None of the rooms have any wall-to-wall carpet, but the space does have several area rugs, with styles ranging from lightweight doormats to rubber-backed, medium-pile rugs that take up half a room. The test house also has cats, kids, and other family members, all of whom leave plenty for each robot to pick up. Also consider the Eufy RoboVac 11S, which is so quiet and nimble that it blends into the background like no other robot . This basic, bump-and-run bot sounds more like a desk fan than a vacuum—even if you’re home while it works, you’ll barely notice it running. It’s shorter than most bots, which lets it glide under more furniture, picking up plenty of hidden debris.
It also has four times more raw suction than the already-strong Roomba i3 EVO, i7, and j7. That helps it consistently pick up larger debris such as cat litter or yard waste better than most robots, though it still doesn’t come close to deep-cleaning dust from a rug like a traditional vacuum does. But when we tried the s9 in 2020, it was one of the clumsiest navigators we’d ever tested. We watched it stubbornly try to shove itself into spaces where it obviously couldn’t fit, roughing up some furniture in the process.
If you’re choosing between the two most premium robot vacuums money can buy, the S7 MaxV Ultra and the X1 Omni, go with the former if you have a lot of hard flooring and you’re mainly concerned with mopping performance. Roborock’s bot uses sonic vibration technology to scrub your floors 3,000 times per minute, while the X1 Omni’s circular mopping pads spin at 180 revolutions per minute. Both irobot vacuum cleaner robots left our test floors streak-free and shiny, but the S7 MaxV Ultra is slightly better at deep cleaning. The iRobot Roomba j7+ might induce sticker shock, but it’s one of the smartest standalone robot vacuums you can buy. It uses a built-in camera and machine learning technology to recognize obstacles in its cleaning path in real time, and automatically reroute itself around them.
Robots that have the sensors in the rear will move back and forth when detecting dirt, while those with only front ones may move in a more circular pattern. The iRobot Home app lets owners have complete control over their cleaning schedule and preferences directly from their smartphone or tablet. Users can activate their Roomba while away from home or schedule it to start cleaning at a specified time. If you have a small home or an apartment of around 1,000 square feet or less, the Wyze Robot Vacuum should have no problem covering your entire space in a single run.
You’ve probably noticed that robots are taking over the world, making our lives easier or more efficient with each advancement. From automated bellhops to self-driving cars, and even robots that can perform brain surgery, advances in technology have far outpaced what used to only be possible in science fiction. But while there are so many interesting bots that can make music, transport you and more, the robot vacuum is my personal favorite. This easily obtainable machine takes the backache and the headache out of daily vacuuming.
IRobot has been praised for the availability of replacement parts for Roombas, with official parts still being sold for every model including the first-generation Roombas, almost 20 years after their release. It’s no small investment, but the iRobot Scooba 450 is a very effective way to keep your floors sparkling without reaching for a mop and bucket. Keep in mind that manufacturers typically cover their robots with one-year limited warranties that include parts and labor. You will get digital access to reviews and ratings for over 8,500 products and services to help you make better choices for life’s big moments and the everyday ones in between.
Roomba models are the only robot vacuums that employ two brush rolls that rotate toward each other, an arrangement that works well on all surfaces but offers its biggest advantage over other robot vacuums’ brush rolls on rugs. In fact, the “brushes” on the i3 EVO are really rubber-nubbed extractors, which are particularly good at picking up pet hair, especially from thicker and higher-pile rugs, without much hair getting wrapped around the roller. All Roomba bots, including the i3 EVO, also have a dirt-detection irobot vacuum cleaner system—another feature you can’t find in other brands’ bots. When a Roomba model senses that it’s passing over an area with a lot of debris, it stops and makes a few passes back and forth to pick up as much as possible. It also has smart mapping, so you can tell it to clean or avoid specific rooms. But unlike most of its competitors, the Roomba i3 EVO is actually a sturdy, repairable appliance—and although longevity is never guaranteed, you can reasonably expect to own and use it regularly for years.
If it runs low on battery before finishing the job, the robot will return to its base station, charge up, then pick up where it left off. PCMag.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering lab-based, independent reviews of the latest products shark cordless and services. Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology. The 11S is the most basic and one of the few still available that doesn’t connect to the internet.