“Meet George Jetson. His boy Elroy. Daughter Judy. Jane his wife… and their little robot vacuum.” Okay so that last part wasn’t in the lyrics to the Jetsons theme, they did have, among other funny futuristic gadgets, a robot vacuum. Back then people probably dismissed the idea as fanciful. Look at us now! Vacuuming your house is one of those jobs that needs to be done but no-one particularly enjoys it. Unless of course, you’re part of that small percentage that enjoy the sound of the dirt and debris being sucked up.
It makes sense then, that of all the modern-day appliances that would be robotized, it would be the vacuum cleaner. At the touch of a button, these robo vacs will clean your floor while you can use your valuable time to do other stuff…or nothing at all. More than that though, they can be programmed to clean specific times and will map out and memorize their surroundings and even put themselves back into their bases.
So, if you’re interested in saving yourself some time and hassle by having an eager robotic servant doing one of the most boring jobs for you, you’ll want to get yourself a robotic vacuum. The marketplace has progressed a lot since 2002 when the first Roomba was introduced though, so you might find yourself scratching your head trying to work out which of the many out there is right for you. That’s why you come to Men’s Gear. We’ve looked at the selection, whittled it down into a nice and concise list of the best models and that’s what we present to you here. Check them out!
First on our list is the Roomba 960 from iRobot. iRobot have more than 25-years of experience working with robotics and with every new Roomba it really shows. Like others from the manufacturer, this Roomba cleans hard and carpeted floors. It benefits from the 3-stage cleaning system that loosens, then lifts and sucks any pet hair, dust and dirt. With 5X suction it’s stronger than earlier models. As part of the 3-stage system, the two multi-surface brushes, made from tough rubber, can adjust themselves and flex to keep contact with your floors. It also features a high-quality filter that removes around 99% of all dust, pollen and allergens, even if it’s incredibly small.
As amazing as those features are though, there’s many other distinctive features to this Roomba 960. What we particularly like is the iAdapt 2.0 navigation that uses vSLAM technology which enables the vacuum to track its surroundings and clean an entire area. It also has great features like auto recharge and resume capabilities and can even be used with Google Assistant or Alexa for a fun way to clean your house.
That’s not all though, because thanks to the iRobot Home App, you can fully customized and schedule your Roomba so that it’ll even clean or not clean while you’re not at home. What could be better than coming home from work to clean floors?
Pros
Perfect for homes with pets
Compatible with Google Assistant and Alexa
Advanced Dirt Detect tech
Cons
Needs a lot of rescuing
Specs
Dimensions13.8 x 13.8 x 3.6-inches
Battery life 75-minutes
Wi-FiYes
Scheduling Yes
Brush TypeDual Multi-Surface Rubber Brushes
Extra Features Works with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa
Next in our guide is the Neato Robotics D7 Connected robot vacuum which is quite a hike in price, but worth every penny if you’re looking for a high-tech and high-performance device. First things first, it’s got the Wi-Fi connectivity that has become a standard in many robot vacuums. This means that via the Neato app you can clean the floors in your home from wherever you are, at any time of the day. Combine that with the fact it’s another with the Alexa/Google Assistant compatibility and we’re already foaming at the mouth over it.
That’s not all it has to offer though, with a superior runtime of 120-minutes – that’s a lot of time it need to clean your floors. If it runs out, as you’d expect it’ll just go back to base for a recharge and start again without stopping until the whole floor is clear of dirt and debris. A clever addition Neato have included is the CornerClever tech that means it can get into corners and along walls closer than other models.
With excellent LaserSmart navigation and mapping it can plot out the best course and remember where it’s cleaned before. It also uses real-time object detection as well, to provide a more controlled and methodical clean than other robot vacs that often just bump around randomly. There’s even two different power modes, depending on what you need and prefer. You can either opt for the Turbo, which is super-powered, big, bold and capable of more superior hair pickup. Or you can choose Eco, which is a much more energy-efficient, quieter mode that will clean for longer.
