Best robot vacuum 2021: ranking robot vacuums weve tested from iRobot, Dyson, and more

Date:
Fri, 02 Jul 2021 10:46:53 +0000

Description:
Looking for a robot vacuum? Weve put these through our tests to find the very best on the market

FULL STORY ======================================================================

The best robot vacuums can make your life easier by taking on the chore of floor cleaning for you. Not only do they have similar suction power to many
of the best cordless vacuums out there they also use a range of sensors to work their way around your home without colliding into walls or furniture.

Its no wonder the best robot vacuums are becoming increasingly popular - the ability to outsource sucking up dust and debris to an appliance letting you put your feet up is the stuff of dreams. Some robot vacuums can even be controlled by your voice rather than a smartphone, while others can mop hard floors as well as vacuum them thanks to built-in water tanks. Whether you
have carpet or hard floors, theres a robot vacuum out there to suit you.

Whether you have carpet or hard floors in your home, if youre looking to replace one of the best vacuum cleaners with one of the best robot vacuums on the market, there are some things to consider.

Battery life is an important aspect, as nobody wants a robot vacuum that runs out of power halfway through cleaning your home. Also, look for a smart mapping feature that ensures the robot vacuum learns the layout of your home and can clean specific rooms or areas at the touch of a button. You may also want a robot vacuum that empties its own dust canister, meaning it really can be left to clean your floors unaided.

Theres plenty of choice when it comes to robot vacuums, so weve tested and reviewed a range of models to make it easier to find the best robot vacuum
for you. Heres how often you should vacuum Find out how to clean a carpet without a machine Check out our new interactive cordless vacuums video below The best robot vacuums we've tested 2021: ranked (Image credit: Amazon) 1. iRobot Roomba i7+

The best robot vacuum Smart navigation Automatically empties dust Recurring operating cost

The Roomba i7+ was always going to be an impressive cleaning machine, as it boasts the same smarts to keep from crashing into objects and environment mapping so it quickly learns every nook and cranny of your home, just like
the iRobot Roomba 980 . However, integration with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant along with the ability to store maps of every room in your home in
a secure area online speeding up cleaning time, means its been elevated to another level.

The jewel in the crown for us is the robot vacuums ability to automatically empty its dust bin. When it docks, the debris in the dust bin is immediately sucked up and stored in a disposable bag which makes up part of the dock. These bags hold around 30 days worth of dust. Youll get an alert on the app when it needs replacing, but at $14.99 / 21.95 / AU$59 for three bags, this creates an ongoing cost for the robot vacuum.

It retains the familiar circular design and rotating body found on previous Roomba robot vacuums, so it has no problems manoeuvring through narrow areas. We were impressed at its dust pick-up both on floorboards, tiles and other hard surfaces, as well as carpet. This is, in part, thanks to the rubber rollers. As well as being two rollers rather than just one, they have more refined grooves which further improves the dust pick up.

Read our full review: iRobot Roomba i7+ (Image credit: Amazon) 2. Neato Botvac D7 Connected

The best robot vacuum for unprecedented control Stylish design Great performance Small waste bin

The Neato Botvac D7 Connected is a robot vacuum to rival the Roomba i7+, and we mean that. It's a good looking vacuum that more than gets the job done,
but its laurels don't rest there.

The revelatory feature with the Neato Botvac D7 Connected are so-called
'no-go lines', which allow you to cordon off areas of your home that you
don't want the vacuum to venture into. This could be your desk, which is moated by wires that would normally spell treachery for a robotic vacuum.

Creating a boundary for robot vacuums isn't unique to the Botvac D7, but it's really nifty in this application because you can draw a line using the app while the vacuum is in use to, say, keep the D7 from venturing into a room
you want it to stay out of.

The biggest draw back with the D7 is that its bin isn't as big as the
original Botvac Connected, and it doesn't have a 'bin full' sensor, so it
ends up overfilling.

Read our full review: Neato Botvac D7 Connected (Image credit: Dyson) 3. Dyson 360 Heurist (UK)

The best Dyson robot vacuum for a deep clean Exceptional cleaning power Excellent map fine-tuning Expensive

The Dyson 360 Heurist is the first robot vacuum that can really rival a cordless vacuum when it comes to cleaning power. Its got 20% more suction
than Dysons previous robot vacuum cleaner, the Dyson 360, and as the
motorised brush runs the entire width of the vacuum cleaner, you get full suction power even on the edges of rooms. Its a narrower design than most robot vacuums, but the trade-off is, its taller too. So while it does a great job at squeezing in narrow gaps, it struggles to get under some furniture.

Theres no denying its slow to set-up, as the vacuum uses a camera to map
rooms rather than LiDAR but your patience will pay off. Once thats completed, youll be able to split your house into zones and set restrictions such as avoiding altogether, not using the spinning brush bar (good for delicate hard floors and deep pile carpets) and stopping the vacuum from attempting to
climb furniture.

