Top Rated Robot Vacuums
A robot vacuum can keep your floors clean enough to decrease the frequency of manual hoovering. Pick a robot vacuum that is well-trained in navigation, is able to clean stairs and corners, and that has large bins that will need to be emptied periodically.
There are models that mop and charge themselves, which is a feature important for families with pets or children. The top performers in our tests have good obstacles to avoid.
1. IRobot Roomba i3+ EVO
The i3+ EVO is similar to its sibling, the i3 EVO. They differ only in the fact that the i3+ comes with self-emptying capabilities. That makes the i3+ an excellent choice for people who want a hands-off, fully automated cleaning experience, but aren't afraid of manually emptying their robot's dustbin when it fills up.
Both robots do well picking up surface debris on hard floors and carpets, and they're excellent in maneuvering around furniture and other obstacles. iAdapt navigation software creates intelligent maps of your home, which help the i3+ EVO navigate and clean in a way that maximizes efficiency. However, unlike the i7+ and other top-rated robots that we evaluated, the i3+ doesn't have obstacle-avoidance capabilities, so it may get stuck on things like socks or power cords and may have issues navigating across surface transitions, such as from hardwood to rug.
iRobot suggests cleaning the area around the i3+ EVO vacuums before using it. This includes getting rid of any toys or other clutter it might encounter. It is also recommended to keep the filters and dust bin clear to avoid becoming clogged. When the i3+ EVO's internal bin is empty or the battery is not fully charged, it returns to the docking station and empties the dirt into the station's external dustbin. Then it continues cleaning from where it began. The i3+ EVO's battery can last for about an hour and a half continuous use, and takes about three hours to fully recharge.
2. IRobot Roomba i7+
The iRobot Roomba i7+ is the most powerful model of the flagship line from iRobot, and it has the most up-to-date features. It's self-charging, self-navigating, and the most important feature of all -- it has self-emptying bins that eliminate one of the primary sources of maintenance for any robot vacuum.
The Roomba i7+ can keep up to 10 floor plans and their names using Imprint Smart Mapping, an application that allows it to identify rooms to clean them more efficiently. It also works with iRobot Home to schedule cleaning jobs, and you can control your robot via the app or voice.
In our tests the i7+ was more agile and faster than our second-placed model, the eufy RoboVac G30, and it took large pieces of pet hair from all surface types including carpeting. The biggest advantage over the Eufy is the self-emptying bin, which removes major maintenance sources and lowers the cost of recurring maintenance.
We were also impressed by the i7+'s compatibility with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant AI services which we used to instruct the robot to begin, stop or pause its cleaning sessions and move around the room, and even vacuum the area. Connecting the i7+ to these services was simple and straightforward through the iRobot Home app. When connected to these services, we were able communicate with the i7+ using voice commands such as "Hey Alexa, vacuum the master bedroom." The iRobot Home App also offers options to manage i7+ settings and monitoring the performance.
3. Dyson Cyclone V10
This tiny Dyson model is an athletic car in a sea of vacuums with cords that feel like minivans and buses. It is powerful enough to replace a stand-up vacuum in most homes, but it is also compact enough to fit on the bookcase or coffee table.
The V10 is powered by a 7-cell energy-dense lithium-ion battery that produces continuous, non-fading power for 60 minutes. The sophisticated whole-machine filter system traps allergens, then lets cleaner air into your home. The cleaning head is specially designed to drive bristles of nylon that are stiff and deep into carpets to trap large particles and fine dust. It has three different suction modes that can be adapted to the specific task. It is able to quickly switch between handheld and floor vacuum, and vice versa.
The model also comes with an accessory dock that can charge to 100% in around 3.5 hours, and gives users an easy access to two attachments as well as a wand clip. This is a significant improvement over older Dysons that require a lengthy charge and are difficult to store.
The main drawback of the V10 is its limited run time. The claims of its marketing that it can last up to 60 minutes of run time are not true, as CR's testing shows. This is an average not an extraordinary time to run an electric cordless vacuum powered by batteries. That's still enough run time to clean most of a typical-sized home but not long enough to clean every area (though an additional run-through often can be effective). That's not to say this model doesn't have its advantages: It's lighter and mobile than the older cordless Dysons and its vacuuming performance is significantly superior on carpets with a low pile.
4. iRobot Roomba 694
One of iRobot's most adored robot vacuums The 694 is a basic model that's a good option for those who don't want to spend too much money on a robot. It was able to remove all kinds of debris and sizes during our tests, and frequently went over the same area multiple times for a thorough clean. Its flat front design allows it to reach the corners and the edges of walls.
Its smart navigation system uses iAdapt to avoid obstacles and navigate around your home, but it lacks the ability to map that comes with more advanced models like our top choices and the i3+ EVO and j7+ series. It may get stuck on phone cords or furniture and will often run out of power before returning to its home base.
The Xiaomi Mi robot vacuum is superior to the Roomba 694 in most respects in that it has fewer parts that require regular cleaning, is fitted with an allergen-trapping HEPA filter, has lower recurring costs, comes with more advanced automation capabilities and is better at moving itself. It also has a bigger dustbin, and charges more quickly.
The eufy RoboVac X8 is superior to the Roomba 694 in most reasons, since it has a longer battery life, the ability to change its suction power mode on its own and has physical boundary strips, and can be controlled by your smartphone's voice assistant. It's also more robust, has a more powerful motor, and can perform better on floors with low pile and bare.
5. Samsung Jet Bot AI+
Samsung is a well-known brand in the field of home electronics. It's not a surprise, then, that they are also among the top producers of robot vacuums and mop. Their Jet Bot AI+ is packed with cutting-edge onboard technology to aid in navigation and obstacles avoidance.
The app offers a wide range of options for customizing your robotic cleaner. These include virtual barriers, mopping levels and behavior customizations, docking frequency settings and more. The app is simple to navigate and use as are other Samsung devices.
In our tests our tests, the Jet Bot AI+ excelled on hard floors and handled dog hair (on carpet) very well, picking up 86% of it. However, it didn't do particularly well in avoiding higher-up objects like cords or socks which was a disappointment. It's also more expensive than the other models that we tested, and this could be a deterrent for some shoppers.
The app lets you access the onboard camera of the smart vacuum. You can also set up live streaming from the robot's area of cleaning. This feature lets you to monitor your pets or children while you are away. The filter and dustbin can be cleaned to make cleanup quick and easy. The Jet Bot AI+ also comes with a clean and tidy station that's self-emptying, which helps keep the robot's dustbin clean and optimizes suction power for each cleaning run.
6. Black & Decker Robot Vacuum
Black and Decker robots have been developed specifically for flooring made of hard wood. The robots have an extra-wide cleaning path and dust bins that are 2X larger than the competition. This allows them to clean the area for a longer period of time. They also have two side sweepers that can be used to clean around corners and edges. The POWERSERIES model comes with AutoSense which adjusts the power level depending on whether it's cleaning up dirt that is on the surface or embedded. The vacuum also comes with an app that allows you to view a virtual map, control functions, and schedules. You can also monitor the status of the vacuum's battery and return it to its dock for charging by pressing the button. robot vacuum sale customize the LED lights on the top of the vacuum to tell where it is focused or if it's stuck.
The app allows you to steer the robot manually when needed. My living room rug, for example is darkly colored that could cause trouble for other robots. The HRV 425BL however was able to continue to move across the border without ever registering the cliff. The ability to create the weekly cleaning schedule is a great time-saving convenience.