For homes with pet dander and shedded fur, a dual multisurface rubber brush allows for easy release of hair to avoid tangling, while a high-efficiency filter traps 99 percent of dander and other common allergens. A recharge and resume feature automatically activates after about 90 minutes of battery use. It comes loaded shark cordless with filters and dust bags for the base, plus replacements for each. In response to the growing interest of hackers in their product, the company developed the iRobot Create. In this model the vacuum cleaner motor is replaced by a “cargo bay” for mounting devices like TV cameras, lasers and other robotic parts.
The best Roomba vacuums offer enough suction power and smart capabilities to meet the needs of the users. Whether you’re looking for a crumb finder or a pet-hair attacker, the hands-on testing results of these robot vacuums can help shoppers pick the best Roomba for their needs. We tested these models in a home to see how they dealt with real dirt, irobot vacuum cleaner pet hair, and debris as well as simulated dust and heavy crumbs to put the robot vacuums through their paces. Whether you’re looking to mop the floor or lift pet hair from the carpet, there are robot vacuums that help tackle a multitude of household cleaning jobs. Roomba vacuums, made by iRobot, are a well-known name in hands-free cleaners.
In testing we found this mop did a lot of overlapping rows to clean across floors , and there was some streaking left behind by the fluid . Since iRobot’s cleaning fluid and cleaner pads need to be purchased regularly, these items need to factor into the budget. Like the i7, the Roomba i3 has 10 times the power of the 600 series and coordinates with the iRobot app.
This behavior would be annoying from a $400 robot, but it’s especially frustrating from a robot that can sometimes cost more than our favorite dishwasher. IRobot representatives told us that the company fixed the navigation problems via a software update following the robot’s launch, so we plan to reevaluate it in future testing. Since most rooms have furniture and objects scattered throughout, the best robot vacuums are able to internally map and adjust the cleaning pattern accordingly.
We wouldn’t recommend the Coral One robot-handheld hybrid at any price. In our tests it was uncomfortably loud—by far the noisiest vac we’d ever tested—and the nav system was not effective. It sort of converts into a handheld vacuum, but it’s heavy, and you need to remember where you put the awkwardly shaped nozzle. The LG CordZero dyson robot vacuum R9 is a very expensive vacuum with powerful cleaning specs, but owner reviews from Australia, where it had been available for a while at the time of our research, were not favorable. During several of our tests, the Q5 produced good visual results, but the results for the i3 EVO were a little better when we weighed the dustbins.
As for cleaning, we’ve found over and over again that basic Eufy bots are capable of picking up all the most common types of debris off bare floors and low-pile rugs. It’s actually kind of surprising how effective they are, since the advertised suction is so modest, and the single brush roll is small. If you have plush carpets and a lot of hair to deal with, though, you’re likely to prefer a robot with better brush action and possibly stronger suction. Then there are the top-of-the-line Roomba s9 and self-emptying Roomba s9+, which we do not recommend. Instead of the classic puck shape, the s9 has a D-shaped body and extra-wide brushes intended to improve its edge-cleaning and corner-cleaning abilities.
We test vacuums on hardwood, tile, and rugs to see how well they manage the transitions across various surfaces. With so many different features to choose from, which robot vacuum is right for you? Read on for our top picks, as well as all the factors you should consider when buying a robot vacuum.