Pros
Generously long runtime
CornerClever tech for harder-to-reach areas
Choice of two modes
Cons
Plastic construction could be better quality
Specs
Dimensions 12.7 x 13.2 x 3.9-inches
Battery life 120-minutes
Wi-Fi Yes
Scheduling Yes
Brush Type Spiral combo brush and side brush
Extra featuresCompatibility with Google Home and Alexa, Ultra performance filter
The EVOVACS DEEBOT M81Pros is a rather stylish looking robot vacuum. However, it’s not just good looks that’s on offer here. Sure, it has the Alexa compatibility that you get with many others, it’s also got the Wi-Fi connectivity, that again comes with many. However, what we want to highlight right from the bat is the rather awesome 5-stage cleaning system that not only sweeps, lifts and vacuums dirt, but also mops and dries. All at the same damn time. If you’re not impressed even a little by that, you need to check your pulse.
The fact that it can vacuum and mop, makes it ideal for both carpeted and bare floors. There’s even the choice of four different cleaning modes, depending on the surfaces and areas you’re cleaning. You can go for the full-on assault on dirt that is the Intensive Cleaning Mode or opt for Edge Cleaning to finish a job properly. If you don’t require a full clean though, you can choose Spot Cleaning to target those select areas where there’s debris and dirt buildup or where you’ve spilled some chips!
Two other features of the ECOVACS DEEBOT that we particularly love are the 100-minutes runtime and the extra-large dustbin. This just adds to the convenience of the robot vac and means you don’t have to worry about emptying it as often. Compared to others on the market, the price tag is a little more affordable. Worth more than a passing glance
Pros
5-stage cleaning system
Generously-sized dustbin
Capable of vacuuming and mopping
Cons
Not the most intuitive
Specs
Dimensions 13.7 x 3.1 x 13.7-inches
Battery life 100-minutes
Wi-Fi Yes
Scheduling Yes
Brush Type V-shaped main brush, dual side brush
Extra features Vacuum and mop combo, Alexa compatible
Back with the masters of the robot vacuum, iRobot again, for another Roomba model. This, the 980 model provides 10x more power and offers much deeper cleaning capabilities when used on carpets. That already makes it a little more powerful and therefore a more thorough cleaning device than the 600 and 700 series Roombas. Additionally, it benefits from that slick 3.6-inch height which means it can creep under furniture, but really that’s no different to others.
What we love about this, as we do with others, is the fact that it can be controlled via the App or using your Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Although it’s a convenience more than anything, it’s hard not to have fun shouting commands at it. To ensure you have clean floors throughout your property, there’s the Auto-Adjust cleaning head that will adapt its height to ensure the multi-surface brushes are close to the floor as possible.
As you can use it with the advanced iRobot Home app, you are able to control where and when your Roomba cleans. You can choose whether it passes over the floor once or twice, gives the edges a final clean and whether it should utilize its Power Boost or not. As is the case with most Roombas, you get the benefit of the high-efficiency filter, which helps to remove around 99% of debris, dirt, dust and pet hair.
Pros
Power boost option for deeper carpet cleaning
120-minutes runtime
High-efficiency filter
Cons
App is quite basic compared to other brands and models
The Neato Botvac D80 is what we’re highlighting now. This is a great robot vacuum, particularly if you’ve got pets in your household. It uses Neato’s own LaserSmart tech to map out the flooring in your property, while detecting objects in real-time so that it doesn’t just bum around, it cleans methodically. You get the Advanced SpinFlow Power Clean system that works in conjunction with the spiral lade brush and the side brush to collect up all kinds of dirt, debris and pet hair on all types of flooring.
Auto Scheduling is one of our favorite features of the D80, which can be accessed using the controls and the on-board display screen. You can use this to fully program when the vac cleans and where. However, don’t worry if you need to use it outside of scheduled times, because you can just push start and choose the cleaning mode that’s best. Another great feature of the D-shaped design, that benefits from a brush that is 50% larger due to that style than circular robots.
In fact, in a single cleaning session it will cover an area of 3000-square-feet. Thanks to its 0.7-liter dirt bin, you don’t have to clean it out after every use. The design of the dirt bin is also a lot more convenient than others on the market, as you just lift it up and out of the vacuum and then empty it in the garbage.
