15 Gifts For The Robot Vac Lover In Your Life

Top Rated robot vacuum cleaner comparison Vacuums

A robot vacuum will keep your floors tidy enough to decrease the frequency of manual hoovering. Look for one that offers good navigation, can clean corners and stairs and has a huge dust bin that has to be emptied only every few times.

There are models that mop and charge themselves, which is a feature important for families with pets or children. Many of the Top rated robot vacuum performers in our tests 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 the fact that the i3+ comes with self vacuum-emptying capabilities. The i3+ is a good option for those looking for a an automated, hands-free cleaning experience, but want to manually empty the dustbin of the robot once it gets full.

Both robots excel at picking up surface debris on carpets and hard floors, and they are very good at moving around furniture and other obstacles. iAdapt navigation software makes a smart maps of your home to help the i3+ navigate and clean smart robot up efficiently. However, unlike the i7+ or other top-rated robots we tested the i3+ does not have obstacle-avoidance capabilities, so it may get stuck on things like socks or power cords and it may have trouble in navigating through transitions between surfaces like hardwood to rug.

iRobot suggests that you clean up the area where the i3+ EVO vacuums prior to using it. This includes putting away any toys or other clutter it might encounter. It is also recommended to keep the filters and dust bin free of dirt to prevent them from becoming clogged. When the i3+ EVO's internal bin is full or the battery is empty it will return to its docking station, automatically empties its debris into the station's external dustbin, and then continues cleaning where it started. Battery life is about an hour and a half of constant use. It takes 3 hours to fully charge.

2. iRobot Roomba i7+

The iRobot i7+ is an excellent model from iRobot's flagship line, and it comes with the latest features. It's self-charging, self-navigating and the most crucial feature of all -- it comes with an auto-emptying dustbin, which eliminates one of the most important sources of maintenance for any robot vacuum.

The Roomba i7+ can remember up to 10 floor plans and their names thanks to Imprint Smart Mapping, an application that allows it to create maps of rooms so that it can clean them more efficiently. It also integrates with iRobot Home to schedule cleaning tasks, and you can direct your robot using the app or via voice.

In our tests, the i7+ was more agile and faster than our runner-up which was the eufy RoboVac G30, and it picked up large pieces of pet hair from all surface kinds, including carpeting. Its biggest advantage over the eufy, though, is its self-emptying dustbin that removes a major source of maintenance and reduces recurring costs.

We were also awestruck by the i7+'s compatibility with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant AI services, which we used to instruct the robot to start, stop or pause its cleaning routines, move itself around the room and sweep the area. The iRobot Home App made it easy to connect the i7+ with these services. We were able, once connected, to give voice commands to the i7+ such as "Hey Alexa vacuum the master bedroom." The iRobot Home App also offers options for managing i7+ settings and monitoring performance.

3. Dyson Cyclone V10

This tiny Dyson model is a sports car in a world of vacuums powered by cordless that resemble minivans and buses. It is powerful enough to replace a stand-up vacuum in most homes, but also small enough to fit on a bookcase or coffee table.

The V10 is powered by a 7-cell energy-dense Lithium-ion battery that produces power without fading for 60 minutes. Its sophisticated whole-machine filtration system removes allergens, and then releases clean air back into your home. Its specialized cleaning head drives stiff nylon bristles deep into carpet to suck up large particles and fine dust. It comes with three suction settings to meet the task that is being completed. It is able to swiftly change from handheld to floor vacuum and vice versa.

This model also has a dock that charges to 100% in 3.5 hours, and gives users an easy access to two attachments and an wand clip. This is a huge improvement over previous Dysons that require a long charge and are difficult to store.

The main drawback of the V10 is its short run time. Its claims on the market that it can last up to 60 minutes of run time are not true, as CR's testing shows. This is a typical, not exceptional, battery-powered vacuum's run time. It's still enough time to clean most of an average-sized house, but not quite long enough to get every single area (though the second time around usually can be effective). This doesn't mean that this model doesn't have its benefits: It's lighter and mobile than the older cordless Dysons, and its vacuuming efficiency is superior on carpets with a low pile.

4. iRobot Roomba 694"

The 694 is a basic robot vacuum that's a great choice for those who don't have lots of money to invest in an expensive robot vacuum cleaner comparison. It's capable of sucking up a variety of debris types and sizes during our tests, and frequently goes over the same areas several times to give a thorough clean. Its flat front makes it possible to reach corners and edges of walls.

Its smart navigation system uses iAdapt to avoid obstacles and navigate your home, but it's not equipped with the ability to map that comes with more sophisticated models such as our top picks and the i3+ EVO and j7+ series. It is prone to getting stuck on phone cords or furniture and is often unable to supply power before returning to its base.

The Xiaomi Mi robot is superior in many ways to the Roomba 694 because it has less parts that require regular cleaning, is equipped with an allergen-trapping HEPA filtration system, incurs lower costs for recurring expenses and has more advanced automation capabilities and is better able to maneuver its own. It also has a bigger dustbin and charges quicker.

The RoboVac X8 is a slick RoboVac X8 is superior to the Roomba 694 for most reasons, since it has a better battery life, has the ability to alter its suction power mode manually, comes with physical boundary strips, and can be operated by your phone's voice assistant. It's also more robust, has a larger motor, and is more effective on floors with bare or low-pile.

5. Samsung Jet Bot AI+

Samsung is a name that you see on all sorts of electronic gadgets for your home It's no surprise that they're also one of the most popular mop and robot vacuum manufacturers. Jet Bot AI+ has an advanced onboard technology that allows to navigate and avoid obstacles.

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

In our tests during our tests, the Jet Bot AI+ performed well on hard floors. It cleaned up 86 percent of dog hair (on carpet). It did not do well in avoiding taller objects like socks or cords. This was disappointing. It's also more expensive than some of the other models we tested and could be a deal-breaker for some shoppers.

The app lets you access the onboard camera of the smart vacuum. You can also set up live streaming from the robot's area of cleaning. This feature lets you monitor your pets or the kids if you're away from home. The dustbin and filter can be cleaned to make cleanup quick and easy. The Jet Bot AI+ comes with an automatic clean station which helps keep the robot's bin clear and improves suction power.

6. Black & Decker Robot Vacuum

Black and Decker robots have been developed specifically for flooring made of hard wood. The robots have an extra-wide cleaning path, as well as dust bins that are 2X bigger than the competitors. This allows them to keep the area clean for longer. They also come with two side sweepers for cleaning along edges and corners. The POWERSERIES model includes AutoSense, which automatically adjusts the power level based on whether it is picking up surface dirt or embedded dirt. It also has a smart app that lets you see the virtual map and manage functions and schedules. You can also monitor the vacuum's battery status and then return it to its dock for charging at the push of one button. The app allows you to modify the LEDs on the top of the vacuum so that you can determine where it is focused or if it has gotten stuck.

The app also makes it simple to steer the robot manually if needed. For instance my living room rug has a darkly-colored border that can trip up some of the other robots I've tried. However the HRV 425BL kept moving across the border without registering it as a cliff. Also, the ability to create the weekly cleaning schedule is a wonderful time-saving benefit.