On occasion, the app would not allow our testers to start the vacuum; it stalled, waiting for a software update which did not come. There were also times irobot vacuum cleaner when the app simply could not connect to the vacuum. The result of this was that there were several occasions when we were unable to use the vacuum.
It doesn’t actually store and remember routes, though, since furniture and other obstacles can move between runs. The first thing I noticed when I saw Dyson’s 360 Eye was that it was ridiculously tall. Shaped more like a dense 3-layer cake than its wider-flatter counterparts from iRobot and Neato, I assumed it would never clear coffee tables, chairs and other low-profile furniture. Cost less and perform slightly better, the 360 Eye loses some of its initial appeal. It costs $999/£800 and didn’t perform as well as the similarly app-enabled $700 Neato Botvac Connected or the $900 iRobot Roomba 980.
The underside reveals a removable and replaceable front brush system and two likely robust and powerful blue wheels. On the right we see the text DUST ANALYTICS, and on the right we see SIDE ACTUATOR. At the back in the removable dust bin we see RADIAL CYCLONE TECHNOLOGY. Navigation is generally very good, too – this robot rarely became stuck in tests, particularly when set up correctly with the app.
If your furniture is not at least five and a half inches off the ground, the robot won’t go under it. In fact, the 980 will do a better job on shag carpeting than most other vacuums irobot vacuum cleaner of any style. The Dyson 360 Eye can get snagged on long pile shag such as that found in the early 1960s, but the shorter shag of the late 1970s and ‘80s should pose no problems.
It makes it one of the more efficient robots around unlike the 880 that can miss spots here and there. The thing that holds it back from being a bestseller is the price. But for those who can afford it, it is a really nice luxury item to have at home.
Combines the 78,000rpm Dyson digital motor V2 with patented Radial Root Cyclone™ technology, for powerful suction. Dyson appears to be readying a new robot vacuum, possibly for US release, as evident by Federal Communications Commission filings of an announced robovac. The filings even include photos that seem to show a vacuum that’s both wider and flatter than Dyson’s existing robot vacuums. I have my 360 Heurist cleaning hard flooring and a carpeted area and it performs really well on both. The hard flooring is a mock-floorboards setup, with big grooves between the planks that gather dust and grime – and the carpet is constantly covered in crumbs from our toddler’s various snacks throughout the day. The Heurist smashes through all of this though, leaving a nice gleaming floor.
The Auto mode and multi-room mapping make this vacuum so easy to use. While long runtime and useful mop are great to have at this price too. For those with a particularly bissell crosswave cordless busy or big household, robot vacuums can be a godsend. Many now ‘learn’ the layout of rooms throughout the house, letting you set it down and let it go.