Pros
D-shape offers brush that’s 50% bigger than circular bots
Auto-Schedule makes it easy to program
SpinFlow System and CornerClever tech
Cons
Tends to bump into things a lot
Specs
Dimensions 12.7 x 13.2 x 3.9-inches
Battery life 60-minutes
Wi-Fi No
Scheduling Yes
Brush TypeSpiral blade brush and combo brush
Extra features Advanced SpinFlow Power Clean, LaserSmart tech, CornerClever tech
One of the few in our guide that’s not iRobot or Neato is this great little robot vac from eufy. The eufy RoboVac 11 offers the high suction and self-charging capabilities that you’d expect from a robotic vacuum. This model has been designed specifically with thin carpets and hard floors in mind and benefits from 1000Pa of vacuuming power and three brushes, comprising of a main rolling brush and side brushes.
With the high-performance lithium-ion rechargeable battery powering it, you get around 1.5-hours of runtime. Although this is a straightforward and even, plain some would say, model, it has been built with regular use in mind. For one thing, it’s got protective tempered glass that stops it from getting scratched and otherwise damaged and has an infrared sensor that helps it avoid obstacles. There’s also special technology integrated into it that helps it to avoid falls.
Aside from the above, there’s also a top-quality filter that can help you to keep the level of allergens, pet hair and general dirt in your home at an absolute minimum. Compared to others this also has one distinct advantage in that it is around 0.5-inches slimmer. This enables it to get rid of the dirt from corners, under furniture and other areas different robot vacs can’t. While it might not suit your flooring, particularly if you don’t have dark-colored flooring or deep carpets, it does offer you three different cleaning modes, Max, Spot and Edge.
Pros
Rolling brush and two side brushes
1000Pa suction power
Three cleaning modes
Cons
Not able to schedule days of week
Specs
Dimensions 13 x 12.6 x 3.1-inches
Battery life 90-minutes
Wi-FiNo
Scheduling Yes
Brush TypeRolling brush and side brushes
Extra features Tempered glass covering for protection against scratches, infrared-sensor
You’ve got a Samsung television and smartphone, so why not a robotic vacuum cleaner made by the South Korean. However, there’s more to the Samsung POWERbot than just the brand’s sterling reputation. It provides a whopping 40x stronger level of suction compared to others on the market for an incredibly thorough clean. Rather than just bumping around without any sense it utilizes the Full View Sensor 2.0 and Visionary Mapping Plus to plan out the most optimal path for cleaning, while avoiding any obstacles that may be in its path. Like some of the others in our guide it features a Coverage Map on the app that plots where it’s cleaned and where it hasn’t.
The wider-than-normal brush provides greater sweeping and suction, with the addition of the Edge Clean Master which helps to keep edges and corners cleaner. Now, we’re not going to lie, this requires quite the investment really, but when you consider in addition to the above that it’s also got Wi-Fi connectivity and is compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant. This means tat you don’t have to constantly return to the charging dock or interact directly with the robot vac to control it. You can just bark your orders and the cleaner will do as it told.
With it you also get intelligent power control which means that the vac itself will detect the different surface types it’s passing over and adjust its suction appropriately. The CycloneForce Tech means that your vac doesn’t lose suction power and clogs less. You really don’t have to do much, especially as you can schedule the times it cleans, access controls via the app when you’re not there and if you don’t fancy barking orders at it, there’s a handy remote control.
Pros
CycloneForce Tech preventing any reductions in power and less clogging
40z more powerful vacuum
Full View Sensor 2.0 and Visionary Mapping Plus
Cons
Only able to schedule one day or a daily program
Specs
Dimensions13.7 x 13.4 x 3.8-inches
Battery life90-minutes
Wi-FiYes
Scheduling Yes
Brush Type Combo brush
Extra featuresEdge Clean Master, EasyPass wheels, CycloneForce Tech
The final iRobot Roomba in our guide is the slick, high-class and sophisticated 690. This has the same three-stage cleaning system as other lines from the company and benefits from the same dual multi-surface brushes to remove just about any dirt and debris, including pet hair, from your floors. iRobot’s own Dirt Detect Tech is also utilized to stunning effect by the 690 robo vac, which ensures the 690 will work harder at cleaning high-traffic areas that are likely to have more dirt.
