The days of shoulder-busting vacuum cleaners are soon to be a distant memory. A future of robot vacuums, once a science-fiction pipe dream, is already here, and these smart household helpers are doing our dirty work for us. As the old-school style of upright vacuum cleaners surrenders their responsibilities to these powerful, smart and compact robotic vacuums, you can simply sit back, relax and put your feet up as your new favorite floor friend passes by.
Of course, when shopping for the best Robot vacuums, one name rises about the rest — Roomba. Part of the iRobot family of products, DJ Roomba has become a pop-culture meme, and the brand name Roomba is synonymous with all robot vacuums in the same way you might refer to all bandages as Band-Aids®. However, iRobot isn’t the only company making worthwhile smart vacuums, and brands such as dser, Anker and Coredy are now making well-reviewed and affordable robot vacuums to compete with the Roomba family of cleaners.
So how do you choose the best Roomba or robotic vacuum for your home? It’s important to do your research, decide your needs and set your budget to decide on the robot vacuum best suited for your home.
The Most Important Features To Look For When Shopping for Robotic Vacuums
- Battery life: High quality robot vacuums will run for about 120 minutes. Other, cheaper options can work for around 60 minutes. However, the best robot vacuums combine a solid battery life with self-charging features.
- Cleaning Performance: What could matter more? Always check what type of floors your robot vacuum is suitable for and whether it is solely a sucker or has the ability to mop, too.
- Maintenance: How often do you need to wash the filter? Some require daily washes, while some need to be maintained less often.
- Self-Emptying: An elite feature that means you never have to get your hands dirty, self-emptying robots are expensive but super cool.
- Pa power: The motors used inside your robot vacuum will provide its Pa power, a unit of atmospheric pressure that equates to sucking power. For those toward the weaker end of the scale, you’re looking at around 1500Pa. For those toward the stronger end of the scale, you’re looking for anything over 2500Pa.
- Navigation: These little machines can map out the floorplan of your home with just the click of a button. But, just in case you have any doubt and are particularly concerned about any areas, some models come with BotBoundary Strips included. These can be installed throughout your home to create no-go areas.
- Scheduling: On many models, it’s possible for you to schedule exactly when you’d like the robot vacuum to clean. This can be on a one-off or regular basis at selected times throughout the week.
- Smart Features: How smart do you want your vacuum to be? Most robot vacuums under $200 don’t come with WiFi connectivity, which means they can’t integrate with smart home systems or work with voice assistants like Alexa or Google Voice. On the other hand, smarter models come with an app that makes it easy to set cleaning schedules and map out different areas of your home.
When it comes to the best robot vacuums, Roomba products are hard to beat. That being said, there are other brands to consider besides iRobot. To help you choose the best robot vacuum, we’ve scanned the market and narrowed down the list to the 14 machines that really suck (and that’s a good thing!).
1. iRobot Roomba E5 Robot Vacuum
BEST OVERALL
This Roomba Robot Vacuum is ideal for homes with pets, kids or multiple rooms and floor types. Its unique multi-surface rubber brushes don’t get tangled with pet hairs, but they do adjust to stay in constant contact with all types of surfaces. With its premium, three-stage cleaning system and five times the suction of most competitors, this Roomba pulls out even stubborn dirt from your floors. While ensuring that the pet hairs and dirt around it are removed, its high-efficiency filter also traps 99% of cat and dog allergens. In addition, the Roomba E5 will integrate with your voice assistant or smart home, and the iRobot HOME app can be used to set cleaning schedules and keep track of your robot helper. With more suction power and smart home features, the Roomba E5 justifies a higher price tag than budget options.
