Like almost all robot vacuums and hybrids, the Q Revo and the Deebot X2 Omni leave a grimy frame around the room’s margin, as the bots don’t get all the way to the baseboards and into corners. None of the hybrids we tested were adept at picking up debris close to thresholds. Anyone who wants to keep their floors looking clean can benefit from a robot vacuum. If you’re short on time, have mobility or dexterity issues, or simply hate vacuuming, a robot vacuum can probably make your life easier.
We recommend setting cleaning schedules to really get the most out of the device. After all, these are semi-autonomous robots, so why not make it so you rarely have to interact with them? Doing so will ensure the Roomba runs through your home on a regular basis, so you’re always left with clean floors. The Roomba 694 in particular did a good job sucking up dirt and debris on my carpets as well as the tile flooring in my kitchen and bathrooms. Unlike alternatives from Roborock, iRobot robot vacuums don’t use LIDAR sensors, resulting in slower room mapping, though some newer models offer real-time hazard recognition.
With overlapping passes, your robot purposefully & logically cleans in parallel lines across multiple floor types. The Edge-Sweeping Brush works continuously while the Dual Multi-Surface Rubber Brushes flex to adjust to different floor types, loosening and lifting dirt. It’s all combined with Power-Lifting Suction that pulls in stubborn dirt, debris, and pet hair from wherever it hides. Generally speaking, all the vacuums on this list can clean hardwood floors without issue. To avoid damage, we recommend testing your bot in a small area on a low power level and then checking for scratches before running it on max unsupervised. When it encounters potential obstacles that aren’t in its database, the j7+ snaps photos and asks you whether it should avoid those areas in the future.
Most self-emptying models transfer the contents of their bin into a bag, which typically holds around 30 to 60 days’ worth of debris, depending on how often you vacuum and how dirty dyson robot vacuum your home is. The nice thing is that you never have to come into contact with dust and debris. The downside is that you eventually have to buy more bags when you run out.
A Roomba’s bumper allows it to sense when it has bumped into an obstacle, after which it will reverse or change paths. Infrared “cliff sensors” on the bottom of the unit similarly prevent them from falling off ledges such as stairs. These may also trigger a false positive on dark or black-colored surfaces, such as some carpets, preventing Roombas from entering or being able to clean those areas.
One caveat is that the i3+ EVO’s mapping capabilities are limited to a single floor. Its more expensive siblings, on the other hand, can remember multiple floors, which is useful if you have a multi-level home. The Ecovacs Deebot X2 Omni and the Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra require less maintenance, but the Combo j7+ is the better option if you have light-colored carpeting. The iRobot Roomba Combo j7+ is the first floor-cleaning robot with a fully retractable mop.
While 45 minutes may be enough time for the robot to scuttle around most rooms in my apartment, those with larger homes may have to wait for it to recharge in order to clean everywhere. If you have both carpet and hard flooring throughout your home, you might want to consider a hybrid that can do double duty as a vacuum and a mop, dyson robot vacuum such as the Bissell SpinWave Wet and Dry. Standalone robot mops aren’t eligible for this list because they don’t suck up dirt and debris, but they can leave your hard floors nice and shiny. One of the best innovations in the robot vacuum space in recent years has been the development of models that can empty their own dustbins.