At the end of its life, a Roomba battery or the entire machine can be safely recycled through local electronics/battery recycling programs or through Roomba’s recycling partners in the U.S. and around the world. We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products—learn more about our process. Katie Begley is a product reviewer for The Spruce bissell crosswave cordless who specializes in lifestyle and parenting writing. As a mom of three, she’s written about parenting and family life for At Ease Magazine, Legacy, and Monterey Bay Parent, where she was a monthly columnist. BlackFriday.com may earn affiliate commissions from our partners on this page. These commissions do not affect how we select, rate or review products.
Rotary encoders on the wheels can detect the rate at which the wheels are spinning so it can determine if they’re slipping or stuck, and drop sensors detect if a wheel is too low . An undriven swivel caster (located at the front of most models, and at the back of the D-shaped S series) is used not for steering, as is often believed, but as an additional sensor. It too is a rotary encoder; the caster’s wheel is half black and half white, and optical sensors detect the change in color as it rotates. This helps detect if the Roomba is stuck or beached (i.e., the drive wheels are spinning but the Roomba isn’t moving). 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. Most bots come with a tool that can cut and then brush away the fuzz.
When it’s running low on battery—after about 75 minutes of runtime—the Roomba will automatically recharge and then resume cleaning. 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.
Then each robot vacuum is allowed 10 minutes to pick up the debris from the floor and the weight of the dustbin is taken to find how much debris is picked up by each. Straight-line pickup tests on carpet are done in an enclosed area where we deposit mixed debris including potting soil, sand and rayon fibers meant to mimic hair. Each robot vacuum is allowed to clean the carpet for a specified length of time, and the weight of the dustbin is taken to find out how much debris each robot can pick up. With outstanding maneuverability, the Miele Scout RX2 Home Vision can vacuum through your home for up to two hours, taking care of your floors and carpet without bumping into obstacles.
While it doesn’t come with the ick factor of cleaning the toilet or the tedium of dusting, pushing and dragging a noisy, cumbersome vacuum is its own kind of torture. Depending on the model you are using, your robot cleaner can run a total of 60 to 120 minutes on a single charge. Roomba models that do not have the VSLM feature move in a random pattern. According to the company’s test lab, a unit with VSLM can clean up to 2,000 square feet on a 120-minute charge. So far, though, the Yeedi K650 is the most effective and affordable of the ones I’ve tried. The battery lasts a really long time for a budget vac—more than 100 minutes—and it navigates adroitly around the most common vacuum traps in my house, like my kitchen step.
I keep a Dyson around for quick spot cleaning and vacuuming bedroom corners . A vac with a little less oomph may actually be best for bissell crosswave cordless corners or frills. Other bots with stronger suction might slurp them right up, while wimpier bots may be too mild to tackle hair.
While any vacuum can clean bare floors, some models make the task a little easier. The most versatile option of these is the Shark Navigator Lift-Away NV352. So the first order of business for any successful robot vacuum is to avoid or at least escape from potential bot traps and hazards. As for the Roborock S6 MaxV, it failed the crucial dog-turd avoidance test multiple times when we first tested it in 2020, and was just okay at avoiding other kinds of obstacles.
You need to clear their path of anything that might get tangled in their wheels, and some have trouble getting into or out of tight spaces. Their bins are relatively small, so you’ll need to empty them more regularly than an upright or stick version. The main brush is between five and ten inches long, located under the unit, and is made of a rubber-like material. The vacuum sucks debris into the main brush, which spins to feed the materials into the dustbin.
We’ve tested 30 robot vacuums and counting; here are the ones that didn’t make our top picks. The vacuum’s extras are helpful to any pet parent, including a mop tank attachment, spinning mop pads, and a trial-size bottle of cleaning formula. Plus, you receive a cleaning tool that helps remove hairs from the brushes and clean the filter. The iRobot Roomba i3+ EVO Robot Vacuum is iRobot’s most affordable option that features automatic dirt disposal, which empties the vac’s dustbin automatically. We provide a detailed analysis of each of these vacuums in our reviews, and you can see our vacuum product guide for the latest models.