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Best Robot Vacuums of 2024: Roomba and Ecovacs Tied for Best

We spent hours rigorously testing these robot vacuums. See which ones our experts recommend to clean up your floors.

Our Experts

Written by 
Ry Crist
Macy Meyer
Chris Wedel
Brian Bennett
Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission.
Ry Crist Former Senior Editor / Reviews - Labs
Originally hailing from Troy, Ohio, Ry Crist is a writer, a text-based adventure connoisseur, a lover of terrible movies and an enthusiastic yet mediocre cook. A CNET editor from 2013 to 2024, Ry's beats included smart home tech, lighting, appliances, broadband and home networking.
Expertise Smart home technology | Wireless connectivity Credentials
  • 10 years product testing experience with the CNET Home team
Macy Meyer Writer II
Macy Meyer is a North Carolina native who graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with a BA in English and a second BA in Journalism. Macy is a Writer on the CNET How-To team, covering a variety of topics, including home security, fitness and nutrition, smart home tech and more. In each article, Macy helps readers get the most out of their home, tech and wellness. When Macy isn't writing, she's volunteering, traveling, walking her dog, Holden, or watching sports.
Expertise Macy covers a variety of topics for the CNET How-To team. Credentials
  • Macy has been working for CNET for coming on 2 years. Prior to CNET, Macy received a North Carolina College Media Association award in sports writing.
Chris Wedel Home Tech Editor
Chris Wedel is a fan of all things tech and gadgets. Living in rural Kansas with his wife and two young boys makes finding ways to stay online tricky — not to mention making my homestead smarter. However, by utilizing his years of experience in the tech and mobile communications industries, success is assured. When not conquering the outdoors and testing new gadgets, Chris enjoys cruising a gravel road in his UTV with some good tunes, camping, and hanging out with his family.
Expertise Smart home devices, outdoors gadgets, smartphones, wearables, kid's tech, and some dabbling in 3D printing Credentials
  • Covered the mobile and smart home tech space for the past five years for multiple large publications.
Brian Bennett Former Senior writer
Brian Bennett is a former senior writer for the home and outdoor section at CNET.

What to consider

Overall performance

Type of flooring you have

Pets or no pets?

Size and power

Price

Cleaning manually (while therapeutic for some), is inconvenient and time-consuming for most of us. If you are looking for a helping hand that won't require constant supervision and gets the job done exceptionally well, robot vacuums might just be what you're looking for. There are just too many models and features to choose from. Using our extensive hands-on lab testing, CNET takes the guesswork out of the equation and narrows the robot vacuum choices for you.

We evaluate mopping performance on hard floors and measure pet hair, dust and dirt pick-up on carpets, hard floors and tall rugs. We also evaluate how each vacuum navigates and avoids obstacles, docking stations, sensors, battery life, reliability and value. 

After testing dozens of vacuums, two new winners emerge to tie for the top spot: the Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo and the iRobot Roomba Combo J7 Plus. Check out all of our top picks below to snag a new robot vacuum to simplify your cleaning routine this holiday season and beyond.

What to consider

Overall performance

Type of flooring you have

Pets or no pets?

Size and power

Price

What is the best overall robot vacuum?

Because of its self-emptying dustbin, mop function, efficient navigation and cost-to-value ratio, we found the Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo to be the best overall. You can choose between the all-in-one combo, which includes a stick vacuum that also self-empties, or just the robot vacuum. 

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Tied for best overall is the iRobot Roomba Combo J7 Plus. It outperformed its co-winner in suction performance but underperformed in price and features. The two winners scores shake out to be a tie, and both are excellent choices.

The DreameBot D10S Plus (CNET's former best pick) scored better than all robot vacuums on this list, but it's an older model and becoming harder to find in stock, so newer options have emerged as best picks.

Best robot vacuums of 2024

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Showing 11 of 11 Results
$800 at Amazon

Best robot vacuum overall, tied

Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo

Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo may look like a gimmick, adding a cordless stick vac to the Omni Station. Our testing shows that this is not the case. Instead, the Deebot T30S is so good as a robot vacuum and stick vac that it has become our top recommendation.

During testing in our lab, the T30S Combo picked up an average of 95.16% of the black rice carpet and over 65% of the sand. It does a fantastic job getting debris off the floor, it’s also great for pet hair with the ZeroTangle brush system, which uses a V-shaped roller and Dual Comb Teeth to physically scrape hair from the brush and direct it to the dust bin.

The stick vac accessory has many attachments to help clean any mess you need. It’s great to have a stick vac with your robot vacuum, what helps the system stand out is that the Omni Station empties and cleans the robot vacuum and the stick vac. 

The Deebot T30S Combo offers a dual-spinning mop brush system to help keep your hard floors clean. When the vacuum detects the carpet, the mop rises to avoid touching the fibers. When mopping, the brush can swing out to reach the edge of the wall.

