It never got stuck on common obstacles like power cords and long curtains, and had no trouble sucking up dust, hair, and other debris. Roomba® j7 or j7+ robot vacuums avoid hazards like charging cords when it first spots them using PrecisionVision Navigation and sends you a photo so you can tell it to avoid or clean around the obstacle in the future. Additonal cleaning characterstics of the robot vacuum including its filter, cyclonic action and if it is rated for use in homes with pets.
When everything is labelled, you can then start a new job in the top right corner of the app and select ‘clean everywhere’ or tick the rooms you want the J7+ to clean. The top-end Braava m6 provides more adjustments, custom mapping and can even integrate with certain Roomba models so the two can clean in tandem. Roombas are driven by two independently-operating side wheels, which can drive the Roomba forwards and backwards as well as perform turns of any radius, including 360° turns in place. Rotary encoders on the wheels can detect the rate at which the wheels are spinning so it can determine if they’re slipping or stuck, and drop sensors detect if a wheel is too low . An undriven swivel caster (located at the front of most models, and at the back of the D-shaped S series) is used not for steering, as is often believed, but as an additional sensor.
Here, we look at things such as how easily it navigates around an apartment, if it gets stuck under furniture or on carpets, how difficult it is to set up, and how messy it is to empty its dustbin. One of the trickiest areas to clean is under furniture; thanks to its low 2.85-inch profile, the Eufy Robovac 11s can go where other robot vacuums can’t, and gets those dust bunnies lurking under your couch. At around $200, it’s affordable, and it’s also quieter than the average robot vacuum as well, reading just 62.5dB in our tests. It has a number of other features, such as the ability to map multiple floors and create virtual walls. The Roomba i7+ is also fast, finishing a cleaning run in less than 20 minutes. Now that iRobot has released the Roomba s9+, the Roomba i7+ has come down a bit in price, but it’s still just as effective at cleaning.
Consider the layout of your home and whether you have mostly hardwood floors or deep-pile carpeting. If you live in a Victorian-style home or have medium- to high-pile carpeting, a robot irobot vacuum cleaner vacuum will likely require a lot of input from you. However, if you live in a more modern, open-flow style of home with tile or hardwood floors, a robot vacuum is a great option.
Most robot vacuums also have the perk of the compact size and low height for picking up debris underneath furniture. For those sensitive to noise, Roombas are generally quieter to operate than most standard vacuums. The loudest models top out around 70 decibels, which is just slightly louder than the average conversation. All Roombas include obstacle sensors, and they can detect areas with dirt and debris.
The iRobot Roomba j7+ might induce sticker shock, but it’s one of the smartest standalone robot vacuums you can buy. It uses a built-in camera and machine learning technology to recognize obstacles in its cleaning path in real time, and automatically reroute itself around them. Another feature that stands out on the Shark IQ XL is Evacuate and Resume, which is designed for homes with lots of pet hair. The V3S Pro uses a small suction opening irobot vacuum cleaner to scoop up debris, much like a regular vacuum, instead of the spinning roller brush on the bottom used by most robots. While the suction isn’t the strongest I’ve seen on devices in this price range, it avoids having hair and carpet threads build up and get stuck in a brush, and therefore helps it pick up more hair and dirt. Two side brushes with three bristles each push hair and dirt into the robot’s path, and do a great job.
The best Roomba vacuums offer enough suction power and smart capabilities to meet the needs of the users. Whether you’re looking for a crumb finder or a pet-hair attacker, the hands-on testing results of these robot vacuums can help shoppers pick the best Roomba for their needs. We tested these models in a home to see how they dealt with real dirt, pet hair, and debris as well as simulated dust and heavy crumbs to put the robot vacuums through their paces.