2. iRobot Rooma i7 Robot Vacuum
PREMIUM PICK
The Roomba i7+ Robot is one of iRobot’s most advanced robot vacuums, second only to the Roomba S9+, which is just too expensive in our opinion. The Roomba i7+ is a seriously impressive (and pricey) smart vacuum. Cleaning crumbs under the dinner table or pet hair on the carpets has never been easier than with the Rooma i7+. A simple command, ‘Roomba, clean under the kitchen table,’ via the voice activation app, and your Roomba Robot Vacuum will begin powerfully picking up any dirt straight away. And, with the included Clean Base automatic dirt disposal station, the i7+ is able to empty itself into AllergenLock Bags, so you can leave your vacuuming chores to this little robot for up to 60 days at a time. More powerful than other Roombas and miles ahead of its competitors, it’s the Mercedes Benz of robot vacuums. If you can afford the price tag, it’s the best option from iRobot for sale in 2020.
3. Ecovacs DEEBOT N79S Robotic Vacuum Cleaner
BEST BUDGET
This robot vacuum from ECOVACS offers a lot of great functionality at a reasonable price. For $200 less than more expensive options you get some of the same capabilities like the Ecovacs Smart App where you can control your vacuum, schedule its cleaning cycle, receive status updates and more. It has an auto mode that cleans your entire floor, a Spot mode that can target a specific area and Edge mode that’ll clean the edge of your floor only. This vacuum also responds to Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa voice commands, and can increase its suction power by 2x for particularly large messes. It also has a 110-minute run time which is longer than other options that have a higher price tag.
4. eufy by Anker Boost IQ RoboVac 15C MAX
BEST ROOMBA ALTERNATIVE
For smart home completists, this RoboVac is a worthy addition. Remarkably quiet, the eufy has a super-low, three-inch profile which allows it to sneak under low ottomans and couches, yet its slightly larger wheels allow it to navigate door ledges and those borders between hardwood and carpet rooms. The native app allows you to create a set-it-and-forget-it cleaning schedule, and it’s also easily linked with Alexa or Google Assistant for voice commands. This self-charging smart vacuum has 2,000pa of suction power and is much quieter compared to budget options. If you’re looking for the best smart vacuum outside of the Roomba line, the eufy is the robot helper for you.
5. dser 23T Robot Vacuum
RUNNER UP
Equipped with 2200Pa for powerful suction, this small and mighty robot vacuum from dser can vanquish pet hair, dust and crumbs from your floor with ease. In testing, SPY editors were impressed with the dser 23T’s cleaning power and ease of use. You’ll want to clean the dser’s washable filter for best results, but with its handy Alexa and Google Assistant voice control integration, you can tell the dser to meet you by the sink right whenever you’re ready. With this dser 23T, you’re getting an affordable smart robot vacuum complete with top-end features for a low-end price.
6. iRobot Roomba 614 Robot Vacuum
BEST BUDGET ROOMBA
If you’re looking for a basic robot vacuum well under $300, then you’ll want to go with the Roomba 614, the starter option from iRobot. Countless reviews attest to this robot’s cleaning power, and the iRobot brand packed a ton of cleaning technology into this little guy. While the Roomba 614 doesn’t have advanced self-emptying abilities, it does have a host of smart features and will run for about 90 minutes before returning to its charging station for more juice. This handy cleaner will easily suck up dirt, debris and dust from both carpets and cleaners. However, for the lower price, you do lose out on Alexa and Google Voice integration, so if those smart features are important to you, you’ll want to opt for either the dser 23T or the Roomba E5.
7. MOOSOO BoostIQ Super Thin RoboVac 11S
THINNEST
If you bought your coffee table at a time when you didn’t think a robot vacuum would be a part of daily life, or if you have any low-sitting furniture around the house that you wish someone would clean under, then this MOOSOO BoostIQ Super Thin RoboVac is here to help you. Its super slim design allows this robot vacuum to slide into places that other models simply can’t, but that doesn’t stop it from housing effective 1800Pa suction and a three-stage cleaning system adaptable to surfaces such as hardwood, carpet and tiles.
Unlike most robot vacuums under $200, the MOOSOO robot vacuum can be controlled by remote control or connect to your WiFi for app or voice assistant control. Of course, you get what you pay for, and reviewers complain that this vacuum isn’t as reliable as its competitors in terms of navigation or battery life.
