Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner
Growing up we dreamed of the day that robots would become our servants and wait on our every need. Well, while that day has not fully arrived, the robot vacuum cleaner revolution is upon us!
Over the last few years, robot vacuum cleaners have made a huge splash in the multi billion dollar vacuum cleaner market. While many consumers are still relying on traditional canister vacuums or stand up vacuums, the growth in the vacuum cleaner market is all focused around robot vacuum cleaners.
What is a Robot Vacuum Cleaner
A robot vacuum cleaner is automated device that is programmed with artificial intelligence to vacuum around your house without any human assistance. Also referred to as a "robovac," robot vacuum cleaners come in many shapes and sizes, though generally they are small, circular devices that use a spinning brush and suction similar to traditional vacuum cleaners.
While most consumers are hesitant about how effective a robot vacuum cleaner can be, they end up amazed by how efficient a job these little robots do vacuuming their house.
Today, there are many different robot vacuum cleaners on the market. While most are designed using the same underlying format, not all robot vacuum cleaners are created equal. That's where we come in...
Best Robot Vacuum Cleaners on the Market
There are six or eight major robot vacuum cleaners on the market. Here at Canistervac, we've narrowed down your search to five specific models.
Roomba by iRobot
The heavy weight in the industry, iRobot practically invented the robot vacuum cleaner with the Roomba.
iRobot Roomba 980
Overview
The Roomba is one of the most expensive robot vacuum cleaners on the market today. It’s truly meant to be a replacement to your traditional vacuum cleaner, but consumers new to using robot vacuum cleaners aren’t always willing to shell out so much for a first time robot.
Pros
- Will seamlessly program itself to vacuum your entire house, no matter how many angles, corners or awkward spaces exist
- Can run for 120 minutes without needing to be recharged
- Has a carpet boost feature which automatically increases the suction power 10x when the vacuum cleaner senses carpet
- WiFi enabled and can be programmed directly via an app from your smartphone
- Can schedule Roomba to vacuum up to 7x per week
- Much quieter than traditional vacuum cleaners
Cons
- can’t go up/down stairs so cleaning is limited to one floor
- initial price point is much higher than most consumers are willing to pay for a robot vacuum cleaner
- size of “bin” may cause some consumers to have to “empty out” their vacuums more than expected
Summary
If you can stomach the price, the Roomba 980 is by far the most advanced and complete robot vacuum cleaner. Between the smart navigation, power and precision of the motor and the ability to control via smartphone app, the Roomba 980 is the luxury solution for the robot vacuum cleaner market. For those that like the Roomba but can’t stomach the price, check out other versions of the Roomba (650, 860, 880) which have the same basic design without all of the upgrades.
Neato Botvac D Series
The Neato Botvac is built with the precision to rival it's more expensive competitors. The Neato Botvac specializes in having larger surface cleaning area, dust bin and filter than rest of the market.
Neato Botvac D5 Connected Navigating Robot Vacuum
Overview
Not to be outdone by it’s more expensive competitor, the Neato Botvac D Series is a high powered, laser-guided robot vacuum cleaner with a significant price tag. While Neato robot vacuum cleaners look similar to most of their competitors, they are built around having a larger brush/suction surface area, a larger dustbin and a larger filter.
Pros
- Brushing area is 50% larger than it’s competitors
- Extra large dustbin compared to competitors
- Laser guided mapping and navigation appears to navigate complex floor plans better than Roomba models
- WiFi enabled and can be programmed directly via an app from your smartphone
- One touch scheduling – high end “Connected” model integrates with Alexa voice activated commands
- Much quieter than traditional vacuum cleaners
Cons
- Can’t go up/down stairs so cleaning is limited to one floor
- Initial price point is very steep (even though cheaper than Roomba)
- Docking station needs fair amount of space (for it’s size) to be setup properly
- Small percentage of users have reported the robot vacuum cleaner repeatedly gets stuck without finishing its cleaning
Summary
Overall the Neato Botvac D Series is a serious robot vacuum cleaner for someone who’s looking to make an investment in their home cleaning. The laser guided navigation is a step up from the Roomba robot vacuum cleaner and the larger brush area and dustbin make the Neato a better alternative than the higher priced Roomba.
iLife Beetles V5s
One vacuum. Two cleaning modes. Is it a vacuum? Is it a mop? It's both! The two in one iLife Beetles V5s, is a combo cleaning unit at an affordable price.
iLife Beetles V5s
Overview
One robot vacuum cleaner. Two cleaning modes. The iLife Beetles V5s robot vacuum cleaner is a suction vacuum cleaner and mop in one! At a price point lower than the Roomba and Neato, this dual purpose robot vacuum cleaner is quite a deal!
Pros
- Brushless motor, which allows for higher suction level
- Adjustable suction control allows for customized remote controlled cleaning
- Fade free 2600mAH Li-ion battery
- Ability to switch between vacuum and mopping modes
Cons
- can’t go up/down stairs so cleaning is limited to one floor
- Doesn’t provide an alert when dustbin is full
- If it gets stuck while in mop mode it has potential to slow drip water on your floor
- Seems to struggle with suction on rugs compared to peers
Summary
While it sells at a lower price point than it’s peers and includes both a suction and mop mode, the iLife Beetles V5s leaves a bit to be desired. While it might be an ideal robot vacuum cleaner for a small home with hardwood / tile floors, this wasn’t the right vacuum for our family with two dogs and several different type of rugs.
Dyson 360 Eye
This isn't your mother's Dyson vacuum cleaner. Dyson has spent years perfecting their 360 Eye robot vacuum cleaner and look to expand their brand dominance in the robovac space.
Dyson 360 Eye Robot Vacuum
Overview
Everybody knows that Dyson builds great vacuums. For years, the only vacuum brand allowed in my home was a Dyson. So it’s not a surprise the Dyson makes our list of robot vacuum cleaners with the Dyson 360 Eye Robot Vacuum.
Pros
- Dyson claims the Eye Robot has twice the suction of any other robot vacuum cleaner on the market
- Built with tank treads to help navigate all types of home surfaces
- Has two power modes (max and quiet)
- 360 eye vision allows robot to see in all directions
- Full width brushing system allows for section from edge to edge
Cons
- Can’t go up/down stairs so cleaning is limited to one floor
- Very high sticker price
- Poor battery life compared to other robot vacuum cleaners on the market
- Reliability issues have been reported with fair amount of software, app and navigation issues (for a high priced vacuum cleaner)
Summary
While I remain a fan of the Dyson brand, I’m just not convinced that the Dyson 360 Eye Robot Vacuum is worth the price tag. While the cleaning power and efficiency is top notch, there are too many hiccups with its application and navigation to be worth a top $$$ price tag.