Robot vacuums never get bored or distracted, and they don’t mind cleaning every day. So with very little effort on your part, your floors can stay constantly tidy. We’ve tested dozens of robots, from cheap models that bump around randomly, up through fancy machines that empty themselves and steer around dog poop.
Infrared sensors keep it off the stairs, though like other bump bots, it can’t avoid obstacles like lamp cords. The iRobot j7+ is the best robot vacuum you can buy right now, with simpler mapping, more cleaning power and smarter features than anything else we tested. Robot vacuums are designed to make your life easier, cleaning the floors so you don’t have to. They’re particularly great for keeping up with pet hair but can also keep your house tidy when you’re just too busy bissell crosswave cordless (and they’ll do it better because they don’t mind vacuuming every day). The Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 AIVI is a pricey 2-in-1 robot vacuum and mop with excellent battery life, the ability to identify and avoid obstacles, and a unique home monitoring feature. The Shark IQ Robot Self-Empty XL R101AE vacuum holds up to a months’ worth of dust and debris in its base station, and features a self-cleaning brushroll and lots of smart features for a truly low-maintenance experience.
For a lot of people, the app’s robust controls are worth the fiddling and occasional frustration. For others, it’s more trouble than it’s worth, and in that case we’d suggest a simpler robot like the Roomba i3—one that just starts cleaning when you turn it on, and keeps going until it can’t find anywhere new to clean. irobot vacuum cleaner These higher-end Roomba models have some disadvantages compared with other smart-map robots that rely on laser navigation, including our other top pick, the Roborock S4 Max. Laser-nav bots can learn your home’s layout in a single session, whereas these Roombas typically need two or three sessions of training.
The placement requirements for different makes and models will vary, of course; but generally speaking, you’ll need to place the base station somewhat in the open. Tuck the base out of the way and your robot might have trouble finding it so it can dock and recharge its battery. Also, don’t forget that the charging station needs to be reasonably close to a power outlet.
This is an app-controlled vacuum with a low profile that didn’t perform well enough in our testing to compete with others in the same price range. It can be controlled via a remote, app or voice assistant but has no mapping or room-specific scheduling capability, and the random navigation, in our testing, never quite completed a run of the house. More advanced models require you to set up a map and define the zones of your house you’ll want them to clean or stay away from, and even the best vacuum can get stuck and need human intervention. Some of the most advanced robot vacuums, such as the Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 AIVI, feature artificial intelligence technology to automatically identify and avoid obstacles like shoes and toys. Premium models may also feature a camera, letting you view live video of your home from wherever you are. Just pick a robot-accessible spot for the charging dock, and the bot will return on its own before it runs out of juice.