Coordination with the iRobot app allows users some typically higher-end features such as online scheduling and voice activation with Alexa or Google Assistant. Though the 694 has lower suction than other more advanced models, it is one of the most affordable robot vacuums. Its three-stage cleaning system and multisurface brush lift dirt efficiently, while an edge-sweeping brush tackles corners and edges. Battery life is also important to consider based on the size of your home. In general, most robot vacuums can run for between 60 and 70 minutes, which should be enough to tackle smaller homes and apartments.
This method allows you to quickly and easily create Keep-Out Zones around areas that typically halt cheaper robot vacuums. Note the type of flooring you have as some robot vacuums perform better on hardwood floors while others are optimized for carpet. The Roomba J7 performed relatively well on hardwood and low-pile carpets, removing 91.7% and 58.5% of test sand from those surfaces respectively. However, the robot struggled while vacuuming medium pile carpeting, pulling away just 17% of sand here. IRobot set out to solve this potential problem with its new Roomba J7 Plus.
Or tell it to make sure to do extra cleaning with a bonus cycle to grab tracked-in grass and dirt in the foyer using a voice-activated cycle via the app. If you’re new to the world of robot vacuums and want to try one without spending a ton of money, the iLife A9 is a wise choice. If you have medium-pile carpeting in your home, it’s not the best option, but if you have hard floors and low-pile carpeting, it’s one of the best robot vacuums you can get in its price range. Like many robot vacuums at this price, the Roomba i3 EVO can thoroughly clean big spaces by following a logical, orderly path throughout a home. To do so, the i3 EVO uses floor sensors, bump sensors, gyroscopes, and infrared .
We found that the Q5 could clean our downstairs living space in half the time the Roomba i3 EVO took—although the i3 EVO did a more thorough job. The bigger your home, the more valuable that speed may be, as long as you’re willing to trade some cleaning performance. This is the Roomba i3 EVO packaged with a charging dock that automatically sucks all the debris out of the robot after a cleaning session. Create cleaning schedules, save favorites, and adjust them on the fly. Get personalized cleaning recommendations based on what’s happening in your home, and even tell your robots to clean while you’re away with smart home integration.
Infrared “cliff sensors” on the bottom of Roombas similarly prevent them from falling off ledges such as stairways. These slow down the Roomba when nearing obstacles, to reduce its force of impact. It’s also used to clean alongside walls without bumping into the wall repeatedly. This technology is also able to distinguish between hard and soft obstacles. When it encounters potential obstacles that aren’t in its database, the j7+ snaps photos and asks you whether it should avoid those areas in the future. It only takes about a minute to review the obstacle images, and doing so can prove extremely useful.
Some models will work more effectively with darker floors, most likely due to the cliff sensors mistaking the dark for a drop-off. For hard surfaces, the company also manufactures mopping robots that also include smart features to work in conjunction with their vacuuming counterparts. This unit actively captures thousands of measurements in order to identify different rooms and areas of the home. Once the home is mapped, users can use the app, Google Assistant, Alexa, or voice control to guide the unit to specific areas and cleaning tasks while also avoiding keep-out zones. It vacuums in neat rows using floor-tracking sensors to navigate and dirt-detecting sensors to clean up dust and debris.
Versions manufactured after October 2005 contain an electronic and software interface that allows hackers to more easily control or modify behavior and remotely monitor its sensors. The 800 series, introduced in 2013, is similar to the 700 series and its predecessors, but contains updated technology. The AeroForce bissell crosswave cordless Performance Cleaning System, which is five times more powerful than older series, and the iRobot XLife battery are some of the new features. The AeroForce system does away with the large rotating brush, and pulls air between two rubber rollers, thereby getting the vacuum suction closer to the floor.
All models are designed to be low enough to go under a bed or most other items of furniture. Early models use only flashing lights to indicate specific problems, while later models use a synthesized voice to announce a problem and a suggested solution. The Roombas’ bumper allows them to sense when they have bumped into an obstacle, after which they will reverse or change paths.
We found that all three responded to voice commands very well; this was most evident in how the robot always reacted after our first request, no repeat commands necessary. And like the Roomba i3 EVO, the Q5 does allow you to ask Siri to clean specific rooms. For instance, you can say “Hey Siri, go clean the kitchen,” and the bot will do just that. As we mentioned earlier, Siri Shortcuts does not provide the ability to create Automations. Many robot vacuums are actually designed to work seamlessly between hardwood, tile and carpets. The majority of robot vacuums can easily handle low-pile area rugs, while those with more robust motors can tackle even high-pile carpeting.
First-generation models must be recharged from a wall power adapter, while all subsequent models have a self-charging homebase that the unit seeks out at the end of a cleaning session via infrared beacons. For more, see our lists of the best robot vacuums for pet hair and the best robot mops. If you have both carpet and hard flooring throughout your home, you might want to consider a hybrid that can do double duty as a vacuum and a mop, such as the Deebot Ozmo T8 AIVI or the Bissell SpinWave Wet and Dry. Standalone robot mops aren’t eligible for this list because they don’t suck up dirt and debris, but they can leave your hard floors nice and shiny. In our testing, it cleaned for up to 145 minutes in Auto mode before running low on juice—a good battery life result. It never got stuck on common obstacles like power cords and long curtains, and had no trouble sucking up dust, hair, and other debris.