Roomba J7 Plus</a> doesn't include mopping capabilities. Enter the Roomba <em>Combo</em>&nbsp;J7 Plus, which adds that talent to its skillset. Rather than just slapping a mopping pad onto the bottom of the thing, iRobot did a very clever thing and designed a motorized mopping pad with arms that lift it out from the bottom of the cleaner and relocate it to the top whenever it detects it's traveling over carpets. That way, it'll never drag a wet, dirty mopping pad across your otherwise freshly vacuumed floors as it cleans. To test that out, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href=https://www.cnet.com/home/kitchen-and-household/best-robot-vacuum/"https://www.cnet.com/home/kitchen-and-household/irobot-roomba-combo-j7-plus-vs-roborock-s7-maxv-ultra-which-robot-vac-and-mop-is-best/">I took the Roomba Combo J7 Plus home</a>, where I have a mix of carpets and hardwood floors. It did a great job of identifying carpeted areas during its initial mapping run -- from there, I never caught it vacuuming those carpeted areas without lifting the mop up and out of the way first. It's just a better, more high-end approach to automated mopping and one you won't need to think about quite as much.</p><p>It's a capable vacuum and a top-five finisher on all three flooring types we test, which is something that only one other robot vacuum we've tested can claim (the also-excellent <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href=https://www.cnet.com/home/kitchen-and-household/best-robot-vacuum/"https://www.walmart.com/ip/Neato-D10-Intelligent-Robot-Vacuum-Wi-Fi-Connected-with-LIDAR-Navigation-in-Silver/289966898?wmlspartner=wlpa&amp;selectedSellerId=0%22>Neato D10</a>). I didn't find it to be quite as sharp a navigator as lidar-based cleaners from names like Dreametech, Neato and Roborock, and I wish it included a water tank in the dock so you didn't need to fill the reservoir before each mopping run -- but apart from that, this motorized mopping machine checks all the boxes that I'd want from a combo cleaner in my own home.</p>" page-position linktext linkurl like="~Motorized mopping ~Identifying carpeted versus hardwood areas" dislike="~No water tank for mopping" can-collapse="true" can-truncate="true" truncate-on-page-load="true" offer="{"id":"e961ca01-45dd-41b8-9111-82a4d1b2a839","label":"iRobot - Roomba Combo j7+ Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum & Mop - Graphite","slug":"irobot-roomba-combo-j7-plus-self-emptying-robot-vacuum-mop-graphite","edition":["US","ES"],"imageId":"058b21f8-b23c-447a-91b6-6c600c32fb42","imgUrl":"/content/image/redirect/058b21f8-b23c-447a-91b6-6c600c32fb42/resize/75x56","typeLabel":"Tech Product","objectType":"content_product","icon":"type-icon ct-cmg-tech-product ct-small"}" techobjectinfo="{"uuid":"e961ca01-45dd-41b8-9111-82a4d1b2a839","slug":"irobot-roomba-combo-j7-plus","name":"iRobot Roomba Combo j7+","productType":"PRODUCT","updateType":"PRISM","mod":1733338688940}" overridecredit="Alison DeNisco Rayome/CNET" overridecaption="<p>The new Roomba Combo j7 Plus can easily move from mopping your hardwood floor to vacuuming your carpet.&nbsp;</p>" imagegroup="{"uuid":"4da033aa-9d72-4765-8ad1-05187fc262c9","alt":"A Roomba Combo j7 Plus moving from hardwood floor to carpet","caption":"<p>The new Roomba Combo j7 Plus can easily move from mopping your hardwood floor to vacuuming your carpet.&nbsp;</p>","credits":"Alison DeNisco Rayome/CNET","imageData":{"id":"4da033aa-9d72-4765-8ad1-05187fc262c9","filename":"roomba-1.jpg","path":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/7513f6922e345979b374691a84369aa124b68ddd/hub/2022/09/26/4da033aa-9d72-4765-8ad1-05187fc262c9/roomba-1.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","dateCreated":{"date":"2022-09-26 16:12:46.000000","timezone":"UTC","timezone_type":3},"primeColor":null,"hasWarning":false},"size":"","float":"","lightbox":false,"imageUrl":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/7513f6922e345979b374691a84369aa124b68ddd/hub/2022/09/26/4da033aa-9d72-4765-8ad1-05187fc262c9/roomba-1.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","imageCaption":"<p>The new Roomba Combo j7 Plus can easily move from mopping your hardwood floor to vacuuming your carpet.&nbsp;</p>","imageCredit":"Alison DeNisco Rayome/CNET","imageAltText":"A Roomba Combo j7 Plus moving from hardwood floor to carpet","imageFilename":"roomba-1.jpg","imageWidth":800,"imageHeight":450,"imageDoNotCrop":false,"imageDoNotResize":false,"imageWatermark":false,"imageDateCreated":"2022-09-26","imageParallax":"","imageCrop":"","imageEnlarge":false}" usepricing="false" ng-block="{"id":"i09g40ah5sbf0ql","type":"listicle"}" edition="us" data-key="cnetlisticle__6ee2ae65-27d4-4cf2-8578-849621d13daa" index="2" contenttype="Best List - Precap" pagelayout="FAQ Markup + BL Precap" tagslugs="gap-project,electrolux,irobot,bl-promo-banner,amazon-prime,neato,hv28,freelance-update,sponsored-listicle,amazon,robots" isbestlistredesign="true" imagecredit="Alison DeNisco Rayome/CNET" imagealttext="A Roomba Combo j7 Plus moving from hardwood floor to carpet" class="c-bestListListicle">
$359 at Best Buy

Best robot vacuum overall, tied

iRobot Roomba Combo J7 Plus

I mentioned that the otherwise excellent Roomba J7 Plus doesn't include mopping capabilities. Enter the Roomba Combo J7 Plus, which adds that talent to its skillset. Rather than just slapping a mopping pad onto the bottom of the thing, iRobot did a very clever thing and designed a motorized mopping pad with arms that lift it out from the bottom of the cleaner and relocate it to the top whenever it detects it's traveling over carpets. That way, it'll never drag a wet, dirty mopping pad across your otherwise freshly vacuumed floors as it cleans. To test that out, I took the Roomba Combo J7 Plus home, where I have a mix of carpets and hardwood floors. It did a great job of identifying carpeted areas during its initial mapping run -- from there, I never caught it vacuuming those carpeted areas without lifting the mop up and out of the way first. It's just a better, more high-end approach to automated mopping and one you won't need to think about quite as much.

