Ready to take the plunge into the smart home lifestyle? Robotic vacuums are a great place to start. Although their introduction might have baffled some early buyers, they’ve become more popular each year. Industry leader iRobot, for example, has sold more than 25 million consumer robots globally.
They’re quiet, easy to live with and great for anyone who has mobility issues.
Selecting the right machine for your home needs some research, though. Each model can have a variety of features that may or may not be helpful to your lifestyle, and the price ranges can vary widely.
That’s why we’ve pulled together a list of the top robotic vacuums for you to consider in 2020.
Neato Botvac D7
The Neato Botvac D7 has impressive features. Its runtime is a very respectable 130 minutes on each battery charge, one of the best on our list.
The Neato BotVac D7 is shaped a bit differently than other machines - like a “D”. The straight edge on one side allows it to get close to walls. This is why the D7 model excels at getting deep into corners, an area where many robotic vacuums fall short. Round robots simply don’t fit into corners.
A large wide core brush at its front allows the D7 to clean a wider area across the front of the vacuum. This works together with a small spinning brush on the side that assists with edge cleaning. It has a 0.7 liters dustbin capacity.
Other nice features include the laser-guided room mapping for multiple floors, integration technology that works with smartphones, smartwatch, Google Home or Amazon Echo units, and the ability to draw No-Go lines on the mobile app to prevent the vacuum from venturing into specific areas.
Two downsides of the Neato Botvac D7 robotic vacuum are its small dustbin and that it can be quite loud when vacuuming.
iRobot Roomba i7+
Let’s just list this feature at the outset: The Roomba i7+ automatically empties its own bin. Just when you thought that robotic vacuums have covered every possible feature, iRobot got even smarter. This model scoots back to its dock to charge after each cleaning session, where it sucks the contents of its dustbin into a sealed AllergenLock disposable bag that’s kept in the charging tower. The manufacturer estimates that each disposable bag will hold the debris from 30 cleaning runs.
Another top-of-the-line feature on the i7+ is the advanced technology available with its app. Some of the areas of customization are individual room cleaning, multi-story floor plan mapping, variations on schedules that allow specific rooms to be cleaned at specific times, and the ability to locate your Roomba in the house. These functions can be accessed through the smartphone app, Google Home, or Alexa.
The hands-off aspects of the i7+ allow the machine to cover all sorts of floor types without the need for any interaction. It uses special Dirt Detect technology to figure out where the most dirt is and makes multiple passes over those spots.
The downside to the iRobot Roomba i7+ robotic vacuum is that it is expensive.
Smart Gyroscope
This is a well-priced robotic vacuum that does a lot. With a 130 minute cleaning time on each charge, and the ability to add mopping to its cleaning repertoire with an optional water tank add-on, it can be the perfect addition to your home.
The Gyroscope can cover an estimated 120-180 square meters, per the manufacturer, before returning to the charging base. It utilizes mapping technology to figure out how to get more area covered in less time, learning on the fly as it traverses your floor plan. It comes programmed with preset cleaning modes include Auto, Edge - for working along the perimeters of an area, and Single Room, which allows the user to send the Gyroscope to one specific room. Scheduling and other functions can be accessed via the We Back smartphone app, as well as though Alexa units.
Cleaning power is quite good on the Gyroscope. The wheels have been upgraded to allow for better movement on thicker rugs, and the optional mopping function does a nice job with a squeegee and a 350 mL water tank. Reviewers say that works well on hard floor types from marble to vinyl.
The downside to the Smart Gyroscope robotic vacuum is some reviewers complained that it got stuck on rugs.
Roborock E25
If you’d like to add mopping to your new robotic vacuum’s workload, then this Roborock model will fill the bill neatly. Even buyers who didn’t plan on using the mopping function on their machine seem to fall in love with this extra feature. It handles the task smartly, first vacuuming the area to remove dust and debris, then returning to mop the floors with a water tank that only dispenses liquid while the machine is in motion.
Dual-gyroscopes and dual-optical motion tracking sensors on the machine handle issues like furniture collisions, drops, mapping out routes for effective cleaning, and avoiding possible areas where the Roborock might get trapped. It’s also capable of sensing changes in the surface, adapting suction and power to shift between bare floors and rugs, for example.
Multiple modes that can be accessed through the smartphone and Alexa apps include spot cleaning, quiet operation, scheduling, and heavy cleaning functions. With a running time of up to 100 minutes, the manufacturer estimates that the E25 can clean up to 1000-1200 sq feet floor per battery charge.
The downside to the Roborock E25 robotic vacuum is that some people may find the app and Wi-Fi set-up tricky.
Ecovacs Deebot N79S
Another well-priced entry into the robotic vacuum market is the Ecovacs Deebot N79S. Overall, the Deebots are somewhat larger than comparable iLife models, but they have some additional bells and whistles that make them just perfect for many homes. They’re great value for your money.
The N79S is a particularly quiet model in operation. If your household has dogs or children who are sensitive to noise, do check out this Deebot model.
Any N79S has a variety of different modes: Auto, which covers the whole floor space, Spot, which concentrates a small area, Edge, which goes after the perimeter of the room. It also has a Max Power override feature that gives a suction boost for more intense cleaning on both hard floors and carpets.
A generous run time of up to 110 minutes allows this Deebot to cover a lot of ground before it needs to return to its base for recharging. The two side brushes and main brush give the machine enough cleaning power to work over all sorts of flooring types and thicknesses. Reviewers mention that it does a nice job of keeping up with pet hair.
Google Assistant and Alexa compatibility features allow the user to schedule cleaning cycles, commence manual operation, and check on status directly from their phone. It’s a great competitor in the budget-price category.
the downside to the Ecovacs Deebot N79S robotic vacuum cleaner is that it isn’t very thorough.
Conclusion
Whether you’re ready to upgrade or purchase your first robotic vacuum, there are some great options out there to choose from. To determine the best fit for your house, compare your wish list of functions to our recommendations. When you make your purchase, enjoy the extra free time you’ll gain by letting the vacuum do the manual work for you.