Flying cars are cool and all, but the future tech I always wanted the most was a robotic butler to clean my house for me. Today, this has become somewhat of a reality thanks to robot vacuums, which roll their way around your house picking up dirt and debris. But there are more models out there than we can count, and buying a robot can seem overwhelming.
Thankfully, there are a few standout products that are truly worth your time and money – and click here to find them in the UK. And, if you want even more smarts in the home, consider upgrading your wireless network with these certified refurbished routers on eBay.
TL;DR – These are the Best Robot Vacuums:
- eufy RoboVac X8 Hybrid
- Wyze Robot Vacuum
- Tesvor S6
- iRobot Roomba i3+
- iRobot Roomba s9+
- Roborock S7
- Samsung Jet Bot AI+
1. eufy RoboVac X8 Hybrid
Best Robot Vacuum
For a cleaner home, the eufy RoboVac X8 Hybrid can do it all. This smart robotic vacuum comes at a bit of a premium, but it’s far from as expensive as they come. The thing is, it’s not just a vacuum. The RoboVac X8 Hybrid can run in a vacuum mode with a 400ml dustbin to pick up a ton of dust and debris, or it can run in a mopping mode with a 250ml water tank. It can even mop and vacuum at the same time.
You can also rely on the RoboVac X8 Hybrid to do a smart job cleaning. It uses SLAM to map out rooms, understand where in the house it is, and follow specific cleaning tasks. You can instruct it where to clean and when while also keeping it from going into certain areas. Though the battery can last for a three-hour clean, the vacuum is also capable of heading back to its stand to recharge and then head out to keep cleaning.
2. Wyze Robot Vacuum
Best Budget Robot Vacuum
Wyze seems to be on a never-ending crusade to bring a bunch of smart home products to market that deliver many higher-end features at a more modest price point. The company has done it once again with the Wyze Robot Vacuum. This vacuum not only offers considerable vacuum power but also carries all the on-board smarts it needs to compete with even premium Roomba models.
The Wyze Robot Vacuum boasts 2,100Pa of suction power, which should have no problem pulling dust and debris up from hard floors and carpet alike. And, with a 110-minute battery life on its normal mode, you'll be able to get a considerable cleaning on a regular basis. Better still, the vacuum's inclusion of LIDAR and SLAM technologies will let it map out your home, and then you can have it perform targeted cleaning of specific areas instead of just setting it loose and hoping it cleans right where you need it to, like simpler bump-and-run models.
3. Tesvor S6
Best High-Power Robot Vacuum
For powerful suction, the Tesvor S6 has you covered. This robot vacuum can pull in with a whopping 2,700Pa of suction power, blowing away (or sucking up) much of the competition. That suction alone could make the Tesvor S6 appeal to some, but it matches that with some serious functionality for a robot vacuum at its price point.
The Tesvor S6 maps your home and navigates it using Lidar, not the bump-and-run approach of some of the more affordable options on the market. But, it gets even smarter than that. Drop sensors will help it avoid the peril of stairways, and you can program it to avoid cleaning certain areas. After it's done vacuuming or if it's low on battery, it can head back to the charger automatically. And, if all the dust is cleared but your floor still needs cleaning, you can swap on an optional water tank to run the Tesvor S6 in mopping mode.
4. iRobot Roomba i3+
Best Midrange Roomba
The Roombas from iRobot can come in at a lot of prices, but the Roomba i3+ offers a strong, middle-of-the-road option. The vacuum doesn’t do that old bumping-around method of cleaning that most budget robot vacuums do, instead following a back-and-forth pattern while smartly detecting where it can and can’t physically go — no more coming home to the vacuum stuck under a piece of furniture.
You can easily set the Roomba i3+ to run on a schedule, or just give it commands to clean as needed using Amazon’s Alexa or Google Assistant. That’s all what you’ll get with just the Roomba i3 itself, but opting for the Roomba i3+ gets you the addition of a handy dirt disposal system at the charging station. This way, your vacuum can empty its dust bin and recharge its battery all without intervention on your part.
