Robotic vacuums will be the future. They allow us to live like the Jetsons. There are many options when it comes to selecting the right brand. We can help you sort it all. We spent 30 hours researching the offerings of manufacturers to find the best robot vacuums.
Prepare Your Home for a Robot vacuum
Before we dive into the details and reviews of each brand, let’s cover the basics. Before you bring home your robotic vacuum, it is important to plan ahead. No matter what brand, you need to vacuum-proof your space. Brands have different problems with electrical cords. You will be as excited to get your robot started, but you will need to allow the battery to charge before you can get an idea of how it will perform.
You will need to be vigilant when your vacuum is being set up for its cleaning mission. You can expect your robot to run into obstacles — it’s part and parcel of the fun. Robot vacuums with soft bumpers prevent damage and allow the robot to solve problems. It doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t need to rescue it at least a few times.
The robot vacuum may have trouble with black carpet, rugs, or shiny dark wood. Its sensors might interpret it as a hole, stairway, or staircase, and refuse to cross it for self-preservation. Your robot may be unable to move on to the next room if you are constantly crossing thresholds.
How we choose the brands
There is no robot vacuum (or product) that will please everyone all the time. All of the brands we reviewed had reviews that stated their vacuums stopped working after a certain amount of time. This would be a frustrating situation considering the price of these products.
We began with a list consisting of eight robot vacuums: iRobot. These were the only ones available on the market. (Surprised? So were we.) We were also not able to find any information on these products. Some brands had a website, but it didn’t appear that they were still being manufactured.
We set out to help you make an informed decision and simplify the process.
Roomba 880 by iRobot (MSRP $700).
The iRobot Roomba is the original robot vacuum. It has been cleaning the floors of the world in one form or another since 2002. Although it is the standard in robotic vacuum manufacturing, many other manufacturers are striving to improve upon the original. iRobot recently launched the new 800 series to maintain their position as industry leaders. We will use the Roomba880 as our review model for this analysis.
According to iRobot, the Roomba 880 features the AeroForce Performance cleaning technology. This technological advancement combines tangle free extractors with an airflow accelerator and a high efficiency vacuum to increase suction. The Roomba 880 also features a HomeBase dock that can be used to charge and dock the device, as well as a remote control, extended battery life, and two Virtual Wall LightHouses that will help your Roomba navigate to where to go and avoid. It weighs 8.4 pounds, measures 13.9 inches in diameter and stands 3.6 inches high.
The Roomba 880 is a versatile device with many features. It’s also beautiful to look at. The sleek black design of the Roomba 880 gives it a contemporary look. It also ties in well with its Virtual Wall LightHouses and charging dock. The Roomba 880 vacuums in an irregular pattern, has multiple methods for locating dirt and can even use multiple passes to reach the most stubborn spots. The little robot can also glide under curtains and bed skirts, cleaning along walls. The robot will not fall down the stairs thanks to cliff detection. Additionally, iRobot claims that fringe and cords won’t tangle the Roomba 880. You can also set up your robot to clean every day with a seven-day scheduling feature.
Roomba 880 users have mostly positive comments. The rubber rollers are a favorite feature of the new design. This model makes it much easier to clean and less messy than using brush rollers for untangling hair. Multiple users reported that they had used an upright vacuum to clean their floors, and then set the Roomba 880 up to go to work. They were amazed at the amount of dirt and debris it was able remove from the floor and carpet. However, it is important to empty the dirt bin frequently, especially when you first use your robot vacuum.
