self cleaning vacuum can keep floors clean enough to decrease the frequency you have to manually vacuum. Pick a robot vacuum with good navigation, can clean corners and stairs and has an enormous bin that needs to be emptied periodically.
There are models that mop and charge themselves this is an option important for families with pets or children. The top performers in our tests offer decent obstacle-avoiding capabilities.
1. iRobot Roomba i3+ EVO
The i3+ EVO and its sibling the i3 EVO are both identical robots, but they differ in that the i3+ has self-emptying features. This makes the i3+ a great choice for people who want a hands-off, fully automated cleaning experience, but don't mind having to empty their dust bin manually as it gets full.
Both robots are proficient at removing surface dirt on hard floors and carpets and can maneuver around furniture and other obstacles. iAdapt navigation software creates intelligent maps of your home, which help the i3+ EVO navigate and clean in a way that maximizes efficiency. The i3+ doesn't have obstacle avoidance capabilities like the i7+ or other top-rated robots that we test. It may be stuck on power cords and socks, and may have trouble navigating between different surfaces, like rug and hardwood.
iRobot recommends you clear out areas that the i3+ EVO will vacuum before you use it, which includes clearing out any toys or clutter it may come across. Also, keep the dustbin and filters clean to prevent them from becoming clogged. If the i3+'s internal bin is empty or the battery is low it returns to the docking station and takes the dirt out of the docking station’s external dustbin. It then continues cleaning from where it left off. The battery's lifespan is around an hour and a half of continuous usage. It takes 3 hours to fully charge.
2. iRobot Roomba i7+
The iRobot Roomba i7+ is the most powerful model in the iRobot flagship line, and it is equipped with the most recent features. It's self-charging and self-navigating. However, the most important feature is the self-emptying bin. This eliminates the need for regular maintenance.
The Roomba i7+ can remember up to 10 floor plans and their names using Imprint Smart Mapping, which allows it to map rooms so it can clean them more efficiently. It also integrates with the iRobot Home app to let you schedule cleaning tasks and direct your robot by voice or via the app.
In our testing the i7+ performed more agile and faster than our top choice which was the eufy RoboVac G30, and it removed large chunks of pet hair from all surface types including carpeting. Its main advantage over the eufy the dust bin is self-emptying that eliminates a major cause of maintenance and reduces the amount of time spent cleaning.
We were also impressed by the i7+'s integration with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant AI services that we used to instruct the robot to begin, stop or pause its cleaning session and move around the room, and even vacuum a specific space. 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
This tiny Dyson model is an all-sports car in a sea of cordless vacuums that feel like minivans and buses. It's powerful and has features to replace a stand-up vacuum in the majority of households, but it also fits nicely on a coffee table or on the bookshelf, where you can wave it around like the magic device.
The V10 is powered with seven cells of energy-dense Lithium-ion batteries that produces energy that lasts for 60 minutes. The advanced whole-machine filtering system traps allergens, then lets cleaner air into your home. Its specialized cleaning head drives stiff nylon bristles deep into carpet to suck up large crumbs and fine dust. It comes with three suction modes that can be adjusted to the specific task. It can quickly switch from floor vacuum to handheld vacuum, and vice versa.
The model also comes with an accessory dock that can charge to 100% in 3.5 hours and provides easy access to two attachments and an clip for a wand. This is a huge improvement over previous Dysons that require a lengthy charge and are difficult to store.
The V10's biggest drawback is its short run time. The claims of its marketing that it has up to 60 minutes of run time are a bit misleading as CR's tests show. This is an average and not a remarkable run time for a battery-powered cordless vac. This is enough time to clean the average-sized home but not enough to reach every spot. (A second pass usually works). This doesn't mean that this model doesn't have its advantages It's lighter and more maneuverable than older cordless Dysons, and its vacuuming performance is noticeably superior on carpets with a low pile.
4. iRobot Roomba 694
One of iRobot's most popular robot vacuums the 694 is a basic model that's a great choice for people who don't want to invest too much on a robotic. It's capable of sucking up most debris types and sizes during our tests, and often passes over the same areas several times to ensure a thorough clean. Its flat front end helps it reach into corners and along the edges of walls, which is a nice addition.
Its smart navigation system uses iAdapt to stay clear of obstacles and navigate your home, but it isn't equipped with the mapping capability of more sophisticated models such as our top choices and the i3+ EVO and the j7+ series. It may get stuck on phone cords or furniture and is often unable to supply power before returning to its original location.
The Xiaomi Mi robot is superior in many ways to the Roomba 694 because it has fewer parts that require regular cleaning, is outfitted with an allergen-trapping HEPA filtering system, incurs lower costs for recurring expenses, has more advanced automation capabilities and is better able to move itself. It also has a larger dustbin and can charge faster.
The sleek RoboVac X8 has a superior battery life than the Roomba. It also comes with physical boundaries and can be controlled using the voice assistant on your smartphone. It also feels more sturdy, has a more powerful motor, and works better on both bare floors and carpets with low pile, while providing a greater variety of automation options.
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 one of the most popular mop and robot vacuum manufacturers. Jet Bot AI+ has the most advanced onboard technology for navigation and obstacle avoidance.
The app provides plenty of options to personalize your robotic cleaner, such as virtual barriers, mopping water levels and behavior modification, docking frequency settings, and more. It's simple to comprehend and user-friendly, as is the case with other Samsung devices.
In our testing of the Jet Bot AI+ excelled on hard floors and handled dog hair (on carpet) quite well, clearing up 86 percent of it. It was not as successful in avoiding taller objects like cords or socks. This was disappointing. It's also more expensive than other models we've tested, and this could be a deterrent for some buyers.
The app allows you to 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 to check in on your children or pets while you're away. The dustbin and the filter can be washed for a quick, painless clean-up. The Jet Bot AI+ also has a clean station that's self-emptying to keep the robot's dustbin clear and optimizes suction power for each cleaning run.
6. Black & Decker Robot Vacuum
Black and Decker robots are designed specifically for flooring made of hard wood. They feature an extra-wide cleaning path and a larger dustbin that holds 2X more debris than competitors to keep the area free of debris for the longest period of time. Plus, they include two side sweepers that clean up around edges and in corners. The POWERSERIES model includes AutoSense that automatically adjusts the power level depending on whether it's cleaning up dirt on the surface or embedded dirt. It also comes with a smart app that lets you see the virtual map and control the functions and schedules. You can also track the status of the vacuum and connect it to its dock for charging with the touch of a single button. The app also allows you to personalize the LED lights on the top of the vacuum using different colors, so that you can easily identify which areas it's focused on or where it's stuck.
The application also allows you to manually steer the robot should you need to. For example my living room rug has a darkly-colored border that has a tendency to trip up some of the other robots I've tested. However, the HRV 425BL kept moving across the border, without registering it as a cliff. The ability to program a daily cleaning schedule for each week is a time-saving advantage.