The Eufy 11S is one the cheapest self-emptying robot vacuums on the market. It efficiently sucked up dry oatmeal from hard floors and carpets with low pile in our tests. Its dust bin is simple to empty and open -- easier than those of other models in the same price range.
It recharges at its base and then cleans when it's at its best. But its obstacle-avoidance system gets tangled up in socks and cords and it's not able to go below low thresholds.
1. iRobot 11S
The 11S is one the cheaper self-emptying robots available and a lot of people seem to love it. It is great at getting under furniture and is a great choice for those who have hard floors or who do a lot of cleaning. The suction is weaker than our top picks, but it's still effective. It has a large dust bin and a long-lasting battery. The app lets you schedule your daily cleaning or select a particular room. It's also possible to draw a map of your home, which could help the device avoid areas that you don't want to visit.
The app is easy to use and has a simple layout. It doesn't include any advanced capabilities, but it's simple enough to use and makes it easy to keep track of the progress of your robot. It also has a helpful tutorial to provide you with the basics.
Bounce Navigation's cleaning patterns aren't always logical. Sometimes it follows straight lines and at other times, it concentrates on the edges of a space. But it is able to clean your entire floor. It's not the most adept at climbing over obstacles, however - it struggled to get under our piano pedals and pet food bowls, and ended up getting tangled up in our 2.25-inch shag rug several times.
While it's a good option for light daily cleanings We believe there are better robot vacuums that are better than the 11S. The iRobot Roomba is much easier to maintain, has lower recurring costs and charges faster. It has a larger bin, is more effective on any surface type and can climb over low-lying obstacles (like electrical cables) more easily.
The eufy RoboVac 11S is another alternative for regular vacuuming. It shares a similar design to our top choice and is great in removing small particles and fine dust from hard flooring. It also does a great job on medium and low-pile carpet. Similar to the Roomba from iRobot Roomba, it has a huge dirt compartment and uses BoostIQ to automatically adjust suction power. It comes with a simple remote control and you can set up daily cleanings with the app. Its battery lasts about an hour, and the dustbin can be cleaned without taking it from the dock.
2. Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra
The Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra is an excellent robot vacuum and mop with a surprisingly wide array of features for automation. The Roborock S7 MaxV is available in three versions: the basic S7 model and the S7 Plus model and the S7 Ultra. The S7 MaxV Ultra is the only model equipped with an Empty Wash Fillet Dock (or an alternative Auto-Empty Dock). These docks allow the robot to return to its base and empty the debris it has collected into a dust bag or reservoir, drain the dirty water tank, and wash its mopping pads.
The S7's sensors work in tandem to eliminate obstacles and clean the floors. It can detect the types of floors and save a map of rooms and zones. It even detects dirt levels. It's also capable of scheduling and executing spot-cleaning sessions. It performed well in standard tests, however it couldn't match the iRobot Roomba j7+ during the carpet deep cleaning test.
Utilizing the companion app, you can program the S7 to run a cleaning cycle in accordance with your schedule. You can set a date, time, day, or week and select from several cleaning modes, such as eco, automatic and deep clean. You can also choose whether the robot will cease operation if its power is exhausted or if it encounters an obstruction.
You can still use the S7 even if you don't have a smartphone by connecting an charging dock to a remote control. The controls on the remote are a bit confusing however once you've got the hang of them, they work great. The power button doubles as the general 'Clean' function and the 'Spot Clean' button directs the robot to clean a small area around itself. The "Spot Clean" button also triggers the child lock.
In addition to the new mapping capabilities, Roborock improved its mobile app, adding live view features that lets you check out what the S7 is doing at home. You can enable this by pressing a particular sequence of buttons on the S7 and creating an unlock pattern in the app that you can use whenever you want to see what the robot is doing.
3. Shark IQ Large
Shark isn't as well-known in the field of robot vacuums as iRobot and Roborock, but our experience with this model has proven it to be among the best self-emptying robot vacuums on the market. It is simple to set up, has an enormous bin that's easy to empty (albeit slightly loudly) into a trash bin when it is full, and can easily be programmed to complete a whole-home clean on a schedule or as required.
The IQ XL can connect to your home WiFi and allows you to monitor it from the Shark app and view its battery level as it cleans. The app lets you create a cleaning schedule and receive push notifications about its current status as well as pause cleaning and then resume cleaning or set it to one specific area. It can also be controlled by voice commands via Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. The app will inform you which power mode it is currently in, namely Eco, Normal, or Max--but we didn't find that any of these modes made a huge difference in cleaning performance.
The IQ XL will automatically empty the bin at the end of each cleaning cycle into the base, and then automatically empty itself. The bin can store up to 60 days of debris so you don't need to empty it more than once unless your pets have hair that is long. If you have to empty it you can simply remove the side container and place it over your trash can and press a button.
There's nothing to dislike about the Shark IQ XL, although it is a little less well-built than the Roomba 694. It removes many messes on carpeted floors and does a good job of maneuvering itself however it's not as close to achieving the same performance as the iRobot Roomba i7 in regards to performance on carpeted floors. The i7 also feels more durable, is more robust, requires less maintenance, incurs lower recurring cost and charges faster and has similar battery performance. It also comes with more advanced features for automation, like no-go zones and the ability to select specific rooms to be cleaned.
4. iRobot J7+
This robot vac/mop combo is a rarity as it does both jobs exceptionally well. iRobot Combo J7+ comes with all the features and smarts similar to its j7 counterpart including LiDAR map and self-emptying. However, it also has additional features for mopping and vacuuming.
The new acoustic sensors assist the j7+ to identify floor types, so it can choose between vacuuming and mopping when it first enters the room. It also utilizes this information to prioritize cleaning rooms that have carpet or rugs over those with hard floors.
robot vacuum bagless self emptying is quieter than most robotic vacuums when it's in use and is even quieter when it's mopping. The maximum reading on our decibel meter was 64db, which is similar to the background noise of office chatter.
You can easily create a cleaning schedule and alter the way that dust is cleaned when the canister gets full. The j7+ can also be controlled using voice assistants (Alexa, Google Assistant, etc.).) to allow hands-free operation. the app lets you create and view maps of your home.
The j7+ performed admirably in our tests on both carpeted and hard floors, getting rid of all the dirt we tossed at it. It has some issues with pet hair as well as large particles like sand, but it can remove these items with a little more effort. It also has decent navigation abilities and a pair of cliff sensors to keep it from falling down the stairs or stumbling on furniture legs.
We did discover a few minor niggles with the j7+, mainly that it can snag on cords and carpets, and it doesn't always shut off its mopping when done vacuuming. In all other respects, it's an excellent product that ticks all the right boxes.
iRobot's j7+ also comes with one of the top self-emptying systems we've tested. It dumps its 14oz/0.4-liter dust container into the base station, where it automatically emptys itself. This helps to reduce the amount of trash you'll need to dispose of and you'll only have to change the reusable dust bag from the dock around every 60 days or so, depending on how often you use the J7+.
