Ask Me Anything: 10 Answers To Your Questions About Best Robot Vacuums
Best Robot Vacuums and Mop CombosA robot vacuum is a great device to keep an orderly home. It can pick up dust, pet hair and other particles on the surface.
Certain robots can connect to smart assistants such as Alexa or Google Assistant to provide a hands-free experience. Find models that can be recharged and continue cleaning where they left off.
1. iRobot S8
This smart robot vacuum and mop combo is an excellent choice for many homes. It can be used to vacuum and mop and is extremely navigable using both GPS and laser sensors and has a wide range of controls and features accessible through the app. It also comes with a helpful feature that allows you to create Cleaning zones for specific areas that require extra attention, as well as Keep Out zones that you don't want it to be. Like all Roomba devices, it receives new software updates that make it even more efficient over time.
It's costly however, it's also one of the most advanced robot vacuums that ZDNet has tested. It has a powerful battery that can clean the entire house in less than two hours. It also switches between vacuuming and mopping at the push of a button. It automatically empties the bin of dust above its charging station, unlike other self-emptying robots that require you to empty it after every run.
It has a wide range of other features that make it a good choice for homes of all sizes with its intelligent obstacle avoidance that utilizes both a camera and processor-powered smarts to see obstacles. It is rarely derailed or stuck during a cleaning cycle. In my tests it was the best at avoiding objects such as power cables. However, it's not as accurate in detecting pet waste and other dangers.
2. Eufy RoboVac X8 Hybrid
While the Anker-owned Eufy has earned a name for itself in the field of low-cost robot vacuums, it's never offered an all-in-one model that can also mop. The X8 Hybrid is a new model that offers a range of modern features and can compete with much more expensive models.
The most significant selling point for Eufy with this machine is its laser navigation. Previous Eufy devices have created a rough map of your home using infrared sensors and bumping into things but the X8's laser mapping system is far more precise. It also takes a lot less time to build up a comprehensive picture of your home and can store multiple maps, which is ideal for homes with multiple floors.
The X8 is still a good vacuum on bare floors, slinging debris under its side brushes and into the 400ml dust bin with relative ease. The X8's tyres, despite having a circular shape, are very good at grabbing corners and edges. Our tests revealed that it could only remove 90% of the fur on hard floors.
There's a basic mopping mode that utilizes the same water tank as the vacuuming. This is great for spills that aren't dangerous, but you are unable to regulate the amount of water it uses. It's effective in removing pet hair. It has a higher percentage of hair removal than the Roborock S7.
3. Miele RX2
The company is known for its quiet home appliances Miele's RX2 robot vacuum has excellent cleaning power, gorgeous design and excellent navigation. It has some oddities in its operation that keep it from being ranked as the best smart robot vacuum.
Like iRobot's latest models like the RX2 has a dual-sensor mapping system which uses the LIDAR sensor to map out a room and three 3D scanning cameras to detect and avoid obstacles (like furniture legs or pet waste) in real-time. Once mapped the app allows you to create virtual no-go zones as well as areas that you want to clean. will clean automatically. You can also change the cleaning modes, initiate cleaning manually, or view a live feed of the onboard cameras from the main screen.
The sensors of the RX2 work well by registering furniture and obstructions in real-time. The suction and sweeping power are top-notch and cleans up surface debris from medium-pile carpeting and embedded dust in bare floors. It's not the fastest vacuum mop cleaner robot robotics available. Like many other robots, it's not a good climber and has issues with things like metal threshold transition strips.
Many people purchase a robot vacuum to enjoy the convenience of setting a schedule in an app and not thinking about it for weeks at one time. However, it's essential that a robot is able to get the job done, which is why our ZDNet staff looked over and tested a number of the most popular ones to help you select the perfect one for your home.
4. Shark ION
This budget-friendly robot is just like your standard robot, however it's an upgrade in performance and features. Its intelligent mapping system creates 3D and 2D maps of your home and uses those to navigate and avoid obstacles. It's also able to detect common obstructions such as power cords and furniture legs in real time. This combination of sensors together with a bump sensor and an infrared drop sensor that keeps it from falling down the stairs is what makes it one of the most agile vacs we've tested.
It was able to walk over carpets with thick shags and was not stuck (unlike the RoboVac 11s or Roomba 690-). Its navigation capabilities were impressive. Its composite score for flooring and carpet was higher than the competition, and it was able to pick up 98.5 percent of surface litter and embedded dog hair from our laboratory test samples.
The controls are simpler than the competitors. There's an uniform cleaning button on the top, and you can launch it via the app or by voice command with Alexa or Google Assistant. You can also schedule daily or weekly cleanings, designate no-go zones and view its cleaning history. In a smart dark gray plastics, Ion feels sturdy and looks attractive in your home. Its rear dustbin is easily accessible for emptying, and taking out the filters is also easy.
5. Eufy 11S
Eufy 11S is a good option if you're looking for a robot vacuum that's simple and doesn't have any frills at a cost that is low. It lacks some of the smart features, such as digital mapping and Alexa integration, which are found in more expensive models, but if you're not looking for these functions, you can save money by purchasing this model.
This robot is easy to use and set up. It does not require smartphone application or Wi-Fi pairing. However, it does come with a remote control which lets you choose between various modes and adjust the suction levels. You can also assign the robotvac to a cleaning schedule.
During our tests, we discovered that the 11S was extremely efficient in getting dirt and pet fur from hard floors and low-pile carpets. Its slim profile allowed it to get under low-hanging furniture and other items that some heavier robots were unable to get at. It was able to get effortlessly over door thresholds and switch between floors of different types to another.
The 11S, like other robots, will also eat certain objects, like cords and cat toys. The manufacturer suggests that you can avoid this by keeping these objects off the ground and by using a cord organizer if possible. It also recommends that you regularly clean the dustbin, change the filters, and clean or change the brushes when necessary.
6. iRobot Roomba 980
The Roomba 980 is iRobot's flagship robot vacuum. It's expensive but it's the most powerful robot vacuum you can buy. Its self-navigation as well as environmental mapping is a marvel to behold. It also comes with more advanced automation features than many competitors, such as the ability to create virtual boundary markers with its mobile app. It's a powerful robot vacuum, even though its app isn't the most responsive and the 980's wheels spin out when it is pushed over cables.
We love the 980 due to its iAdapt2.0 navigation sensors and visual simultaneity localisation and mapping (or vSLAM) to remember your home's floor plan. It will use this data to create a consistent, efficient cleaning path in every cycle. The result is cleaner floors and a more efficient vacuum than most competing high-end robot vacuums.
Other features of the 980 include dual multi-surface brushes that capture dirt on hard floors and carpets and an ejector brush that spins to sweep debris into the robotic vacuum’s bin. Its floor tracking sensors aid it navigate across furniture and along edges, and Cliff Detect prevents the Roomba from falling down the stairs. It also automatically returns to its base station to ensure hassle-free charging between sessions. While the 980's battery life and bin size isn't as impressive as some other robot vacuums, it's a solid and reliable machine that can keep your floors spotless for hours at a time.