Robot vacuums remove pet hair, lint, and dust from the floor before they can settle. They can also stay clear of obstacles like furniture that is unstable and staircases.
The majority of robotic vacuums require maintenance, like emptying (and occasionally, rinsing) the bin and wiping sensors and cameras. Also, neato robot vacuum have to be plugged into the power source. Many have smartphone apps for scheduling, setting and more.
iRobot Roomba 980
The iRobot Roomba 980, the most recent of a series of top-of-the-line robot vacuums, is a staple for any modern home. This model comes with a HEPA-filter to aid those suffering from allergies. On top of that it has a powerful battery which can clean for up to two hours, and it will return to its dock when its bin is full.
Smart mapping is a different feature that helps it identify areas in your home that require attention and provides an easy path to get around them. This technology is very effective in navigating toys that have been left on the floor, or furniture legs sticking out underneath things. It also has a camera that can snap the Roomba back to the real world when it starts drifting from its actual location.
iRobot has also introduced a new set of rollers under the Roomba's bottom, which don't have bristles and therefore tend to be more resistant to tangles than earlier models. The rollers are also larger and can fit under beds or couches that are low. They're designed to make this model more adaptable to different flooring types.
What sets the Roomba 980 apart from other models of this class, though, is its incorporation of the latest dirt detection feature that uses cameras to identify tiny bits of dirt. This is a nice improvement over the previous version, which relied on the sensor-driven pseudorandom coverage technique to bounce around a room and clean at minimum three times from various angles.
The Roomba 980 performed well in our tests on both carpets and hard floors. It scored very well on carpets with low pile and on mid-pile. It did a great job picking up pet hair but struggled with long and thick pet hair that was stuck together.
The Roomba 980 is still one of the most efficient robots in our list, despite these minor limitations. It's also not as expensive as top-of the-line models. It has many of the features we would expect from a top model, but doesn't come with all the fancy apps or home integration that you'll see in other top models.
The iRobot Roomba is simple to set up and start running right away. After you have removed the pull tab for the battery and the yellow bin insert from its undercarriage, all you have to do is plug it into its Home Base docking station or an outlet on the wall, press its large "Clean" button and let it get to work. It will automatically return to its dock when its battery runs out or it's stuffed with debris. It also has indicators on the top for when its bin is full or it needs to be recharged or its Wi-Fi signal has gone out.