The scheduling is more comprehensive with the iRobot than other robot vacuum models and the fact it runs for around 90-minutes on a single charge, you really don’t have to do much. When it runs out of power, it returns to the dock and charges itself before heading out again to get back to work, if necessary. Also, as it has Wi-Fi connectivity a feature-full App and Alexa/Google Assistant compatibility, your days of laborious manual vacuuming are long gone.
One of the biggest draws to this robot vacuum for us is the middle-range price tag. It’s certainly not the cheapest but considering the iRobot branding and the fact it comes with so many great features, we think it’s a steal. One to consider, if you’re looking for the best quality for the best price.
Pros
Great value for money
Dirt Detect Technology
Alexa and Google Assistant compatibility
Cons
Bumps into walls and baseboards quite hard
Specs
Dimensions 13 x 13 x 3.6 -inches
Battery life 90-minutes
Wi-FiYes
SchedulingYes
Brush TypeDual multi-surface brushes
Extra features3-stage cleaning system, Dirt Detect technology, iAdapt vSLAM Tech
Don’t worry, you’re not seeing double. This is like the RoboVac 11 but with that little + on the end of its name. It’s therefore an updated version of the same device. What’s new with this one compared to the other? Power Boost as been tweaked and replaced by BoostIQ. This helps to increase and enhance the suction power of the vacuum when necessary. It also benefits from an improved bumper at the front to help it glide more effortlessly underneath and around furniture while protecting it against wear and tear.
It’s not just the above that’s been updated, the standard three-point cleaning system has also been enhanced thanks to the wider rolling brush and the redesigned rolling brush. So, there’s enough to get excited about, even if you’ve used the other RoboVac 11 before or are looking for something with a bit more to it.
As you’d expect of a robot vacuum, the RoboVac will find its way back to the charging base when its power level drops low to make sure it gets there before it runs out. It may not have Alexa or Google Assistant compatibility, but it does have a full 100-minutes run time and can be automatically set to vacuum at certain times of the day. The 1000Pa suction strength is also particularly attractive.
Pros
Updated BoostIQ Tech
Improved three-point cleaning system
100-minute runtime
Cons
Not great with cords and cables
Specs
Dimensions12.8 x 12.8 x 3.4-inches
Battery life 100-minutes
Wi-Fi No
Scheduling No
Brush TypeRolling brush and two side brushes
Extra featuresBoostIQ Technology and Dual anti-collision systems
Next in our guide is another, and our last from ECOVACS. The N79S is an updated version of a previous model, the N79. This version has everything the N79 offered, with the addition of Alexa and Google compatibility and the new Max Mode Suction Power. It shares a lot in common with the other model we’ve featured from the brand, including the virtual mapping software that ensures the robot vacuum doesn’t just clean random spots, but works in a methodical way.
Thanks to the mapping tech, it’s also able, like many of the others, to detect objects and obstacles and plan its journey around them. In terms of the actual cleaning, you’re given four different modes to choose from. There’s Single Room mode, Spot Mode, Edge Mode and Auto-Clean mode. This means that you can get the most thorough clean possible. Also helping to ensure it cleans as thoroughly as possible is the three-stage cleaning system the vac uses that helps to remove as much dirt as it can from the flooring.
We love the fact that all these great robot vacuums, for the most part, feature the Alexa and Google Assistant connectivity. Doesn’t it completely epitomize laziness by not only not lifting a finger to vacuum your flooring, but also just barking orders to the poor little robot doing the hard work for you? When you want to give your vocal chords a rest, there’s always the remote control or the app.
Pros
Four cleaning modes
Alexa and Google connectivity
Larger wheels for climbing
Cons
Sometimes gets stuck
Specs
Dimensions 33 x 33 x 7.8-inches
Battery life 100-minutes
Wi-Fi Yes
Scheduling Yes
Brush TypeMain brush and side brushes
Extra features Smartphone app, Alexa and Google Assistant controls, larger wheels for climbing
From the geniuses at Samsung we have yet another Powerbot robot vacuum cleaner we want to discuss. just when you thought it was safe to put your feet back down on the floor, Samsung have made it even safer with the R9250 model of their popular POWERBot range of robot vacuum cleaners. Regardless of the type of flooring you have in your home, this robot will make light work of it with 50x more power than other similar items. The CycloneForce Tech, an invention from Samsung, is utilized to give a more consistent level of suction power and to reduce clogging. This is possible thanks to the centrifugal forces separating the dirt and debris into a separate chamber.