5. iRobot Roomba s9+
Max High-End Robot Vacuum
Let’s say you’re on the opposite end of the spectrum. You’ve already got money growing on a tree in your backyard, and you want the most intelligent, powerful robot vacuum you can buy. That, my friends, would be the Roomba s9+, which costs a whopping $1,400. It takes everything great about the Roomba 960 and amps it up to 11, with incredibly powerful suction, a more advanced mapping system, a new design that’s better at cleaning corners, and a dust bin built into its home base, so you don’t have to empty it after every cleaning.
You can tell it which rooms to clean and which to avoid right from the app, and repairing it is just as easy as other Roomba models. If you have the cash to spend, this is the most powerful robot vacuum you can buy today. (If you want to save a bit of money, though, the slightly older Roomba i7+ has a lot of the same benefits for “only” $1,100).
6. Roborock S7
Best Robot Vacuum and Mop Hybrid
When it comes to getting clean floors at home, vacuuming is only half the battle. That’s where the Roborock S7 comes in. This powerful robotic vacuum not only can suck up the dust and dirt around your home but can also give the floors a thorough scrubbing with its mopping mode.
When it's vacuuming, the Roborock S7 boasts an impressive 2,500Pa of suction power to pick up debris on hard floors and even low carpets, plus it can carry a lot with its 470ml dust bin. After vacuuming, you can switch out the dust bin for a 300ml water tank. Then the RoboRock S7 can go back around mopping the floor using a sonic scrubbing feature to tackle stuck-in messes. The Roborock S7 does all of this cleaning with intelligent, LiDAR-powered mapping, which also lets you tell it which rooms to clean and which to stay out of (or at least not to mop).
7. Samsung Jet Bot AI+
Best Smart Robot Vacuum
Samsung has jumped into the robot vacuum market in a big way. The Samsung Jet Bot AI+ boasts some powerful intelligence, advanced cleaning features, and a unique design that’ll catch the eyes of your guests if you let it crawl around while they’re over. The Samsung Jet Bot AI+ navigates your home using LiDAR, a 3D camera system with object recognition, and intelligent mapping, and it can get where it needs to go thanks to its tank-like tread.
The vacuum itself is powerful and ready to handle hardwood floors and carpets alike. It also has a 5-layer HEPA filter built in to keep the air clean from dust and allergens. Once the Samsung Jet Bot AI+ is done cleaning, it can go empty out its dust bin automatically in the Clean Station. Samsung goes beyond cleaning as well, allowing you to turn the Samsung Jet Bot AI+’s cameras into live security cameras, so you can see a video feed as the vacuum navigates your home.
What's Next for Robot Vacuums
CES 2021 has come with plenty of new, exciting tech in the robotics space, and that includes a few things to look out for on the robot vacuum market. There were a few new robot vacuums from known brands like Eufy, and some bigger brands bringing their technological prowess to the field, as with Samsung’s debut of the JetBot 90 AI+.
Eufy is bringing more options in the mid-to-high-end category with the RoboVac L80 and L80 Hybrid. The new vacuums will come in around $550-$600 and have been targeting a June launch, according to Android Authority, though we’re still waiting to see them hit the market. These vacuums will be able to map out your home for effective cleaning and feature laser navigation to avoid obstacles. The L80 and L80 Hybrid should both offer impressive suction, while the L80 Hybrid also brings mopping functionality to the table.
Then there's Samsung. Samsung had no shortage of smart tech to show off, and its JetBot 90 AI+ was probably the least impressive of all of them. That doesn't mean it won't be an impressive robot vacuum. Samsung has gone all out with smart navigation capabilities, including LiDAR and a 3D sensor, the ability to empty its dustbin on its own using the Clean Station, and remote control of the vacuum using Samsung SmartThings. This vacuum was planned to release in the first half of 2021, but we’re still waiting on it. The only reason it doesn't feel so impressive is that Samsung also showed off the Samsung Bot Handy, a tall robot with a full-articulating arm that could pick up and carry around objects and help with chores around the house – we'll see if it ever actually comes to market though.
