Other robot vacuum
Photo: Adrienne
We are approaching the great robot vacuum convergence. Regardless of the price you want to pay, you can find a robot vacuum that looks very similar and has similar features. Some of them here were great for us, too.
Roborock QRevo Curv, priced at $1,099: This is Roborock’s flagship 2024 vacuum cleaner, and it’s still great (critic Ryan Waniata calls it the best robot vacuum cleaner he’s ever used). It has a little less suction than this year’s Saros 10R, but I did use it to clean the entire carpet full of baking powder.
Eufy Mach S1 Pro is priced at $1,300: This amazing and beautiful robot vacuum cleaner will be the heart of your kitchen. The water chamber is transparent and lit, and the ozone generator is said to remove up to 99.99% of bacteria. It also has super simple navigation and a self-cleaning roller mop that washes itself while cleaning. However, it only has 8,000 pa suction, which is less than some of our other draft picks and is 26.4 inches tall, and the dock is high, making storage difficult.
The Eufy X10 Pro Omni costs $550: Believe it or not, this is not a bad price for a hybrid robot vacuum mop with such excellent navigation (9/10, wired recommendation)! (Sales make it lower.) However, the YEEDI above is cheaper and offers the same functionality.
The Dreame L40 Ultra costs $600: Dreame’s robot vacuum MOP combination debuted at IFA 2024. It’s a little cheaper than the Dreame X30 Ultra (7/10, wired review), but it can’t be on the coolest tricks of removing Mop Pads. Wired reviewer Nena Farrell found that while it’s cheap, it’s still not cheap and does hit more frequently than the X30. However, it’s pretty, leaving a lot of battery life left after mop and vacuuming.
Avoid these robot vacuums
Not every vacuum cleaner wins a place on our list. These were repackaged directly by me.
Mova P50 Pro Ultra Robot Vacuum, priced at $799: This robot vacuum attracts 19,000 pa suction and a wide variety of high-end features such as expandable side brushes and intelligent dirt detection systems. Reviewer Molly Higgins thanked it for being self-cleaning and bin automatic, but she found that despite the smart system, the mapping was not accurate, small obstacles usually throw it away, and the vacuum eventually started to avoid the room.
Eufy E28 Combination Robot Vacuum $1,000: I’m very disappointed with this because I have two dogs and two kids and often need deep carpet cleaners Add to Perform mop and vacuum. This vacuum can be mopped and has a detachable carpet cleaning station. Unfortunately, the water injection system is pretty good. The robot vacuum has to be placed perfectly to inject water from the tank (I often have to hit it with my feet), and it leaks on the kitchen floor every time I stomp. At least carpet cleaner is effective.
IROBOT COMBO J7+ for $399: iRobot made a beautiful robot vacuum that I loved for years, but had poor experience with software in this area when I tested it. The company has gone through many twists and turns since then and has released a new line under the leadership of the new CEO. We will update this review once the latest lineup is tested.
Ecovacs Deebot T50 Max Pro Omni costs $700: My testers were unable to return to the dock. I’ve asked for another sample of comments from Ecovacs and this sample will be updated after I test it.
TP-Link Tapo RV30C is priced at $229: I like the simplicity of this robot vacuum cleaner, but you can never find a replacement bag again.
The Eureka J20 and Eureka J15 Pro Ultra are priced at $830: Eureka is a highly respected name in the vacuum field, these robot vacuums are so good and come with lots of bells and whistles. However, the Eureka vacuum found that the tiny lips between the kitchen hardwood floors and the living room carpet was completely insurmountable, and the app also forgot the map every time it encountered a small obstacle. Too annoying.
The Procenic M9 costs £439: Critic Simon Hill reports that this robot vacuum is terrible. It misses a lot of spots, the chute is immediately clogged by hair and makes constant noises. Whenever it gets stuck, it tells you to call customer service. The only advantage is that it doesn’t seem to have any inventory.
Narwal Freo X Ultra costs $1,134: This is a beautiful vacuum cleaner with many features including skirting board dust. But while it moved from the room to find better Wi-Fi and switched from the phone to try a different version of the app, I couldn’t connect it to the app and therefore couldn’t use it. (I have been in contact with Narwal several times but can’t fix it; we’ll update if a solution does find in the future.)
Switchbot K10+ for $600: Now you can use other cleaning accessories such as rod vacuum or air purifiers for this tiny robot vacuum accessories. Unfortunately, the robot vacuum itself is still terrifying. This is the only vacuum cleaner I’ve ever experienced poop and it dragged a dog poop at my house. Critic Simon Hill also tried this robot vacuum and found it suicide. The roller is easily blocked, it cannot find its way back to the dock and is often thrown away to the stairs.
