The best robot vacuums of 2022 tested and rated

Its defining feature is supposed to be its strong suction, with two turbines pulling 2,000 pascals each (whereas most laser-nav bots have a single turbine and less than 2,500 pascals of suction total). That’s fine, but it’s still a tiny fraction of the suction you’d get from a traditional vacuum and only makes the X8 a marginally better cleaner than a much more affordable robot, like the Roborock S4 Max. The older Eufy RoboVac L70 is still available as well, but its shark cordless app is not capable of permanently remembering specific rooms in your home, which makes it substantially less convenient than most current laser-nav bots. In our experience, it can be useful in spaces as large as 1,000 square feet, as long as you run it most days of the week as a habit and can forgive that it might not thoroughly clean every room every time that it runs. But some people don’t want to deal with the unpredictable coverage, and that’s understandable.

This robot vacuum is constantly learning with every run too, making it one of the smartest we’ve seen. How much you spend depends on your budget and your must-haves in a robot vacuum cleaner. As a rule of thumb, the more features and functions a robot has, the more expensive it will be.

(They’re also handy for stairs.) The only robot I found that does a really good job on carpets is the Roomba s9, which has 30 times the suction power of the Roomba j7. But that’s a $1,000 bot (including a self-empty base), and its lack of AI obstacle avoidance means it’s prone to getting stuck. Thanks to our careful research and tireless testing, we’ve brought you some of the greatest robotic vacuum cleaners currently available on the market today. With several design upgrades, a self-emptying bin, and its ability to pair up with a robot mop — floor cleaning has never been this automated. It offers an array of innovative features many robot vacuums simply don’t offer. Thanks to its powerful cleaning capability, we readily recommend this as one the best options for pet owners.

irobot vacuum cleaner

We also tried the opposite, running the i3 EVO before the Roborock S4 Max, and found that the S4 did not come back with much debris in its bin, likely because the Roomba i3 EVO grabbed it all first. By our count, more than 100 robot vacuums are available as of November 2021, and we’ve tested more than 30 of the most noteworthy ones. This affordable robot vacuum is quieter and fits under more furniture than any other model we’ve tested. While it works best in small spaces, it rarely gets stuck and does a good job on bare floors and short-pile rugs. Here’s a list of the other robot vacuums we tested besides the models listed above. We also note whether the robot cleans in a random or methodical pattern.

It vacuums in neat rows using floor-tracking sensors to navigate and dirt-detecting sensors to clean up dust and debris. To accomplish this, the Roomba uses Adapt 2.0 Navigation with visual localization. Some models will work more effectively with bissell crosswave cordless darker floors, most likely due to the cliff sensors mistaking the dark for a drop-off. For hard surfaces, the company also manufactures mopping robots that also include smart features to work in conjunction with their vacuuming counterparts.

People tend to be really impressed with the solid feature set offered at this price point. Many are surprised by how quiet the machine is when running, with some users forgetting it’s even there — until they see the results. Users also enjoy modern conveniences such as Alexa and dyson robot vacuum Google Assistant integration, as well as it’s self-docking feature when the battery is low and how it picks up where it left off when charged. The i7’s dual rubber brushes won’t get tangled cleaning pet hair, while its filter manages to trap up to 99% of dog and cat allergens.

It also features a shallow profile, making it an excellent choice for homes with lower-clearance furniture. We’ve tested dozens of robotic vacuums in our labs to see which hardworking machines deserve a place in your home. Remote control — Some entry level robot vacuum cleaners come with a remote control rather than Wi-Fi connectivity. It doesn’t give you as many options, but you can still control it hands-free using this. The D7 also has multi-room and multi-floor mapping, and can be controlled using Alexa and Google Assistant.

Unfortunately, this premium product also comes with a premium price tag. Roombas are the only robot vacuums that use two brush rolls that rotate toward each other, which works well on all surfaces but has its biggest advantage over other robot vacuums on rugs. In fact, the “brushes” on the i3 EVO are really rubber-nubbed extractors , which are particularly good at picking up pet hair, especially from thicker and higher-pile rugs, without much hair getting wrapped around the roller.