We know this because on many occasions, we ran it immediately after other bots had done a cleaning session, and the Roomba i3 would still come back with a lot of extra debris in its bin that the other bots must have left behind. We also tried the opposite, running the i3 before the Roborock S4 Max, and found that the S4 did not come back with much debris in its bin, likely because the Roomba i3 grabbed it all first. We actually irobot vacuum cleaner recommended the semi-random style for most people up until fall 2021, but it became clear from analyzing user reviews that the zeitgeist has shifted. Now that prices have dropped, most would-be robot owners expect their robot to look like it knows what it’s doing, instead of cruising around randomly, bumping into stuff. But we still think bump-and-run bots have a place, so we’ve shuffled our favorites to budget pick status.
Replace filters and side brushes a few times per year, the brush roll about once a year, and the battery as needed—probably every second year, though that depends on how often you use the bot. Clean the bearings on the brush roll, caster, and side brushes every few weeks. You might need a screwdriver for this job, but many bots let you pop out the parts with no tools. So the first order of business for any successful robot vacuum is to avoid or at least escape from potential bot traps and hazards.
While that means it’s lagging in certain features like carpet boosted suction or smart assistant or app support, you are getting a handy hardwood hoover for far less than you’d usually have to part with for. With a 120 minute runtime and automatic recharging, you might want to consider this model if you’re looking for something cheap to whip around your small hardwood home on preset schedules. This i6+ model is the high-end choice with powerful vacuuming capabilities, advanced navigation and comprehensive smart connectivity. Powerful suction means it’ll pick up whatever you leave on the floors, easily drawing out dust, dirt, crumbs and more. In fact, iRobot says the i6+ has ten times the suction power of its best-selling Roomba 600 vacuums, along with an upgraded three-stage cleaning system (note, the Roomba 694 is the cheapest Roomba on sale, now just $179). On the other hand, if your home mainly has hard floors, look for a model with rubber brushes, which will prevent debris scatter and catch dirt on tile and hardwood.
That map enables a bunch of cool tricks, like targeted room cleaning and no-go zones, without having to manually move the bot or fiddle with physical barriers like you would with other robots, including our other picks. The S4 Max isn’t the only robot with a smart-map feature, nor is it the cheapest, nor does it always work perfectly. I’ve written about robot vacuums for Wirecutter since 2013, logging hundreds of hours of research and testing in that time.
Even if advanced obstacle recognition worked well enough to let you skip the pre-tidying, your home would still feel messy. The Electrolux Pure i9 is an oddity that we want to love but can’t recommend. In our tests, the unique 3D mapping system was fantastic at avoiding obstacles, but the short battery life and tendency to waste time spinning in place meant it couldn’t reliably clean even a bissell crosswave cordless small-ish apartment in a reasonable amount of time. The dustbin on the i3 is smaller than the ones on some other bots at this price, but the upgraded Roomba i3+ comes with a dock that automatically empties the bin when it’s full, or at the end of a cleaning session. The i3 has two counterrotating “extractor” rolls, which we’ve found to be excellent for cleaning rugs and resisting tangles.
If you’re hesitant about the price, though, opt for the Roomba e5 (view at Bed Bath & Beyond) instead. We also love that this Roomba for smart homes takes home automation to the next level by using Imprint Link technology to automatically vacuum and mop your floors if you have a compatible Braava Jet machine. Although it’s one of the more affordable Roombas on the market, this model doesn’t skimp on power, consistent suction, or efficient cleaning. This model comes with its own emptying base and maintains intensely powerful suction across floor surfaces.
This is a sturdier robot than any bump-and-run model from any other brand, which in our opinion more than offsets the Roomba’s slightly higher sticker price. The Roomba 600 series is also a stronger cleaner than other brands’ low-end robots, especially on rugs, thanks to the dual-brush and dirt-detection systems. The Roomba 694 is the most current model shark cordless with Wi-Fi (for on-off remote control through a smartphone app), but you sometimes might be able to find a more basic model without Wi-Fi. Paying $250 or less for any of them is a fair deal; $200 or less is an excellent price. The iRobot Roomba 694 is a solid robot vacuum with some extra features, thanks to its ability to connect to the iRobot Home app.
Unlike some robot vacuums, which bump and hit the corners of your cabinets or floorboards, the Roomba i6+ uses a smart navigation system to learn the layout of your home and navigate any obstacles. It also automatically detects a change in terrain, say, when it goes from your carpeted bedroom to your tiled bathroom floor. Buying a vacuum is tricky, but finding the right robot vacuum for you can be even trickier. Opting to choose from a selection of Roombas, however, makes things a little easier.