Best Overall
iRobot Roomba i3+
Best Overall
iRobot Roomba i3+
Now 26% Off
Pros
- Average price
- Solid at everything a robot vacuum needs to do
- Held up to its marketing claim of 60 days worth of dirt collection
Cons
- Not excellent at any one thing
Considering all factors—price, performance, and ease of use—iRobot’s Roomba i3+ gets it all right by being a master of none.
At around $600 retail, it’s not cheap, but it is right in the standard price range for a robot vacuum. Its performance is better than most. For the actual act of vacuuming, it was in the top tier of all robot vacuums. For smart mapping and avoiding furniture, it was about average. For self-emptying it was one of the better options.
None of it wowed us, but as a whole, this was just the most pleasant little robot vacuum to use. You never had to think about what he was doing, if he got stuck, if he’d die unexpectedly, or if he’d make make it home to his charger. Turn it on and forget it’s cleaning. That’s what robot vacuums are supposed to be like.
Smart mapping? YesBattery life75 minutesSelf emptying?Yes, up to 60 days Best Budget
Shark ION AV753
Best Budget
Shark ION AV753
Now 35% Off
Pros
- Phenomenal price
- Decent performance for a not-as-smart vacuum
- Very capable two-hour battery life
There’s not a ton of robot vacuum options down below the $400 mark. Much less below the $300 mark, and most of them are not worth the savings. This Shark Ion definitely is, though.
Unlike all the more expensive models on this list, this one doesn’t do any smart mapping. That means it’s not going to run around your room, measuring where all your furniture is. It has depth sensors, so it roams across your room until it hits an object, then moves back and forth as it finds its way around said object.
When using this model, you have to pick up any furniture that might make its life difficult. Though, the only thing we had to move were dining chairs, since all the legs could trap the vacuum into a loop it couldn’t exit.
While that sounds like a big issue… it’s really not. You quickly get used to moving certain pieces of furniture, and your vacuum goes about its day. It’s smart enough to avoid drop-offs, and it won’t physically bump into anything. It’s a great little vacuum.
Smart mapping?NoBattery life2 hoursSelf emptying? NoBest Smart Mapping
Roborock Q5+
Best Smart Mapping
Roborock Q5+
Pros
- Some of the best smart mapping we used
- Great performance on flooring and carpet
- 7 week bin storage is a good amount
If the idea of that little Shark vacuum (who I love) bumbling its way through your living room pisses you off, go for something ultra-smart. For practical robot vacuums, Roborock has the best smart mapping technology.
This Q5+ was the standout, knowing every nook and cranny of the space after one initial mapping session. With the app, you can create invisible walls for the Q5+, and use that to create daily schedules for the vacuum. Hit the kitchen at 9am, after everyone leaves and before the dog can get to whatever crumbs are on the floor. Do the living room at noon, and the entryway in late afternoon for a fresh welcome home.
Smart mapping? YesBattery life3 hoursSelf emptying?Yes, up to 7 weeksAdvertisement – Continue Reading Below
The Future of Robot Vacuums
Samsung Jet Bot AI+
The Future of Robot Vacuums
Samsung Jet Bot AI+
Now 47% Off
Pros
- Incredible smart mapping
- Has little trouble with anything in its way—crumbs or corners
Cons
- Just a bit too bulky
- Huge price tag
Samsung’s Jet Bot just looks more serious than all the other options. That big triangular tread could move through sand if it wanted to.
Only problem is that makes it really tall. Like, too tall to go under a lot of low-rise furniture.
It’s it a strange problem, but it’s one that if Samsung fixes will lead to an undisputed best-in-class robot vacuum, because everything else is near perfect. The really fantastic thing about Samsung’s Jet Bot is how accurate its smart mapping is. It will go up—fast at first, slowly as it nears—and get within millimeters of a surface. It edges all the way up to walls and furniture, and it makes quick work of even the trickiest of corners.
The vacuum itself is phenomenal, but the height makes it a near miss from Samsung. However, if you don’t have any low-clearance furniture, this is a great investment.
Smart mapping? YesBattery life90 minutesSelf emptying?Yes, up to 7 weeksBest Vacuum Plus Mop
Roborock Q Revo
Best Vacuum Plus Mop
Roborock Q Revo
Now 16% Off
Pros
- Mop performs extremely well, and it cleans itself
- Vacuum has amazing smart mapping
For a vacuum and mop in one, it’s back to Roborock, specifically the Q Revo. Despite the big price tag—all robot vacuums are expensive, sorry—it really is worth the investment. Like the Q5+, the mapping is great. It never misses an area, and it never gets into any trouble where you have to come help it.
The mop portion is great, it has zero trouble with any stains on wood or tile, smooth sailing there. The real draw, though, is that the mop cleans itself, and it does so incredibly well. That old mop smell never comes around because after the dock auto cleans the mop it gives it a hot air dry. Your floors stay fresh, and the dock doesn’t smell like a janitor’s closet.
As for the vacuum, it’s similar to the other smart mapping options on the list. It won’t get stuck on anything, and the self-emptying dock will keep you worry-free for seven weeks.
Self mapping?YesBattery life2 hoursSelf emptying? Yes, up to 7 weeks
How We Tested Robot Vacuums
A brief rundown of what we looked for:
Smart mapping – A feature exclusive to the higher end models, this is what makes a smart vacuum truly efficient. Roborock and Samsung were the standouts, as these vacuums measured rooms to within millimeters and always took the most effective routes.
Scheduling – Another high-end feature, the best robot vacuums let you set a room-by-room cleaning schedule. Whether they are actual rooms or rooms setup with predetermined invisible walls, we want to be able to control which room gets cleaned when.
Vacuuming and emptying – This is what it’s all about, so very few options out there are going to be bad at both. Every option on this list is great at picking up dust and hair, and only the budget Shark doesn’t empty itself. The ones that do self empty have big waste bins that hold about seven weeks of garbage on average. (We wouldn’t go for anything that holds less than five or six weeks.)
Luke Guillory
Associate Commerce Editor
Luke Guillory is the Associate Commerce Editor at Esquire.
