This will likely require you to install an app on your smartphone and connect the robot vacuum to Wi-Fi. Your user manual will walk you through how to do that if you’re not confident in your technical skills. Once in action, this robot vacuum earned a perfect score whilecleaning the hardwood floorand rug. Our tester noted that it easily picked up all the hair and debris and transitioned onto the rug seamlessly. After the test was over, there was no hair or debris tangled in the brush roll, which is a relief if you’re a pet owner who is used to cutting hair from underneath your vacuum. For the mopping test, this vacuum cleaned up the messes, but the brushes were still sticky with syrup when the test was over.
Despite its lack of smart features, our long-term tester said that this robot vacuum is perfect for her small apartment, and she also appreciated being able to use the remote to turn this model on and off. The best robot vacuum cleaners are designed to clean your floors at a touch of a button, with a voice command, or as scheduled. They’ll glide across carpets and hard floors, dodging obstacles and avoiding trips or falls along the way. After researching which robot vacuums to test, we settled on 11 models with a wide variety of features and price points.
It doesn’t take the same logical path around the home when cleaning as other more expensive Eufy models do. Sometimes it’ll go in straight lines and sometimes seek out the edges of a room, while on occasion, it’ll travel in circles, which means it may take slightly longer to clean the whole room or floor. Also, it wasn’t always that good at moving around objects – low-level things seemed to fox it the most, such as deep-pile rugs, piano pedals, and pet food bowls. Predicted brand reliability is based on estimated problem rates for newly purchased robotic vacuums, not covered by an extended warranty or service contract, within the first three years of ownership. With features such as in-app mapping, scheduling and no-go zones, the Neato BotVac D8 was promising.
Bin size shouldn’t but does with Shark, although they offer several different options. Battery life is an obvious key feature with these types of systems, and something you’ll find is solid with Shark. Our top option from Shark is also one of the newest models available from shark robotic vacuums the company. The Shark AI Ultra Robot Vacuum AV2511AE is from their AI Ultra collection, which means it’s significantly smarter than previous generations in several different ways. If you opt for a Roborock robot vacuum that you empty yourself, you can save a bit of money.
When the robot docks in the base after a cleaning run, the auto-empty function initiates automatically. The process produces a lot of noise for about 15 to 30 seconds—about the volume of an old-school standing vacuum—as it sucks the debris from the robot’s bin into the dust bag. When the bag is full, you usually get an alert in the robot’s companion app. Needless to say, these models offer a far superior user experience than traditional robot vacuums that require a significant amount of manual labor.
Shark has made a number of changes to the naming of these vacuums, which can sometimes make for tricky comparisons. Shark ION 800 Series – Includes the Shark ION RV871 as well as some older versions of similar vacuums, like the Shark ION R85. Your product’s model number is listed on the front cover of your instruction booklet.
It costs extra and, with a small 180ml reservoir, it’s not an effective substitute for a proper mop. But it will help get up any fine dust the robot’s suction action missed. With an impressive battery life, big bin, and some navigational smarts, the Roborock E4 is a great budget bot. Even if you have a smart robotic vacuum that can learn and adapt to your home’s layout, there is always the risk that it will end up stuck under the couch or another large item of furniture. My favorite robot vacuum is still the insanely reliable and accurate Roborock Q5+ (9/10, WIRED Recommends), but with a self-emptying bin, it costs $600. The Shark AI Ultra has two functions, not one, and is roughly the same price.