The Best Robot Vacuums for 2022

Vacuums have come a long way. 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. In fact, you don’t even need to get off of the couch. Robot vacuums can help you dispose of dust, pet hair, and other debris in your home without requiring you to lift a finger.

Unlike more traditional canister or stick models, robot vacuums are autonomous and (for the most part) intelligent. The vacuums we’ve tested are equipped with lasers, motherboards, sensors, and even Wi-Fi to navigate around your home without assistance. With a few exceptions, you barely have to interact with them at all.

PCMag Logo The Best Robot Vacuums for 2022

Just pick a robot-accessible spot for the charging dock, and the bot will return by itself before it runs out of juice. When it does, it stays put until it has enough energy to go back out and continue to bust dust from where it left off. You can also set schedules for most bots to wake up and start a cleaning job, so it can take place while you’re out of the house. That means you can potentially avoid all physical interaction until you need to empty its canister. Even better: Some models actually empty themselves!

With so many different features to choose from, which robot vacuum is right for you? We’ve rounded up the best models we’ve tested to help you decide. Read on for our top picks, as well as all the factors you should consider when buying a robot vacuum.


The Best Prime Early Access Robot Vacuum Deals This Week*

*Deals are selected by our commerce team

PCMag Logo

You Can Trust Our Reviews

More About Our Picks

Best Overall Vacuum and Mop Hybrid

Bottom Line:

With a self-emptying dustbin, a mop that cleans and dries itself, and a built-in voice assistant, the pricey Ecovacs Deebot X1 Omni is the best two-in-one robot vacuum and mop you can buy.

Pros

  • Self-emptying dustbin
  • Self-washing, drying, and refilling mop
  • Built-in voice assistant
  • Carpet sensor
  • AI-powered obstacle avoidance
  • Works as a security camera with two-way audio
  • Good battery life

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Large base
  • Mop scrubs less than main competitor
  • Cannot install/remove mopping pads while robot is docked

Why We Picked It

The Ecovacs Deebot X1 Omni is the most expensive floor-cleaning robot we’ve reviewed, but it’s also the most advanced. It can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash and dry its own mop cloth, representing a major step forward in robotic floor cleaning. It even doubles as a roving home security camera with two-way audio, and features a built-in voice assistant, dubbed Yiko, that allows for voice control without a separate smart speaker.

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. 

Who It’s For

This top-of-the-line model is suitable for those with deep pockets who are willing to pay a premium for convenience. With long battery life, strong suction power, and AI-powered obstacle avoidance technology, the X1 Omni is an excellent option for large homes, and those with pets. The Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra offers similar features and performance for a bit less money, but the X1 Omni is our Editors’ Choice thanks to its streamlined design, built-in virtual assistant, larger water tanks, and hot-air mop-drying feature. 

Read Our Ecovacs Deebot X1 OMNI Review

iRobot Roomba j7+ (7550) Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum

Best for Avoiding Pet Poo

Bottom Line:

While pricey, iRobot’s Roomba j7+ robot vacuum has smarts to spare, with a guarantee to avoid pet waste and a self-emptying base that means you rarely have to lift a finger.

Pros

  • Pet waste-avoidance guarantee
  • Auto-empty base
  • Intelligently suggests Keep-Out Zones
  • Supports Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands
  • Allows for scheduled area cleanings
  • Rarely gets stuck
  • User-friendly companion app

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Unimpressive battery life

Why We Picked It

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. iRobot has trained its PrecisionVision Navigation machine learning algorithms to identify phone cords, power cables, headphones, pet waste, shoes, clothing, and towels on the floor using hundreds of millions of images crowdsourced from its customers who have opted in to contribute to its database. 

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. This method allows you to quickly and easily create Keep-Out Zones around areas that typically halt cheaper robot vacuums.

Who It’s For

If you have a cluttered home or accident-prone pets and you’re in the market for a standalone robot vacuum, the iRobot Roomba j7+ is the model to buy. iRobot is so confident in the robot’s poop-evading abilities that it’s offering it with a P.O.O.P. (Pet Owner Official Promise) guarantee: If the Roomba j7+ fails to avoid solid pet waste within a year of your purchase, the company will give you a new one for free.

