The main difference is that this unit doesn’t map specific areas, so it won’t be able to recognize different zones. We found that it still takes orders via the app, and will clean with the touch of a button. A Roomba, however, won’t match the power of or replace a standard vacuum. The suction power doesn’t stand up to these larger devices, and the collected debris is pulled into a small internal bin with limited dustbin capacity. Jodhaira Rodriguez has been researching and testing cleaning appliances and other products in the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab since 2021.
An updated app made using the G30 Edge much easier than with previous Eufy robot vacuums. While the G30 Edge creates a map of your home, you can’t set up virtual no-go zones, or direct it to clean specific rooms. The second-best robot vacuum under $200 is iLife’s V5s Pro, which vacuumed nearly as well as the V3s Pro, picking up pet shark cordless hair, Cheerios, and kitty litter with the same effectiveness. The main difference with the V5s Pro is that it has an added mopping feature. While this seems like a great idea — a vacuum and mopper in one — we found that the V5s Pro was pretty ineffective at mopping in our in-home tests, so this feature didn’t add that much value.
The Dual Mode Virtual Wall® Barrier gives you greater control over where your robot cleans. Virtual Wall Mode keeps your robot in the rooms you want cleaned and out of the ones you don’t. In some situations, you may be able to run the machine without disturbing sleep if you’re not near the device . Yes, with the help of the sweeping brush on the edge of a Roomba, the round devices can get dirt out of corners. One of the newest designs, the i9 Roomba, comes in a D-shape with a flat edge that smartly tracks into corners to get even more dirt. Certain models that use sensors instead of cameras to get around can navigate without any light.
Self-emptying robot vacuums come with a big charging dock that sucks debris out of the robot through a trapdoor in the dustbin, and stores it in a disposable bag or bagless bin. You do still have to toss the bag or empty the bin regularly, and the charging stations are big, noisy, and kind of ugly, but it does save you from having to bend down and empty the dust bin on the robot every time you vacuum. Every model we’ve tested has gotten trapped or tangled at least occasionally, even the latest models with sophisticated navigation and smart-home integration. If you’re after the maximum pickup that a robot can offer, the Roomba s9+ (and s9, which is similar, but without its own dustbin that it self-disposes into) should definitely be on your shortlist, according to our lab tests. Like most other robot vacuums that cost more than $350, the s9+ can learn the layout of your home, and you can then use a smartphone app to tell it where and when to clean. While it navigated quite well around the obstacles in our lab tests, a staffer found that it had a few quirks in his own home, like being prone to getting snarled on the edges of rugs.
Read on for our top picks, as well as all the factors you should consider when buying a robot vacuum. You no longer have to suffer the indignity of dragging around an unwieldy plastic hose connected to a clumsy, wheeled canister the size of a Galapagos tortoise. Robot vacuums can help you dispose of dust, pet hair, and other debris in your home without requiring you to lift a finger. Robot vacuums are more capable and affordable than ever, and we’ve rounded up the best models we’ve tested to help you pick the perfect one for your home. With features such as in-app mapping, scheduling and no-go zones, the Neato BotVac D8 was promising.
Roomba’s top-of-the-line model contains the most suction power of the entire lineup, along with a slightly different shape that allows it to get into corners more easily. It’s also designed with anti-allergen filters built in, making it great for pet owners. Like the i series, it’s available as a standalone vacuum or in a plus model with the self-emptying dock. Because they are smaller and less powerful than large upright vacuums, the dustbin must be emptied frequently , and hair and other obstructions must be removed from rollers and brushes more frequently.
Note that while all of the robot vacuums were tested by picking up the same material on the same surfaces, those with an asterisk were tested in a 15 x 15-foot square, whereas the other models were tested in a 5 x 5-foot square. Because robot vacuums are designed to clean, most of us forget that these too need regular maintenance. They have surprisingly small bins and so, unless you’re lucky enough to own a self-emptying model, these will need emptying after each run.