There’s a solid product guide built into the app that runs through the features, which bit does what, maintenance and troubleshooting. There is also an option to have Dyson come round to your house and install it for you. The dock is a simple white stand with chrome strips on to which the robot drives to charge. Two black and white checkered squares help the robot see the dock and come back to it when it needs a top up, which it will do mid-clean if its doing more than one room.
Unlike most robot vacuums, Dyson’s vac provides suction across the full width of the machine and reportedly features the most advanced cleaner-head technology. Lastly, Dyson’s 360 Eye can be controlled by an app available on iOS and Android platforms, which allows the user to control and schedule how and when it cleans. When you think of the latest and greatest cleaning technology, you’re likely to immediately jump to robot vacuum cleaners bissell crosswave cordless – the gadgetry-filled discs of convenience. While robo-vacuums are pretty great, there’s still plenty of power and innovation to be had with traditional vacuums too – and Dyson is leading the way. We ran the 360 Eye through a series of tests on plush mid-pile carpet, thinner berber carpet, and hardwood floors. On each surface we scored its ability to pick up 2.5 ounces of rice, 0.2 ounces of pet hair, and 1.25 ounces of sand.
In the meantime, to find out what we thought of the Dyson 360 Heurist, check out our hands-on review. Or, for more options, have a look at our round-up of the best robot vacuum cleaners we’ve tested. All robot vacuums will try to pick up pet hair but, as with other types of dirt, models with higher suction will generally do a better job. There’s also quite a disparity in how easily hair gets tangled shark cordless in a vacuum’s rollers and sweepers, which will eventually cause a drop in performance as a whole. For those who have the space, the time you spend with the Dyson 360 Heurist will prove worth it in the long run in terms of the quality of clean and the level of suction you get. Once up and running, the only areas of your home that the vacuum will struggle to reach are the corners of rooms.
If accurate, that’s pricey compared with iRobot’s Roomba and competing products. Dyson’s website says the 360 Eye has, “Twice the suction of any robot vacuum” with the caveat that, “Suction testing based on ASTM F558, dust-loaded against robot market.” I was impressed with the 360 Eye’s tread-like wheels, though; they raise up when needed so the vacuum could travel over large power cords and transitions between hardwood floors and carpet.
As mentioned, this vacuum cleans deep, and is especially good on carpets. The 360 Heurist (£899) takes the same basic form as the original – albeit with a swanky blue paint job – but most other aspects have been improved. This doesn’t make it the best robotic vacuum available, but it is significantly better than its predecessor. For those with a particularly busy or big household, robot vacuums can be a godsend.