Where to Get the Best Robot Vacuum in the UK
What to look for in a Robot Vacuum
These are far from the only robot vacuums on the market, but they are generally regarded as the best—and there are a lot out there that kind of suck (or don’t “suck,” as the case may be). And even among these few models, there are a lot of different features to look for that you may not have considered when setting out on your robot-buying expedition.
In particular, you want to keep an eye out for:
Suction power: Obviously, you want a vacuum that’ll pick up as much junk as possible, especially if you have thick carpets. Most robot vacuums don’t advertise their suction power (measured in pascals, or “pa,” of pressure), but a few do—so if you see a pascal rating when deciding between vacuums, it can be a helpful measure of its cleaning power. Not the only measure, mind you, but a helpful one.
Sensor type: Some robot vacuums navigate using optical sensors, like cameras—these can be great, but don’t always work in dark rooms (which may or may not matter to you). Other robots use infrared navigation, which works better in the dark and can more easily avoid objects.
Many robots use a combination of sensors for navigation, plus others that sense objects or tangles in the brushes. These little differences can affect how well they move around your home, so it’s worth looking at the idiosyncrasies of each robots’ movement—you don’t want to get stuck with one that...well, gets stuck a lot.
Wi-Fi capabilities: In my opinion, the best part of smart tech is being able to control it with your phone or voice—which requires a Wi-Fi chip in the vacuum. Some robots have this, and some don’t, but the ones that do tend to be a bit more expensive. It’s up to you whether those remote control conveniences are worth the extra price.
Mapping features: Cheaper robots tend to head in a random direction until they bump into something, then turn around and roll in another direction...repeating this process until they’ve covered most (or all) of your home.
Pricier models, on the other hand, usually contain some sort of mapping feature, that navigates in a more methodical, grid-like fashion. Some vacuums clear this map from their memory after each cleaning, while others remember it for next time, allowing them to navigate it more effectively as they learn. You can also use those maps to clean specific areas with the tap of a button, thanks to...
Boundary setting: Again, cheaper robots may have boundary features—like the Roomba’s infrared boundary markers—that help keep them away from specific areas you don’t want to be cleaned. Eufy uses magnetic strips that lay across your floor. More advanced robots, though, may allow you to do this through the app, blocking off certain rooms by drawing virtual lines. Some robots can even automatically detect rooms on their map, allowing you to pick which rooms to clean at any given time. If you have areas you want the vacuum to avoid, this can be a crucial feature.
Size, shape, and sound: You’ll also want to consider the design of your vacuum. Most models look pretty similar, so it isn’t really about style—it’s more about their ability to fit into corners, under beds and couches, and through tight areas. Smaller models may have a bit more maneuverability, but sacrifices in other areas, like suction or the size of their dust bin. You’ll also want to consider sound. None of these vacuums are silent by any means, but some are much louder than others and maybe the difference between running it while you’re watching TV and having to run it only while you’re out of the house.
Battery life: This only matters a little since most robot vacuums will go “home” and charge themselves before continuing on their route. Battery life is ultimately less important than with most gadgets, so I wouldn’t worry about it too much. Finally, remember that robot vacuums aren’t necessarily a replacement for your traditional vacuum—they’re more designed to keep your house clean in between regular cleaning. Few, if any, have the power and maneuverability of a stand-up vacuum you run yourself, and you’ll still need to vacuum and mop occasionally.
But for those in-between cleanings, especially in homes with pets or kids, they can be a godsend to run each morning while you’re out of the house. I shudder to think of what my house would look like without one.
Whitson Gordon is a writer, gamer, and tech nerd who has been building PCs for 10 years. He eats potato chips with chopsticks so he doesn't get grease on his mechanical keyboard.
Mark Knapp is a regular contributor to IGN and an irregular Tweeter on Twitter @Techn0Mark