Shark PowerDetect 2 in 1 $650: This vacuum cleansed unexpectedly (5/10, wired review). However, it won’t be released automatically, off-road tyres don’t work, and the app is totally clumsy (the map is inaccurate, the multi-storey can’t be added, and the cleaning time is also closed).
What navigation system do I use?
Robot vacuum manufacturers will try to tell you that the most important specification is the suction level. That’s wrong – this is the navigation system. How good is the vacuum cleaner if it gets stuck every time it starts. A more complex or expensive navigation system doesn’t guarantee it won’t get stuck, but it’s a great place to start. Many vacuums are also combined with the system.
Sensor Mapping: The cheapest vacuum cleaners use sensor combinations along the outside of the vacuum, such as cliff detectors at the bottom and wall detectors on the bumper to avoid obstacles.
Gyroscope: This is a reasonably priced but surprisingly effective mapping method that has been used in ships for centuries. A rotating wheel or light helps the vacuum determine its position relative to other objects in your home.
LIDAR: Lidar stands for “light detection and range”. The vacuum uses a pulsed laser to determine how far each object is.
Camera Navigation: There is a camera on it. Basically, the vacuum cleaner is almost invisible. While I found the system very accurate and/or accidentally hilarious, you have to look for other security protocols to make sure that interesting images of your home don’t end up on the internet.
Grand Slam: Using SLAM navigation or “simultaneous positioning and mapping,” vacuum uses algorithms to process large amounts of data (e.g. how many times the wheels rotate with camera or sensor data to calculate where it should be and where it should move. It is usually used in conjunction with several other navigation techniques.
IMU: The inertial measurement unit is a system that combines multiple sensors (such as gyroscopes and accelerometers) to navigate through death calculations.
Machine Learning: Many robot vacuum manufacturers now tout their proprietary mapping systems. For example, iRobot uses a system called “Brand Smart Mapping” that is clean and learns when it’s clean like Roborock’s SmartPlan. These are also commonly used in combination with cameras or lasers.
Robot vacuum tips
Robot vacuum has complex tasks. Your home is constantly changing and no robot vacuum becomes perfect. We have several starting points here, but if you’re still in trouble, you should check out our guide to maximize your robot vacuum cleaners.
Is robot vacuum cleaner effective on hardwood? Yes. Many robot vacuum cleaners have different cleaning modes that allow you to choose between carpet, tile or other floor surfaces. If you have a combination of MOP-VACUUM, use only the liquid cleaner recommended by the brand. Using universal cleaners may clog your docking station.
Will my pet hate my robot vacuum? perhaps. I introduced three dogs to the robot vacuum cleaner with the smallest problem, but if you’re nervous you can try to snack on your pets when you first few times you turn on the vacuum.
Stay at home with the first few runs of the machine vacuum cleaner. Many homes have hot spots – a weird door, a clumsy carpet – you need to rescue the vacuum. Quickly perform robotic fool traps in advance, such as ribbons, charging cables, and a rope.
Check your Wi-Fi. If you have a Wi-Fi enabled robot vacuum cleaner, most people can only connect to the 2.4-GHz wireless band. If you have problems with connections, make sure you want to link to the right band. Check out our guide to set up your smart home for more tips.
VACS needs maintenance. Like every robot, especially the one that comes into contact with the worst parts of the house, you need to take care of it regularly. An error message may prompt you to empty the bin, cut your hair off the rollers, or wipe off the cliff sensor. Instructions and YouTube can help.
Daytime vacuum. If you have a choice, it is usually better to schedule a run at 2pm than midnight, as many vacuums also use optical sensors for navigation.
Don’t throw away your hand vacuum. I hate being a frustrated person, but you may occasionally need a full-size manual vacuum. I left Dyson around to quickly clean and vacuum the corners of my bedroom.
Be alert to disposable bags: Some vacuums pull the dust into disposable bags. Instead of dumping the bin and dusting everywhere you go, you just have to throw the bag away and replace the bin neatly. Unfortunately, some companies stop selling these bags completely (look at you, TP-link), giving you a well-functioning robot vacuum that won’t be able to vacuum anywhere. Try to find information about how long this type of part will be available.
How do we test
I’ve personally reviewed robot vacuums since 2017 and tested over 100 (I didn’t track the exact numbers, but I reviewed one for about every two weeks for eight years). According to the manufacturer’s instructions, each wired gear tester sets a vacuum in its own home and at a location with a clear Wi-Fi signal. We run vacuum every day for at least two weeks, looking at many factors: battery life; how the application works; whether the map is accurate; if it always cleans the edges of your house; and dirt of multiple sizes including sand, fur, dog hair, cheese, wood chips and flour.
We also look for mitigating factors such as whether it is incredibly loud or ugly, or whether it is perfect for your kitchen. In order for the vacuum to be useful, you have to use it and carry it with you. We also point out the power of the vacuum through the manufacturer’s PA or Pascals, the higher the quantity, the greater the suction force.
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