This Week's Top Stories About Best Robot Vacuums
This Week's Top Stories About Best Robot Vacuums
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Best Robot Vacuums and Mop Combos
A robot vacuum is the best device to keep a clean home. It will nab pet hair, dust and other particles from the floor before it causes a bigger problem.
Some robots can sync with smart assistants such as Alexa or Google Assistant to provide a hands-free experience. Find models that recharge and then resume cleaning where they left off.
1. iRobot s8
This smart robot vacuum and mop combo is an excellent option for a wide range of homes. It vacuums and mops well, has excellent navigation with both GPS and laser sensors and has a wide range of controls and features available via the app. It also has a handy feature that allows you to create Cleaning zones for specific areas that require more attention, as well as Keep Out zones where you do not want it to be. As with all Roomba devices, it is updated with new software updates that make it even better over time.
It's costly however, it's also one of the most advanced robot vacuums that ZDNet has tested. It comes with a powerful battery that can sweep the entire house in less than two hours. It can also switch between mopping and vacuuming at the push of a button. It will automatically empty the bin of dust above its charging station, unlike other self emptying robots which require you to empty the bin after each run.
It also comes with a variety of other features, such as intelligent obstacle avoidance that uses a camera along with processor-powered smarts to recognize obstacles. It's not often tripped or stuck during a cleaning process. In my tests it was the best at avoiding objects like power cables. However, it's not as accurate in detecting pet waste and other hazards.
2. Eufy RoboVac Hybrid X8
Although Anker-owned Eufy has made its name in budget robot vacuums, it hasn't previously offered an all-in-one model that can also mop. The X8 Hybrid is a new model that has a wide range of features that are advanced and is able to compete with more expensive models.
Eufy's main selling point with this device is its laser navigation. The X8 utilizes laser mapping technology that is more accurate than the previous Eufy devices. It also takes significantly less time to construct an accurate picture of your living space and also stores multiple maps, which is ideal for homes with multiple floors.
The X8 is a great vacuum cleaner for floors with no dust. It can easily sling debris through the side brushes and into its 400ml dustbin. The tyres are adept at hugging edges and corners, even though they are circular. It's not the best cat litter scooper, however, with our tests showing it can only remove about 90 percent of the fur from hard floors.
The mopping mode that is the basic one uses the same water reservoir as the vacuuming mode. While this is good for spills that are not too large, you can't regulate the amount of water it is using and this will reduce its effectiveness for more severe staining. It does, however, do an excellent job of picking up pet hair, with a higher pickup rate 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, stunning design and excellent navigation. It has some oddities in its operation that keep it from being named the best smart robot vacuum.
Similar to the latest models of iRobot like the RX2 features dual-sensor mapping technology that uses the LIDAR sensor to map out an area and a pair of 3D scanning cameras that can here detect and avoid obstacles (like furniture legs or pet waste) in real time. Once the room is identified, you can designate virtual no-go areas and preferred sections to the robot. You can also alter the cleaning modes, start an automatic clean or watch a live feed of the cameras onboard from the main screen.
The RX2 has excellent sensors that detect furniture and other obstructions instantly. Its sweeping and suction powers are excellent, removing surface litter from carpets of medium pile and also removing embedded dust on floors. However, it's not exactly the most efficient robot available. Like many other robots it's not a very good climber and has issues with things like metal threshold transition strips.
Some people buy a robot vacuum for the ease of setting a schedule in an app and then forgetting about it for weeks at one time. However, it's essential that a robot can get the job done, which is the reason why our ZDNet staff tested and reviewed several of the most well-known models to help you select the right one for your home.
4. Shark ION
This budget robovac that looks just like the other, but has a few more features and better performance. Its smart mapping system creates 2D and 3D maps of your home and uses those to navigate and avoid obstacles. It is able to detect common obstacles such as furniture legs and power cords in real-time. This combination of sensors, along 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 flexible vacs we've tested.
It was able to climb over thick shag carpets and was not stuck (unlike the RoboVac 11s, or Roomba 690-). Its navigation skills were also impressive; its composite score in carpet and bare floors beat out the competition and it picked up 98.5 percent of the surface litter and embedded pet hair from our laboratory test samples.
The controls are more basic 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, set up no-go zones and view the history of cleaning. Ion is clad in a smart dark gray plastic that looks and feels beautiful in your home. Its rear dustbin is accessible for emptying, and taking out the filters is also simple.
5. Eufy 11S
If you're looking to buy a basic, no-frills robot vacuum at a reasonable cost, the Eufy 11S might be your best bet. It isn't equipped with some of the advanced features, like digital mapping and Alexa integration, which are found in higher-end models, but if you're not looking for those functions you can save some cost with this model.
This robot is easy to set up and use. It does not require a smartphone app or Wi-Fi connection, however it does come with the ability to control the remote with a remote that lets you choose between different modes and alter the suction level. It also lets you manually send the robovac off during scheduled cleaning.
During our tests, we discovered that the 11S was extremely efficient in cleaning dirt and pet fur from hard floors and low-pile carpets. Its slim profile helped it reach under furniture and other low items that more bulkier robots couldn't reach. It was also able to easily get over thresholds for doors and transition from one floor type to another.
Like other robots, the 11S can suck up some objects, such as cords drawstrings for hoodies and cat toys. The manufacturer suggests you keep these objects off the ground and by using a cord organizer when you can. It also suggests that you periodically clean the dustbin, replace the filters, and change or wash the brushes when required.
6. IRobot Roomba 980
The Roomba is the flagship model of iRobot's robot vacuum. It's pricey but it's top-performing and, in some ways, the most advanced robot vacuum you can buy. Its self-navigation feature and environmental mapping are a joy to behold. It also has more advanced automation features than its competitors, such as the ability to create virtual boundary markers through its mobile application. While its application is a bit slow and the 980 may spin out a bit when rolling over cables, it's still an extremely efficient robot vacuum.
One thing we really like about the 980 is that it uses its iAdapt 2.0 navigation sensors and its visual simultaneous mapping and localisation technology (or vSLAM) to remember the floor plan of your home. It will then use that information to create a consistent and efficient cleaning path for every cycle. The result is cleaner floors, and a cleaner vacuum than other high-end robot vacuums.
Other features of the 980 include dual multi-surface brushes which grab dirt on carpets and hard floors and an ejector brush that spins to sweep debris into the robotic vacuum’s bin. Its floor tracking sensor assists it in maneuvering through furniture, along edges and up steps. Cliff Detect prevents the Roomba from falling. It can also return automatically to the base station for simple recharging in between sessions. The battery life and bin capacity of the 980 aren't as good as those of other robot vacuums. However, it is an extremely reliable and sturdy machine that can keep floors clean for many hours.