It's a capable vacuum and a top-five finisher on all three flooring types we test, which is something that only one other robot vacuum we've tested can claim (the also-excellent Neato D10). I didn't find it to be quite as sharp a navigator as lidar-based cleaners from names like Dreametech, Neato and Roborock, and I wish it included a water tank in the dock so you didn't need to fill the reservoir before each mopping run -- but apart from that, this motorized mopping machine checks all the boxes that I'd want from a combo cleaner in my own home.

$650 at SharkClean.com
Sponsored

Up to a month of hands-free cleaning

Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum & Mop

Whether vacuuming or mopping, Shark's PowerDetect robot does the dirty work so you don't have to. It deep-cleans and mops your floors, while the NeverTouch Pro base means you don’t have to worry about cleanup or maintenance for weeks at a time. After every cleaning run, the robot will return to the base to empty debris, refill the water tank and wash and dry the mopping pad so it’s always ready for its next clean. With NeverStuck Technology, the robot lifts itself over obstacles and across thresholds to avoid getting stuck. When mopping, it keeps the pad above carpets to prevent wet messes and deliver whole-home coverage. The robot handles your cleaning chores for you, and the bagless base with HEPA Anti-Allergen Complete Seal captures and traps 99.97% of dust and allergens (down to 0.3 microns; allergens refer to nonliving matter). The base traps dust and allergens and keeps them inside and out of the air you breathe, while Odor Neutralizer Technology guards against bad odors in the base for a fresher-smelling home.

Neato D9</a>, which returned an average of 62%. That's a great score, but the Roomba scoffs at it because, in our previous test setup, the Roomba S9 Plus sucked up 71%, which was significantly better than any other cleaner we had ever tested. As I said, the two figures aren't technically comparable to each other, thanks to subtle changes in our test setup over the years, but still, if we reran the tests now, I'm highly confident that the S9 Plus would retain the top spot.</p><p>On top of that, the S9 Plus aced our pet hair pickup tests, where we scatter clumps of actual pet hair donated from a friendly local groomer across all of our test floors. The Roomba S9 Plus didn't miss a single clump. It isn't as much of a standout on hardwood floors, and it doesn't include a mop at all, but if your home is filled with plush carpets and your pets are having a field day shedding fur across them, then the self-emptying Roomba S9 Plus is a perfect pick for your home.</p>" page-position linktext="Read our iRobot Roomba S9 Plus review." linkurl="https://www.cnet.com/reviews/irobot-roomba-s9-plus-review/" like="~Efficient on carpeting ~Great for homes with pets ~Self-emptying" dislike="~No mopping capabilities ~Average performance on hardwoods" can-collapse="true" can-truncate="true" truncate-on-page-load="true" offer="{"id":"960b7757-e395-419b-917c-d7325b85762b","label":"iRobot Roomba s9 Plus","slug":"irobot-roomba-s9-plus","edition":["us"],"imageId":"757f1b33-8533-488d-85ab-37fd27cc789f","imgUrl":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/d205166d2150dd9884fcb0dfd883cb78a571c9b5/hub/2019/08/21/757f1b33-8533-488d-85ab-37fd27cc789f/robot-vac-promo-photos-4.jpg?auto=webp&width=300&height=300&fit=crop","imageHeight":0,"imageWidth":0,"typeLabel":"Product","objectType":"content_product","icon":""}" techobjectinfo="{"uuid":"960b7757-e395-419b-917c-d7325b85762b","slug":"irobot-roomba-s9-plus","name":"iRobot Roomba s9 Plus","productType":"PRODUCT","updateType":"PRISM","mod":1733338687845}" overridecredit overridecaption="<p></p>" imagegroup="{"uuid":"514788fc-3ecc-4606-8241-fc0ef134e8ee","alt":"The Roomba s9 Plus robot vacuum cleaning crumbs on both carpet and hardwood floors.","caption":"<p></p>","credits":null,"imageData":{"id":"514788fc-3ecc-4606-8241-fc0ef134e8ee","filename":"roomba-s9-plus.jpg","path":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/c7187293a68c901492942691db694e5e368a09fc/hub/2022/04/21/514788fc-3ecc-4606-8241-fc0ef134e8ee/roomba-s9-plus.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","dateCreated":{"date":"2022-04-21 17:46:01.000000","timezone":"UTC","timezone_type":3},"primeColor":null,"hasWarning":false},"size":"","float":"","lightbox":false,"imageUrl":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/c7187293a68c901492942691db694e5e368a09fc/hub/2022/04/21/514788fc-3ecc-4606-8241-fc0ef134e8ee/roomba-s9-plus.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","imageCaption":"<p></p>","imageCredit":null,"imageAltText":"The Roomba s9 Plus robot vacuum cleaning crumbs on both carpet and hardwood floors.","imageFilename":"roomba-s9-plus.jpg","imageWidth":2000,"imageHeight":1125,"imageDoNotCrop":false,"imageDoNotResize":false,"imageWatermark":false,"imageDateCreated":"2022-04-21","imageParallax":"","imageCrop":"","imageEnlarge":false}" usepricing="false" ng-block="{"id":"xo6xw9y94gebalq","type":"listicle"}" edition="us" data-key="cnetlisticle__80982639-0359-4a54-8d6e-fd21adac2494" index="4" contenttype="Best List - Precap" pagelayout="FAQ Markup + BL Precap" tagslugs="gap-project,electrolux,irobot,bl-promo-banner,amazon-prime,neato,hv28,freelance-update,sponsored-listicle,amazon,robots" isbestlistredesign="true" imagecredit imagealttext="The Roomba s9 Plus robot vacuum cleaning crumbs on both carpet and hardwood floors." class="c-bestListListicle">
$1,160 at Best Buy

