The Roomba 675 is iRobot’s least expensive robot vacuum with Wi-Fi connectivity, giving you app control, scheduling, and voice support in addition to excellent cleaning capabilities. Like dyson robot vacuum its more expensive sibling the Roomba S9 Plus, the J7 Plus can empty its own dustbin. The robot’s CleanBase docking station both charges it and vacuums it free of debris automatically.
An original roomba model robotic vacuum is in the collection of the National Museum of American History, which they note as the first successful domestic robot. The robot vacuum is described as being able to change direction when it encounters an obstacle or infrared beam, and is powered by a battery. All models have a patented design using pair of brushes or rollers, rotating in opposite directions, to pick up debris from the floor. In some models, the brushes are followed by a squeegee vacuum, which directs the airflow through a narrow slit to increase its speed in order to collect fine dust. A horizontally mounted “side spinner” brush on the right side of the unit sweeps against walls to reach debris not accessible by the main brushes and vacuum.
The Roomba 694, on the other hand, was easy for us to strip down and then reassemble with just a screwdriver. In one test, the basic Eufy RoboVac 11S spent an hour picking up enough debris to fill the palm of our hand. Next we ran the Neato Botvac D7 (usually $700 when it was a current model), and it picked up only enough hair to coat the filter and a bit of dust. Then we ran the iRobot Roomba s9+ (usually $1,100), and it came back with barely anything in the bin. The Roomba 694, like most affordable robots, is what we call a bump-and-run navigator.
It’s a nimble navigator that rarely gets stuck, though it works best when it has to clean only a few rooms at a time. The owner’s manual for each device clearly outlines how to perform regular maintenance shark cordless like cleaning cameras and emptying dustbins. Via the app, Roombas also will inform users when and how to perform other maintenance such as removing, cleaning, or replacing rollers or brushes.
A version without the auto-emptying dock is available, too; it’s simply called the S7. As with all products that CR tests, the ratings robotic vacuums earn across our battery of tests and our surveys inform the Overall Score for each model. As you scroll through the models, we recommend considering the model’s weight and size, noise level, reliability, and pet friendliness . You can find our ratings across these criteria and more in our comprehensive ratings of robotic vacuums.
We used three pieces of prank dog poop, all of different shapes, to represent the offensive substance. We lab-tested the best robot vac brands such as Neato, Samsung, iRobot, Roborock, Eufy and Ecovacs and found the best robot vacuum to fit your cleaning needs. Before you start a cleaning session, you should pick up any laundry, charging cables, or lightweight mats—most bots will get stuck on them. And you should expect a few hiccups during the first handful of sessions. But then you’ll figure out the pain points and get into a routine, and it won’t seem like a big deal.