The LG CordZero 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. In one test, the basic Eufy RoboVac 11S spent an hour picking up enough debris to fill the palm of our hand. Next we ran the Neato Botvac D7 (usually $700 when it was a current model), and it picked up only enough hair to coat the filter and a bit of dust. Then we ran the iRobot Roomba s9+ (usually $1,100), and it came back with barely anything in the bin. We repeated the experiment a few days later and got the same results.
But plenty of models that we don’t explicitly recommend can be good or great, too, and we cite many of them throughout this guide. Wirecutter’s Liam McCabe wrote the previous versions of this guide, evaluating some 200 robots and testing close to 50 models since 2012. Pair iRobot OS powered robots with Alexa, Siri, or Google Assistant-enabled devices² to get cleaning on command. Use Automations to connect to your smart devices and personalize your cleaning experience by scheduling your robot to clean when you leave the house. Stark’s Vacuums has grown to be one of the largest independent vacuum cleaner retailers in the country, with nine locations and more than 250 vacuums to choose from. The Shark AI Ultra XL is an excellent self-emptying robot with high-end features for a lower price.
Whether you want a new keyboard or a robot vac, there’s something for everyone. I hate to be a downer, but you’re probably still going to need a second vacuum once in a while. I keep a Dyson around for quick spot cleaning and vacuuming bedroom corners.
All of the robo-vacs I tested at this mid-range level had roughly the same level of suction, so there wasn’t a big difference between them when it came to cleaning power. Unfortunately, there isn’t a standard power scale that all robo-vacs adhere to, so it’s difficult to compare suction power among a bunch of devices. Some companies irobot vacuum cleaner provide Pascal levels and generally the higher the Pa, the stronger the vacuum will be. But other companies don’t rely on Pa levels and simply say their robots have X-times more suction than other robots. We can’t pinpoint one spec or feature that helps a robot navigate well—we just have to test the bots and see how they do.
The budget-priced iLife V3S Pro uses a suction tube like a traditional vacuum cleaner rather than the roller brushes employed by other robot vacuums, and does a better job picking up pet hair without clogging. The Roomba i3 EVO is a better cleaner than most robot vacuums—at any price. We know this from assessing the visual results in our tests, but also from weighing the contents of the robot’s dustbin after vacuuming sessions and comparing that against the performance dyson robot vacuum of other vacs. On many occasions, we also ran it immediately after other bots had done a cleaning session, and the i3 EVO would still come back with a lot of extra debris in its bin that the other bots must have left behind. “Suction is only one factor in a complex cleaning equation that includes agitation, type of debris, air path, sealing, etc.,” he says. While some vacuums provide numerical measurements for their suction power, iRobot does not, he said.
Although the function works well, we found the Roomba i3/i3+ to be more affordable and a better cleaner overall. Robot vacuum with core cleaning features that allow for a complete clean. Powerful suction and sophisticated design to capture dust and particles in corners and edges. However, buying this accessory separately or purchasing it with the vacuum as part of the S9+ bundle does push it into a different price bracket. If you don’t mind giving up the onboard HEPA filter, the yeedi vac station offers self-emptying capability at a much lower purchase price.
The yeedi also has a passive mopping system, though it isn’t especially effective in clearing stains. The mop cleaning and drying process is efficient, and, in theory, you don’t need to remove the pad after every run. But I would recommend throwing it in the washing machine every time you empty the dirty water tank. The biggest downside is that, instead of using the very good Roborock app, for some reason, you are stuck with Roborock’s parent company Xiaomi’s Mi Home app. But the app lets you add schedules, set a do-not-disturb period, and play with a few other features, which is all you need to get the job done. Stepping it up a notch, and for about $200 more, you can take away the chore of having to empty its decent-sized bin by investing in the j7 Plus, the robot vac with an auto-empty dock.
To compensate for this, Roombas have a rotating multi-pronged brush on one side which sweeps debris towards the path of the cleaning head, helping to clean a wider path and to reach into edges and corners. First- and second-generation Roombas bissell crosswave cordless were not compatible with the Virtual Wall, an accessory used to prevent them from entering an area. It projects a pattern of infrared light, which the vacuum detects and treats as a physical wall, prompting it to stop and turn around.
Read on for our top picks, as well as all the factors you should consider when buying a robot vacuum. But just because you’re not spending a lot of money on a smart unit doesn’t mean you’re not going to get a clean house. In our testing, we found there are some models that clean really well and can do almost as good a job as a higher-priced option. Luckily the Eufy has a recharge and resume feature, so if it runs low on battery, it makes its way back to the base to recharge itself and when ready resumes the cleaning job. In our testing this worked well, except for the fact that it resumed right in the middle of a dinner with friends, but it was easy enough to stop the cleaning run by pressing the button on the vacuum.
And they’re slim enough to travel underneath most couches and tables, so you don’t have to rearrange furniture. IRobot is one of the most respected names in the robot vacuum market, and the Roomba i3+ EVO is its most affordable model with a self-emptying dustbin. Beyond offering greater convenience than their more manual counterparts, self-emptying robot vacuums significantly limit your exposure to dust, a big plus if you suffer from allergies.