During several of our tests, the Q5 produced good visual results, but the results for the i3 EVO were a little better when we weighed the dustbins. Also, the Q5 would regularly say that it had completed a job, when a quick look told us otherwise and we knew that we would have to restart the cleaning cycle. We’ve aimed to recommend a handful of robots that should work well in most homes and aren’t wildly expensive.
At the end of each job, the robo-vac automatically empties its small dustbin into the large clean base – that means you won’t have to empty the dustbin yourself and you’ll only have to tend to the base once every few weeks. Just keep in mind that most self-cleaning bases require proprietary garbage bags – another long-term expense you’ll have to factor in. Also, any vac-and-mop robot with a water tank will not dump its dirty water into the clean base, so you’ll still have to clean that yourself.
Apart from that, there’s not much that you’re missing here, making this an excellent midrange pick, especially for homes with an abundance of area rugs and other low-pile carpets. No other cleaner we’ve tested cleans carpets like those better than the S7. Roomba budget models (Dirt Dog and Model 401) used a simplified interface (a single “Clean” button) and lacked some of the software-controlled flexibility of other versions. The Roomba Dirt Dog contained sweeping brushes and a larger dust bin, but lacked the vacuum motor, using the space that would be required for the vacuum for additional dust bin volume. It was designed for a home shop or garage environment.[5] The Roomba Model 401 was similar but had a standard-size dust bin and vacuum system.
It also features a self-emptying dustbin, good battery life, impressive obstacle avoidance, and strong vacuum suction power. We’ve tested more than 50 robot vacuum cleaners, and below are our recommendations for the best robot vacuums for pets to buy. These recommendations are based not only on their pet-hair cleaning performance on different surfaces but also on their design and price. For more, look at our lists of the best vacuums for pet hair, the best robot vacuums, the best robotic vacuums for hardwood floors, and the best handheld vacuums for pet hair. The Eufy RoboVac 11S and other Eufy bots whose model names begin with a number instead of a letter stand out as some of the quietest robot vacuums we’ve tested. They’re also some of the shortest, so they can fit beneath more pieces of furniture.
For a more budget-friendly option, pet owners should consider the Roomba e5 with Wi-Fi. However, it does have increased suction power and two brushless rollers — a design tweak that makes it more effective at cleaning hair without getting tangled — and an allergen filter, making it ideal for pet owners, according to the brand. This intelligent and gentle cleaner almost acts as a security camera as much as a robot vacuum cleaner. It can patrol your home while you’re away and livestream what it can see straight to your phone.
Brushes along the bottom of the unit are combined with suction power to lift and remove dirt in your home. Lasers and sensors may also be incorporated to offer mapping technologies that can avoid tricky areas in your home, like stairs, corners, doors, and pet waste. IRobot Roomba Combo J7+ uses iRobot’s advanced 4-stage Cleaning System, incorporating mopping into its vacuum features. It is best for hard floors, given its mopping feature, but thanks to its lifting design, it can seamlessly switch over to vacuum mode for carpets. With smart mapping, you can choose which rooms are vacuumed and which ones are mopped, creating a signature schedule precisely for your home.
It sucks up dirt efficiently, but it doesn’t have the ability to map and learn your home, and it won’t target specific messes or avoid obstacles. That means it might miss messes or get stuck in bissell crosswave cordless certain spots—like under a couch or on the ledge of a staircase. It’s an uncomplicated robot that is great for routine cleaning, and will work just as well on carpets as it does on floors.
It still gets stuck on common robot traps such as phone charging cables, cat toys, and in my house, the skinny feet of a lounger chair. You do need to tidy up a bit before you set it free, but it does better with large cables and rug tassels than many other robots. (iRobot has anti-tangle tech that makes the bot reverse course if it starts to get tangled.) This works pretty well for bigger items but, sadly, not phone charging cords. For several hundred dollars less than the j7, the i3 has similar software features, the same suction level, and a slightly smaller battery. You can get it with an auto-empty dock for a list price of $550 (i.e., probably lower).
This lets you ask the robot (using the app or a voice assistant) to clean specific areas, such as in front of the fridge or behind the couch. The good news is that robots these days have a ton of options, and whether you have a 3,000-square-foot home and three shaggy dogs or a small, stylish apartment you share with a goldfish, there’s a robot vacuum to suit your needs. Some homes have more of these traps than others; most homes have at least a few. The Samsung Jet Bot AI+ worked its way around a lot of objects but still managed to knock over a few hockey sticks and a bucket of golf balls. When it avoided obstacles, it often misidentified them in the app—and all of that would be fine, if it cleaned effectively. But it doesn’t work very well on even low-pile carpet and is an absolute no for pet owners.
However, if you have a lot of high-pile rugs, the j7 tackles these better than either the Roborock S7 or S8. In that case, I’d recommend getting the j7 and a separate mopping bot for your non-carpeted floors. IRobot’s Braava Jet m6 is a good option that can be programmed to mop after the Roomba vacuum is done.