Best robot vacuum for pet hair and plush carpets

iRobot Roomba S9 Plus

We made some major upgrades to our lab's robot vacuum test setup a few years ago, so the data from the tests that came before aren't directly comparable to our most recent models. That's a shame because the iRobot Roomba S9 Plus was a major standout from that earlier era -- particularly for its eye-popping performance on thick, plush carpets. The biggest challenge in those midpile carpet tests is picking up sand, which has an excess of fabric and fibers to cling to as the vacuum tries to suck it up. I mentioned that 50% is a good benchmark in that test, and the best cleaner in that challenge from our last two years of tests is the Neato D9, which returned an average of 62%. That's a great score, but the Roomba scoffs at it because, in our previous test setup, the Roomba S9 Plus sucked up 71%, which was significantly better than any other cleaner we had ever tested. As I said, the two figures aren't technically comparable to each other, thanks to subtle changes in our test setup over the years, but still, if we reran the tests now, I'm highly confident that the S9 Plus would retain the top spot.

On top of that, the S9 Plus aced our pet hair pickup tests, where we scatter clumps of actual pet hair donated from a friendly local groomer across all of our test floors. The Roomba S9 Plus didn't miss a single clump. It isn't as much of a standout on hardwood floors, and it doesn't include a mop at all, but if your home is filled with plush carpets and your pets are having a field day shedding fur across them, then the self-emptying Roomba S9 Plus is a perfect pick for your home.

$149 at Walmart

Best robot vacuum on a tight budget

Eufy RoboVac 25C

You might not expect sufficient cleaning power from a budget-priced robot vacuum, but that's precisely what the Anker Eufy RoboVac 25C delivers. For instance, its ability to scour sand from hardwood floors (78.9%) wasn't too far below that of our top midrange pick. It's a decent performer on low-pile and midpile carpets as well, sucking up averages of 54% and 52% of sand from them, respectively. The current asking price? Just $149 at Walmart.

How did Anker cut down on costs here, anyway? The answer is navigation. Instead of relying on cameras or lasers to map out its environment, the machine bumps around the floor like a slow-motion ping-pong ball, changing direction when it encounters an object or obstacle. As a result, it took an excessive 91 minutes to finish its cleaning cycle in our test room, so don't expect it to cover your house in anything close to efficient fashion. That's more than a fair tradeoff at this bargain-bin price, especially considering what a surprisingly competitive cleaner the thing is.

$600 at Ultenic

Best midrange robot vacuum

Ultenic MC1

At $600, the Ultenic MC1 is an impressive robot vacuum that performed well in our lab tests, picking up an average of nearly 75% of black rice and sand. It's also packed with features I wouldn’t expect to see on a unit of this price -- like a self-emptying dock for dry debris and the mopping system.

That’s correct. The MC1 not only has a mop but also uses dual spinning pads to scrub your floors. When it’s done cleaning, the unit heads back to the base for the pads to be washed and dried. All this is part of an impressive $600 robot vacuum.

Included with the MC1, Ultenic provides access to features in the app to schedule cleanings, create no-go zones and more. While this vacuum won’t win the best robot vacuum award, it is capable on its own, especially at this price.