Read Our iRobot Roomba j7+ (7550) Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum Review

Shark IQ Robot Self-Empty XL R101AE

Best for Bag-Free Self-Emptying

Bottom Line:

The Shark IQ Robot Self-Empty XL R101AE vacuum holds up to a months’ worth of dust and debris in its base station, and features a self-cleaning brushroll and lots of smart features for a truly low-maintenance experience.

Pros

  • Features a bagless self-emptying base and self-cleaning brushroll
  • Maps your home and supports scheduling, area cleaning, and virtual no-go zones
  • Works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant
  • Comes with a physical boundary strip
  • Never got stuck in testing

Cons

  • Average battery life
  • Can get loud

Why We Picked It

These days, automatic dustbin emptying is becoming a standard robot vacuum feature. While most self-emptying robot vacuums transfer the contents of their bin into a bag, the Shark IQ Robot XL takes a different approach. It has two dustbins: one in the robot itself, and a larger one in the base station that only needs to be emptied about once a month. The advantage of Shark’s bagless auto-empty system is that you never have to worry about running out of bags. 

The Shark IQ Robot XL also stands out for its self-cleaning brushroll, which in our testing successfully prevented hair from getting wrapped around it, a common problem with many robot vacuums. Moreover, it delivered strong suction power, effectively cleaning dust, debris, and pet hair from hard flooring and carpet, and it never got stuck. It offers a number of useful smart features, including home mapping for targeted room cleaning and virtual no-go zones.

Who It’s For

If you’re looking to upgrade from a basic robot vacuum to one with self-emptying abilities, the Shark IQ Robot XL is an excellent choice. Thanks to its bagless self-emptying system and self-cleaning brushroll, it’s one of the lowest-maintenance robot vacuums we’ve tested. That said, allergy sufferers might prefer the comparably priced Roomba i3+ EVO, which empties its bin into an AllergenLock bag so you’re not exposed to dust. 

Read Our Shark IQ Robot Self-Empty XL R101AE Review

Best Suction Power

Bottom Line:

With the ability to empty its own dustbin and wash its own mop, the Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra is one of the most self-sufficient two-in-one robot floor cleaners we’ve tested.

Pros

  • Self-washing and refilling mop
  • Self-emptying dustbin
  • AI-powered obstacle avoidance
  • Carpet sensor and mop-lifting feature
  • Best-in-class mopping performance
  • Works as a security camera with two-way audio
  • Can install/remove mop bracket while robot is docked

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Large base
  • No hot-air mop-drying
  • Smaller water tanks and dust bag than top competitor
  • Camera doesn’t point outward when robot docks

Why We Picked It

The Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra stands alongside the Ecovacs Deebot X1 Omni as one of the most advanced floor-cleaning robots currently on the market. Like Ecovacs’ competitor, this high-end hybrid can do it all: it vacuums and mops your floors, then cleans itself, so it’s always ready for the next run without requiring you to lift a finger. Even better, it undercuts the X1 Omni by about $150. 

The S7 MaxV Ultra boasts a unique mop-lifting feature, also available on the more affordable Roborock S7+, which allows for more efficient cleaning runs than the competition. Most two-in-one robots with a carpet sensor, including the X1 Omni, automatically avoid rugs when mopping so as not to get them wet. Roborock’s VibraRise technology goes a step further—when the robot detects carpet while mopping, it raises the mopping plate about 5mm, allowing it to mop your hard floors and vacuum your low- to medium-pile carpets in a single pass. And with a maximum 5,100 pascals (Pa), the S7 MaxV Ultra offers some of the best suction power we’ve seen.

Who It’s For

If you’re choosing between the two most premium robot vacuums money can buy, the S7 MaxV Ultra and the X1 Omni, go with the former if you have a lot of hard flooring and you’re mainly concerned with mopping performance. Roborock’s bot uses sonic vibration technology to scrub your floors 3,000 times per minute, while the X1 Omni’s circular mopping pads spin at 180 revolutions per minute. Both robots left our test floors streak-free and shiny, but the S7 MaxV Ultra is slightly better at deep cleaning.