It works with both Alexa and Google Assistant, so you can use your voice to start it cleaning. However, it cant avoid obstacles, such as cables and
shoes; so youll need to pick these up yourself and on full power, its louder than most of its competitors, coming in at around 70db.

Read our full review: Dyson 360 Heurist (Image credit: Amazon) 4. Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 AIVI

The best robot vacuum with a mop to tackle two jobs Mops and vacuums Doubles as a security camera Misses most corners and edges

Where the Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 AIVI stands out from the rest of the best robot vacuum cleaners competition is in its ability to mop your floors.

Sure, you won't get an elbow-grease effort out of the robot vacuum cleaner as it slushes water over your linoleum, but it can whisk away footprints and other surface-level stains in a snap. Although, youll need to remove the mopping plate when you want it to vacuum carpets.

Its got a built-in camera designed to help it see (and avoid) small objects, like cables, socks or toys - although they can still be sucked up by the vacuum, so ideally pick them up first. When the vacuum isnt cleaning, you can get it to act as a security guard for your home, letting you see and speak to anyone in the house through the app.

We were impressed by its battery life, too. Ecovas claims itll last up to three hours, and we found there was still some juice left to spare after it had made its way round an average-sized two-bedroom apartment on the highest suction level.

While we found the dust pick up on hard floors and carpets was good, it
tended to misse corners and edges. The mopping function was pretty woeful, too. Theres no scrubbing action, either so it struggles to remove spills and stains.

Read our full review: Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 AIVI (Image credit: Amazon) 5. Roborock S6 MaxV

The best robot vacuum for battery life Excellent battery life Generally effective cleaning Can't climb stairs (yet)

The Roborock S6 MaxV stands out for battery life. Roborock says it will
manage up to three hours of continuous cleaning in its least powerful mode. During testing, we used the middle-of-the-road balanced mode which meant 30 minutes cleaning over an area of 20 square meters (215 square feet) depleted the battery by 20% - a decent level of performance.

The Roborock S6 MaxV has dual cameras and a LiDAR, so its quick when it comes to mapping a room, itll even mark obstacles like discarded shoes or furniture on the map, and snap a photo which can be seen in the app. The app even uses AI processing to identify the obstacle, which works most of the time.

We were impressed with its dust pick up on carpets and hard floors - offering similar suction to its competitors. It can mop as well as vacuum, too but its dual function means its one of the biggest robot vacuums weve tested. At 19.2 x 16 x 6.1in (48.8 x 40.6 x 15.6cm) it takes up a significant amount of space and did struggle to get between chair legs. However, its surprisingly quiet
in use, making it more of a gentle giant.

Read our full review: Roborock S6 MaxV (Image credit: Amazon) 6. Eufy
RoboVac 11

The best cheap robot vacuum Low price Cleans well No companion app

The Eufy RoboVac 11 isn't the most tech'd out or high-end robot vacuum, but
it isn't afraid to get down and dirty and get the cleaning job done.

The best part about the RoboVac 11 is that it's cheaper than most robot
vacuum cleaners on the market, so you can get the convenience of a vacuum
that works on its own at a fraction of the cost.

Unfortunately, that low price means you miss out on things like a companion app, so you have to use a remote instead, and overall the RoboVac 11 is more... manual than we would have liked. The more recent RoboVac 30C fills in these gaps with an app and smart assistant capability, but there's still something to be said for the bargain vacuuming on offer here.

What's more, battery life leaves something to be desired, though while it's not as long-lasting as higher-end models, it's probably plenty of juice to satisfy your cleaning needs.

Read our full review: Eufy RoboVac 11 (Image credit: Amazon) 7. Ecovacs Deebot N79S Robotic Vacuum Cleaner

The best robot vacuum thats supported by Alexa Easy to use Works great with Alexa Not very thorough

Not all robot vacuums are shiny, whirring pucks from the future. Some, like the Ecovacs Deebot N79S, are more subdued. This isn't an ugly vacuum by any means, but possibly one that's a bit on the plain side.Still, it's really about how it cleans that matters, not how it looks.

You have several modes to choose from with the Deebot N79S, and it comes with a remote that it's quite responsive to. Yes, you can use your smartphone to control the N79S, but the vacuum seems to prefer using the paired remote.

In our tests, we were impressed with the Deebot N79S' ability to not plunge
to an early end at the bottom of our steep stairs, so its world-sensing abilities are up to snuff. It did tend to get stuck under furniture, however, so you may come home to find your Deebot wedged under a coffee table, unable to get itself free.

Don't expect a deep clean with this robot vacuum, but it will suck up enough to get surface dirt and dust off of your hardwood floors and carpet. Nicely, the Deebot N79S is rather quiet, making night vacuuming possible.

