Even setting aside the smart maps, the Roborock Q5 is still one of the best navigators we’ve tested. It rarely misses any accessible areas of a home, as random-navigation robots sometimes do. In our tests, even when it did bump into an object its lidar turret didn’t detect, it course-corrected more quickly and more accurately than other bots. Bots work on almost any kind of bare flooring and on most kinds of carpets and rugs—though there are some exceptions, such as high-pile rugs and some very dark flooring (which can impede the bots’ infrared sensors). Bots can reliably pick up most kinds of common floor debris, including hair, crumbs, dust, and cat litter.
Mediocre suction capability, random navigation and difficulty finding its base made this a nonstarter for us. While the vacuum has features such as voice control and in-app scheduling, it didn’t function half as well as the similarly priced Eufy 11S. If you live in a home without high-pile carpets and find yourself constantly vacuuming up pet hair or dirt, and don’t need the ability to map your home and create virtual walls or no-go zones, the Eufy 11S is a top choice. Liam McCabe is a former senior staff writer for Wirecutter, and has covered the wild world of appliances since 2011. After testing dozens of robot vacuums, he is neither worried about AI nor holding his breath for self-driving cars.
Really, any model in the Roomba 600 series is a good choice, since they are all strong cleaners, especially on rugs, thanks to the dual-brush and dirt-detection systems. They are also sturdier than any bump-and-run models from any other brand we’ve tested, which more than offsets the Roomba line’s slightly higher sticker price. The Roomba 694 is the most current model with Wi-Fi (for on/off remote control through a smartphone app), but at times you might be able to find a more basic model, without Wi-Fi. This affordable robot vacuum is quieter and fits under more furniture than most models we’ve tested.
This process is quite loud and takes two or three minutes to complete as the little brush in the base runs back and forth across the mop and scrubs it. You can use the Roborock as two separate robots — a vacuum and a mop — as it has a mop-only mode that moves in a tighter “Z” pattern and goes over the floors twice. I liked to send it out to vacuum everywhere first, then recharge and go out again to mop, which resulted in sparklingly clean floors. Many models can also map your home using variations on a technology called simultaneous localization and mapping , so they won’t miss spots. You can direct them with a voice assistant or app and have them clean on a schedule or get busy when you’re gone. MaintenanceAs one of the most popular robot vacuum brands, it’s generally easier to find replacement parts for Roomba vacuums, which will enable you to keep it in good shape for longer.
It’s an even more tempting choice if you can snag it when it’s discounted. 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. Clean the bearings on the brush roll, caster, and side brushes every few weeks. You might need a screwdriver for this job, but many bots let you pop out the parts with no tools. Most bots come with a tool that can cut and then brush away the fuzz.
We’ve also discovered that, as of late 2021, several other brands are selling near-copies of the Eufy bots. Senior staff writer Rachel Cericola first started testing smart-home devices more than 20 years ago, when the only smart-home devices were X10. She has been covering smart-home gear for Wirecutter since 2016, and she has had her hands on everything from in-wall light switches, LED bulbs, and water-leak detectors to video doorbells, outdoor security cameras, and security systems.
The S7 MaxV Ultra has the same sonic, vibra-rising mopping action of the S7, so it mops very well. But it also has AI-powered obstacle recognition, so it won’t get caught out by clutter and can avoid stepping in dog poop. There’s also the option of using the onboard camera as a security camera, with two-way talk built-in.
Another surprisingly useful upside to the basic Eufy bots is their short body. At 2.85 inches, the 11S is almost a full inch shorter than the Roomba 694, enough for it to glide under even lower-clearance furniture, where dust and hair build up but never see the light of day. We were surprised dyson robot vacuum the first time the 11S disappeared under a bed—and then more surprised when it reemerged with an unholy amount of cat hair stuffed into its bin and wrapped about the brush roll. When you add up all those little optimizations, the Q5 saves a noticeable amount of time compared with other bots.
We found the best robot vacuum options with rave reviews—and which one is right for you. If you would like to do the work of choosing yourself, here is the list of all our robot vacuum reviews. While there’s no single best option dyson robot vacuum that’s perfect for every use, most are good enough to please almost everyone, and the differences are often not noticeable unless you really look for them. Most have multiple suction levels and will adjust when they sense carpet.