plan. For example, carpets, cables, shoes and unknown obstacles are drawn in. In addition, the robot should also recognize pet excrement and then not distribute it in the room.

The cleaning itself works absolutely satisfactorily. Dust, hair and crumbs land reliably in the suction container, and the winter footprints in the entrance area can hardly be seen after the cleaning cycle. The Shellbot SL60 only leaves a margin from the splash of dried tomato sauce, which is hardly its fault.

It is only noticeable at this point that the SL60 cleaned relatively roughly and quickly in small rooms – in this case in the bathroom – in both cleaning cycles. In a direct comparison with the cleaning log of the Roborock S6 MaxV, it quickly becomes apparent that the Shellbot has made less effort here. Another thing that stands out: the Shellbot SL60 is – at least in standard operation – really pleasantly quiet.

Good debut for a fresh brand