It comes loaded with filters and dust bags for the base, plus replacements for each. Some of the higher-end Roombas also include intelligent features that allow the vacuum to “talk” to the robot mop, allowing a tag-team approach to cleaning. The Roomba app will also log the machine’s cleaning history so users can keep track of which areas have been vacuumed. To use the convenient voice-activation feature, most models are compatible with Alexa or Google Home. As a bonus, some models can also be linked with iRobot’s smart mops for coordinated cleaning. Vacuum Direct also carries replacement batteries and AC power supplies to keep your favorite robotic home-cleaning unit full of juice and ready to go.
We’re more uneasy about what companies may do with collected information in the future, like selling it to third parties. The makers of our current picks don’t sell data for now, but privacy policies are always changing. But you won’t be able to use interactive mapping features without an internet connection. If you decide to sell or give away a Wi-Fi robot, be sure to factory reset it to remove Wi-Fi credentials.
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. From its companion app, you can move the robot around and view a live video stream of what’s happening inside your home.
Roomba, the iconic robot vacuum from iRobot, is in some ways as ubiquitous a term as Kleenex. If you’re looking for your Roomba robot vacuum, here’s how to sort through the current models. Roombas are powered by a user-replaceable rechargeable battery; older models used NiMH batteries, while newer models use lithium-ion batteries, and a few models support both. First-generation models must be recharged from a wall power adapter, while all subsequent models have a self-charging homebase that the unit seeks out at the end of a cleaning session via infrared beacons. The Clean Base® Automatic Dirt Disposal takes convenience to a new level—automatically emptying into an enclosed bag that holds 30 robot bins, so you don’t have to think about vacuuming for weeks at a time.
The D-shaped s9’s twin rubber rollers are much wider than any of its stablemates and indeed almost all of its competitors, so this is the model to choose if you have a huge floorspace. Founded in the early 1990s by a trio of MIT roboticists, iRobot is now one of the world’s most trusted domestic robot cleaner brands irobot vacuum cleaner and arguably the most ubiquitous. The best iRobot Roomba robot vacs are much lusted after by bot fans, and tend to have the most premium fit and finish of any of the candidates in our best robot vacuum cleaner top 10. As a result they are pricier on average, but you get what you pay for to a large extent.
It projects a pattern of infrared light, which the vacuum detects and treats as a physical wall, prompting it to stop and turn around. Third-generation and newer models are compatible with the Dual Mode Virtual Wall, which, in addition to simulating a straight wall, can create a circular barrier roughly 4 feet (1.2 m) in diameter. Some 500-, 700- and 800-series models are compatible with the Virtual Wall Lighthouse. It initially confines the vacuum to one area to be cleaned; then, once the vacuum reports the area has been sufficiently cleaned , it directs it to proceed to the next space to be cleaned, and contains it there. Wi-Fi-connected Robot Vacuum that identifies and avoids obstacles like pet waste and charging cords to get the whole job done. With breakthrough Imprint™ Technology, we’re building a world where robots intelligently communicate with each other and the rest of your connected home.
Some machines will also include app-controlled custom cleaning preferences, which allow the user to adjust cleaning modes, power settings, number of cleaning passes, and edge cleaning. The Roborock S4 Max is our current favorite robot vacuum overall for its affordable price, good feature set, and—above all—its excellent cleaning performance. It picked up an average of 94 percent of kitty litter on carpet and hardwood floors, and did even better with Cheerios and dog hair.
In fact, it outperformed other models which came with a much higher price tag. It’s more basic in its design, lacking smart home connectivity, but it cleans very well and couldn’t be better value for money. That’s why iRobot brings you the Roomba® family of vacuuming robots.
Our living room is set up in a way where two sofas are very close to each other, with just enough space between them to squeeze through to a makeshift home office. But the cleaner discovered it could go under one sofa, into the office space, then back under the sofa to return to its charger. Despite its inability to tackle the stairs, we found living with a Roomba is likely to leave you with a cleaner and tidier home.