The Best Self-Empting Robot Vacuum bagless cordless cleaner Cleaners
Shoppers who are enthralled by this self-emptying robot vacuum say it’s strong enough to handle pet hair, dirt, dust and more on any floor type. It has a three-stage cleaning system and can be controlled via the smart speaker or mobile app.
This upgrade to the standard robot vacuum could be worth the cost for those who can afford it. It comes with a huge dust bin that only needs to be cleaned every 30 to 60 days.
1. iRobot Roomba i3+ EVO
The i3+ EVO is equipped with two rubber multi-surface brushes and is designed to eliminate all types of debris from bare floors. It is a great choice for hard floors, and is great at sweeping larger particles and dust. However, it has a difficult time with pet hair. It is also able to blow particles such as kosher salt and kitty litter, which require an additional pass.
The device features a Clean/Power button in the middle, as well as Spot Cleaning and Home buttons on either side. The light ring around the Clean/Power button is white when it is charged, it flashes red when the battery is low, and glows bright blue when it searches for its Clean Base (more below).
When the room’s cleaning is done, the robot returns to its base, docking and automatically emptying its dustbin inside the Clean Base for robotvacuummops self-emptying. You can manually empty the bin if it’s full, but this takes quite a while and requires you to take the dustbin from the base and clean the filter.
In our tests, this robot had excellent suction on carpeting and hard floors. Its smart mapping system is better than most other systems because it can store multiple maps and perform a variety functions, including the ability to schedule and customize cleaning. However, it doesn’t allow you to set up Keep-Out Zones or clean certain rooms on demand This is a must in the case of spaces that are more than one floor. If you want to use this feature, you may be interested in the Roborock Q5+ instead, which has a superior smart-mapping system and offers a lot more customization options within its easy-to-use app.
2. Shark Matrix
Shark, which is a part of the home appliance conglomerate SharkNinja is a relative newcomer to the robotic vacuum space. The company has gained a lot of attention quickly by offering a wide range of affordable robots that are designed to the highest standards. Their flagship model is the Matrix is a powerful entire home cleaner with amazing suction power and smart features.
The Shark Matrix has a self-emptying base station that automatically empties after every clean, eliminating the hassle of manually changing out the bag. Like all Shark robots, the Matrix can be set to run on a schedule or remotely activated by voice commands for hands-free convenience. It also utilizes sensors on cliffs to prevent falling off the steps and optical encoders that measure the extent to which it has been cleaned.
The Matrix is a great option for anyone searching for a mid-range robot vacuum. It may not have the advanced vSLAM map that is found in the Roomba S9 but it still offers a lot. Its cleaning path is efficient on carpeted surfaces, and it picks dirt from all surfaces. It also comes with a more powerful cleaning head than the S9 and self-cleaning brushrolls that are perfect for hair of pets.
Shark’s app is extremely slow and unstable when it is used in conjunction with the robot. The iRobot HOME application however is definitely more intuitive and reliable.
3. IRobot i3 Roomba
The Roomba i3 is our favorite robot vacuum model that is bagless self-emptying cleaner due to its impressive performance on bare flooring and its high-end construction. It feels solidly built, moves effortlessly around obstacles, and is able to recharge quickly. It also has a large dustbin that is easily empty.
This model does not have top mounted cameras that can detect objects or search for features that are unique. Certain of its top siblings do. It is equipped with optical sensors that scan downwards to find obstacles. It also builds up an image of the floor plan while it cleans and takes note of internal sensors like gyroscopes, wheel odometers, and gyroscopes. iRobot’s Genius update, which brings smart mapping to the robot without increasing its price and lets you control it using the iRobot app or your voice assistant to clean specific areas.
When this Roomba is soiled–and it is triggered to do so by the app or its docking station, it returns to its base and automatically takes its internal trash bin and puts it into the larger external one. The docking station communicates with the robot through beacons, ensuring that they are in close proximity before it begins cleaning.
You can also make use of the iRobot app to schedule cleanings or your voice assistant to conduct the spot-cleaning of any space in need of an immediate fix. The dual rubber multi-surface brushrolls are able to pull dirt, pet hair and other hard-to-clean debris from hard-to-reach areas. Its sensor that is reactive means you don’t have to manually adjust the head height or suction power. Take a look at the Shark iQ Plus and Roborock S6 maxV if you’re looking for an experience that is more customizable.
4. iRobot Roomba i5
This robotic vacuum is among the top self-emptying models available. It has a dirt compartment that automatically empties into the robot’s home base when it is full. It makes use of patented Dirt Detect Technology to help it clean up dirtier areas of the room. The edgesweeping brush operates continuously and its two multi-surface rubber brushes can flex to adjust to your floors to lift and loosen the most stubborn dirt. This is paired with a powerful suction that picks up and retains dust and dirt, and mopping solution tank that releases liquid to effectively clean your floor.
It’s a great option for bare floors and is even a great option in a small amount of carpet with a low pile. It does not remove pet hair as efficiently as other models, and can struggle to deal with large pieces of debris such as cereal as the dirt container is filled up. It also has a small range of maneuverability and could be caught in things like rug tassels, and electrical cords. It has an average battery life and charges quickly.
The iRobot Combo i5 goes to the next stage by adding mopping capabilities. Simply replace the Roomba Combo cleaning bin and the robot will instantly transform into mop and vacuum robots with multiple surfaces. It moves through rooms in neat rows and is guided by the iRobot app or via voice commands when connected to a smart assistant device.
It’s better at cleaning bare floors and low-pile carpet than the iRobot Roomba E5 and has an allergen-trapping HEPA filter. However it’s not as intelligent as the Shark AI Robot and has more components that must be regularly cleaned. It’s more solid and has longer battery life, however, it is also more expensive to run.
5. iRobot Roomba i7
The Roomba i7 is unique in that it has an automated dirt disposal system integrated into its base. When it’s docked, a hose inside the Clean Base automatically sucks debris out of the bin and into a proprietary bag that iRobot calls its Smart Maps. It’s a smart, clean method of emptying your robot vacuum’s bin and will save you the hassle of lifting out the old bin and letting it fly around (which usually leads to small dust explosions). This top-rated model has a low operating cost. You’ll need to purchase an additional bag each time your old one gets full. And, although they’re fairly cheap, you can feel bad about throwing them to the trash.
Once you get your i7+ and its Clean Base installed you can begin cleaning right away or ask it to perform some exploratory, non-vacuuming runs to create a floor map of the room. Once it has a map, you can make use of the iRobot app to label rooms, create virtual barriers, establish dedicated cleaning times in specific rooms, and much more.
The i7+ is a top-of-the-line robot vacuum, and while it’s very efficient and has all the features you’d need in a home automation system, it comes at a price that’s hard to justify for most. The competition is less expensive and includes the Roborock S7, which feels more durable, has lower recurring costs and has a longer maximum runtime and is more effective on bare floors than the i7+. We suggest you look elsewhere unless you are absolutely committed to keeping an accurate map of your home that is always up-to date.