poo-pocalypse&nbsp;all over your floors (that link is safe to click, by the way, and worth it if only to read a CNET hall-of-fame-worthy lede from David Katzmaier). Fortunately, iRobot scrambled to come up with a solution. The answer? AI-powered cameras capable of recognizing and avoiding obstacles -- including piles of dog poop -- as it cleans. Its first feces-defying flagship was the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href=https://www.cnet.com/home/kitchen-and-household/best-robot-vacuum/"https://www.cnet.com/home/kitchen-and-household/irobot-roomba-combo-j7-plus-vs-roborock-s7-maxv-ultra-which-robot-vac-and-mop-is-best/">Roomba J7 Plus</a>, and sure enough, when we tested it out <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href=https://www.cnet.com/home/kitchen-and-household/best-robot-vacuum/"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-yqZFLeQPA%22>against an armada of unnervingly convincing fake dog poop samples</a>, it steered clear at every turn. Meanwhile, the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href=https://www.cnet.com/home/kitchen-and-household/best-robot-vacuum/"https://www.cnet.com/home/smart-home/samsungs-fanciest-robot-vacuum-ever-goes-up-for-sale/">Samsung JetBot AI Plus</a> promises the same poop-detecting smarts but fails to dodge the doo-doo in our tests. Advantage, iRobot.</p><p>Aside from not pushing poop across your floors, the Roomba J7 Plus excels at other things too. It doesn't feature a built-in mop, but it's a semi-affordable self-emptying option, and an exceedingly well-rounded cleaner, boasting top-three averages on both hardwood floors and low-pile carpets. It fell short on plush, midpile carpets, so go with the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href=https://www.cnet.com/home/kitchen-and-household/best-robot-vacuum/"https://www.amazon.com/iRobot-Automatic-Disposal-Connected-Anti-Allergen/dp/B07QXM2V6X/">Roomba S9 Plus</a> if your dog is well-trained and you're more worried about its fur than its waste, but that's really the only weak spot here.</p>" page-position linktext linkurl like="~Effective obstacle detection ~Great at avoiding pet waste" dislike="~No built-in mop ~Average performance on thicker carpeting" can-collapse="true" can-truncate="true" truncate-on-page-load="true" offer="{"id":"0ccb8167-1306-43b1-82c4-a387233a3153","label":"iRobot Roomba j7+ 7550 - vacuum cleaner - robotic","slug":"irobot-roomba-j7-plus-7550-vacuum-cleaner-robotic","edition":["US","ES"],"imageId":"6be36b7c-c17e-4dbc-ada9-9c7eedc18bed","imgUrl":"/content/image/redirect/6be36b7c-c17e-4dbc-ada9-9c7eedc18bed/resize/75x56","typeLabel":"Tech Product","objectType":"content_product","icon":"type-icon ct-cmg-tech-product ct-small"}" techobjectinfo="{"uuid":"0ccb8167-1306-43b1-82c4-a387233a3153","slug":"irobot-roomba-j7-plus-vacuum-cleaner","name":"iRobot Roomba j7+ Vacuum Cleaner","productType":"PRODUCT","updateType":"PRISM","mod":1733338688675}" overridecredit="iRobot" overridecaption="<p>If you're a pet owner the new Roomba j7 Plus vacuum may give you some piece of mind.</p>" imagegroup="{"uuid":"71165fcc-af75-4a53-b269-6cef24f891da","alt":"roomba-j7-man-and-dog","caption":"<p>If you're a pet owner the new Roomba j7 Plus vacuum may give you some piece of mind.</p>","credits":"iRobot","imageData":{"id":"71165fcc-af75-4a53-b269-6cef24f891da","filename":"roomba-j7-man-and-dog.jpg","path":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/dc0509e02ec3454c1f789982909170d1807fdc87/hub/2021/09/08/71165fcc-af75-4a53-b269-6cef24f891da/roomba-j7-man-and-dog.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","dateCreated":{"date":"2021-09-08 16:53:30.000000","timezone":"UTC","timezone_type":3},"primeColor":null,"hasWarning":false},"size":"","float":"","lightbox":false,"imageUrl":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/dc0509e02ec3454c1f789982909170d1807fdc87/hub/2021/09/08/71165fcc-af75-4a53-b269-6cef24f891da/roomba-j7-man-and-dog.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","imageCaption":"<p>If you're a pet owner the new Roomba j7 Plus vacuum may give you some piece of mind.</p>","imageCredit":"iRobot","imageAltText":"roomba-j7-man-and-dog","imageFilename":"roomba-j7-man-and-dog.jpg","imageWidth":2048,"imageHeight":1621,"imageDoNotCrop":false,"imageDoNotResize":false,"imageWatermark":false,"imageDateCreated":"2021-09-08","imageParallax":"","imageCrop":"","imageEnlarge":false}" usepricing="false" ng-block="{"id":"lixlyho7tn9pyjj","type":"listicle"}" edition="us" data-key="cnetlisticle__b14e3cd1-4e6a-4ec9-9491-b61a02efdf07" index="7" contenttype="Best List - Precap" pagelayout="FAQ Markup + BL Precap" tagslugs="gap-project,electrolux,irobot,bl-promo-banner,amazon-prime,neato,hv28,freelance-update,sponsored-listicle,amazon,robots" isbestlistredesign="true" imagecredit="iRobot" imagealttext="roomba-j7-man-and-dog" class="c-bestListListicle">
$359 at Best Buy

Best poop-detecting robot vacuum

iRobot Roomba J7 Plus

We're talking about pets, let's stop for a moment to consider the robo-vac's mortal enemy: pet waste. If your dog makes a mess and your robot vac stumbles across it before you do, you might end up with a poo-pocalypse all over your floors (that link is safe to click, by the way, and worth it if only to read a CNET hall-of-fame-worthy lede from David Katzmaier). Fortunately, iRobot scrambled to come up with a solution. The answer? AI-powered cameras capable of recognizing and avoiding obstacles -- including piles of dog poop -- as it cleans. Its first feces-defying flagship was the Roomba J7 Plus, and sure enough, when we tested it out against an armada of unnervingly convincing fake dog poop samples, it steered clear at every turn. Meanwhile, the Samsung JetBot AI Plus promises the same poop-detecting smarts but fails to dodge the doo-doo in our tests. Advantage, iRobot.

Aside from not pushing poop across your floors, the Roomba J7 Plus excels at other things too. It doesn't feature a built-in mop, but it's a semi-affordable self-emptying option, and an exceedingly well-rounded cleaner, boasting top-three averages on both hardwood floors and low-pile carpets. It fell short on plush, midpile carpets, so go with the Roomba S9 Plus if your dog is well-trained and you're more worried about its fur than its waste, but that's really the only weak spot here.

$1,900 at Amazon

Best robot vacuum splurge

Dreame X40 Ultra

At nearly $1500, you expect a lot for your money, and the Dreame X40 Ultra delivers. It captured over 84% of the black rice and sand in our lab tests using 12,000Pa of suction power. This is a respectable number and is in line with other products on this list, the way the X40 Ultra goes about cleaning helps justify the cost.

For example, most robot vacuum cleaners that mop have a mechanism that lifts the mopping pad to try and avoid dragging it across carpets while vacuuming. The Dreame X40 Ultra goes further and will leave the mop pads behind in the self-emptying docking station, so there’s no chance they will touch your carpet. 

