Previously, I wrote about the SwitchBot K11+, a smaller robot vacuum that was a great option for smaller spaces. This week, I am looking at the new SwitchBot S20, and this one is built for much bigger homes. After using it for the past few months, I believe it may be the best robo vacuum on the market, with some nice workarounds for rooms in Apple’s Home app.
HomeKit Weekly is a series focused on smart home accessories, automation tips and tricks, and everything to do with Apple’s smart home framework.
Key features of the SwitchBot S20
The SwitchBot S20 is designed to handle bigger houses and more demanding cleaning jobs compared to smaller models. It combines powerful suction, advanced mopping, and full smart home integration in a single unit.
- 10,000Pa suction power: Enough suction to pull up dirt, pet hair, and debris from carpets and hard surfaces.
- Automated MultiClean Station: Empties dust, refills clean water, drains dirty water, and dries the mop pads. The dust bag can last up to 90 days before it needs to be swapped.
- LiDAR and AI navigation: Maps your home, avoids things that will get it stuck, and can climb thresholds up to 20mm. It recognizes furniture, cables, and more than 100 different types of obstacles.
- Smart home integration: Works with SwitchBot devices in the app and supports HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and more via Matter. For Apple fans, it means direct control in the Home app without needing a separate hub outside of needing a HomeKit Hub.
How I am using it
I mainly use the SwitchBot S20 to vacuum our primary main levelliving areas, which are also the dirtiest spaces in the house. I set up the rooms in the SwitchBot app, and those names showed up in HomeKit. They are not true HomeKit rooms, but I suspect that is a Matter limitation. Still, I really like SwitchBot’s workaround because it lets me trigger room-specific cleanups right from the Home app. I would love to see this tied directly to HomeKit rooms in the future, but the way it works today is still really useful.
Most evenings after dinner, I run a cleanup cycle in the dining room and kitchen. It is quick and easy from the Home app. As I have mentioned before, I only mop our hardwood floors with a specific product, so I do not use the built-in mopping features, but the vacuum alone has been a huge time saver. Truthfully, though, since installing this unit, I have not used it as a traditional vacuum whatsoever. I am amazed at how much debris and dust it picks up on a daily basis. At some point, I have wondered if it’s creating its own dust because it continues to pick up so much day to day.
Adding to HomeKit
Like the SwitchBot K11+, the Matter part of SwitchBot S20 is set up in the SwitchBot app. Once connected, you’ll go to the vacuum settings and look for the Matter setup option.The app will walk you through the steps and generate a Matter code. From there, open the Home app, tap to add a new accessory, and use the “More option” link. You should see the vacuum icon listed on the next screen. Tap it, paste in the Matter code, and the S20 will show up in HomeKit.
Once it’s added, you can assign it to a room and give it a name. At that point, you’re ready to start automating cleanups and adding it to scenes just like any other HomeKit accessory. As I mentioned earlier, if you will “name” your rooms in the SwitchBot app that are generated from the mapping, they’ll be available to work with inside of HomeKit, but again, not as HomeKit rooms. Yes, I know that sounds super confusing, but once you’re going through the process, it’ll make sense. The photo above is what it looks like when you don’t name your rooms in the SwitchBot app.
Wrap up on the SwitchBot S20
The SwitchBot S20, right now, has become my top pick for overall value in a Matter and HomeKit-enabled robot vacuum. Getting the SwitchBot room names into the Home app is a clever workaround, and the suction power is outstanding. I’ve also been impressed with the LIDAR mapping. It managed to get stuck in a couple of spots during the first few runs, but over time, it adapted and now completes a full cycle without me needing to intervene. It is powerful, smart, and reliable, which makes it an easy recommendation for anyone wanting a robot vacuum that works great with HomeKit.
You can buy it from Amazon or directly from SwitchBot.
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