It's also compatible with Alexa, so you can set the Deebot N79S robot vacuum cleaning using just your voice.

Read our full review: Ecovacs Deebot N79S Robotic Vacuum Cleaner (Image credit: Amazon) 8. Shark ION Robot 750 (US)

The best Shark robot vacuum for powerful cleaning Great design Excellent cleaning Has trouble getting onto thick rugs

We've been testing the Shark ION Robot 750 for some time now and it continues to impress us with its strong suction and mapping smarts. Just when we think the 'bot is going to bump into something, it quickly pivots and carries on
its way.

This robot vacuum cleaner works well on both our hardwood floors and thinner area rugs, though it struggles to crest above thicker rugs in our home. What it does get over, it cleans very well we swear there's a sheen to our floors after the Shark ION gets done with them.

It's also on the quieter end of the best robot vacuums we've tested, and its whir often fades into the background while we're doing chores elsewhere in
the house.

We wish the bin was a bit bigger as it can only go about 12 minutes before needing to be emptied (we do have dogs, though, which makes for a lot of dirt and debris). The bin may be just fine if you don't have as dirty floors as we do.

Not only does it perform well, but it looks great, too. The Shark ION Robot 750 is a statement piece, which we never thought we would say about a vacuum cleaner.

Read more: Should I buy the Shark ION Robot 750 Wi-Fi robot vacuum? How we test robot vacuums

To identify the best robot vacuums, we put models from big brands such as Shark, Dyson, and Roomba to the test along with smaller names including Eufy and Roborock. We evaluate the dirt pick-up of each model covering both fine dust and cookie crumbs, along with larger particles including cereal, while also looking at whether its pick-up on edges and in crevices is as good as on large surface areas.

As well as assessing how effectively the robot vacuums clean floors, we also compare how easily they maneuver on carpet and hard floors, as well as
whether the robovac takes a logical path around a home or cleans in a random pattern, which means areas could easily be missed. We also looked for robot vacuums that can learn the layout of your home meaning they can be dispatched to clean a certain room or areas in just a few taps.

We rate each robot vacuum on how easy it was to empty, how loud it is in use, and how long the battery lasts between charges, too. Is it worth buying a robot vacuum?

In short, yes. Robot vacuums can be more expensive than an upright or
cordless vacuum but youre paying for the added convenience of not having to
do the vacuuming yourself. Robot vacuums are a great solution for busy people who simply dont have time to put the vacuum around but they also offer a good alternative for those with mobility issues because all you need to do is switch them on.

Many robot vacuums cope well with both hardwood floors and carpeted areas but if your home has lots of staircases then, youll need an additional vacuum to clean the stairs. With many robot vacuums suitable for programing from your phone, youll be able to switch these devices on when youre out and about and come home to clean floors. Can a robot vacuum replace a normal vacuum?

Robot vacuums can offer a very impressive clean, even on thick carpets which makes them a good alternative to an upright or other types of vacuums. Theyll be more convenient too as you can set them to work when youre busy doing
other things. The dust cups on robot vacuums are often smaller than youd expect to find on a canister or an upright vacuum cleaner.

While robot vacuums dont have crevice tools that work well down the side of your sofa or on your stairs, these machines do normally have small brushes on the outside of their shells. The brushes do a good job of getting close to baseboards and making sure that any crumbs or dirt on hard floors doesnt escape the vacuums suction. Which robot vacuum should I buy?

Weve included a range of robot vacuums above and have crowned the iRobot as the best robot vacuum on the market, however, the right option for you will depend on what youre looking for.

If youve got pets at home, you might want to consider a robot vacuum for pet hair or one that can even empty its own dust cup so you dont have to worry about that. Alternatively, if you need a robot vacuum to whizz around when youre busy, and you already have an upright or a cordless vacuum to tackle deep cleaning, your best bet might be an affordable Eufy robot vacuum as
these are often cheaper than the premium models.

Whatever youre looking for, consider the battery run-time, the bin capacity, and any smart features that are included with each model. How do robot
vacuums work?

Robot vacuums have a series of brushes on the underside of the machine that work together to collect dirt and dust that they come in contact with. The dirt is then sucked up into the dust cup, which is fitted in the body of the vacuum. Most are fitted with smaller brushes that extend past the circumference of the vacuum and the purpose of these is to reach dirt thats settled against baseboards or in awkward places.

More advanced robot vacuums have lasers on the front of the machine and some on the underside of the machine too. These lasers detect where furniture, objects, and edges are in your home helping to avoid bumps and cliff
detection prevents the machine from falling down the stairs. Read our article How do robot vacuums work to find out even more. Don't miss today's cheap robot vacuum deals



======================================================================
Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/news/best-robot-vacuums/


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)