8. Coredy R500+ Robot Vacuum Cleaner
BEST FOR CORNERS
The Coredy is great at cleaning corners, albeit not as adept at navigating them as higher-priced robot vacuums are. The two-hour battery life is sufficient for tackling a large area, and when switched down to the 60 decibels quiet mode, the Coredy can do its thing and not interrupt you while you watch the TV. You can find robot vacs with more features, greater suction power, and smarter mapping abilities, but as an entry-level robot vac to take some housework off your hands, the Coredy is a great buy. Keep in mind that this vacuum won’t connect to WiFi, which means no voice assistant or app controls.
9. GOOVI by ONSON Robot Vacuum
BEST BOUNDARY STRIPS INCLUDED
The GOOVI by ONSON Robot Vacuum has a variety of optional cleaning modes that can be selected along with magnetic boundary strips that can be put in place throughout your home to ensure hard limits. If you’re looking for a floor friend that will work away unnoticed, you can choose the quiet setting on the GOOVI. This will set it to work between 45 decibels to 65 decibels. It also has the function of automatic carpet pressurization, which is easy to operate via the included remote control. With 2,000pa of suction power and self-charging (but no WiFi features), this is a great vacuum — especially if you can find it on sale. It’s often discounted on Amazon, where you can currently take $55 off the base price of $200.
10. Noisz by ILIFE S5 Pro 2-in-1 Mopping Robot Vacuum
BEST FOR MOPPING
This robot mop/vacuum comes with the 2-in-1 capabilities you need for spotless floors. The Noisz Pro comes with a tangle-free suction passage and a 300L water tank for mopping after vacuuming. It also has an ElectroWall function built in where you can program the robot to not clean in a certain area if you wish. In the max mode it has a maximum suction power of 1000 Pa and it has smart sensors that keep it from falling down stairs or getting caught up in furniture. It mops after vacuuming each time for thorough and efficient clean each time, and for less than other vacuum-only you get the power of two cleaning machines in one.
11. MOOSOO Robot Vacuum
BEST HOME NAVIGATION
This robot vacuum from MOOSOO comes with smart gyroscope navigation technology and a path tracking sensor that works to clean your home in an efficient zig-zag pattern. It has 2,000Pa of power suction power and a 3-stage cleaning system for hardwood floors, carpets and other areas around your home. It has a very slim design that enables it to navigate especially tight areas around your home, and it has built-in 2.4ghz Wi-Fi that allows you to remotely control your robot’s cleaning schedule and multiple modes. It also works with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, and has FreeMove Technology that detects problem areas and aids the vacuum in avoiding them. It has six different cleaning modes for ensuring your home is thoroughly spotless by the end, and it automatically increases suction power on carpet for an effective clean.
12. Shark IQ Robot Self-Empty R101AE
BEST SELF-EMPTY
The Shark IQ Robot Self-Empty R101AE is a winner, even beyond the self-emptying feature. Its floor-mapping abilities are among the very best in the field. Once it has your floor plan down, you can send it to individual rooms or even areas in the house without having to pick it up and walk it there. Its suction is powerful enough to tackle dust and pet hair, and it really excels at taking on larger debris, like dried leaves or other yard trackings. Like all of the best robot vacuums, it also offers self-charging and voice assistant control.
13. iRobot Roomba S9+ With Automatic Dirt Disposal
BEST SPLURGE
The Roomba S9+ has unparalleled cleaning power over both hard floors and carpet, eradicating messes large and small faster and more thoroughly than the competition. It has double rubber roller brushes which seem impervious to pet hair and mapping powers so advanced that, if it needs to quit a job midway to return to its charging base for more juice (which itself is a great feature), once recharged it will return to the exact spot it left off to finish the job. The self-emptying feature is, of course, the big sell here, and the Clean Base makes it so you never have to come into contact with dirt. Finally, the S9+ has the most advanced home mapping and navigation of any Roomba vacuum, the strongest suction power and an advanced allergen filter. Personally, we can’t justify the four-figure price tag, but there’s no denying that this is the best robot vacuum in the world.
