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 tool to maintain the cleanliness of your home. It can pick up dust, pet hair, and other debris on surfaces.
Some robots connect to smart assistants such as Alexa and Google Assistant for a hands-free experience. Look for models that recharge and pick up where they left off.
1. iRobot S8
This smart robot vacuum and mop is a great option for a wide range of homes. It comes with a fantastic navigation system with GPS and laser sensors. It also comes with numerous features and controls accessible via the app. It also has a handy feature that lets you create Cleaning zones for specific areas that require extra attention, and also to keep Out zones where you do not want it to move. It also gets software updates, just like the other Roomba products, that make it better over time.
It's expensive but is also one of the most advanced robot vacuums ZDNet has ever tested. It's equipped with a powerful battery that can vacuum an entire home in less than two hours. Additionally, it can switch between mopping and vacuuming with the press of a button. It automatically empties the bin of dust above its charging station, unlike other self emptying robots which require you to empty the bin after each run.
It has a wide range of other features that make it a great choice for homes with a lot of space with its intelligent obstacle avoidance, which uses both a camera and processor-powered smarts to detect obstacles. It's not often tripped or stuck during a cleaning process. In my tests it was the best at avoiding objects like power cables. However, it isn't as accurate in detecting pet waste or other hazards.
2. Eufy RoboVac Hybrid X8
Eufy, owned by Anker, has become an established brand in the world of low-cost robot vacuums. However, it did not provide the option of a model that could mop. That's changed with the X8 Hybrid, which has an impressive array of modern features that can compete against much more expensive models.
The laser navigation is the most important feature of this machine. The previous Eufy devices have created a rough map of your home utilizing infrared sensors and bumping into objects however the X8's laser mapping system is much more accurate. It takes less time to create an accurate map of your home. It also has the ability to store multiple maps. This is great for homes with multiple floors.
The X8 is a decent vacuum cleaner for floors that are clean. It is able to easily throw debris through the side brushes and into its 400ml dust bin. Its tyres are also very adept at hugging corners and edges even though they are circular. It's not the best cat litter scooper, however as our tests show it is able to remove around 90 percent of the fur from hard floors.
There's a mopping mode which uses the same water tank as the vacuuming. While this is good for loose spills however, you aren't able to control how much water it consumes and this will reduce its effectiveness for more serious staining. It is effective in removing hair from pets. It has a higher rate of pick-up than the Roborock S7.
3. Miele RX2
Miele's RX2 robotic vacuum is known for its quiet, effective appliances. It has a beautiful design, superb navigation, and excellent cleaning power. However, it has some operational issues that prevent it from being ranked as the top overall smart robot vacuum.
The RX2 is equipped with a dual-sensor mapping technique which uses LIDAR to map the space, and a pair 3D scanning cameras to detect and staying clear of obstacles (such as furniture legs or pet waste). Once the room has been identified and assigned, you can assign virtual no-go zones and favorite sections to the robot. You can also alter the cleaning modes, initiate an automatic clean or watch live feeds of the cameras onboard from the main screen.
The sensors of the RX2 work well in registering furniture and other obstructions in real-time. Its sweeping and suction power are top-of-the-line, picking up surface litter from medium-pile carpeting and embedded dust on floors with no floor. It's not the most powerful robot on the market. As with many others, it's not a good climber and has trouble with things like metal threshold transition strips.
Many people purchase robot vacuums due to the ease of setting up a schedule on an app, only to forget about them for weeks. It's crucial for a robot to be capable of doing the job and that's why our ZDNet staff has tested and looked over some of the most popular models in order to help you pick the right one for your home.
4. Shark ION
This round, budget robot looks like your typical robot but it's upgraded in terms of performance and features. Its smart mapping system creates 2D and 3-D maps of your house and makes use of them to navigate website around and avoid obstacles. It can even identify common obstacles like furniture legs and power cords in real-time. This combination of sensors along with a bump detector, and an infrared sensor to keep the vacuum from stepping on stairs makes it one of our most flexible vacuums.
In our tests, it easily climbed over thick shag rugs and didn't get stuck on them (like the RoboVac 11s or Roomba 690). Its navigation abilities were also impressive. Its composite score for carpet and bare flooring beat the competition, and it was able to pick up 98.5 percent of dirt and embedded dog hair from our laboratory test samples.
The controls are more basic than the competition's. There is a cleaning button on the top and you can choose to start it using the app or by voice commands with Alexa or Google Assistant. You can also set up a schedule for your daily or weekly cleans, create areas that are not allowed to be cleaned, and check the history of its cleaning. Ion is clad in a stylish dark gray plastic that is both attractive and beautiful in your home. The rear dust bin is easy to empty and removing the filter equally easy.
5. Eufy 11S
Eufy 11S is a good choice if you want a vacuum cleaner that is easy to use and has no frills at a low cost. The model isn't equipped with smart features such as Alexa integration and digital mapping found in higher-end models. However, if you don't need these functions, you can save money.
This robot is very easy to install and use. It does not require a smartphone application or Wi-Fi pairing. However it does include an remote control that lets you select between different modes and alter the suction level. You can also manually set the robotvac to an cleaning schedule.
During our tests, the 11S was very effective at getting rid of pet hair and dirt on hard floors and carpets with a low pile. Its slim profile allowed it to get under furniture and other objects that larger robots could not reach. It was able to get easily over thresholds of doorways and move from one floor type to another.
The 11S, like other robots will also suckup certain objects, like cords and cat toys. The manufacturer states that you can prevent this by keeping such objects off the floor and by using a cord organizer if possible. It also suggests cleaning the dustbin periodically, replacing the filters and changing or washing the brushes when needed.
6. IRobot Roomba 980
The Roomba is iRobot's flagship robot vacuum. It's pricey, but it's also the most powerful robot vacuum you can purchase. Its self-navigation as well as environmental mapping is a marvel to behold. It also has more advanced automation features than many competitors, including the ability to create virtual boundary markers using its mobile app. It's a dependable robot vacuum, even if the application is a bit slow and the 980's wheels spin out when it is pushed over cables.
One thing we love about the 980 is the fact that it utilizes its iAdapt 2.0 navigation sensors as well as visual simultaneous localisation and mapping 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 each cycle. The result is cleaner floors, and a more efficient vacuum than the majority of high-end robot vacuums.
Other features include dual multi-surface rubber brushes which pick up dirt from carpet and hard floors, along with an ejector brush that moves debris into the robotic vacuum's bin. Its floor tracking sensor assists in navigating through furniture as well as along edges and the stairs. Cliff Detect prevents the Roomba from falling. It also automatically returns to its base station for easy recharging between sessions. While the 980's battery life and bin size aren't quite as impressive as other robot vacuums, it's a reliable and solid machine that will keep your floors clean for hours and hours.