To put its obstacle-evasion technology to the test, we intentionally placed dog toys that have tripped up other robot vacuums in its path. Without fail, the Ozmo T8 AIVI detected the toys in its way and changed directions accordingly. Most premium robot vacuum brands now offer self-emptying charging bases. This differs from your regular charging base in that your robot vacuum can empty the contents of its dustbin automatically, to be stored within a dust bag contained in the base. This gives your robot vacuum a new level of independence, because it no longer requires your assistance to continue cleaning.
That’s fine, but it’s slightly less than what you get from the slightly more affordable Roborock Q5. The older Eufy RoboVac L70 is still available, as well, but its app is not capable of permanently remembering specific rooms in a home, which makes it substantially less convenient than most current laser-nav bots. Wyze is known for selling good-enough and implausibly affordable smart-home gear such as security cameras, locks, and thermostats, in addition to the laser-nav Wyze Robot Vacuum. It has consistently been one of the lowest-priced models of its ilk (around $100 cheaper than the Roborock Q5).
It’s shorter than most bots, which lets it glide under more furniture, picking up plenty of hidden debris. The big downside is that the RoboVac 11S and other bots like it don’t seem to be built to last for more than a couple of years on shark dustbuster average, and we’ve heard about plenty of unrepairable breakdowns that happen even sooner. This tried-and-true robot vacuum is much more durable and repairable than similar bots from other brands and is better at cleaning rugs, too.
Although, as noted, you’ll probably still need a stick vac for weekly deep cleans. Run it daily if you can; it won’t keep up as well if it only runs once a week. If you want hands-free cleaning everywhere, you’ll want to budget for one per floor or be prepared to move it around. You can also buy extra charging bases, and most models can map multiple floors. They get surface debris, but if you have a carpeted house or lots of rugs, I recommend investing in a stick vac for weekly deep cleans. These are also handy for stairs, something no robot vacuum can tackle (yet).
The biggest difference from our top picks is that the Roomba 600 series doesn’t have smart mapping and navigates semi-randomly rather than following an orderly, predictable path. This was the norm for robot vacuums until a few years ago, and a lot of people were happy with that approach. But as of 2022, smart robots are much more common and affordable—and much better at cleaning large spaces consistently and efficiently. Even so, the semi-random bots still have a place in the world, and we’ve concluded that the Roomba 600 series is a great option if you want a simple, sturdy bot for a fair price. Other robot vacuums don’t offer self-emptying features, but they’re also more affordable. Depending on how much dust and pet hair is on your floors, you may be able to go a few uses before emptying the dust bin.
They are also sturdier than any bump-and-run models from any other brand we’ve tested, which more than offsets the Roomba line’s slightly higher sticker price. The Roomba 694 is the most current model with Wi-Fi (for on/off remote control through a smartphone app). In my view, shark robotic vacuums this is one the best value robots currently on the market. Its performance in our cleaning tests was identical to what we saw on the S9+, i7+, and i3+. You miss out on digital mapping and a self-emptying dust bin, but in terms of cleaning performance you are covered.
But when we tried the s9 in 2020, it was one of the clumsiest navigators we’d ever tested. We watched it stubbornly try to shove itself into spaces where it obviously couldn’t fit, roughing up some furniture in the process. This behavior would be annoying from a $400 robot, but it’s especially frustrating from a robot that can sometimes cost more than our favorite dishwasher.