What's Holding Back The Robot Vac Industry?

Top Rated Robot Vacuums

A robot vacuum will keep your floors clean enough to cut down on the frequency of manual hoovering. Select a vacuum with good navigation, can clean stairs and corners and has an enormous bin that only needs to be emptied periodically.

You can also find models that clean and charge themselves, a feature that may be essential for those who have pets or kids. The top performers in our tests also have good obstacle avoidance.

1. iRobot Roomba i3+ EVO

The i3+ EVO and its i3 EVO sibling, the i3 EVO are both identical robots that differ only in that the i3+ has self-emptying features. The i3+ is a good alternative for those who want a an entirely automated, hands-free cleaning experience but are willing to manually empty the robot's dustbin after it has filled up.

Both robots are adept at picking up surface debris on carpets and hard floors, and they're excellent in moving around furniture and other obstacles. iAdapt navigation software creates smart maps of your home to help the i3+ navigate and clean up efficiently. The i3+ does not have obstacle avoidance capabilities like the i7+ or any other top-rated robots that we tested. It can be stuck on power cords and socks, and may have trouble navigating between surfaces, such as hardwood and rug.

iRobot recommends that you tidy the area around the i3+ EVO vacuums prior to using it. This includes putting away any toys or other items it may encounter. It's also a good idea to keep the dust bin and filter clean so they aren't clogged by dirt. If the i3+'s internal bin is empty or the battery is low it returns to the docking station and automatically empties the dirt into the station's external dustbin. Then it continues cleaning where it began. The battery's life span is approximately an hour and a half of constant use. It takes 3 hours to fully charge.

2. Roomba from iRobot

The iRobot Roomba i7+ is the top model in the iRobot flagship line and is equipped with the most recent features. It has self-charging and self-navigating. However, the most significant feature is the self-emptying bin. This eliminates the need for routine maintenance.

The Roomba i7+ can keep up to 10 floor plans and their names with Imprint Smart Mapping, a system that lets it identify rooms to clean them more efficiently. It also works with iRobot Home to schedule cleaning tasks, and you can direct your robot using the app or via voice.

In our testing the i7+ performed faster and more maneuverable than our top choice and the eufy RoboVac G30, and it picked up large pieces of pet hair from all surfaces types, including carpeting. The main advantage it has over the Eufy is its self-emptying bin, which eliminates major sources of maintenance and reduces recurring cost.

We were also impressed with the i7+'s compatibility Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant AI services. We used these services to instruct the robot on how to begin or stop cleaning sessions and also to move around the room and to vacuum a particular area. The iRobot Home App made it easy to connect the i7+ to these services. We were able, once connected, to voice commands to the i7+, for example "Hey Alexa vacuum the master bedroom." The iRobot Home app also provides options to manage the i7+'s preferences and monitoring its performance.

3. Dyson Cyclone V10

In a world full of vacuums with cords that look like minivans or buses, this tiny Dyson model feels like an old-fashioned sports car. It is powerful enough to replace a stand-up vacuum in most homes, but it is also compact enough to fit on a coffee table or bookcase.

The V10 is powered by a seven-cell, high-energy lithium-ion battery that can provide energy that is not faded for 60 minutes. The advanced whole-machine filter system captures allergens, and then lets cleaner air into your home. The cleaning head is specially designed to drive stiff nylon bristles deep into carpets to trap large dust and crumbs. It has three different suction modes that can be adjusted to suit the task. It swiftly switches from handheld vacuum to floor vacuum and back.

The model also comes with a dock that charges to 100% in about 3.5 hours and offers an easy access to two attachments and the wand clip. This is a huge improvement over older Dysons, which take a long time to charge and are a pain to store.

The main drawback of the V10 is its short run time. The claims of its marketing that it can provide up to 60 minutes of run time are not true as CR's tests show. This is an average, not an exceptional, run time for an electric cordless vacuum powered by batteries. It's enough time to clean the typical home however, it's not enough time to get into every corner. (A second time usually works). This model has its own advantages however: it's lighter and more maneuverable than older Dysons cordless models, and its vacuuming ability is noticeably superior for carpet floors with low pile.

4. iRobot Roomba 694

The 694 is a basic robotic vacuum that's a great option for those who don't have a lot of money to spend on a robot. It's capable of sucking up a variety of debris types and sizes during our testing, and it often goes over the same areas multiple times to get a really thorough clean. Its flat front design allows it to reach the corners and edges of walls.

Its intelligent navigation system makes use of iAdapt to stay clear of obstacles and navigate your home, but it isn't equipped with the mapping capability of more advanced models like our top choices such as the i3+ EVO and the j7+ series. It may get stuck on phone cords or furniture and often runs out of power before returning to its base.

The Xiaomi Mi robot Automatic vacuum cleaners is superior to the Roomba 694 in all aspects in that it has fewer components that require regular maintenance, is fitted with an allergen-trapping HEPA filter, incurs lower costs for recurring maintenance, has more advanced automation capabilities and is better at maneuvering itself. It also has a larger dustbin, and charges more quickly.

The eufy RoboVac X8 is superior to the Roomba 694 for most purposes, because it has a longer battery life, can change the suction power mode by hand and has physical boundary strips, and can be controlled by your smartphone's voice assistant. It is also more durable and has a stronger motor, and works better on floors that are bare and low-pile carpet, while offering a wider range of automation features.

5. Samsung Jet Bot AI+

Samsung is a well-known brand in the field of home electronics. It's not a surprise that they are also among the top producers of robot vacuums and mop. Jet Bot AI+ has a cutting-edge onboard technology to navigate and avoid obstacles.

The app offers a variety of options for customizing your robotic cleaner. This includes mopping levels, virtual barriers and behavior adjustments docking frequency settings and much more. It's simple to comprehend and user-friendly, as is the case with other Samsung devices.

In our testing, the Jet Bot AI+ excelled on hard floors, and also handled dog hair (on carpet) quite well, clearing up 86% of it. However, it wasn't particularly well with higher-up objects like cords or socks which was disappointing. It's also more expensive than other models we've tested and this could be a deal breaker for some shoppers.

The smart vacuum has an onboard camera that you can access through the app. You can also set up a live streaming from the robot's cleaning station. This feature allows you to monitor your children or pets while you are away. The filter and the dustbin can be cleaned for a quick, painless clean-up. The Jet Bot AI+ also has a clean station that's self-emptying and helps keep the robot vacuum cleaner top 10's dustbin clean and maximizes suction power for each cleaning.

6. Black & Decker robot vacuum black friday Vacuum

In contrast to other robotic vacuum cleaner comparison vacuums that are specifically designed for hard floors and carpets, Black and Decker robots are designed specifically for hard floors. They feature an extra-wide cleaning path and an extra-large dustbin that holds 2X more debris than other models to keep the area clear for maximum runtime. They also have two side sweepers to clean around corners and edges. The POWERSERIES Extreme model also includes AutoSense technology, which detects if it's picking up surface litter or embedded dirt and then automatically adjusts the power level. It also comes with a smart app that lets you browse the virtual map and manage the functions and schedules. You can also monitor the status of the vacuum and then send it to its dock for charging at the touch of a single button. The app lets you customize the LED lights on the top of the vacuum so that you can discern where it is focusing or if it's stuck.

The app also makes it simple to manually steer the robot should you need to. My living room rug, for instance is darkly colored which could cause a problem for other robots. The HRV 425BL, however continued to travel across the border without registering the high point. And the ability to create a weekly cleaning schedule is a great time-saving convenience.