The Eufy 11S is one the cheapest self-emptying robot vacuums on the market. It efficiently sucked up dry oats from hard floors and low-pile carpeting in our tests. The dust bin opens and empty easily, making it easier to use than some other models in its price.
It charges at its base, and then begins cleaning as soon as it's done. But its obstacle-avoidance system gets caught in socks and cords and it's not able to go below low thresholds.
1. iRobot 11S
The 11S is one the cheapest self-emptying robots and lots of people seem to like it. It is a great choice for getting under furniture and is a good choice for those with hard floors or who do a lot of cleaning. The suction is weaker than our top picks but it still does the job. It has a large dust bin as well as a long-lasting battery. The app lets you schedule your daily cleaning or choose a specific room. It's also possible to create a map of your home, which will assist in avoiding areas that you don't want to go to.
The app is simple to use and has a clear layout. It's not an app with a lot of features however, it's simple to use and allows you to monitor your robot's status. It also includes a helpful tutorial to guide you through the basics.
The pattern of cleaning doesn't always look logical - sometimes it goes in straight lines, while other times, it is able to find the edges of a room - however Bounce Navigation ensures your entire floor is kept clean. It's not the best at climbing obstacles - it struggled to get under our pet food bowls and piano pedals, and was caught in our 2.25 inch shag carpet a few times.
While it's a great alternative for cleaning up light chores We believe there are better robot vacuums that are better than the 11S. The iRobot Roomba is easier to maintain and maintain, with lower recurring costs and charges faster. It also has a larger dustbin and performs better on all surface types, and it can climb over low-lying obstructions (like electrical cords) more easily.
The RoboVac 11S is a good choice for regular vacuuming. It's designed in a similar way to our top pick, and is excellent for picking up smaller and fine dirt on hard flooring. It also does a decent job on medium- and low-pile carpet. It has a large dirt container and uses BoostIQ for automatic suction power adjustment. It has an easy-to-use remote control, and it is possible to set up daily cleanings with the app. The battery lasts for around an hour and the dustbin is easy to empty by taking it from its dock.
2. Roborock S7 maxV Ultra
The Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra is an excellent robot vacuum and mop with a wide range of automation options. The Roborock S7 MaxV is available in three different versions of the basic S7 model as well as the S7 Plus model, and the S7 Ultra. The S7 MaxV Ultra is the only one with an Empty Wash Fillet Dock (or an alternative Auto-Empty Dock). These docks allow the robot to return to its home 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 together to stay clear of obstacles and clean the floors. It can detect the types of floors and save maps of rooms and zones, and even detect levels of dirt. It can also schedule and execute spot cleaning sessions. It did well in the standard tests, but did not perform as well as the Roomba j7+ during the carpet deep cleaning test.
Using the companion app, you can program the S7 to run a cleansing cycle in accordance with your schedule. You can choose the cleaning mode like eco or automatic, and a weekday, day or even a time. You can also select whether the robot will stop if its power goes out or when it comes across an obstruction.
You can still use the S7 even if you don't own a smartphone by connecting a charging dock to a remote control. The controls on the remote can be a bit difficult to understand initially, but once you get the hang of them they work well. The power button acts as the 'Cleaning' option, and the Spot Clean button instructs the robot to clean an area around it. The "Spot Clean" button also triggers the child lock.
In addition to the new mapping capabilities, Roborock improved its mobile app by adding live view features that lets you observe what the S7 is doing at home. You can enable this feature by pressing a specific sequence of buttons on the S7 and then creating an unlock code within the app to use any time you wish to check out what the robot is up to.
3. Shark IQ XL
Shark's robot vacuums aren't as well-known as those from iRobot or Roborock. But our tests have shown that this model is among the most efficient self-emptying vacuums on the market. It's easy to set up and comes with an enormous bin that can be easily emptied (albeit loudly) to a trashcan when full. It can also be programmed to sweep the entire home on a regular basis.
The IQ XL can connect to your home WiFi, which lets you monitor it via the Shark app and check its battery level as it cleans. The app lets you set cleaning schedules, get push notifications about its current status as well as the ability to pause and resume cleaning, or set it to a single room. It can also be controlled with voice commands via Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. The app can tell you what power mode it's currently in--Eco, Normal, or Max--but we didn't find that any of these modes made a significant difference to cleaning performance.
Once robot vacuum self emptying finishes cleaning when it's finished, the IQ XL will automatically empty the dustbin into its base, and then self-empties. Its bin holds up to 60 days worth of debris It won't require emptying more often than that, unless you own many pets with hair that is long. If you need to empty it you can simply remove the side container and place it on top of your trash can and press a button.
There's nothing to dislike about the Shark IQ XL, although it feels a bit less robust than the Roomba 694. It clears lots of dirt from unfinished floors and does a decent job of maneuvering itself however it isn't even close to the iRobot Roomba i7 in terms of performance on carpeted surfaces. The i7 is also more robust and feels more durable. It is robust, has less demanding maintenance requirements, is able to charge lower recurring costs, charges faster, while offering similar battery performance and far more advanced automation features such as no-go zones and the capability to pick specific rooms to keep clean.
4. iRobot J7+
This robot vac/mop combo is a rarity as it does both jobs extremely well. IRobot's Combo J7+ comes with all the features of its j7-based counterpart, including self-emptying and LiDAR mapping, but also includes additional features for mopping and vacuuming.
The new acoustic sensors assist the j7+ identify floor types, so it can choose between mopping and vacuuming on the first pass through a room. This information can also be utilized to help prioritize cleaning rooms that have carpets and rug versus those with hard flooring.
The J7+ is quieter than most robotic vacuums when running and even more quiet when it's mopping. The maximum reading of 64 decibels on our decibel meter is similar to office chatter.
It's simple to set a schedule to clean and alter the way that the j7+ operates when its dust container is full. The j7+ can be controlled with voice assistants (Alexa, Google Assistant, etc.).) to make it hands-free. Additionally, the app allows you to create and look at maps of your home.
In our tests, the j7+ was a solid performer on both hard and carpeted floors, and it cleaned up most of the dirt we tossed at it. It struggles a bit with pet hair and large particles like sand, but it is able to clean these things with a little extra effort. It also has good navigation abilities and a set of cliff sensors to keep it from falling down stairs or getting stuck on furniture legs.
The J7+ has a few minor flaws. One of them is that it can get caught on cords or rugs and does not always turn off the mopping feature when it is done vacuuming. In all other respects, it's an excellent model that checks all the right boxes.
iRobot j7+ has also one of the top auto-emptying systems we've tested. It spits out its 14oz / 0.4-liter dust canister into the base station where it will automatically empty itself for you. This helps to reduce the amount of trash you'll need to dispose of and you'll need to replace the dust bag from the dock every 60 days or so, depending on how often you use the j7+.
