Household chores like ironing, washing and vacuuming are never particularly enjoyable, we think you’ll all agree. In fact, most people hate them and the few that might enjoy them are probably getting paid to do so.
Don’t worry though, there is something that could make your life a little easier and make one of these three chores a little more fun – a robotic vacuum cleaner.
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These little smart bots are designed to ease the misery of household cleaning. They cannot replace the traditional vacuum cleaner in terms of cleaning power, but regularly scheduled cleaning with these bots often results in a satisfactory clean and they keep your house far more presentable.
We’re running down the very best robot vacuums we’ve seen, all in order to help you with your purchasing decision.
Best Robot Vacuum: Our Top Pick
For
- Intelligent room navigation and obstacle avoidance Incredibly low maintenance Highly customisable settings Superbly convenient cleaning
Against
- The dock is massive and needs placement with purpose Undeniably pricey
Robot vacuums are designed to make household chores that little bit easier and the Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra does this with gusto.
Purchased with its accompanying self-emptying dock, this robot vacuum cleaner will not only vacuum (and mop) your home, but will also empty and clean itself when it’s finished.
The huge dock not only works to charge the bot, but also to empty its dustbin, wash its mop and prepare it for the next cleaning session.
This makes automated cleaning even more convenient and pleasant. With superb cleaning capabilities, excellent obstacle avoidance skills and much more besides, the S7 MaxV Ultra is well worth a look.
Robot vacuum cleaners we also recommend
There are a lot of other robot vacuum cleaners out there with wildly different price tags, features and specs. We’ve tried a lot of them over the last few years and the following are others we’d also recommend considering.
Automatic dirt disposal to larger bin Fantastic cleaning capabilities Excellent mapping system Handles various floor types brilliantly Good battery life
Expensive Clean Base auto dirt-disposal bin is quite large Not the quietest Occasionally can get stuck
The iRobot Roomba S9+ is a premium robot vacuum cleaner from perhaps the most well-known name in the business. As you’d expect that means you get a range of features including automatic dirt disposal, intelligent home mapping and plenty of clever features.
It has a smart mapping feature that lets you set specific rooms to clean and even automatically boosts suction on carpet while also having an Anti-Allergen System on board.
We found this bot delivered excellent cleaning performance and plenty of convenient features too.
Superb cleaning capabilities Excellent intelligent mapping system Multiple control settings Improved self-cleaning design Affordable price tag
Occasional issues with timers going wrong
The Roborock S6 Robot Vacuum cleaner is another offering from Roborock which really delivers the goods.
This bot is more than capable of impressive cleaning results throughout the home. Its intelligent mapping system is one of the best we’ve seen and it is remarkably easy to use and customise. The result is a bot that works for you, with very little hassle and plenty of customisation options.
All told, the Roborock S6 is one of our favourite robot vacuum cleaners. We wholeheartedly recommend this robot vacuum cleaner to anyone looking to add some automated cleaning to their home and it’s also a lot less cash than you’ll have to pay out for some of the big-name brands’ competitors.
Flat-fronted design helps it get close to the edges Multi-floor capable Superb cleaning power
Not as easy to setup as some other bots
We had some setup troubles, but there’s no denying that the Neato Robotics Botvac D7 Connected is a class act and once setup, the app is very simple to use whether setting regular cleaning times or just telling the cleaner to start.
The virtual no-go lines work well and the D7 is at home on all floor types. It’s also very flat so it can go under most furniture. The D7 doesn’t have the screen of the older and cheaper Neato Connected model, but it’s easy to set off without the app and you’ll get a cleaning map after it’s finished through the app.
There’s an eco mode on board too and the D7 allows mapping of multiple floors, with the possibility of purchasing extra charging base stations. The intelligent mapping system not only includes the ability to add no-go lines to each floor but also supports “Quick Boost” charging mode to help the robot dock for extra juice mid-clean.
Impressive suction power results in superb cleaning ability Straightforward controls - physical / in app / Alexa voice Capable tank tracks help avoid obstacles being a problem
Often has to return to dock during cleans Not immune from getting stuck Tall - so won’t fit under everything Small dustbin
The Dyson 360 Heurist is a distinctly Dyson device through and through. It immediately strikes thanks to a big, bold, blue design, powerful suction and impressive smarts too.
This robot’s cameras and sensors allow it to easily navigate around the home while it cleans and it’s supported by a powerful and detailed app that includes plenty of functionality.
The Dyson 360 Heurist is taller than other bots due to the inclusion of Dyson’s Radial Root Cyclone technology. This means it can’t slip easily under furniture but it has some seriously impressive suction capabilities.
Despite that, it’s still one of the best robot cleaners we’ve seen. It does, however, come with quite a hefty price tag - as you’d expect from a Dyson product.
The Roborock S5 robot vacuum cleaner is a real hidden gem. Roborock might be a brand you’ve never heard of, but don’t let that put you off. The company is backed by Chinese technology giant Xiaomi, which speaks volumes. The product itself though, speaks for itself.
We were incredibly surprised by just how clever and feature packed this robot cleaner is. It’s an affordable, capable and intelligent robot vacuum cleaner that does as good a job as bots that cost twice as much and it does it with more style too.
A gleaming white finish hides plenty of tricks underneath. This robot, features an intelligent mapping system that tracks the layout of the home every time it goes out. It’s smartphone app controlled, has multiple cleaning settings and is supported by numerous sensors which we found made it one of the least likely to get unexpectedly stuck during use.
If that’s not enough to get your attention, this bot also includes a wet mopping system for hard floors and numerous clever design features that make it surprisingly appealing. Simple things like a brush guard that prevents clogging, a cleaning tool that includes a blade for cutting hair off the brush and flexible remote control system built right into the app make it surprisingly powerful.
Another simple highlight is the washable filters with included spares. There’s no need to buy and replace filters as regularly as with other robot vacuums which feature filters that cannot be washed or cleaned. A really great option at a low price.