Read Our Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra Review

Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 AIVI

Best Battery Life

Bottom Line:

The Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 AIVI is a pricey 2-in-1 robot vacuum and mop with excellent battery life, the ability to identify and avoid obstacles, and a unique home monitoring feature.

Pros

  • Automatically recognizes and avoids obstacles
  • Exceptional battery life
  • Allows for remote home monitoring with built-in camera
  • Supports virtual boundaries
  • Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice support

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Mops with water, not cleaning solution
  • Moderate learning curve
  • Auto-Empty Station is sold separately

Why We Picked It

Before the X1 Omni hit the scene, the Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 AIVI was the most advanced floor-cleaning robot we’d seen. This feature-rich hybrid vacuums and mops while using AI to successfully detect and avoid many obstacles other floor-cleaning robots would get stuck on. To put its obstacle-evasion technology to the test, we intentionally placed dog toys that have tripped up other robot vacuums in its path. Without fail, the Ozmo T8 AIVI detected the toys in its way and changed directions accordingly. 

Moreover, this robot functions as a roving home security camera. From its companion app, you can move the robot around and view a live video stream of what’s happening inside your home. It also has the longest battery life of any robot vacuum we’ve tested, cleaning for up to 170 minutes on a charge. For even greater convenience, Ecovacs makes an Auto-Empty Station (sold separately) that allows the Deebot Ozmo T8 AIVI to empty its bin into a disposable dust bag without your help. 

Who It’s For

The Deebot Ozmo T8 AIVI was ahead of its time when it launched in 2020, so while it’s a couple of years old at this point, Ecovacs’ former flagship robot vacuum is still an excellent choice. Even better: You can now snag it for a discount. Its exceptional battery life and obstacle avoidance abilities make it a particularly compelling option for those with large homes and cluttered floors. If you can swing it, we highly suggest adding the Auto-Empty Station, which allows for a month of maintenance-free cleaning between dust bag replacements. 

Read Our Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 AIVI Review

Best for Multiple Floor Types

Bottom Line:

With a unique mop-lifting feature that prevents your carpet from getting wet, the Roborock S7+ floor cleaning robot simultaneously vacuums and scrubs better than the competition.

Pros

  • Vacuums and mops
  • Auto-empty base
  • Strong suction power
  • Rarely gets stuck
  • Multiple mop scrubbing levels
  • Supports multi-level maps, schedules, virtual boundaries, and zone cleaning
  • Multi-stage HEPA air filtration

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Only mops with water
  • Loud when vacuuming carpets

Why We Picked It

The S7 MaxV Ultra stole the spotlight in 2022, but the year-old Roborock S7+ is still a strong choice. Like its more expensive sibling, the S7+ boasts Roborock’s VibraRise technology, which allows it to both mop your hard floors and vacuum your carpeting in the same cleaning run. Whereas other hybrid cleaners avoid carpet completely while mopping, the S7+ automatically lifts its mop cloth out of the way and goes on vacuuming, allowing it to complete both tasks more efficiently.

It also features a self-emptying dustbin, good battery life, impressive obstacle avoidance, and strong vacuum suction power. 

Who It’s For

If the S7 MaxV Ultra is out of your price range, the S7+ is an excellent alternative. It can’t refill its own water tank, clean its own mopping cloth, or function as a home security camera, but it offers all the other perks of the S7 MaxV Ultra for $400 less. 

The S7+ works well on hard flooring and carpet, but is best for homes that have both. With four vacuum power levels—Quiet, Balanced (the default setting), Turbo, and Max, topping out at an impressive 2,500Pa of suction—it’s an excellent option for homes with pets and carpeting.

Read Our Roborock S7+ Review

Best for Cleaning Tight Spaces

Bottom Line:

The relatively affordable Eufy RoboVac G30 robot vacuum has a compact design, strong suction power for its size, and smarter navigation than its predecessors.

