When seeking out the best robot vacuums, look for a model with a large dustbin to reduce the frequency of emptying and one that supports your voice assistant for easier control. Also consider its clearance and dirt storage capabilities as these factors can affect how easy it is to clean under furniture.
1. iRobot S8 Pro Ultra
This iRobot is the best robot vacuum for pet hair, thanks to its combo of flexing dual multi-surface brushes and power-lifting suction. It can also mop your floors and works well on a variety of floor types. It’s not overly loud and it can be easily emptied and controlled with your smart home apps.
This high-end model boasts some of the best mapping technology on the market. It uses a LIDAR sensor to map out your room and camera sensors to spot objects. This allows it to navigate around things like power cords, furniture legs and pet waste, while also avoiding areas you don’t want it in.
It can even create and update a cleaning map up to six times faster than previous models, and resumes cleaning 30% quicker when the battery runs low. It can also be set to recharge during off-peak hours, reducing the pressure it puts on your electric bill. Its app lets you customize a wide range of settings, including the option to select your preferred furniture layout and to define No-Go zones.
2. Eufy RoboVac 30C Max
If you’re looking for a robot vacuum that works well on both hard floors and medium-pile carpets and offers solid 2000Pa suction, the Eufy RoboVac 30C Max is a great choice. It can connect to WiFi and be controlled via a smartphone app, as well as work with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant for voice commands. It can even be scheduled to automatically clean on a regular basis.
Its flexing dual multi-surface brushes and powerful suction tackle pet hair well on both bare floors and rugs. It also has the advantage of being relatively quiet, allowing you to still hear TV at a normal volume while it works.
Like the Shark X8 Hybrid, this robot has smart dynamic navigation that allows it to learn how best to navigate a space over time, making sure every part of a room gets cleaned. It also has BoostIQ technology that can automatically increase suction when it’s needed, and it can even be set up with boundary strips to ensure it doesn’t go places where you don’t want it to.
3. Roomba 980
The name Roomba has become synonymous with robot vacuums, and this top model is a worthy addition to the brand’s lineup. It uses a LIDAR sensor to map out your home and a pair of front-facing cameras to spot landmarks like power cords or furniture legs so it can avoid running into them. It’s also able to detect when it’s rolled over carpet and automatically ramp up its suction power.
The app that controls the 980 is easy to use and works well, but you can also run it manually without WiFi access if desired. The battery lasts about an hour in its most powerful mode and takes two hours to recharge fully.
It has some shortcomings, such as a round shape that limits its ability to reach corners and edges, but it offers excellent bare floor performance and comes with the peace of mind that comes from iRobot’s stellar customer support. It’s also a lot cheaper than its competitors and has more than enough smarts to justify the price tag. It’s worth noting, however, that issuing commands via the app doesn’t happen instantly; instead, they’re queued and can take a few minutes to be recognised.
4. Neato Botvac D7
The Neato Botvac D7 was the best robot vacuum at launch and it’s still one of the top choices. It does a great job of cleaning bare floors, climbs on low and high-pile carpets fairly well, and can move up and down stairs relatively easily. It also has some of the longest battery life we’ve seen in a robot vacuum at around two hours when it is running on its maximum speed, Turbo mode.
Neato’s LaserSmart mapping and navigation technology helps it build a map of your home so it can navigate better without bumping into things. You can even use the app to set virtual no-go lines to tell it not to go near certain areas, such as pet bowls. And regular software updates bring new experiences to the device.
The unique D-shaped design helps the Botvac D7 reach into corners and along walls more easily than some of the other robots in this category. It has powerful suction and an ultra-performance filter that traps allergens like dust mites and pet dander so you can breathe easier.
5. iRobot Roomba 980
The Roomba 980 is iRobot’s top-of-the-line robot vacuum. It has a few key improvements over its predecessor, including smart dynamic navigation 2.0 and better battery life. It does a bang-up job cleaning bare floors, using its powerful 2000Pa suction and smart BoostIQ technology. It even goes to a whole new level when it encounters carpeted areas, automatically increasing its power by 10x.
It can also sense when it’s near obstacles like furniture legs or cords and navigate around them, making sure all surfaces are covered. And it can store up to four floor maps of your home and output a 3D representation of each.
If you’re looking to spend a little less, the ILIFE A4S is our pick for the best budget robot vacuum. It doesn’t have the advanced features of the Roomba 980, but it does a good job cleaning your home without the extra cost. It uses bump navigation and has a low-profile design to reach under furniture and kickboards where dirt often hides. It can run for up to two hours and automatically recharges and resumes cleaning until the job is done.