This is also one of the quietest robot vacs I’ve ever used and one of the shallowest – perfect for reaching under low furnishings. Dyson has a robot vacuum they’ll likely release this year to roll up on Roomba. Appearing in an FCC filing this week, the Roomba robot vacuum shows a collection of features that make this device seem at least as powerful as the previously-released , Dyson 360 Heurist. This new device sports a shocking blue and assurance that it works with a brand new Dyson Hyperdymium motor. Click’s Lara Lewington looks at some of the latest robot vacuums to see if they could change the way we clean.
Without it you will need to empty its tiny 470ml bin yourself – a messy job – and on a very regular basis if you have any hairy pets. But other than that, we can’t think of a better hybrid robot vac-cum-mop on the market right now. On the top of the unit you’ll find the familiar dome housing a 360-degree camera.
Vacuums store-bought and tested, supported by you via insider access, and when you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. We purchase our own vacuums and put them under the same test bench, so that you can compare the results easily. This 360-degree black-and-white camera maps the room and everything in it.
The product blurb suggests it can detect and avoid objects as small as 5x3cm, so trainers (assuming the laces aren’t trailing), toys, and general clutter can be smoothly navigated. At this price, there’s very little to complain about with the X8 Hybrid. Everything is easy breezy with this device, you simply let it go. But, when you do need to add an attachment or customise the vacuum’s functions at all, that’s super simple to do as well. A key qualm is this device’s ability to clean in the nooks and crannies. The sweeper arm is on one side and rather small, meaning that crumbs and the like that are right up against a wall can get missed.
While it may take longer for the Roomba to find the mess, the best part is that you don’t have to be involved. Mostcurrent Roombas allow for scheduled cleanings, meaning less work for you. Simply pull the trigger, vacuum the area you need, and move on. The trigger only powers the vacuum while your finger is holding it down. One dyson robot vacuum could argue that theDyson V7is less usable than the D8 because it has a shorter run time and less suction, but for smaller homes or homes with hardwoods, this may not make a difference. There is a central “CLEAN” button which can be used to start a cycle or schedule one from your smartphone, when paired with a wifi network.
Also added are dirt detection sensors that ensure the area being cleaned are actually free of dirt and debris. On top of controlling cleaning schedules from your smartphone, you can also control the settings of the actual device. Basically, no need to get on your hands and knees and mess with tiny buttons.
The app also let me use a virtual button to start a cleaning cycle, stop it and even have it immediately stop and return to its starting position . There’s also a scheduling feature in the app that lets you set daily or every day schedules, but it never worked properly for me. Also, I didn’t appreciate that it only offered a 24-hour military clock with no option to switch it to 12-hour time.
The Roomba’s run time is 75 minutes, but charge time is only 90 minutes, so you can schedule it to clean up twice a day or more. Alternatively, command it ad hoc to pick up crumbs after mealtimes. Quiet mode is a setting on the 360 Eye that will prolong the battery life by making the vacuum use less suction. In normal mode, the decibel rating is just about 57db, which is just about as loud as your alarm clock or hair dryer. In quiet mode the decibels are reduced to about 45 with is about as loud as a normal conversation in a restaurant. The camera sensors need light to work, and if you turn off all your lights, neither vacuum will be able to “see” and won’t clean very well, if at all.
They got rid of the brushes and bristles and utilized interlocking grooves in their place. There is also a sensor in the extraction chamber to note if the bars are caught on something like a cord or wire. A full charge from a dead battery will take three hours on a 980; however, you will get 2 hours of run time. In a real-world test, the charge lasts about an hour and a half, which is still twice as long as the Dyson.
Sensors and cameras are a far more effective, affordable, and less intrusive solution. As with any FCC filing, there’s no guarantee we’ll ever see this product in the US—or at all. Roomba j7+ Robot Vacuum, which features the ability to do pet poop patrol.