A robot vacuum is a great device to keep the cleanliness of your home. It will nab dust, pet hair, and other surface debris before it causes a bigger problem.
Some robots are able to sync with smart assistants such as Alexa or Google Assistant to provide a hands-free environment. Look for models that can be recharged and continue cleaning where they left off.
1. iRobot S8
This smart robot mop and vacuum is an excellent option for households with a variety of. It has a great navigation system that incorporates GPS and laser sensors. It also comes with a lot of features and controls that are accessible through the app. It also has a handy feature that allows you to add Cleaning zones for certain areas that need extra attention and Keep Out zones where you do not want it to move. It also receives software updates, like all Roomba products, which improve the quality of the product over time.
It's expensive however, it's also one of the most advanced robot vacuums ZDNet has evaluated. It's got a huge battery that can clean all of your home in less than two hours. It can also switch between vacuuming and mopping at the touch of a button. It automatically empties the bin of dust above its charging station, in contrast to other self emptying robots which require you to empty it after every run.
It has a wide range of other features that make it an excellent choice for homes with a lot of space with its intelligent obstacle avoidance that utilizes the camera as well as processor-powered smarts to see obstacles. It is rarely derailed 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 and other hazards.
2. Eufy RoboVac X8 Hybrid
Eufy, owned by Anker It has become an iconic name in the world of robots that are budget-friendly vacuums. However, it didn't offer the option of a model that could mop. The X8 Hybrid is a new model that comes with a variety of modern features and can compete with much more expensive models.
The laser navigation is the most important feature of this machine. The X8 makes use of the laser mapping system, which is more accurate than the previous Eufy devices. It also takes significantly less time to create an accurate map of your home and can store multiple maps, which is great for multi-floor homes.
The X8 is a great vacuum cleaner for floors with no dust. It is able to easily throw debris under the side brushes and into its 400ml dust bin. Its tyres are adept at securing edges and corners despite being circular. It's not a fantastic cat litter scooper, 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. This is ideal for spills that are not too dangerous, but you are unable to regulate the amount of water it uses. However, it does an excellent job of picking up pet hair, and has a higher percentage of hair removal than the Roborock S7.
3. Miele RX2
Awarded for its quiet and efficient home appliances Miele's RX2 robot vacuum has excellent cleaning power, beautiful design and great navigation. However, it does have a few operational oddities that keep it from ranking as the best overall smart robot vacuum.
The RX2 comes with a dual-sensor mapping technology that uses a LIDAR to map an area as well as a pair of 3D scanning cameras to detect and eliminating obstacles (such as furniture legs or pet waste). Once the room has been mapped and assigned, you can assign virtual no go areas and sections that you would like to be the robot. You can also change the cleaning modes, start an automatic clean or watch a live feed of the onboard cameras from the main screen.
The RX2's sensors are effective by registering furniture and obstructions in real-time. The suction and sweeping capabilities are outstanding, effectively removing surface litter from medium pile carpeting and also removing embedded dust on bare floors. However, it's not exactly the most agile robot on the market. It's not the best climber, and it has problems with transition strips made of steel.
A lot of people purchase a robotic vacuum to enjoy the convenience of setting a schedule in an app and forgetting about it for weeks at a time. However, it's essential that a machine can accomplish the task, which is the reason our ZDNet staff looked over and tested a number of the most well-known models to help you select the best one for your home.
4. Shark ION
This budget robovac is a robot that looks like any other, but has several more features and better performance. Its intelligent mapping system creates 3D and 2-D maps of your house and makes use of them to navigate around and avoid obstructions. It is able to detect 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 from stepping on stairs makes it one of our most flexible vacuums.
It was able to climb over carpets with thick shags and did not get stuck (unlike the RoboVac 11s, or Roomba 690-). Its navigation skills were also impressive as its score for composite tests on carpet and bare floors beat out the competition. It picked up 98.5 percent of the surface litter and embedded pet hair from our lab test samples.
The controls are simpler than the competition's. There is a cleaning button on the top and you can choose to start it with the app or via voice commands with Alexa or Google Assistant. You can also schedule weekly or daily cleanings, set up no-go zones, and look up its history of cleaning. Clad in smart dark gray plastics, Ion feels sturdy and looks attractive in your home. Its rear dust bin is accessible for emptying and removing the filter is equally easy.
5. Eufy 11S
If you're looking to buy a basic robotic vacuum that is simple and has no frills at a low cost, the Eufy11S might be your best bet. It isn't equipped with some of the more advanced features, like digital mapping and Alexa integration, which are found in more expensive models, but if you don't need these functions, you can save cost with this model.
The robot is easy to set up and use. It does not require a smartphone application or Wi-Fi pairing. However, it does come with an remote control that lets you choose between various modes and adjust the suction level. You can also set up a manual schedule to assign the robotvac to the schedule of cleaning.
During our tests, we discovered that the 11S was extremely efficient in cleaning pet fur and dirt from carpets with low pile and hard floors. Its slim profile allowed it to get under low-hanging furniture and other items that heavier robots were unable to get at. It was also able to easily get over thresholds for doors and transition from one floor type to another.
The 11S, just like other robots, can also eat some objects, such as cords and cat toys. vacuum mop combo suggests that you keep these items off the ground and using a cord organiser when you can. It also suggests cleaning the dustbin on a regular basis replacing the filters, and washing or changing the brushes as needed.
Roomba 990 from iRobot
The Roomba 980 is iRobot's most popular robot vacuum. It's expensive but it's the most powerful robot vacuum you can purchase. Its self-navigating capabilities and environmental mapping are a wonder to behold. It has more advanced automation than its competitors, including the ability to set up virtual boundary markers using its mobile app. Although its application is a bit slow, and the 980 does spin out a bit when rolling over cables, it's still an extremely efficient robot vacuum.
We love the 980, because it makes use of its iAdapt2.0 navigation sensors as well as visual simultaneity localisation and mapping (or vSLAM), to memorise your home's floor plan. It uses this information to create a consistent, efficient cleaning path for each cycle. The result is cleaner floors and a cleaner vacuum than the majority of high-end robot vacuums.
Other features include dual multi-surface rubber brushes, which grab dirt from hard floors and carpet as well as an ejector brush that moves debris into the bin of the robotic vacuum. Its floor tracking sensor assists it in maneuvering through furniture, along edges and up steps. Cliff Detect prevents the Roomba from falling. And it automatically returns to its base station for easy recharges between sessions. Although the 980's battery lifespan and bin size isn't as good as those of other robot vacuums it's a reliable and solid machine that will keep your floors spotless for hours on end.