Pros

  • Compact, low-profile design
  • Strong suction power for its size
  • Well-designed app
  • Easy to set up and use
  • Works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands
  • Features smart navigation for systematic cleaning

Cons

  • Doesn’t support strips or virtual boundaries
  • Battery life is on the short side

Why We Picked It

As robot vacuums get more technologically advanced, with laser navigation sensors and home security cameras, they’re also getting bigger and taller. These days, it’s hard to find a model that stands less than 3 inches. The Eufy RoboVac G30, on the other hand, stands out for its short stature. Measuring 12.8 inches in diameter and 2.85 inches tall, it’s one of the smallest robot vacuums we’ve tested, meaning it can clean where a lot of other robot vacuums won’t fit, like under couches.  

Its battery life is just okay, but the RoboVac G30 smartly navigates your home, cleaning in orderly lines instead of randomly ping-ponging from wall to wall like some other affordable models. The RoboVac G30 offers a lot of power for its size, and it automatically increases the suction when it moves over carpets and heavily soiled areas.

Who It’s For

With app and voice control support, smart navigation, and strong suction power, the RoboVac G30 is a solid choice for anyone on a budget. Its compact design makes it especially appealing for small homes and apartments, particularly if you have low-profile furniture. If your current robot vacuum can’t get the dust bunnies under the couch, or constantly gets stuck between chair legs, the G30 is worth a look. 

Read Our Eufy RoboVac G30 Review

iLife A9 Robot Vacuum Cleaner

Best Basic, Budget-Friendly Model

Bottom Line:

The iLife A9 robot vacuum cleans hard floors and low-pile carpet with aplomb, supports app and voice control, and won’t break the bank.

Pros

  • Cleans efficiently
  • Quiet
  • Good battery life
  • Low-profile design
  • Supports app and voice control

Cons

  • Not the best on medium-pile carpet
  • Max mode drains battery quickly
  • Missed some dog hair in testing

Why We Picked It

The iLife A9 robot vacuum is the most budget-friendly model on our list, but it offers lots of functionality and excellent performance for its low price. In testing, we were pleasantly surprised at how fast the A9 zipped around and the ease with which it moved between different flooring types. After one cleaning run in our roughly 1,000 square-foot test home, its dustbin was completely full with dust, debris, and dog hair. It left some remnants behind on medium-pile carpeting, but handled hard flooring and low-pile carpeting well. It’s often discounted to less than $200, which is a steal for a robot vacuum with Wi-Fi connectivity, Amazon Alexa voice control support, home mapping, and smart navigation. 

Who It’s For

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. Since it comes with a physical remote control, a feature that’s becoming less and less common these days, the iLife A9 is also a nice option for those who prioritize ease of use and don’t want to go through the hassle of setting up app or voice control (though it does support those features as well). 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. 

Read Our iLife A9 Robot Vacuum Cleaner Review

Most Affordable Self-Emptying Roomba

Bottom Line:

The iRobot Roomba i3+ EVO is the company’s most affordable robot vacuum that can empty its own dustbin for truly hands-free cleaning.

Pros

  • Self-emptying dustbin
  • Works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and IFTTT
  • Supports scheduling and area cleaning
  • Detects and focuses on heavily soiled areas

Cons

  • Average battery life
  • Can be loud

Why We Picked It

iRobot is one of the most respected names in the robot vacuum market, and the Roomba i3+ EVO is its most affordable model with a self-emptying dustbin. It’s hard to overstate the advantages of this feature. Beyond offering greater convenience than their more manual counterparts, self-emptying robot vacuums significantly limit your exposure to dust, a big plus if you suffer from allergies. 

The i3+ EVO offers 10 times the suction power of the entry-level Roomba 600 series, and in testing did a good job of removing dirt from hard floors and carpet. When it finds an especially dirty area, it automatically goes into Dirt Detect mode and moves over the offending spot multiple times until it’s sufficiently clean. iRobot recently updated this model with smart mapping capabilities, so you can send it right to specific rooms by phone or voice for targeted area cleanings.

