At least until they sprout legs and can deal with awkward cables, rugs and the like, but – when that comes – we’re likely all doomed anyway. While stairs remain their nemesis, most robot vacuums do use their camera smarts to detect a ton of hazards so you’ll likely be surprised by how much they don’t crash into things, come your first use. Robot vacuum cleaners have joined dishwashers, washing machines and tumble dryers, i.e. the veterans of the cleaning world, in automating pesky chores and minimising hassle. These dust hunting dynamos can zip around your living room with the push of a button saving sore backs all round.
Other innovations include Dyson’s flagship cyclonic suction technology, powered by the same motor that’s found in Dyson’s handheld vacuums. A washable filter and dust bin are both hygienic and economical. It’s the advanced controls that really prove useful, allowing you to set restrictions to control how the 360 Heurist. The Avoid Area option is basically the no-go option on other cleaners, but there are two other options alongside. The No Brush Bar option turns off the spinning bar, which is good for more delicate hard floors and for deep-pile carpets. Finally, there’s a No Climb option, which prevents the robot from trying to lift up over obstacles, such as furniture that has support bars.
In recent decades, the overwhelming focus of research into and development of new artificial hands has been on perfecting different types of grasps. Many of the most expensive hands on the market differentiate themselves by the number and dyson robot vacuum variety of selectable prehensile grips. My 21st-century myoelectric hand seemed remarkable—until I tried using it for some routine tasks, where it proved to bemore cumbersome and time consuming than if I had simply left it on the couch.
When it launched way back in 2015 the Roomba 980 (£849) was iRobot’s top-of-the-range Wi-Fi connected design, and while it now somewhat eclipsed by the i7+, it has more enough cleaning smarts to deserve a place on this list. Thankfully the S6 MaxV is quick and relatively quiet, although you’ll not want to chat while it’s in the same room. It can cover plenty of ground too and will give an average open plan living room a good clean in just 20 minutes. WIRED Recommends is your definitive guide to the best technology. Every product featured has been properly tested by WIRED reviewers.
Dyson Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a credit broker. Dyson Limited is not a lender and operates as a credit broker exclusively for PayPal Credit. PayPal Credit is a trading name of PayPal Sarl et Cie, SCA, Boulevard Royal, L2449 Luxembourg. Keep track of where your robot has been, with maps that show its path around your home. If you want to upgrade your vacuum, you can transfer your existing machine and guarantee to someone else. Includes batteries and select parts for the same length of time as your machine.
It picks up from where the 360 Eye left off and is still one of the most feature rich robot vacuum cleaners available. However, it’s also pretty clumsy initially and you’ll have to do a lot of tweaking to get it performing at its peak in your house. The price it’s in the upper echelons of the robo cleaner price range but you do know that you’re paying for tried and tested technology with the Dyson brand, and the cleaning performance is superb. Dyson has top-of-the-range options and it has reasonably sized options but, if all you want is one vacuum cleaner that isn’t too high-priced and does everything you require of it, there’s a £300 all-rounder for you too.