The AeroVac Bin directs suction airflow through the main brushes instead of using a squeegee, which is thought to keep the brushes cleaner. The Roomba i3+ EVO is a top choice for anyone looking to upgrade from a standard robot vacuum to one with self-emptying abilities. If you’re tired of manually emptying your current bot’s bursting dustbin on the daily, the Roomba i3+ EVO will eliminate that chore. It’s a particularly compelling option if you suffer from allergies, because it also uses a high-efficiency filter to capture allergens as it cleans. Unlike more traditional canister or stick models, robot vacuums are autonomous and (for the most part) intelligent. The vacuums we’ve tested use lasers, motherboards, sensors, and even Wi-Fi to navigate around your home without assistance.
While the S5 only came with 2,000 Pa suction, the Q series has a suction level of 2,700 Pa. The Q5 is the most basic bot in the Q series lineup, but it easily handles all types of dust, pet hair, and debris. The Q5 also features smarter LiDAR room mapping, and the Roborock app makes it easy to set schedules or initiate spot cleaning as needed. What really makes the Q5 a standout is that it increases suction when it reaches a carpeted area. Once these smart robot vacuums have created a map of your home, you can designate specific rooms, cleaning schedules, no-go areas, and select spot cleaning as needed. Virtually all of them are circular and feature built-in bumpers and sensors for navigation.
Whether it’s finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we’ll help you get it right (the first time). We scout reviews for hints about longevity, and we favor bots with easy-to-find replacement parts such as filters and brushes but also batteries, wheels, and transmissions. We also fully disassemble some popular bots to get a sense for the build quality and how straightforward they might be to repair. Finally, we sprinkle a 2-ounce mixture of cat litter and coffee grounds in a space with a mix of bare wood and a low-pile rug. We run each bot for 25 minutes or until it stops on its own, whichever comes first.
It’s compatible with your favorite voice assistant, so you can tell it to start and stop cleaning, but you can’t give it the same specific instructions as the other, more advanced models. It doesn’t have the self-empty feature, but it’s easy enough to empty manually between uses. Unlike our other midrange picks, the X8 Hybrid doesn’t come with a clean base, nor is there one you can purchase separately. It’s just a standalone robo-vac, but the “hybrid” indicates that it’s also a robot mop. It has both a dustbin for collecting debris and a 250-milliliter water tank that you can fill whenever you want to run a mopping cycle.
It’s not a cheap investment either, but it’s good-looking and we can’t complain about the range of features. It achieved an almost perfect score when set to the task of picking up Cheerios and performed admirably when collecting kitty litter (95.73 on average). However, its streak suffered when it came to collecting dyson robot vacuum dog hair from the carpet — it picked up just 58%. That’s the lowest score we’ve seen compared with similar models; the Roomba j7+ is the closest at 72.5%, but even that’s a sizeable gap. That being said, the Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra offers a quality performance otherwise and the technology is very impressive.
Finally, this is a sturdy and long-lasting robot vacuum, so it’s unlikely to break. This Roomba was knocked a few points for lack of features, but it performed the basic, advertised functions extremely well. It was a little noisy, so you’ll likely have to turn up your TV volume if you’re watching a show while running it. In addition, the Roomba 694 doesn’t have object avoidance technology, irobot vacuum cleaner which is one of the newest features that more expensive models (like the Roomba j7+) offer. You’ll likely need to do a bit of pre-cleaning before running this vacuum to make sure your floor is clear of stray socks or crayons it could possibly suck up. While this might be an inconvenience, object avoidance technology usually means an increase of at least $500 in price.
Like the i3, there’s an elevated plus version that comes equipped with a self-emptying dock. First and foremost, you should follow the directions in your instruction manual for where to place the robot vacuum. While most will offer similar guidance, the measurements required can vary, and some designs may prefer a greater clearance. Generally speaking though, your robot vacuum should be placed against a flat and straight wall on a level surface, with around 3 ft of clearance on each side, and at least 4 ft in front.
Special features were taken into consideration on top of this — including everything from self-emptying bases to object recognition capabilities. The Shark IQ Robot XL also stands out for its self-cleaning brushroll, which in our testing successfully prevented hair from getting wrapped around it, a common problem with many robot vacuums. Moreover, it delivered strong suction power, effectively cleaning dust, debris, and pet hair from hard flooring and carpet, and it never got stuck.
Using the iRobot Home App, you can program the 675 right from your phone to start or stop cleaning, or with your voice through Alexa and Google Assistant. It learns your cleaning habits and suggests schedules to meet your needs, says the brand, and also recommends extra cleaning during allergy season. 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 appliances for over 6 years, so she knows what to look for when finding the best. Her favorite thing to test has to be air purifiers, as the information provided and the difference between performances is extensive.
You’ll find a wide range of available features when shopping for robot vacuums, but at a minimum, look for robot vacuums that offer self-charging and a suction of at least 2,000 Pa. In addition, the following features separate the best robot vacuums from the so-so models. Most robot vacuums will last around four to six years, provided you take good care of it and ensure it doesn’t run over anything it’s not supposed to, like pet waste, power cords, and socks.