Best Robot Vacuums: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

Best Robot Vacuums and Mop and vacuum combo robot (gunan.Kr) Combos

The best rated robot vacuum way to keep your home clean is to use a robotic vacuum. It will pick up dust, pet hair, and other debris on surfaces.

Some robots are able to sync with smart assistants such as Alexa and Google Assistant for a hands-free experience. Find models that recharge and resume cleaning the area they left.

1. iRobot s8

This smart robot mop and vacuum is an excellent option for a wide range of households. It vacuums and mops well and is extremely navigable using both GPS and laser sensors and offers a broad range of controls and features available via the app. It has a handy feature that lets you create Cleaning zones in areas that require more attention, as well as Keep Out zones in areas that you don't want it to be. It also gets software updates, just like all Roomba products, that enhance it over time.

It's costly, but it's is also one of the most sophisticated robot vacuums ZDNet has ever tested. It comes with a powerful battery that can vacuum an entire home in less than two hours. Additionally, it can switch between mopping and vacuuming at the touch of one button. It will automatically empty the dust bin above its charging station, in contrast to other self-emptying robots that require you to empty the bin after each run.

It also has many other options, like intelligent obstacle avoidance that uses a camera along with processor-powered smarts in order to detect obstacles. It's not often tripped or stuck during a cleaning process. In my tests it was the best in avoiding objects such as power cables. It's not as precise in detecting pet waste, or other dangers.

2. Eufy RoboVac X8 Hybrid

Eufy is owned by Anker is now a household name in the world of budget robot vacuums. But it didn't offer a model that could also mop. That's changed with the X8 Hybrid, which has an impressive set of modern features and is able to compete against much more expensive models.

The laser navigation is the main selling point of this machine. Previous Eufy devices have constructed an outline of your home utilizing infrared sensors and bumping into objects but the X8's laser mapping technology is far more precise. It takes less time to build a comprehensive map of your home. It also has the ability to store multiple maps. This is ideal for multi-floored homes.

The X8 is a good vacuum cleaner for floors with no dust. It is able to easily throw debris through the side brushes and into its 400ml dust bin. The X8's tyres, despite having a circular shape, are good at grabbing corners and edges. Our tests revealed that it was able to remove 90% of the fur on hard floors.

The mopping mode that is the basic one uses the same water reservoir as the vacuuming mode. This is ideal for spills that are not dangerous, but you are unable to control the amount of water it uses. However, it does an excellent job of picking up pet hair, with a better speed of pickup than the roborock robot vacuum S7.

3. Miele RX2

Miele's RX2 robotic vacuum is known for its quiet, effective appliances. It has a beautiful design, a great navigation system and a powerful cleaning power. But it has some operational hiccups that prevent it from being ranked as the best overall smart robot vacuum.

The RX2 is equipped with a dual-sensor mapping system that makes use of LIDAR to map a room and a pair of 3D scanning cameras to detect and eliminating obstacles (such as furniture legs or pet waste). Once mapped the app allows you to designate virtual no-go zones and favorite sections that the robot will automatically clean. You can also start cleaning manually or change the cleaning mode, see a live feed from the onboard cameras, and more on the main screen.

The RX2 is equipped with excellent sensors that can detect furniture and other obstructions immediately. Its sweeping and suction powers are outstanding, effectively removing surface litter from medium pile carpeting and also removing embedded dust on floors. It's not the most powerful robot available. It's not the most efficient climber, and it has problems with metal threshold transition strips.

Many people purchase robot vacuums for the convenience of setting up a schedule using an app, only to forget about them for weeks. It's crucial for a robot to be capable of the task and that's why our ZDNet staff has tested and reviewed some of the most popular models to help you pick the best one for your house.

4. Shark ION

This budget-friendly robovac looks just like a typical robot, but it's an upgrade in terms of performance and features. Its intelligent mapping system creates 3D and 2D maps of your home, and uses them to avoid obstacles and navigate. It's also able to detect common obstructions such as power cords and furniture legs in real time. This combination of sensors, together with a bump sensor, and an infrared sensor for dropping that keeps it off steps, makes it one of the fastest vacs we've tested.

It was able to climb over the thick shag carpets and did not get stuck (unlike the RoboVac 11s or Roomba 690-). Its navigational skills were also impressive; its composite score in carpet and bare floors was better than the competition, and it took in 98.5 percent of the surface litter and embedded pet hair from our laboratory test samples.

The controls are more basic than the competition's. There's a clean button at the top and you can either start it with the app or by voice commands with Alexa or Google Assistant. You can also schedule daily or weekly cleanings, designate no-go zones and check its history of cleaning. Ion is covered in a stylish dark gray plastic that looks and feels attractive in your home. Its rear dustbin is easily accessible to empty, and the removal of the filters is also simple.

5. Eufy 11S

Eufy 11S is a great choice if you want a robot vacuum that's simple and simple at a cost that is low. It isn't equipped with some of the more advanced features, such as digital mapping and Alexa integration, which are found in higher-end models however, if you don't require these functions, you can save money with this model.

This robot is simple to setup and use. It does not require a smartphone app or Wi-Fi pairing, however it does have an remote control that allows you to select between different modes and adjust the suction level. It also lets you manually send the robovac off during scheduled cleaning.

During our tests, the 11S was extremely effective in cleaning pet hair and dirt on hard floors and low-pile carpets. Its slim profile made it easier to reach under furniture and other low items that larger robots could not reach. It was able to go effortlessly over door thresholds and switch from one type of floor to another.

The 11S, like other robots will also suckup certain objects, like cords and cat toys. The manufacturer suggests that you can prevent this from happening by keeping these objects off the ground and using a cord organizer when you can. It also recommends cleaning the dustbin on a regular basis replacing the filters, and changing or washing the brushes as required.

6. iRobot Roomba 980

The Roomba 980 is the flagship robot vacuum. It's pricey however it's a top performer and, in some ways, the most advanced robot vacuum you can purchase. Its self-navigating features and environmental mapping are a wonder to behold. It also comes with more advanced automation features than many competitors, including the ability to set virtual boundary lines with its mobile app. It's a capable robot vacuum, even though its app isn't the most responsive and the 980 spins when it is pushed over cables.

We really like the 980 due to its iAdapt2.0 navigation sensors and visual simultaneity mapping and localisation (or vSLAM), to memorise the floor plan of your home. It will use this data to create a consistent, efficient cleaning path through each cycle. The result is cleaner floors and a more efficient robot vacuum than most high-end robots.

Other features include dual multi-surface rubber brushes, which grab dirt from hard floors and carpet, along with a spinning brush that sweeps debris into the robotic vacuum's bin. Its floor tracking sensor assists in navigating around furniture, along edges and on steps. Cliff Detect prevents the Roomba from falling. It also automatically returns to its base station for easy recharging between sessions. The battery life and bin capacity of the 980 aren't as good as other robot vacuums. However, it is a solid and reliable machine that can keep floors clean for a long time. hours.