That means it doesn’t miss many spots or waste much time recleaning the same areas, as our budget picks, or other low-end models that navigate semi-randomly, usually do. And it doesn’t get stuck on obstacles like thresholds or power cables often. Shag and other high-pile rugs may have too high a threshold shark cordless for the robot to pass over, or the fibers could clog the brush. Many Roombas will easily transition from carpeting to solid flooring such as hardwoods or tile; however, shoppers who have thicker carpet may want to choose options with higher suction, a larger dustbin, and a longer battery life.
Some homes have more of these traps than others; most homes have at least a few. The biggest problem with the RoboVac series is that these bots don’t last as long as Roomba models do. About a year after the 11S was released, we started to hear from owners whose bots had already died. On the other hand, one staffer has had the 11S for four years, and it’s still going strong. The bigger problem is that RoboVac models can’t be fixed when they break. We dismantled an older Eufy RoboVac 30 and found that doing major repairs was impossible without breaking parts of the robot.
The early generation models were noted for using a random algorithm for achieving a total room coverage.A small vacuum empties into a removable dustbin, which has rotation brushes to aid collection. It has several sensors including a bumper that detects collision and an infrared sensor on top to respond to a “virtual wall”. Most robot vacuums are reliable when it comes to getting rid of standard household detritus, so you don’t have to worry about whether they can suck up lint, dirt, or hair. Since we test all the robot vacuums in the same home environment, we check how full the dustbins get and whether the robot picks up obvious debris like pet hair and dust bunnies. Some of the most advanced robot vacuums, such as the iRobot Roomba j7+, feature a camera and artificial intelligence technology to automatically identify and avoid obstacles like shoes, toys, and even pet waste. Premium models may also function as a roving home security camera, letting you view live video of your home from wherever you are.
When the dustbin is full, the unit will dispose of its contents in the included automatic dirt disposal base. Its hands-off, corner cleaning, self-emptying features make it a prime pick if doing one more pass for dog and cat hair tumbleweeds brings tears. The first robot vacuum that ranked high in our testing has standard features such as iRobot’s three-stage cleaning system and dirt detector sensors paired with advanced suction power and smart navigation.
Their “everyday” prices are a bit high, but we’ve seen some pretty good deals on the version of the Shark that comes with a self-emptying dock. Since we know that laser-nav bots are all fairly similar to one another, this Shark model could be a good choice if you see it on sale. Wyze is known for selling good-enough and implausibly affordable smart-home gear such as security cameras, locks, and thermostats, in addition to the laser-nav Wyze Robot Vacuum.
The main difference is that this unit doesn’t map specific areas, so it won’t be able to recognize different zones. We found that it still takes orders via the app, and will clean with the touch of a button. In August 2012, the 500 series was superseded by the 600 series, which added the AeroVac Bin and advanced cleaning head as standard features. In 2017 they released the 690, which has Wi-Fi connectivity so it can be started with an app and some personal-assistant software. Introduced in September 2002, the first-generation Roomba had three buttons for room size.
Through the company’s Imprint Link technology, the iRobot Roomba i3 coordinates with the Braava Jet M6 robot mop so users can vacuum and then mop in sequence. When it’s running low on battery—after about 75 minutes of runtime—the Roomba will automatically recharge and then resume cleaning. There are several types of dust and debris collection bins for the 500 series shark cordless models. The high-capacity sweeper bin does not include a vacuum, but has greater debris capacity. The AeroVac Bin directs suction airflow through the main brushes instead of using a squeegee, which is thought to keep the brushes cleaner. The Roombas’ speed is also increased, which is possible in part because of the sensors to avoid bumping into obstacles too hard.
Bots rarely miss patches or waste time recleaning areas that they’ve already visited. If their batteries run low before they can finish cleaning an entire level of a home, they’re smart enough to drive back to their dock, recharge for a few hours, and then pick up where they left off. Based on our testing, the Eufy RoboVac X8 seemed to be a fine laser-nav robot vacuum, but it’s relatively expensive and doesn’t offer meaningful improvements over the company’s cheaper models. Its defining feature is supposed to be its strong suction, with two turbines pulling 2,000 pascals each (whereas most laser-nav bots have a single turbine and less than 2,500 pascals of suction total).