Best Robot Vacuums: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly
Best Robot Vacuums: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly
Blog Article
Best Robot Vacuums and Mop Combos
A robot vacuum is the best device to keep the cleanliness of your home. It will nab dust, pet hair and other surface debris before it becomes a larger problem.
Some robots are able to sync with smart assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant for a hands-free experience. Find models that can be recharged and continue cleaning the area they left.
1. iRobot S8
This smart robot vacuum and mop combo is a fantastic option for a wide range of homes. It features a superb navigation system with GPS and laser sensors. It also comes with a lot of features and controls accessible via the app. It has a handy feature which allows you to create Cleaning zones in areas that require extra attention, and also to create Keep Out zones in areas where you don't want it to be. It also gets software updates, like the other Roomba products, that enhance it over time.
It's costly, but it's is also one of the most advanced robot vacuums ZDNet has ever tested. It has a high-powered battery that can sweep a large area in less than two hours, and it can switch between vacuuming and mopping by pressing one button. It automatically empties the bin of dust above its charging station, in contrast to other self-emptying robots that require you to empty the bin after every run.
It also has many other features, including intelligent obstacle avoidance, which utilizes cameras and processor-powered smarts to detect obstacles. It's rarely tripped up or stuck during a cleaning cycle. In my tests, it was the best in avoiding objects such as power cables. It's not as reliable in detecting pet waste, or other hazards.
2. Eufy RoboVac Hybrid X8
While Anker-owned Eufy has made an impact in the field of low-cost robot vacuums, it's never offered an all-in-one model which can also mop. That's changed with the X8 Hybrid, which has an impressive array of modern features and can compete well with more expensive models.
Eufy's main selling point with the X8 is its laser navigation. Previous Eufy devices have constructed a rough map of your home by using infrared sensors and bumping into things, but the X8's laser mapping system is much more accurate. It also takes a lot less time to build up an accurate map of your home and can store multiple maps, which is great for homes with multiple floors.
The X8 is a decent vacuum cleaner on bare floors. It is able to easily throw debris through the side brushes and into its 400ml dust bin. The X8's tyres, despite having a circular shape, are very adept at grabbing edges and corners. It's not a great kitty litter eater, however, with our tests showing it is able to remove around 90 percent of the fur off hard floors.
The basic mopping mode uses the same water reservoir as the vacuuming mode. While this is a good option for spills that aren't too big but you cannot control how much water it uses and this will reduce its effectiveness when dealing with more serious staining. It does, however, do an admirable job of picking up pet hair, with a better speed of pickup than the Roborock S7.
3. Miele RX2
Awarded for its quiet and efficient home appliances Miele's RX2 robot vacuum is a great choice because of its cleaning power, stunning design, and a great navigation. But it has some operational issues that prevent it from being ranked as the best overall smart robot vacuum.
The RX2 is equipped with a dual-sensor mapping system that makes use of LIDAR to map an area, and a pair 3D scanning cameras to detect and staying clear of obstacles (such as furniture legs or pet waste). Once mapped, the app lets you assign virtual no-go areas and areas that you want to clean. will automatically clean. You can also manually change cleaning options, begin cleaning manually, or view live feeds of the cameras onboard from the main screen.
The RX2 is equipped with excellent sensors that can detect furniture and other obstructions in a flash. The suction and sweeping capabilities are excellent, removing surface litter from carpets of medium pile and also removing dust that has been deposited on floors. But it's not the most agile robot on the market. Like many other robots it's not a great climber and has issues with things like thresholds made of steel transition strips.
Many people purchase a robot vacuum to enjoy the convenience of setting up a schedule using an app and then forgetting about it for weeks at a time. It's crucial that a machine can get the job done and that's the reason why our ZDNet staff looked over and tested a number of the most popular ones to help you find the right one for your home.
4. Shark ION
This budget robovac that looks like any other, but it has a few more features and is more efficient. Its smart mapping system creates 3D and 2D maps of your house and makes use of them to navigate and stay clear of obstructions. It can even identify common obstacles like furniture legs and power cords in real-time. The combination of sensors with a bump detector, and an infrared sensor that keeps the vacuum off steps makes it one our most agile vacuums.
In our tests, it effortlessly could climb over the thick shag rug and didn't end up stuck on them (like the RoboVac 11s or Roomba 690). Its navigation abilities were also impressive and its overall score on carpet and bare floors was better than the competition and it picked up 98.5 percent of surface litter and embedded pet hair from our lab test samples.
The controls are simpler than the competitors. There's an oblong cleaning button at the top, and you can access it via the app or via voice commands with Alexa or Google Assistant. You can also set a schedule for weekly or daily cleans, set areas that are not allowed to be cleaned, and check its cleaning history. Clad in smart dark gray plastics, Ion feels sturdy and is attractive in your home. Its rear dust bin is easy to access for emptying and removing the filter equally easy.
5. Eufy 11S
If you're looking for a basic robotic vacuum that is simple and has no frills for a reasonable price, the Eufy 11S could be a good choice. It isn't equipped with best robot vacuums some of the more advanced features, like digital mapping and Alexa integration, which are found in higher-end models, but if you don't need these features, you can save some money with this model.
This robot is very easy to setup and use. It doesn't require smartphone application or Wi-Fi pairing. However it does come with an remote control that allows you to choose between different modes and alter the suction levels. You can also assign the robotvac to the schedule of cleaning.
In our tests, we discovered that the 11S was extremely efficient in getting pet fur and dirt from carpets and floors with low pile. Its slim profile made it possible to pass under furniture that is low-hanging and other items that some larger robots are unable to reach. It was able to go easily over thresholds of doors and switch from one floor type to another.
The 11S, just like other robots, can also eat some objects, such as cords and cat toys. The manufacturer suggests you avoid this by keeping these objects off the ground and by using a cord organizer when you can. It also recommends cleaning the dustbin on a regular basis replacing the filters, and changing or washing the brushes when needed.
6. IRobot Roomba 980
The Roomba 980 is iRobot's most popular robot vacuum. It's pricey, but it's also the best robot vacuum you can buy. Its self-navigating features and environmental mapping are something to behold. It is more sophisticated in its automation than most of its rivals, for instance the ability to create virtual boundary markers with its mobile app. While its application is a bit slow, and the 980 does spin out a bit while crossing cables, it's still a very capable robot vacuum.
One thing we really like about the 980 is that it makes use of its iAdapt 2.0 navigation sensors and its visual simultaneous mapping and localisation technology (or vSLAM) to store the floor plan of your home. It then uses this information to design a consistent and efficient cleaning path for every cycle. The result is cleaner floors and a better robot vacuum than many high-end robotics.
Other features include dual multi-surface rubber brushes, which pick up dirt from carpets and hard floors, along with an ejector brush that moves debris into the robotic vacuum's bin. Its floor tracking sensor assists in navigating around furniture as well as along edges and stairs. Cliff Detect prevents the Roomba from falling. It can also return automatically to the base station for easy charging between sessions. Although the 980's battery life and bin size aren't as impressive as some other robot vacuums, it's a reliable and solid machine that will keep your floors spotless for hours on end.