Who It’s For

The Roomba i3+ EVO is a top choice for anyone looking to upgrade from a standard robot vacuum to one with self-emptying abilities. If you’re tired of manually emptying your current bot’s bursting dustbin on the daily, the Roomba i3+ EVO will eliminate that chore. It’s a particularly compelling option if you suffer from allergies, because it also uses a high-efficiency filter to capture allergens as it cleans.

One caveat is that the i3+ EVO’s mapping capabilities are limited to a single floor. Its more expensive siblings, on the other hand, can remember multiple floors, which is useful if you have a multi-level home.

Read Our iRobot Roomba i3+ EVO Review

Best for Affordable Laser Mapping

Bottom Line:

The affordable Wyze Robot Vacuum methodically zips around your home sucking up dust and pet hair from hard flooring and carpet thanks to top-notch laser mapping and efficient route planning.

Pros

  • Strong suction power
  • Features laser mapping technology
  • Supports app control, area cleaning, scheduling, and virtual walls
  • HEPA filter

Cons

  • No voice command support
  • Relatively short battery life
  • Occasionally gets stuck

Why We Picked It

Wyze has a reputation for making feature-rich yet affordable smart home devices, and its first robot vacuum is no exception. The Wyze Robot Vacuum features a raised Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensor that casts thousands of invisible laser points to measure surroundings and generate an editable map of your home’s floor plan. Self-driving cars and pricier vacuums feature LiDAR technology, but it’s rare to see in a budget-friendly robot. Once the Wyze vacuum creates a map of your home, you can label each room, select the ones you want cleaned, and send the robot directly there. You can also create virtual walls so the robot avoids certain areas, like a mess of cords under your desk or TV stand. It works quickly and methodically, with 2,100Pa of suction power to effectively collect debris and pet hair from hard floors and carpeting. Even considering its lack of Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice support, it’s one of the smartest robot vacuums in this price range.

Who It’s For

The Wyze Robot Vacuum’s low price and competitive feature set make it a nice option for first-time robot vacuum buyers. In testing, it had no problem traversing hard flooring and carpet, and thoroughly collected dog hair from both, so it’s also a strong budget-friendly choice for pet owners. 

If you have a small home or an apartment of around 1,000 square feet or less, the Wyze Robot Vacuum should have no problem covering your entire space in a single run. If it runs low on battery before finishing the job, the robot will return to its base station, charge up, then pick up where it left off.

Read Our Wyze Robot Vacuum Review


Are Robot Vacuums Really Worth It?

A robot vacuum usually costs more than a traditional vacuum (though not always). The models listed here range from around $200 to well over $1,000. That’s a pretty sizable investment, even on the lower end. Let’s consider just what you get for the price.

Unless you really love to vacuum, the task itself is pretty mundane. Depending on the size of your house, a robot vacuum can save you anywhere from minutes to hours of your time every week by taking care of a pretty thankless chore. That alone is reason enough for some people to consider one.

Ecovacs Deebot X1 Omni


Ecovacs Deebot X1 Omni
(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)

In addition, robot vacuums have reached the point where they’re just as powerful and effective as regular vacuums. The robots here combine spinning brush rolls and side brushes to clean your home just as well as their upright equivalents. They’re also fairly compact, so they won’t take up much space. And they’re slim enough to travel underneath most couches and tables, so you don’t have to rearrange furniture.

Wi-Fi-connected robot vacuums are much more affordable these days than they once were. What are the benefits of connectivity? You can program and control most smart robot vacuums from your smartphone or with your voice via Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant integrations.

Shark robot vacuum app


Shark IQ Robot Self-Empty XL R101AE app
(Credit: PCMag)

Connected bots also typically generate statistics and maps of the areas they clean. Many even create personalized floor plans, allowing for targeted room cleanings and eliminating the need for you to use “virtual walls” to cordon off sections of your home.

Some of the most advanced robot vacuums, such as the iRobot Roomba j7+, feature a camera and artificial intelligence technology to automatically identify and avoid obstacles like shoes, toys, and even pet waste. Premium models may also function as a roving home security camera, letting you view live video of your home from wherever you are.


What Is the Best Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum?

