This cordless stick vacuum cleaner just might fit the bill, and for much less cash. The vacuum’s “Laser Slim Fluffy” cleaner head is unique as well. It’s designed specifically for hard flooring, and shines a green laser out onto the floor ahead as you clean. Its purpose is to highlight dust and other small bits of debris otherwise hard to spot with the naked eye. The system does work, and we observed plenty of dirt on the hard floor we’d normally miss.
There could definitely be a point where one treasures coming home to a clean, mopped floor enough to pay this kind of price. The addition of the auto-empty dock boosts its value (but adds $300 onto its price as well). The dock features a clean double canister look, with one side housing a HEPA filter and the other housing a bag that comes inserted and ready to go. The vacuum and app didn’t even need to be warned that I was swapping docks — it simply knew to head to the new dock and empty itself. Despite the compactness of the tower, the bag leaves you off the hook for up to two months at a time.
More advanced Wi-Fi equipped robot vacuums tend to only require Wi-Fi for certain features linked to a companion app on your phone. These include scheduling via your phone and the vacuum letting you know it has become stuck. Lower-end shark cordless models often come with a remote control similar to a classic TV remote instead. As mentioned, this vacuum cleans deep, and is especially good on carpets. By contrast, virtual boundaries are what makes the X8 Hybrid so great.
The best robot vacuum for deep cleaning is Dyson’s 360 Heurist (£899). It’s a big improvement on the original Dyson robo vac with increased suction power, the ability to see in the dark and it’s a great performer, especially on carpets that need a deep clean. The best value robot vacuum you can buy right now is Eufy’s RoboVac X8 Hybrid (£380). 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.
It’s also worth taking a peek at our top picks for the best cordless vacuums around, as a robot and a cordless can make for top cleaning pals. The design hasn’t changed much between generations; it’s still around the same size and shape as the previous model – the 360 Eye – and it even uses the same digital motor as before. If you want a robot vacuum cleaner with all the perks, look no further. Roomba is a family of consumer autonomous robotic vacuum cleaners sold by the American technology company iRobot.
Once I learned how to do everything in the app, I still had trouble getting most things going. A few too many steps involved, unless you just want to start cleaning. The reports were the same as the Roomba, with coverage, battery and charging times. The cross angles bristles pick up most hair and fur and stings, but it is easily wrapped around the extractor bar.
However, I use our Dyson in our open plan living room / dining room / kitchen setup, and 45 minutes is just about enough. To get all these settings in place is a bit of a faff though, to be honest. Another design aspect that sets Dyson’s robo cleaners apart is the the tank track wheels. The idea here is to make sure the robot doesn’t get stuck climbing up on rugs and the like. Its metallic blue casing looks slick, while ensuring that the vacuum is easy to spot.
It has recently been attempting to expand its range of products and dabbling in new markets such as wearable technology. The company, which was founded by British inventor James Dyson in 1993, released its first robot floor-based vacuum over 20 years ago. “This is a ‘big bet’ on future robotic technology that will drive research across the whole of Dyson, in areas including mechanical engineering, vision systems, machine learning and energy storage.” I was impressed with the S7’s ability to hoist itself over doormats or changes in floor type. With confidence, it rolled over my bath mats, thin area rugs, and barriers between the living room hardwood and bathroom tile. And, as with any home, I have pieces of furniture that stick out at different lengths.
It uses the centrally located dual rubberized brushrolls and side spinning brush to agitate and clean up dirt, dust, and debris from open areas as well as corners and edges. Before the launch of the iRobot Roomba, robot vacuums seemed like some kind of far-off dream, something that is only used in space-age homes of the future or in the homes of millionaires. It seemed simply unrealistic for robot vacuums to be in the homes of the middle-class. The Dyson V8 is stick vacuum that offers a 40 minute run time, doubles as a 2-in-1 (stick and handheld vacuum), and offers cordless convenience as you clean. It has a 0.54 L dust bin (about 40% larger than the Roomba dust bin) and weighs under 6 lbs.