When cleaning your floors, the X40 Ultra has a couple of tricks to get to the edge of the wall, with a swing-out side brush when vacuuming and a swing-out mop pad when mopping. After the robot vac has finished cleaning, it heads back to the dock to empty the debris and dirty mop water. The station then cleans and dries the pads to avoid any bacteria growth.

Factors to consider when choosing a robot vacuum

Budget

Before you do anything else, make sure you're clear on what you want to spend on your new vacuum. Robot vacuum models can cost anywhere from $200 to four figures, so it's important to find a set budget to prevent overspending. We recommend deciding on what features (self-emptying bins, built-in mopping capabilities and advanced AI image recognition for elite-level obstacle avoidance) fit your needs and researching what your budget can get you. That way you know what you're looking for and can ensure you're getting the best value. 

Navigation and obstacle detection 

Sure, many robot vacuum models have sensors to navigate around your home or apartment, but how effectively do the sensors perform? The ability of a robot vac to detect objects in its path can mean the difference between returning home to a clean house and a situation where the robot is trapped on cords or an area rug. 

Certain models like the Dreametech DreameBot D10 Plus, Neato and Roborock all have powerful obstacle detection capabilities and navigate your home with efficiency. 

Pets 

Is there anything worse than your vacuum roller brush getting all tangled up and clogged due to a heap of pet hair? Luckily, many manufacturers make robot vacuums that are suited for cleaning up after pets. Models like the iRobot Roomba S9 Plus and the iRobot Roomba J7 Plus are adept at sucking up pet hair on both carpet and hardwood flooring as well as detecting (thankfully, avoiding pet waste). Several of the models on this list have high-efficiency filters to help eliminate allergens that may come from pet hair and dander to help with allergies. 

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How we test robot vacuums

Each robot vacuum we consider for recommendation gets put through its paces in our test lab in Louisville, Kentucky. In addition to test floors where we run our controlled pickup tests, we monitor each robot vacuum in a special test room filled with mock furniture to gauge how well it navigates around common obstacles. Past that, we check each robot vacuum's ability to gobble up pet hair without getting clogged or leaving loose strands behind, we consider mopping capabilities, and we check to see how well it navigates fake dog messes too.

Let's dive a little deeper into the main considerations, starting with our performance tests.

Robot vacuum pickup power

When it comes to vacuuming prowess, we want to know how effective each robot is against common crumbs and other debris, and also how it fares against much smaller particles like dust, dirt and sand. To find out, we use dry, uncooked black rice as a stand-in for the crumbs and sand as an analog for finer particles.

In each case, we scatter a controlled amount across three test floors: low-pile carpet, midpile carpet and hardwood floors. Then, we take the robot vacuum, thoroughly empty its dust bin, send it to clean the affected area and finally measure the weight of whatever it managed to pick up. That gives us a pickup percentage of the full amount. From there, we repeat each run two more times and average the results.

Speaking of results, the graph above shows you how each cleaner we've tested over the past few years stacks up on hardwood floors. The iRobot Roomba Combo J7 Plus is our top-tested cleaner on that surface, picking up averages of 98% of crumbs and an extra-impressive 100% of sand. Right behind it is our top recommendation, the Dreametech DreameBot D10 Plus, which earned a close second-place finish on hardwood floors despite retailing for less than half as much as the top-finishing Roomba Combo J7 Plus.

Next up is low-pile carpet. Along with the fact that the orange bars are a lot shorter (vacuuming sand is a bigger challenge on carpets than on hardwood floors because of all the fibers the sand can cling to), note that the order of cleaners is different, with our top midrange pick, the Roborock S8, now leading the way. Different robot vacuums will have different strengths and weaknesses based on their designs, so our variety of tests helps us make recommendations that are as informed and well-rounded as possible.

Finally, our midpile carpet results. Neato cleaned up in this test, with the Neato D9 leading all of our CNET-tested cleaners overall and the less-expensive Neato D8 coming in third overall. In between them is the iRobot Roomba Combo J7 Plus in second place. As with the low-pile tests, note that most of the cleaners in the top half of the graph are all relatively close to one another -- it isn't until you get to the bottom of the pack that those bars really start to shrink. That's good for you as a consumer, because it means that you've got a good variety of robot vacuums to choose from that all offer comparable cleaning capabilities across various price points.

One other reminder: These graphs cover the robot vacuums we've tested in the past few years. Robot vacuums we tested prior to that span used a slightly different test setup, so the data from those tests isn't directly comparable. I've made sure to point out the past performers that are still good buys, most notably the iRobot Roomba S9 Plus, which did particularly well on midpile carpets and remains one of our top recommendations.

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These overhead long exposure shots each show the trail of a Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra as it cleans our test room. We attach glow sticks to the top of the cleaner directly above the vacuum intake to get a sense of how much coverage the vacuum offers and how intelligently it navigates. In this case, the S7 MaxV Ultra is as thorough and consistent as robot vacuums get.

Gianmarco Chumbe/CNET

Robot vacuum navigation skills

Your robot vacuum will only clean your home as thoroughly as it's capable of navigating it. The ideal cleaner will make easy work of finding its way from room to room and automatically avoiding obstacles along the way, all of which makes for proper, low-maintenance automated cleaning.

We make sure to observe each robot vacuum as it cleans to get a good sense of how well it navigates but to get the best comparison from cleaner to cleaner, we take overhead long exposure shots of each one as it cleans our darkened test room, with glow sticks attached to the top of each one directly above the vacuum intake. The images that result show us light trails that reveal the robot's path as it navigates the room and cleans around our mock furniture.