When the comes to the subject of actual cleaning ability, this Samsung, like the other, also makes use of the Full View Sensor and Visionary Mapping Plus and you have access to a coverage map via the app that shows you exactly what has and hasn’t been cleaned. If that wasn’t all, the Alexa and Google Assistant functions make vacuuming a lot of fun and the fact that you can just point a light beam from the remote and the vac will clean that spot, is something we’re still foaming at the mouth about with giddy glee.
Alongside the nice touches that sets this apart from other Samsung models, you also get the EasyPass Wheels for traversing over obstacles, the effective combo brush and the ability to fully program a schedule for your robot vac’s cleaning time. This makes it worth the high-ticket price, if you can afford. What’s more, the filter is completely washable, so you can always ensure you’re using the vac at its highest efficiency and effectiveness.
Pros
Washable filter
Point cleaning function
Full View Sensor and Visionary Mapping Plus
Cons
May break or push things approximately lighter than 10lbs
Specs
Dimensions14.9 x 14.3 x 5.3inches
Battery life 90-minutes
Wi-FiYes
SchedulingYes
Brush TypeCombo brush
Extra featuresPoint Cleaning, Google and Alexa compatible and washable filter
Never let it be said that Dyson will be outdone by anyone in the vacuum cleaner market. Not content with having one of arguably the best and undeniably the most popular manual vacuum cleaner range, they had to go and have a try and robot vacuum cleaners. This brings us to the 360 Eye Robot Vacuum. The first thing you’ll notice is that it looks like a weapon, and then there’s the ever-present symbol that it’s a Dyson product – the cyclonic tech. This is undeniably a slick little machine, but there’s more to it, as with any Dyson, than just sexy curves and smart and futuristic coloring.
For starters, it has the extremely powerful and efficient Dyson digital V2 motor. This is a light and small motor that helps to generate the powerful suction you’d expect from a Dyson. Eye Robot by name and Eye Robot by nature, thanks to the 360-eye vision system that this cleaner uses to scope out your entire room to work out the best way to navigate around your place. It also benefits from the connection to a very detailed and feature-full App that’s available for both Android and iOS devices. The app allows you to analyze data, schedule and control your vacuum.
Its main brush has a large width and uses carbon fiber and nylon bristles to give you edge-to-edge cleaning and to cover larger floors. As mentioned earlier, it features Radial Root cyclone tech that separates the dust from the dirt, ensuring that everything is sucked into the bin. As is the case with most of these, you can shout commands at it using your Google Home or Amazon Alex, but one thing that sets it apart from the others is the fact that it comes complete with tank tracks to ensure it maneuvers fine over all flooring. Expensive, sure, but stunning, nonetheless.
Pros
Tank tracks for wheels
Radial root cyclone tech
360-degree view of room
Cons
Extremely expensive
Specs
Dimensions 9.4 x 9.1 x 4.7-inches
Battery life75-minutes
Wi-Fi Yes
SchedulingYes
Brush TypeFull-width brush bar, bristles for carpets and hard floors
Extra features Digital V2 Motor, Tank Tracks, 360-degrees viewing system
From one extreme end of the price range to the other, if you’re looking for a cost-effective, but worth the investment, robot vacuum, look no further than the ILIFE A4s. This is by far the least expensive in our guide and it’s not hard to see why. This does not use any special navigational hardware and will just clean in a random pattern. It’s also not got Amazon or Google connectivity or a Wi-Fi connection. You may be wondering what it does have. Well, would we ever let you down by showcasing a product that was too far below par? Is that what you’d expect from Men’s Gear?
Despite its shortcomings and downsides, there’s a lot to love about the ILIFE A4s, beyond its low price. For example, it can be programmed to get to work while you’re not around, it features the rather nifty Gen-3 CyclonePower cleaning system for sufficiently strong suction power. You also get the benefit of built-in sensors that help it avoid bumping things too much or falling down the stairs.
Probably the thing we love the most about this vacuum cleaner is its incredibly long battery life. With a total of 140-minutes of runtime on a single battery a real possibility, that sets it apart from many of the others above. So, sure, it may not be an all-singing-all-dancing-everything-but-the-kitchen-sink kinda robo vac, but we still think it’s worth some serious consideration.
