Equipment Review: The Best Robot Vacuums

Today’s robot vacuums promise to map your home, vacuum and mop your floors, avoid pet “accidents,” empty their own bins, do video surveillance, and clean specific rooms following elaborate schedules. Do any of these functions work?

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[talonsl]

No Roborock, Dreame, 360, etc? You are missing out on perfromance AND features.

[lizcademy]

I had a generation 1 Roomba many years ago, and bought a new model last year.

One thing Lisa didn't mention is reliability. Roombas are sturdy little beasts, and iRobot keeps parts in stock for many years — not just replaceable parts, everything. Roombas are intended to be serviced by a handy owner. [I can still buy parts for the Gen 1 I bought in 2003.]

The self-emptying dock is a must, IMO. I don't have pets or kids who make messes, but my flat generates a lot of dust.I only need to change the bag once every 8-9 months ... this is longer than typical, but I expect most people will go well over a month between bags.

My Roomba model (i3+) also has more privacy than usual these days. No camera, only need the internet if you want to map your house or run it remotely. You don't have to do either.

[alai]

I bought the Shark model based on this video. One major flaw in this robot is that it does not pick up dirt that is within about 1.5 inches next to a wall. I have to use a broom to sweep against the wall so the machine can pick it up. A future test for these robots would be to put the machine in a confined square with a dark floor that is about 2 feet by 2 feet then sprinkle flour. You’ll see the limited cleaning area is the Shark robot.

[AntwonDaBusiness]

My self empty shark is awesome. It learns and maps in the app and optimizes routes for efficiency after a few calibration “randomizing” runs. Can’t beat the performance for the price over rumbas. Easy to clean and maintain and after having mine for several years…only thing I’ve had to do is replace the battery for $15. It’s brilliant for the price.

[katherinekelly]

Lisa always answers the questions I have about any appliance or equipment she reviews - the world needs more Lisa ! 👏👏👏👏👏👏

[pamcadd]

I've had different models, and now buy/recommend only one: the iRobot brand. Why? Their customer service is stellar - they stay on the phone with you and walk you through any needed adjustments. (Such as turning over the unit and removing 8 teeny screws to access the battery, or restarting.) Once, they even sent me a new battery at no charge. Any robot vac involves a certain amount of cleaning and maintenance of the unit, so it's great peace of mind to know that I can instantly get help for any problem.

[btuller]

I love my I Robot "Jetson". He has made my life just a little bit easier and I vacuum more now then I used to.

[allanwind]

For devices with microphones and cameras, I think you need to tell us what the manufacturers do with the information they collect. Amazon (iRobot) is in the advertisement business, so they will sooner or later find a way to monetize that information.

[jimmy]

roborock or xiaomi, chinese brand vacuume are really well too

[keciacotton]

I have literally been waiting for one of these reviews. I'm getting one for Christmas for our home. Thank you test kitchen.

[ChristopherFerguson]

Surprised Roborock wasn't tested/considered.

[TonyVainosky]

Disappointed that there are many top brands, particularly purchased on Amazon such as Ecovacs Deebot, Eufy and Roborock (currently Amazon's best selling robot vacuum) missing from this testing. Perhaps a review of one's purchased from amazon?

[gabrielrubio]

Love ATK reviews, but no Roborock on the lineup? Someone dropped the ball.

[jonmcfarland]

I have a eufy and its been awesome! I have 2 dogs and a cat. the majority of what it picks up is pet hair and dust/dirt. I run it twice a day (takes 35 min for small house). It disgusts/amazes me what it picks up.

[SunBearCorps]

I know the actual review is old (article from Jan 2022) but I highly recommend bringing in Roborock and other popular brands, and include multiple tiers within the same brand.

[Drumox]

The one thing I'd be really interested to see next is a review of compression ice cream makers. I know there's the Breville Smart Scoop that was reviewed 6 years ago now as well as the Whynter one, but Cuisinart has the ICE-100, Waring has an WCIC25, and it looks like Whynter has even more options available now

[DavidFobare]

Would love to see the robot mop review.

[meguma]

Love the equipment testing. I wish the vacuums were tested for their ability to deal with long hair. My daughter has super long hair and she sheds like crazy

[rich]

The reviews I’ve seen consistently rank Roborock ahead of iRobot in every test.

Where are they in your rankings?

[suecampbell]

We recently bought Yiko, a robot that vacuums AND MOPS - and empties it's own dustpan. It also returns to its base to WASH it's mop disks before returning to where she left off. We can speak to her or use the app. We can schedule vacuuming and/or mopping, call Yiko over to clean up a mess, tell Yiko to stop in the middle of the job and return to the base (worked well when I needed the room suddenly). At her most powerful, she runs quiet. Why don't you review this one? ECOVACS Deebot X1 Omni, aka Yiko, their name for the robot when you give voice commands.