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Gianmarco Chumbe/CNET

Now, compare that to this next GIF, which shows you three runs from our top mopping pick, the iRobot Roomba Combo J7 Plus. Notice the difference? The Roomba was less effective at covering the entire room, missing the bottom-left corner in two out of three runs, and it had plenty of difficulty providing adequate coverage around the legs of that mock dining table, too.

In large part, it comes down to the tech at play. Over the years, we've consistently noted that robot vacuums that use laser-guided lidar navigation tend to be very good at mapping their environment and finding their way around. Meanwhile, 3D-mapping cameras with object recognition smarts can give robot vacuums the extra ability to identify and adapt to obstacles in their path. The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra uses both technologies, which helps explain why it performs so well here. Meanwhile, the Roomba relies on cameras and sensors alone, with lasers left out of the mix.

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The iRobot Roomba J7 Plus delivered on its promise of steering clear of dog poop (fake or otherwise).

Gianmarco Chumbe/CNET

Still, those cameras definitely come in handy. Just watch the above GIF, which shows what happened when we put the iRobot Roomba J7 Plus to the test -- specifically, its promise of identifying and avoiding pet waste. With a variety of (I assure you, fake) dog poop scattered about a small, enclosed test floor, the Roomba did its best to vacuum the area without touching any of them. It succeeded, never bumping into any of our disgusting-looking test turds at all.

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The Samsung JetBot AI Plus consistently failed our solid pet waste test. In each run, it would eventually run over or push one of our dog poop models.

Gianmarco Chumbe/CNET

Now, compare that with the Samsung JetBot AI Plus, which also promises to use its cameras to spot and avoid pet droppings. The result was not great; in each test run, it would eventually bump into one of our test piles. Thank goodness they weren't real.

Other robot vacuum products we've tested

You've seen our top picks and our test data. Now, here's a quick rundown of the rest of the robot vacuums we've tested in recent years, some of which are still worthy of consideration for some shoppers:

  • AirRobo Robot Vacuum Cleaner P20: Available at Walmart for around $115, the AirRobo P20 is aimed directly at budget shoppers with a very basic design and few features of note. It finished at or near the bottom of all of our cleaning tests, so go with the even-less-expensive Eufy RoboVac 25C if you're looking for something cheap.
  • Dreametech DreameBot L10S Ultra: A souped-up Dreametech model that typically costs around $500, the DreameBot L10S Ultra adds in a king-size, 3L self-emptying bin and self-filling water tanks that let the thing make multiple mopping runs before needing a refill. It was only a so-so performer in our cleaning tests, getting regularly outperformed by its smaller sibling, the top-rated DreameBot D10 Plus. That model doesn't have the self-filling water tank, but at several hundred less than the L10S Ultra, it's a much better buy.
  • EcoVacs Deebot X2: Retailing for $1,500 (though typically available for significantly less), this is the fanciest and most expensive Deebot we've danced within our test lab. It vacuums, mops, empties its own bin, refills its own water reservoir and features all of the rest of the bells and whistles that you'd expect from such a costly cleaner. It wasn't a leader in any of our tests, which is disappointing at this price, but it never faltered too badly, either. The pickup percentages on hardwood floors were all decent, and its performance was passable on the carpet too, with more than 50% of the sand sucked up in both our low- and mid-pile tests.
  • Greenworks GRV-5011: This $658 laser-guided floor cleaner performs well on hardwood floors. Couple that with the built-in mopping functionality, and it might be worthy of consideration for homes with hard floors. Performance on low- and mid-pile carpet was less than stellar, though, averaging toward the bottom of the pack in both cases.
  • IonVac Smart Clean 2000: One of dozens of cheap, no-name robot vacuums available from Amazon and other online retailers, the IonVac Smart Clean 2000 was near-competent in our cleaning tests, but always just a little below average. Nothing about it stands out enough for us to recommend it.
  • iRobot Roomba 694: This budget-priced Roomba does a decent enough job at cleaning carpets and hardwood floors alike. It's extremely close to the Eufy RoboVac 25C in terms of performance, so if that model isn't available, give this Roomba a look as an alternative budget pick.
  • iRobot Roomba i3 Plus: At $350 or less, this is an entry-level option among self-emptying Roombas, so if you just want something from iRobot that empties its own bin for as little cash as possible, give it a look. It was a middle-of-the-pack performer in all of our cleaning tests, never disappointing us but never really wowing us, either.
  • iRobot Roomba i7 Plus: This is another entry-level Roomba with self-emptying smarts, and you can currently get it for roughly $600 on Amazon. It wasn't able to suck up much more than 25% of sand in our carpet tests, which suggests some limitations to its cleaning power.
  • Lynkbey M20 Pro: A newcomer to our tests, Lynkbey's flagship cleaner is a self-emptying, mop-wielding powerhouse that seeks to take on Roborock. It was a top-three finisher in our hardwood floor tests, and an above-average finisher on low- and mid-pile carpets, although I'd note that it couldn't quite suck up 50% of the sand in either test, which is a slight red flag for performance. Still, it's a likable upgrade pick, especially if you can catch it on sale for less than the full $1,150 asking price.
  • Neato D9 (Update: Out of stock): Nearly identical in appearance to the D8 and the D10, the Neato D9 is a powerful vacuum, particularly on thick carpets, where it leads the way in our cleaning tests among all of the cleaners we've tested in the past two years. You won't get a self-emptying bin or a mop, but if you just want something to keep crumbs and pet hair out of your carpets, it's well worth a look as an alternative to the Roomba S9 Plus.
  • Neato D10: One of the latest D-shaped cleaners from Neato, the D10 promises powerful suction and room-by-room navigation smarts via the Neato app. It was a relatively strong performer in our tests, but we didn't see enough of an edge over the D8 or the D9 to justify the extra expense.
  • Samsung JetBot AI Plus: You already saw it fail our poop avoidance test, and that wasn't the only place where Samsung's JetBot AI Plus came up short, with pickup percentages that ranked near the bottom in all of our cleaning tests. At $650, this tech-rich robot vacuum just isn't worth it.
  • Shark IQ RV1001AE: A self-emptying cleaner, the Shark IQ RV1001AE is worth a look as an affordable option that empties its own bin. It gathered a respectable 84% of sand from hardwood floors in our cleaning tests but failed to pick up more than 35% of the stuff in any of our carpet tests, which isn't as strong as some of our top recommendations.
  • Yeedi Cube: An offshoot of EcoVacs, the Yeedi Cube is a self-emptying floor cleaner with a built-in mopping mode. The "cube" in question is the docking bay, which looks like a little robot vacuum garage, up into which it empties its bin. It was a middle-of-the-pack performer on hardwood floors, and rather lackluster on both of our test carpets, which makes this pick pretty passable.
  • EcoVacs Deebot 500: The Deebot 500 is a basic but competent robot vacuum that offers app controls and voice compatibility with Alexa and Google. It wasn't a strong performer in our carpet tests and is priced too high to count as a budget pick.
  • EcoVacs Deebot Ozmo 950 (Update: Out of stock): The Ozmo 950 adds mopping functionality to the Deebot mix. As with other Deebots, the cleaning power didn't blow us away. Meanwhile, our top-recommended cleaner, the Dreametech DreameBot D10 Plus, is a superior performer that's less expensive than that clearance price, and it features a mop of its own and adds in a self-emptying bin.
  • Dreametech DreameBot D10S Plus: A newer, slightly fancier version of our top-recommended DreameBot D10 Plus, the DreameBot D10S Plus (emphasis mine) added in a slightly larger bin that won't need to be emptied quite as much, a slight bump in suction power and a sleek, black-bodied design, all for about a hundred bucks more than the regular D10 Plus. It was a bit better on thin, low-pile carpet than that top-rated cleaner but not quite as good on hardwood floors or mid-pile carpet, which was somewhat surprising. Unless the bigger bin is of particular interest, we think you're better off saving some money and sticking with the D10 Plus. 
  • Electrolux Pure i9 (Update: Out of stock): This cleaner features a unique, triangular design, and it incorporates 3D-mapping cameras into the mix for smarter navigation. It was an underachiever in our cleaning tests, so we'd recommend shopping around.
  • DreameBot D10 Plus is the former overall pick, but the aging device is harder to find at retailers. It performs well on both carpets and hardwood floors with lidar navigation and a self-emptying dustbin. At $400, its features rival top brands like Roomba and Roborock at a significantly lower cost, making it a top recommendation.
  • Roborock S8 is a top midrange robot vacuum with excellent performance and intelligent navigation. It excels at cleaning various floor types, including those with a built-in mopping pad. While lacking a self-emptying bin, its strong performance makes it an excellent choice for homes with diverse flooring.
  • Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra is a premium robot vacuum with exceptional cleaning power and intelligent features. It effectively cleans various floor types with powerful suction and an advanced mopping system. Obstacle recognition and LiDAR navigation ensure efficient cleaning throughout your home.
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Keeping your robot vacuum clean