One of the best innovations in the robot vacuum space in recent years has been the development of models that can empty their own dustbins. Beyond offering greater convenience than traditional models, they significantly limit your exposure to dust, a big plus if you suffer from allergies. As recently as a couple of years ago, it was difficult to find a sub-$1,000 self-emptying robot vacuum, but the price of these models has been decreasing. Several excellent options are now available for less than $600.

iRobot Roomba j7+


iRobot Roomba j7+
(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)

Most self-emptying models transfer the contents of their bin into a bag, which can hold around 60 days’ worth of debris, depending on how often you vacuum and how dirty your home is. The nice thing is that you never have to come into contact with dust and debris. The downside is that you eventually have to buy more bags when you run out. 

An exception is the Shark IQ Robot Self-Empty XL, which has two dustbins: one in the robot itself, and a larger one in the base station that holds up to a month’s worth of debris. When it’s full, you simply remove the dustbin, hold it over a trash can, then press the Empty button on the side. The bottom of the dustbin opens, and the contents fall out into the trash. Although allergy sufferers may prefer models that empty their contents into a bag, the IQ Robot XL is more convenient and wallet-friendly, because you don’t have to worry about buying replacement bags.

Shark IQ Robot Self-Empty XL


The Shark IQ Robot Self-Empty XL’s large dustbin
(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)

Self-emptying or not, most robot vacuums also equip small HEPA filters that capture allergens as they run.


Which Robot Vacuum Is Best for Pet Hair? Hardwood?

Generally speaking, all the vacuums on this list can handle hardwood floors and pet hair without issue.

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.

To pick up pet hair, you need a robot vacuum with strong suction power. Most companies in this space advertise power in pascals (Pa), the metric unit of pressure, though iRobot doesn’t always make this information easy to find. In general, the more power, the better, especially if you have carpet, but battery life and obstacle avoidance capabilities are also important factors. 

For more, see our lists of the best robot vacuums for pet hair and the best robot mops.


The Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner for Your Home

We test robot vacuums in our homes, with the following categories in mind: battery life, navigation, obstacle avoidance, the setup process, and suction power. If it supports Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, we also evaluate the app experience and other smart features.

Recommended by Our Editors

Chances are you don’t want to babysit your vacuum. That means you’re looking for a robot that can traverse different floor types or maneuver around furniture without your help. This is especially true if you have dark flooring, as infrared sensors might mistake a black carpet for a ledge, and refuse to pass over it. We test vacuums on hardwood, tile, and rugs to see how well they manage the transitions across various surfaces.

Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra


Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra
(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)

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. If you have a bigger living area, look for a robot vacuum that can get at least 90 minutes of battery life so it can hit every room before requiring a recharge. To test this aspect, we charge the battery to full, start a cleaning cycle, and time how long the robot runs before it needs to be docked. In some cases, it may take several complete cleaning cycles for a robot to run out of battery.

Another note on battery life: The number you see listed in the chart below is our tested result in normal mode. High-power modes often bring that number down a bit.

Most robot vacuums are reliable when it comes to getting rid of standard household detritus, so you don’t have to worry about whether they can suck up lint, dirt, or hair. Since we test all the robot vacuums in the same home environment, we check how full the dustbins get and whether the robot picks up obvious debris like pet hair and dust bunnies.

Wyze Robot Vacuum companion app


Wyze Robot Vacuum app
(Credit: PCMag)

We also note whether the robot cleans in a random or methodical pattern. Many of the latest models feature a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) laser (the same technology self-driving cars use) to map your home and plan an efficient cleaning route. But some affordable robot vacuums still haphazardly ping-pong from wall to wall, inefficiently crossing over the same space multiple times as they clean.

Finally, we test how easy it is to set up, program, and control the robot. Some only require an initial battery charge, while others ask you to install side brushes and batteries. For connected bots, app design and reliable Bluetooth or Wi-Fi are major factors that impact your experience.

We provide a detailed analysis of each of these vacuums in our reviews, and you can see our vacuum product guide for the latest models. If you specifically want to stick with the iRobot brand, we also have a roundup of the best Roombas. When you find the right one for you, be sure to read up on our simple robot vacuum tips.

Facebook Comments Box

Hits: 1