The Roomba product line comes in a variety of small but effective robot vacuums with smart features such as household mapping, as well as control integrations through app, Wi-Fi, and voice. If you’re looking to upgrade from a cheap robot vacuum to a more feature-rich hybrid, the M7 Pro is a nice option that’s still relatively affordable. Its strong suction power makes it the best midrange model for pet hair and medium-pile carpet, which weaker robot vacuums often struggle to clean. At the time of this writing, you can purchase the M7 Pro with an automatic dirt disposal base for less than the self-emptying Roomba i3+ EVO, which doesn’t double as a mop. The M7 Pro has no trouble mopping small spaces like kitchens and bathrooms, but if you have a large home with a lot of hard flooring, you’ll want a model with a larger water tank. The suction on this unit is 10 times higher than models in the 600 series and can be automatically increased to clean deep into carpets.
Floors cluttered with obstacles like wires, charging cords, toys, shoes and clothing can stop robots in their tracks. Some robot vacuum models clean tile, wood flooring and different types of carpet better than others. Here’s a list of the other robot vacuums we tested besides the models listed above. With a competitive price, plus rock-solid performance and intelligent navigation, the Roborock S7 is our new favorite midrange robot vacuum.
The 981 Roomba vacuum cleans with pet-friendly features, including multisurface brushes and power-lifting suction with five times the air power of traditional vacuums. It will run for about 75 minutes before returning to the charging irobot vacuum cleaner dock to power up and then resume cleaning. It will also link up with a Braava Jet M6 robot mop and tell it to go mop once it’s done vacuuming. The best robot vacuum under $300 that we’ve tested is the Wyze Robot Vacuum.
While easy, automated operation is clearly the biggest benefit of using a robotic vacuum, there are many other reasons to own and install one in your home. The robot automatically returns to the Home Base® charging station to recharge, then resumes cleaning where it left off. Our powerful 3‑Stage Cleaning System with Edge-Sweeping Brush is designed to loosen, lift, shark cordless and suction dirt and debris from all floor types. Dirt Detect™ sensors alert the robot to spend more time cleaning concentrated areas of debris. Vacuuming noiseiRobot doesn’t offer decibel ratings for each of its vacuums, but if you plan on being home when the vacuum is running, check out reviews to help you gauge whether noise will be a problem for a given model.
(We like to call it bump-and-run navigation.) If you only need to clean a few rooms at a time , then one of these models can get the job done. The Electrolux Pure i9 is an oddity that we want to love but can’t recommend. Another surprisingly useful upside to the basic Eufy bots is the short body. At 2.85 inches, the bot is almost a full inch shorter than the Roomba 694, enough to let it glide under even lower-clearance furniture where dust and hair build up but never see the light of day. I was surprised the first time I saw the 11S disappear under my bed—and then more surprised when it reemerged with an unholy amount of cat hair stuffed into its bin and wrapped about the brush roll. Compared with other cheap bump bots, the Roomba 694 is a little rough on furniture.
It’s not a regular occurrence, mind, because in most instances it cleverly switches off the rollers as soon as it detects resistance. It then slowly works its way over the ruffled edge before turning the rollers on again and continuing with the cleaning session. The higher-end models like the j7, i7 and s9 will also completely map the home and provide the wherewithal to divide rooms and even create no-go zones using the excellent iRobot app’s pinch-and-zoom facility.
The low profile of a robot vacuum means it can travel to areas that are unreachable by standard vacuums as well, like spaces under furniture and behind heavy shelving units. The robot will automatically return to the Home Base® charging station at the end of a cleaning run, so it’s always ready when it’s time to clean again. Guided by advanced navigation software, the robot moves effortlessly around obstacles and under furniture, adapting its path to shark cordless clean your floors more thoroughly. How to shop for a robot vacuumNo one knows your mess better than you, so consider what you want from your robovac as we run through what to consider when shopping for a robot vacuum. Vacuum cleaners along with floor and carpet cleaning solutions make quick work of cleaning up small and large messes. There’s no time like the present to figure out which type is right for you and your budget – and then get shopping.
Because of this, their cleaning route is much more efficient — some of the best robot vacuums we’ve seen can clean the same space in just 10 minutes by comparison. Premium models naturally come with other useful features too, such as Wi-Fi connectivity, Alexa and Google Assistant compatibility, and the ability to clean individual rooms. It’s quick to map out the home and easy to create no-go zones or select specific rooms to clean. This model also comes with a self-emptying base, which makes it low maintenance, but it is just as noisy as other vacuums when it empties. In terms of cleaning, it’s very careful to navigate its way around furniture, but the overall pickup could be better, particularly on pet hair. It’s not a cheap investment either, but it’s good-looking and we can’t complain about the range of features.