10 Things Everyone Hates About Robot Vac

Top Rated Robot Vacuums

A robot vacuum is able to keep floors clean enough to reduce the frequency you have to manually vacuum. Find one that has excellent navigation, is able to clean stairs and corners and has a huge dust bin that requires emptying only periodically.

There are models that mop and charge themselves this is an option important for families with children or pets. A majority of the top performers in our tests have excellent ability to overcome obstacles.

1. IRobot Roomba i3+ EVO

The i3+ EVO is identical to its sibling i3 EVO. They differ only in that the i3+ comes with self-emptying capabilities. The i3+ is a great alternative for those who want a an automated, hands-free cleaning experience, but want to manually empty the robot's dustbin once it gets full.

Both robots excel at picking up surface debris off hard floors and carpets, and they're very adept at getting around furniture and other obstacles. iAdapt navigation software creates a smart maps of your home that aid the i3+ in its navigation and clean up efficiently. However unlike the i7+ and other top-rated robots that we evaluated the i3+ does not have any obstacle-avoidance features and therefore it could get stuck on things such as socks or power cords and may have issues navigating across surface transitions like hardwood to carpet.

iRobot suggests that you clean up the area where the i3+ EVO vacuums prior to using it. This includes getting rid of any toys or other clutter it might come across. It's also recommended to keep the dust bin and filter clean so they aren't clogged by dirt. When the i3+ EVO’s internal bin is empty or the battery is not fully charged, it returns to the docking station and takes the dirt out of the docking station's external dustbin. Then it continues cleaning where it began. Battery life is about an hour and a half of constant use. It takes three hours to charge.

2. Roomba by iRobot

The iRobot Roomba i7+ is the most powerful model of the flagship line from iRobot and is equipped with the most recent features. It's self-charging and self-navigating. the most important feature of all -- it comes with a self-emptying dustbin that eliminates one of the primary sources of maintenance for any budget robot vacuum vacuum.

The Roomba I7+ is able to map rooms more efficiently with Imprint Smart Mapping. It also integrates with iRobot Home to schedule cleaning tasks, and it can direct your robot using the app or via voice.

In our testing the i7+ performed more agile and faster than our top rated robot vacuum choice which was the eufy RoboVac G30, and it took large pieces of pet hair from all surface kinds including carpeting. Its biggest advantage over the eufy, though the dust bin is self-emptying which eliminates a major cause of maintenance and reduces the cost of maintenance.

We were also impressed by the i7+'s compatibility with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant AI services that we used to instruct the robot to begin, stop or pause its cleaning routines and to move around the room and sweep an area. The process of connecting the i7+ to these services was easy and straightforward using the iRobot Home app. After connecting we were able to communicate with the i7+ using voice commands such as "Hey Alexa, vacuum the master bedroom." The iRobot Home app also provides options for managing the i7+'s settings and monitoring its performance.

3. Dyson Cyclone V10

In a world of vacuums that are cordless and feel like minivans or buses, this tiny Dyson model feels like an old-fashioned sports car. It's powerful enough to replace a traditional stand-up vacuum in a majority of homes, but also small enough to fit on the bookcase or coffee table.

The V10 is powered by a 7-cell energy-dense lithium-ion battery which produces continuous, non-fading power for 60 minutes. Its advanced whole-machine filtration system captures allergens and expels cleaner air back into your home. The cleaning head is specially designed to drive stiff nylon bristles deep into carpet to collect large dust and crumbs. It has three suction modes that can be adapted to the specific task. It is able to quickly change from handheld to floor vacuum and vice versa.

This model comes with an attached dock that charges the Dyson to 100 percent in 3.5 hours. It also gives the ability to connect two attachments and an wand. 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 limited run time. The claims of its marketing that it can last up to 60 minutes of running time are not true, as CR's testing shows. This is a common, not exceptional, battery-powered cordless vacuum's running time. It's enough time to vacuum a typical-sized home, but not enough to get into every corner. (A second pass usually works). However, this model doesn't have its advantages: It's lighter and agile than older cordless Dysons and its vacuuming performance is significantly better on low-pile carpet.

4. iRobot Roomba 694

The 694 is a standard robot vacuum that's an excellent choice for those who don't have lots of money to invest in an expensive robot. It could pick up most types of debris and sizes during our testing and often went over the same area multiple times to ensure a thorough clean. Its flat front allows it to reach the corners and edges of walls.

Its intelligent navigation system makes use of iAdapt technology to steer clear of obstacles and navigate your home. It's not equipped with the mapping capabilities of more advanced models, including our top picks, i3+EVO and the j7+ Series. This means that it can sometimes get stuck on things like phone cords or furniture that isn't as sturdy, and frequently will run out of battery before returning to its home base.

The Xiaomi Mi robot best auto vacuum is superior to the Roomba 694 in most respects because it has fewer components that require regular cleaning and is equipped with an allergen-trapping HEPA filter, incurs lower costs for recurring maintenance, has more advanced automation capabilities and is more efficient in moving itself. It also has a bigger dustbin and is charged faster.

The sleek RoboVac X8 has a superior battery life than the Roomba. It also comes with physical boundaries strips and can be controlled using your smartphone's voice assistance. It is also more durable and has a more powerful motor, and works better on bare floors and low-pile carpet, while providing a greater variety of features for automation.

5. Samsung Jet Bot AI+

Samsung is a brand is seen on a variety of electronic gadgets for your best home vacuum cleaner, so it comes as no surprise that they're also one of the top robot vacuum and mop manufacturers. Their Jet Bot AI+ is loaded with cutting-edge onboard intelligence tech for navigation and obstacle avoidance.

The app offers a wide range of options to customize your robotic cleaner. These include virtual barriers, mopping levels and behavior modifications, docking frequency settings and much more. It's easy to comprehend and user-friendly, as is the case with other Samsung devices.

In our tests of the Jet Bot AI+ excelled on hard floors, and also handled dog hair (on carpet) quite well, clearing up 86 percent of it. It didn't do very well in avoiding taller items such as cords or socks. This was disappointing. It's also a bit more expensive than some of the other models we've tested, which might be a deterrent for some buyers.

The smart vacuum comes with an onboard camera that is accessible via the app. You can also create a live stream from the robot's cleaning station. This feature allows you to monitor your pets or the kids if you're away from home. The dustbin and filter are washable for quick, easy cleanup. The Jet Bot AI+ also comes with a clean station that self-empties, which helps keep the robot's dustbin clear and maximizes suction power for each cleaning run.

6. Black & Decker Robot Vacuum

Unlike other robotic vacuums, that are specifically designed for carpets and hard floors, Black and Decker robots are specifically designed for hard floors. The robots come with an extra-wide cleaning path, and a dustbin that is 2 times larger than other models. This lets them clean the area for longer. Additionally, they come with two side sweepers that clean along edges and in corners. The POWERSERIES model includes AutoSense that automatically adjusts the power level according to whether it's picking up dirt on the surface or embedded dirt. It also includes a smart application that lets you view the virtual map and control the functions and schedules. You can also track the status of the vacuum and connect it to its dock for charging at the click of a button. The app also allows you to personalize the LED lights on top of the vacuum by using different colors so you can easily identify which areas it's focused on or where it's gotten stuck.

The app makes it possible to manually steer the robot in the event of need. For instance, my living room rug has a darkly colored border that tends to trip up some of the other robots I've tried. However, the HRV 425BL continued to move across the border without registering it as a cliff. The ability to program a weekly cleaning schedule for each week is a time-saving advantage.