I didn’t do a blog post last month, finally breaking a decade long practice of writing at least one post a month. Not because I’d forgotten about it, but simply that I didn’t have anything especially compelling that I wanted to write or reflect about then. I do finally have one this month though, and it’s about USB powered appliances at home.
One of the perennial challenges for modern households like ours are the sheer number of electronic devices, whether it’s the large kitchen ones like fridges, ovens and cookers etc., TVs, or smaller ones like robot cleaners, productivity devices (laptops, smartphones), or entertainment ones. Alongside these come power chargers for the devices that use built-in rechargeable batteries – and it quickly got really tiresome keeping track of which charger is for what device. So, over the last year, I’ve gone out on a limb to only pick-up devices that can be recharged using USB technology. Simply put, a device that can be recharged over USB means one less device where I have to keep an eye/label its likely proprietary power charger, and also that it can be recharged in any one of the several USB charging hubs I’ve got stationed around the house.
It’s not just by coincidence that one of my favorite technology companies that has been putting out USB-chargeable devices is Xiaomi, or more specifically its subbrands. The price-points and general quality level of their devices are aspects that are often on-point with this Chinese technology giant, and my post here will cover three recent acquisitions from this manufacturer. Again, like everything else I write about in this blog, these are non-sponsored products that were purchased at our own expense.
Xiaomi Mijia Shunzao Wireless Handheld Vacuum Cleaner Z1 Pro (~SGD75)
The one year old Xiaomi Viomi V2 Pro Robot Vacuum still diligently does its rounds every morning to vacuum and mop our apartment flooring, but we needed a smaller and portable cleaner too. This handheld vacuum cleaner looks like like what would come out of the mind of appliance designers who are also baseball fans! Best of all, the gadget is charged over USB-C. It by no means is designed for floor area cleaning though. Instead it’s intended for spot cleaning, and when you need to use it in tight spaces (e.g. cars), or devices you don’t want to bring out a vacuum cleaner for, e.g. computer keyboards. We have a third use for it: and it’s to vacuum up all the eraser residue when the kids do their homework on our dinner table every night haha.
Xiaomi Mijia Electric Portable Air Pump (~SGD44)
The two foldable bikes we picked up late last year came with handheld and operated tire pumps – but these were so fragile and only capable of putting out so little air that I just about discarded them after the first use. I was about to pick up a foot operated pump when I chanced upon an electric air pump from Xiaomi at their Funan Mall showroom over the weekend. A quick order at Shopee later that day, and the device arrived 2 days later. The instructions as included in the box by this distributor were in Chinese only, but it wasn’t difficult to figure out how to operate it. Basically, you select one of the built-in target pressures, plug the air hose into the tire, then hit the ‘on’ button (the centre of the wheel). The noise it makes the first time is a little loud and startling, so be prepared for it. But the electric pump does its work quickly, and you can see the digital pressure gauge report its pump’s progress as it reaches the target pressure. Super nifty! The one if minor bit I’m not thrilled with though is that this pump charges over micro-USB and not USB-C, but oh well.
Xiaomi Mijia Electric Shaver Razor S500 (~SGD46)
This is actually my fourth electric razor. The first two were from a decade ago: one spoiled after a few months, and the second – a birthday gift – shredded my chin after one use. I ended up discarding that in disgust. I returned to traditional blade-type handheld shavers since that point, but the cost of each blade cartridge, and not even for the really good one shavers, was always high. I decided to finally give electric shavers another go this year, largely on account again that I wanted the convenience of these also now being rechargeable through USB. The third shaver was a very cheap one that cost just SGD13 and chargeable over USB-C, but unfortunately wasn’t waterproof when I thought it was. It conked out after a fortnight after water got into the device, and likely through its charging port. This fourth shaver – this Mijia S500 – is rated IPX7 so it should withstand washing, hopefully. The S500 has a simple digital display to show remaining battery life – super convenient – and also a rubber cap to prevent water ingress through its USB-C charging port. Each shave drains power by around 1-2%, so a fully-charged shaver should last me for at least a month. On the other hand, it doesn’t have a trimmer function.
There are still a number of other interesting Xiaomi Mijia devices I’ll continue to explore in time to come!
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