However, if the model you’re looking at needs to be manually plugged in, you might come home to a half-finished job. The Roomba i3+ can be controlled via an app as well as with Alexa and Google Assistant, so you can create a schedule and connect it to smart home devices. Unlike the more expensive Roomba i7+ and s9+, though, the i3+ can’t be directed to map individual rooms. It’s self-emptying and cleaning, too, which makes for a genuinely hands-off floor cleaning experience, but it does mean you have to put up with the highly bulky docking station, which is imposing. Replace filters and side brushes a few times per year, the brush roll about once a year, and the battery as needed—probably every second year, though that depends on how often you use the bot.
PCMag.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering lab-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services. Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology. One caveat is that the i3+ EVO’s mapping capabilities are limited to a single floor.
Fourth-generation and newer models have an optical sensor located in front of the vacuum bin, allowing detection of wider and smaller messes. To compensate for this, Roombas have a rotating multi-pronged brush on one side which sweeps debris towards the path of the cleaning head, helping to clean a wider path and to reach into edges and corners. If you have a mapping robot vacuum, it usually uses an optical sensor, which means it requires a little light to navigate. If you have a Wi-Fi-enabled robot vacuum, most of them can only connect to the 2.4-GHz wireless band. If you’re having problems connecting, make sure you’re linking to the right band.
For starters, let’s consider what a robot vacuum gives you and what features actually matter. Roomba is a series of autonomous robotic vacuum cleaners sold by iRobot. Introduced in September 2002, they have a set of sensors that enable them to navigate the floor area of a home. These sensors can detect the presence of obstacles, particularly dirty spots on the floor, and steep drops (e.g., to avoid falling down stairs). That is, unless they have added features that increase the suction power needed to clean thicker fibers. Your best bet is to go with a robot vacuum that has something like Carpet Boost such as the iRobot Roomba 980.
Beyond offering greater convenience than traditional models, they significantly limit your exposure to dust, a big plus if you suffer from allergies. As recently as a couple of years ago, you’d be hard-pressed to find a sub-$1,000 self-emptying robot bissell crosswave cordless vacuum, but the price on these models has been coming down. The Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 AIVI is a pricey 2-in-1 robot vacuum and mop with excellent battery life, the ability to identify and avoid obstacles, and a unique home monitoring feature.
People are also big fans of it’s impressive deep-cleaning capabilities, particularly pet owners. They say the machine is particularly effective at cleaning longer hair thanks to it’s impressive suction, but that they don’t need to worry about it wrapping and clogging the machine thanks to it’s self-cleaning brush. Enhanced suction capability and a redesigned self-cleaning brushroll excel at cleaning long hair, making it a great option for animal lovers. Its bagless, self-emptying bin allows you to forget about the dustbin for up to a month of continuous cleaning. While most of the robot vacuums we’ve reviewed are readily able to tackle long pet hair, some stand out ahead of others.
Unlike almost every other vacuum here, Eufy’s latest and most powerful robot vacuum utilizes twin turbines. Each turbine generates up to 2,000 Pa of suction energy, meaning that it can suck up twice as much dirt in one pass. In shark cordless my testing, the X8 Hybrid’s maps were way too wonky for me to trust it to lug a full 250-mL tank of water around my house. However, it was the perfect vacuum to deep-clean all the dog hair and kid detritus in the basement.
On top of this, it’s good practice to cut free any hairs which have tangled in the rotating brush as well as clean the filters. Some brands such as Eufy, iLife, Neato, and Roborock will provide a cleaning tool which can help with these tasks. The filters will need replacing as well — you should refer to your manual for guidance on how often to replace and where to buy.