Some orange cat hair tangled around the Eufy S1 Pro brush.

Robot vacuum brushes have gotten better at not getting hair tangled around itself, but sometimes you still need to help it out.

Chris Wedel/CNET

We like to think that our robot vacuums are completely self-reliant, in reality, these devices still need a human hand from time to time. From hair getting tangled around the brush to sensors getting dirty, there are still reasons the robots need us. By doing some regular maintenance on your robot vacuum, it will continue to perform well for years to come.

Some of the routine cleaning that needs done for your robot vacuum is daily, while other stuff can be done weekly or even monthly.

  • Daily: Emptying the bin, checking wheels for stuck debris. 
  • Weekly: Cleaning brush rolls and wheels.
  • Monthly: Charging contacts and cliff sensors; removing and deep cleaning the brushes.

We have dedicated a complete breakdown of the different parts of your robot vacuum that will need some regular maintenance. Most of this work will take only a few minutes at most but will give you much more in return with a cleaner house.

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Robot vacuum FAQ

How do robot vacuums work?

Designed to navigate your home and clean your floors automatically, robot vacuum cleaners are made to tackle this chore so you don't have to. They can clean on demand, on a schedule and even when you're not home. Powered by rechargeable batteries, the robot typically sits on a charging dock to top off its energy supply. Premium models come with docking stations that can also empty the robot's dustbin when it's full.

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How long do robot vacuums last?

Robot vacuums are complex machines with more moving parts, electronics and software than ordinary vacuums. Still, with regular maintenance and replacement parts such as batteries, brushes and filters, these devices can last just as long as traditional vacuums. This should translate to multiple years of use.

Keep in mind that manufacturers typically cover their robots with one-year limited warranties that include parts and labor. IRobot, Neato and Samsung are examples.

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How well do robot vacuums work?

How well a robot vacuum cleans your home depends on many factors. Floors cluttered with obstacles like wires, charging cords, toys, shoes and clothing can stop robots in their tracks. The less overall clutter the better a robot will operate. Some robot vacuum models clean tile, wood flooring and different types of carpet better than others.

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For more information on FAQs, see how to properly care for your robot vacuum and how a robot vacuum stacks up versus a cordless vacuum