It’s reduced size matters a lot in its potential to get in and under table and table legs, and it requires up less room while lying on its pier, making it possible to live in crowded apartments and terraces. While there are a few models on the market that come with this functionality, unfortunately, the Roomba 980 is not one of them. It can map the layout of your home and keep your floors clean, but when it’s finished with its cycle, you still have to empty the dustbin manually.
And, as the label on the top of the machine says, the new vac will be powered by one of Dyson’s new “Hyperdymium” motors. This is the name that Dyson has given to its new brushless motor, which allows it to create powerful, lightweight machines. Pricing on the potential robot vacuum isn’t certain, though the Heurist retails shark cordless for £800 (~$1,088). The new filing doesn’t guarantee that Dyson will ever release the 360 Hyperdymium, much less in the states, but we’ll keep our eyes peeled for a potential release date or new details. Dyson filed papers with the FCC that show a flatter and wider robot vacuum than those it released in other markets.
For one, there is a delay when you press the Clean button on your Home app. A good 10 seconds would pass before the Roomba 980 would start to move, sometimes even longer. If you have problems with your connectivity, irobot vacuum cleaner you may end up with repetitive cleaning jobs. It’s also a bit of a waste of time trying to use the ‘spot cleaning’ modes on most of these robots – a cordless/handheld vac of some sort is so much easier.
It comes with two battery-powered digital fencing devices that prevent the Roomba going where it shouldn’t. We can attest to them working well, but in truth, if the floors are clutter-free and there are no trailing wires, the 980 didn’t need the help, and cleaned reliably well day after day. The product blurb suggests it can detect and avoid objects as small as 5x3cm, dyson robot vacuum so trainers (assuming the laces aren’t trailing), toys, and general clutter can be smoothly navigated. Along with the Auto function, you can manually add boundaries yourself via the app—once a room has been mapped. The mapping technology can store multiple maps, meaning you can set it down in your bedroom or kitchen, select the room and let it get to work.
These lasers detect where furniture, objects, and edges are in your home helping to avoid bumps and cliff detection prevents the machine from falling down the stairs. Read our article How do robot vacuums work to find out even more. If you love the idea of a robot vacuum that can mop as well as vacuum, but you’re on a budget – this hybrid floor cleaner from Eufy is well worth considering. At just under half the price of the Ecovacs Robovacs that can mop as well – and often discounted – this certainly comes with a more affordable price tag. Lastly, the Dyson’s suction was not as strong as my extremely powerful Miele bagged vacuum. But after two weeks of vacuuming hardwood floors and carpets with the stick, I didn’t feel a need to plug in the full-size vacuum.
You can also set schedules and view a custom map of the cleaning route your bot took. It’s also on the loud side, so don’t expect to have a conversation in the same room where this thing is running. The 360 Eye relies on infrared sensors and a 360-degree standard-definition camera that sits on the top of the vacuum to interpret its surroundings.