Pros
140-minutes runtime on single charge
Gen-3 CyclonePower suction
Multiple sensors
Cons
Can get stuck under furniture
Specs
Dimensions12.2 x 12.2 x 3.0-inches
Battery life140-minutes
Wi-FiNo
Scheduling Yes
Brush Type Tangle-free roller brush and side brushes
Extra featuresGen-three CyclonePower cleaning system, Remote Control,
As you’ve seen, there’s a wide variety of robot vacuum cleaners to choose from nowadays. Although we’ve managed to whittle what’s out there down to a list of 13, that may still seem like a lot. To help make your decision easier, it’s important to think about what features are the most important. Some of the top features you should consider are:
Cleaning performance – How strong its suction power is, the kind of floors it will work on and whether it gets pet hair along with normal dust and debris too. Cleaning performance comes down to the type of motors used, the type of brushes used and whether it relies on a navigational system or not.
Battery Life – Depending on how big your home is, you’ll want a robot vacuum with a suitable runtime on a single charge. The best on the market right now offer 120-minutes or even more. However, if you’ve only got a small room or property, there’s options that offer 60-minutes maximum runtime.
Scheduling – This is an important feature to look out for as it can allow you to program specific times and days when you want the robot vacuum to work. Scheduling capabilities vary from model to model though, so be sure to look at them closely.
Alexa and Google Assistant Connectivity – Most modern robot vacuum cleaners now come with connectivity to Google Assistant and Alexa. This is great as it means you don’t have to worry about reaching down to touch the vac or its base and instead can just bark orders at it.
How does a robot vacuum work?
Obviously, you’re more interested in the robotic side of things, than the vacuuming and suction side of things. There are two main ways a robot vacuum finds its way around your home – using sensors and mapping. The sensors a robot vacuum utilizes helps it to pick-up and detect where obstacles and other dangers are. The most common of these are – obstacle sensors, cliff sensors and wall sensors.
Are robot vacuums easy to clean?
So, you may well be sold on having a robotic helper to clean the floors in your home. However, one thing you would be right to consider is just how often or how much is involved in cleaning the robot vacuum. Most robotic vacuum cleaners don’t require much in the way of maintenance. They have filters that need to be cleaned periodically and dust/rubbish bins that need to be emptied.
That’s usually it and depending on how good the filter is or how big the dustbin is, the frequency of emptying and cleaning these components will vary from brand to brand and model to model. You may on occasion have to clean the brushes, but this again, is not a frequent job.
How long does a robot vacuum battery last on average?
On average, most of the best on the market offer between 100 and 140-minutes runtime on a single charge. However, this obviously changes from model to model. We’ve featured models in our guide, for instance, that offer 140-minutes runtime and are cheaper than many offering just 60-minutes. Deciding on runtime should be something, as noted earlier, that you take into consideration and base it on how much floorspace you need to clean. Many models only offer 60-minutes of vacuuming, but for smaller properties or homes that don’t have pets and a lot of mess, this will often suffice.
How easy is it to set-up a robot vacuum?
Again, this is something that will vary from model to model, but generally, modern robot vacuum cleaners require little to no setup really. The robots themselves will scan your home, if they have navigational and mapping tech, and work out their own pathways and go from there.
Say Goodbye to Vacuuming!
Okay, so you won’t be able to say goodbye to all the vacuuming around your property, especially if you’ve got kids, pets and lots of people living in your home. However, with the help of a robot vacuum, you can lighten your load considerably. We hope you enjoyed our look at the best of the best on the market and we especially hope it helps you to make the best decision for you and your home.
The way we see it, although the Roombas from iRobot are the best and most intuitive on the market, there’s a lot of positives that could be said for others we highlighted. It really comes down to what you’re looking for and what you don’t want to deal with. If you’re okay with the occasional lifting and resetting of a robot vacuum, there’s a model for you. Whereas if you don’t want to have to do much, there’s also a model for you.
Robot vacuum cleaners will only keep getting better and better, which is kind scary to think about, considering how good they are right now. So, rather than feel the need to spend your Saturday, or worse still, that precious time after work when you get home, vacuuming, get a robotic servant to do it for you.
