Consider the layout of your home and whether you have mostly hardwood floors or deep-pile carpeting. If you live in a Victorian-style home or have medium- to high-pile carpeting, a robot irobot vacuum cleaner vacuum will likely require a lot of input from you. However, if you live in a more modern, open-flow style of home with tile or hardwood floors, a robot vacuum is a great option.
Here, we look at things such as how easily it navigates around an apartment, if it gets stuck under furniture or on carpets, how difficult it is to set up, and how messy it is to empty its dustbin. One of the trickiest areas to clean is under furniture; thanks to its low 2.85-inch profile, the Eufy Robovac 11s can go where other robot vacuums can’t, and gets those dust bunnies lurking under your couch. At around $200, it’s affordable, and it’s also quieter than the average robot vacuum as well, reading just 62.5dB in our tests. It has a number of other features, such as the ability to map multiple floors and create virtual walls. The Roomba i7+ is also fast, finishing a cleaning run in less than 20 minutes. Now that iRobot has released the Roomba s9+, the Roomba i7+ has come down a bit in price, but it’s still just as effective at cleaning.
While this one isn’t exactly a Roomba, it’s certainly in the family and it pairs well with certain smart models from iRobot’s stable of vacuum robots. Meant for use on hardwood, tile, or stone floors, the M6 is perfect for cleaning spills, pet waste, and other messes. Similar to iRobot’s vacuums, the automated M6 mop features smart mapping and coordinated app control. Users can pair the app to voice-control devices in order to direct the bot to quickly clean up specified areas.
We lab-tested the best robot vac brands from Neato, Samsung, iRobot, Roborock, Eufy, Ecovacs and other brands and found the best robot vacuum for your needs. I’m PCMag’s expert on fitness and smart home technology, and I’ve shark cordless written more than 6,000 articles and reviews in the 10-plus years I’ve been here. I unbox, set up, test, and review a wide range of consumer tech products from my home in Florida, often with the help of my pitbull Bradley.
If you have an enclosed area that needs a regular deep cleaning, this will do the trick. Even as dozens of competitors have hit the market, iRobot’s vacuums remain attractive, effective, and easy to use. The robots never have trouble settling, and even the midrange Roomba i3+ has bin sensors to empty it automatically when it’s full. I also can’t believe that it’s the only manufacturer to offer a smaller bin with storage inside for tools and extra bags. With a giant 3,200mAh battery that goes for 150 minutes and a huge 800ml dustbin, this is one of the best sub-$400 bots for pet owners.
Though it doesn’t alert you when the bin is full, it’s easy to access the dustbin from the top of the unit, right under the cover . The Eufy is smart enough to keep itself from getting into trouble — in our testing, it had no trouble detecting stairs with a combination of infrared sensors and anti-drop sensors. And at just 2.8 inches tall, the Eufy 11S is almost a full inch shorter than the slightly more expensive Roborock S4, allowing it to get under more furniture like console tables and kids’ beds. To reset a Roomba i and 900 series, press and hold the “clean” button on the robot for 10 to 20 seconds depending on the model.
With app and voice control support, smart navigation, and strong suction power, the RoboVac G30 is a solid choice for anyone on a budget. Its compact design makes it especially appealing for small homes and apartments, especially if you have low-profile furniture. If your current robot vacuum can’t get the dust bunnies under the couch, or constantly gets stuck between chair legs, the G30 is worth a look.
Katie looks after everything homes-related, from kitchen appliances to gardening tools. She also covers smart home products too, so is the best point of contact for any household advice! She has tested and reviewed kitchen appliances for over 6 years, so she knows what to look for when finding the best. Her bissell crosswave cordless favorite thing to test has to be stand mixers as she loves to bake in her spare time. From there, we base our final rating on its price, cleaning ability, functionality and ease of use relative to similar models. If you’re interested in a model which comes with a base, it can self-charge between runs.
There’s all kinds of features to look out for as well, from self-emptying charging bases to object recognition — so you never need to worry about it running over any rogue cables. If you want to give your floors the full treatment, there are also hybrid designs which can double up as mops, although be warned the performance can be hit and miss with these models. If you’ve decided to invest in a robot vacuum, but you’re not sure which way to go, we’re here to help. We’ve tested a range of robot vacuum cleaners to find those that offer the best performance — and we have a recommendation for every home. So, whether you’re shopping on a budget or want the latest tech, we’ve got you covered.