15 Interesting Hobbies That Will Make You Smarter At Robot Vac

Top Rated Robot Vacuums

A robot vacuum is able to keep floors clean enough to decrease the frequency with which you need to manually vacuum. Look for one that offers excellent navigation, is able to clean stairs and corners and has a huge dust bin that requires emptying only once in a while.

There are models that can mop and charge themselves, which is a feature important for families with children or pets. A lot of the top performers in our tests also have good obstacle avoidance.

1. Roomba iRobot i3+ from iRobot EVO

The i3+ EVO is identical to its sibling, the i3 EVO. They differ only in that the i3+ has self-emptying capabilities. The i3+ is a great alternative for those who want a an entirely automated, hands-free cleaning experience, but want to manually empty the dust bin after it has filled up.

Both robots are adept in removing dirt and dust particles on carpets and hard floors and can maneuver around furniture and other obstacles. iAdapt navigation software creates a smart maps of your home that assist the i3+ to navigate and clean up efficiently. The i3+ isn’t able to have the same obstacle avoidance capabilities as the i7+ or other top-rated robots that we test. It can be stuck on power cords and socks, and may have trouble navigating between different surfaces like rug and hardwood.

iRobot suggests that you clear areas that the i3+ EVO will vacuum before you use it, including getting rid of any clutter or toys it might encounter. It’s also recommended to keep the dustbin and filter clean so they do not become blocked by dirt. When the i3+ EVO’s internal bin is empty or the battery is low it returns to the docking station and automatically takes the dirt out of the docking station’s dust bin. It then continues cleaning from where it started. Battery life is about an hour and a half of constant use. It takes 3 hours to charge.

2. iRobot Roomba i7+

The iRobot i7+ is the top model in iRobot’s flagship line and is packed with the latest features. It’s self-charging, self-navigating and the most important feature of all — it has a self-emptying dustbin that eliminates one of the most important sources of maintenance for any robot vacuum.

The Roomba i7+ can keep up to 10 floor plans and their names thanks to Imprint Smart Mapping, an application that lets it map rooms so it can clean them more efficiently. It also works with iRobot Home to schedule cleaning jobs, and you can control your robot via the app or voice.

The i7+ is more efficient and more maneuverable in our tests than the eufy RoboVac G30. It also cleaned large pet hair pieces from any surface including carpeting. Its main advantage over the eufy, though it self-empties its dust bin which eliminates a major cause of maintenance and lowers the amount of time spent cleaning.

We were also awestruck by the i7+’s compatibility with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant AI services. We utilized these services to instruct the robot on how to start, stop, or pause cleaning sessions and also to move around the room and to vacuum a particular area. The iRobot Home App made it easy to connect the i7+ to these services. Once connected, to speak commands to the i7+ like “Hey Alexa vacuum the master bedroom.” The iRobot Home app also provides options to manage the i7+’s preferences and monitoring its performance.

3. Dyson Cyclone V10

In a world full of vacuums with cords that look like minivans or buses, this small Dyson model is an automobile. It has the power and features to replace a stand-up vacuum for most households and can fit nicely on the coffee table or the bookshelf, that you can spin around like an enchanted wand.

The V10 is powered with seven cells of energy-dense Lithium-ion batteries that produces energy that lasts for 60 minutes. Its advanced whole-machine filtration system captures allergens and expels cleaner air back into your home. Its cleaning head is specially designed and drives bristles of nylon that are stiff and deep into carpets to trap large crumbs and fine dust. It comes with three suction settings to suit the task that is being completed. It is able to swiftly change from floor vacuum to handheld vacuum and vice versa.

This model has an attached dock that charges the Dyson to 100% within 3.5 hours. It also offers easy access to 2 attachments and the Wand. This is a big improvement over older Dysons models, which require a lengthy charge and are difficult to store.

The V10’s biggest drawback is its sluggish run time. Its marketing claims that it can last up to 60 minutes of running time are not true, as CR’s testing shows. This is an average not an extraordinary run time for the battery-powered cordless vacuum. This is enough time to vacuum the average-sized home however, it’s not enough time to reach every area. (A second time is usually sufficient). This model has its own advantages, however: it’s lighter and more mobile than previous Dysons cordless models, and its vacuuming ability is significantly better on carpets with low pile.

4. iRobot Roomba 694

The 694 is a basic robotic vacuum that’s an excellent choice for those who don’t have lots of money to spend on a robot cleaner amazon. It’s capable of sucking up most types of debris and sizes during our tests, and often passes over the same areas many times to ensure a thorough clean. The flat front of the unit allows to get into corners and along the edges of walls which is a nice feature.

Its smart navigation system uses iAdapt to avoid obstacles and navigate your home, but it lacks the mapping capabilities of more advanced models like our top selections and the i3+ EVO and the j7+ series. As a result, it is sometimes stuck on things like phone cords and low furniture, and it often runs out of battery power before making it back to its base.

The Xiaomi Mi robot is superior in many ways over the Roomba 694 in that it has less parts that require regular cleaning, is equipped with an allergen-trapping HEPA filtering system, has a lower cost of recurring costs and is more sophisticated in its automation capabilities and is better able to move itself. It also has a larger dustbin and is charged faster.

The sleek RoboVac X8 has a superior battery longevity than the Roomba 694. It also has physical boundaries and can be controlled by your smartphone’s voice assistant. It is also more robust, has a more powerful motor, and performs better on floors with bare or low-pile.

5. Samsung Jet Bot AI+

Samsung is a name that is seen on a variety of electronic gadgets for your home, so it comes as no surprise that they’re also one of the most reputable robot vacuum and mop manufacturers. Their Jet Bot AI+ is equipped with cutting-edge onboard tech for navigation and obstacle avoidance.

The app gives you plenty of options to personalize your robotic cleaner, such as virtual barriers mopping water levels, behavior adjustments docking frequency settings and more. The app is simple to navigate and use similar to other Samsung devices.

In our tests in our tests, the Jet Bot AI+ performed well on hard floors, and removed 86 percent of dog hair (on carpet). However, it did not do particularly well in avoiding larger objects, like cords and socks which was a disappointment. It’s also a little more expensive than some of the other models we tried and could be a problem for some shoppers.

The smart vacuum has an onboard camera that you can access through the app, and you can also set up a live stream from the robot’s cleaning station. This feature allows you to check in on your children or pets while you are away. The dustbin and the filter can be washed for a quick, painless clean-up. The Jet Bot AI+ comes with a self-emptying clean station, which helps keep the robot’s bin clear and improves suction power.

6. Black & Decker Robot Vacuum

Unlike other robotic vacuums, which are designed for both carpets and hard floors, Black and Decker robots are specifically designed for hard floors. The robots have an extra wide cleaning path, and dust bins that are 2X larger than the competition. This allows them to keep the area clean for longer. They also include two side sweepers that can be used to clean around corners and edges. The POWERSERIES model comes with AutoSense, which automatically adjusts the power level depending on whether it’s picking up dirt on the surface or embedded dirt. It also includes a smart application that lets you browse the virtual map, and control the functions and schedules. Additionally, you can track the status of the vacuum’s battery and send it back to its dock to charge by pressing a button. The app also lets you to personalize the LED lights on top of the vacuum with different colors, so you can easily identify what areas it’s focusing on or where it’s stuck.

The app also makes it simple to manually steer the robot in the event of need. For example, my living room rug has a darkly-colored border that can cause confusion for other robots I’ve tried. The HRV 425BL however continued to travel across the border without registering the cliff. The ability to program a weekly cleaning schedule for each week is a time-saving convenience.