Vacuum cleaners have come a long way since they were invented in 1901. Inexplicably, though, despite all the technological advances in the intervening 116 years, no-one has managed to make hoovering anybody’s idea of fun. Now, however, there’s one invention that means you don’t even have to get off the sofa in order to de-fluff your floors: the robot vacuum cleaner.
If you want an effort-free way to keep your floors looking dust- and dirt-free, and to reduce how often you reach for your manual vacuum cleaner, a robot vacuum cleaner could be the best investment you ever make. There are limitations, of course. Even the very best models will never match your standard household vacuum cleaner for suction and dust capacity, and despite all the technological leaps and bounds, they still can’t climb or descend stairs.
As long as you don’t expect them to tackle staircases, robot vacuums use an ingenious variety of methods to navigate your home. They employ a host of built-in cameras and sensors to find their way about, and even the cheapest models have sensors to stop them from falling down stairs. Some come with remote controls, so you can direct them to the exact spot you want them to clean, and the priciest robots come with a variety of cleaning modes as well. But with the very best robot vacuum cleaners costing hundreds of pounds, it’s worth knowing exactly what you’re getting for your money.
How to buy the best robot vacuum cleaner for you
Before you splash your cash on a robotic cleaner, here are a few key features to consider.
How long do the internal batteries last?
Most cleaners have a minimum battery life of 60 minutes, although some high-end models can last for up to two hours. All of them on this list – apart from the Vileda – come with their own charging docks, and can find their own way back to top up their battery when they’re running low on juice. More basic models such as the Vileda, however, have to be manually charged, which makes them less useful.
Can they deal with household obstacles?
The most basic model cleaners will have a random cleaning pattern, whereas pricier models tend to use sensors to "see" their way around the home, stopping and avoiding the obstacles they encounter. Even basic models tend to include "cliff-detection" sensors, which mean your robot vacuum won’t go hurtling down the stairs. Whichever type you buy, though, it’s best to make sure you put away anything that may obstruct its path or get sucked in by accident, such as cables, small items and children’s toys.
Which robot vacuums give the best cleaning performance?
The cheapest models will come with two spinning brushes that move clockwise and anti-clockwise at the front of the machine, dragging in dust and dirt. Typically the most basic cleaners will also only have small dust boxes that will need to be regularly emptied.
Pay a little more and you’ll get one large rotating brush that makes it easier for the vacuum cleaner to pick up hair and remove dirt from carpets. You should also expect to see filters that keep small particles from escaping the dust box and, potentially, a polishing pad that can be attached to the bottom to help deal with wooden and laminate floors. We recommend you look for a model with a wider brush length so it can clean right in the corners of your rooms, or one that’s squared at one end.
Are there any other features I should look out for?
Spend a little more and pricier models will add useful features such as Wi-Fi connectivity, which enables you to operate the vacuum cleaner via a mobile app. This means that you can schedule cleaning times, or remotely trigger cleaning when you’re away from home – handy if someone is popping around and you haven’t vacuumed for a while.
The best robot vacuum cleaners to buy
Dyson 360 Eye: The best high-end cleaner
Price when reviewed: £794
When you’re buying a Dyson, you know you’ll get some seriously impressive technology, and the 360 Eye didn’t disappoint. Although this robot vacuum cleaner has a pretty hefty price tag, it’s one of the most compact around.
It’s simple to use, too – you leave it to charge and then press the only button to get it going. It works its way methodically around your home, and if it gets stuck on rugs or shoes, it turns off the suction, navigates its way back to safety and starts again, so it doesn’t end up aimlessly butting against furniture.
It maintains Dyson’s reputation for high suction power, and although still not as good as a standard vacuum cleaner, it’s definitely better than most of its rivals. There’s an app, too, so you can schedule when you want it to start cleaning.
If we were going to highlight a few slight niggles, they'd be the height, which means it’s unlikely to get under most sofas; and the slightly small 0.33l bin size, which means you’ll need to empty it fairly often.
But overall, this is a fantastic robotic cleaner that will allow you to leave the full-sized vacuum in the cupboard – well, most of the time.
Miele Scout RX1 robotic vacuum cleaner: The best mid-range cleaner
Price when reviewed: £364
The Miele Scout RX1 is the best mid-range robot cleaner around. Its circular design positions two spinning brushes at the front, and its slim design means that it will be able to get underneath most furniture.
The clever design, combined with the pair of wide brushes, make it easy for the Miele to reach into corners and get right into the edges of skirting boards. When set to Corner mode, it will first vacuum the room and then pay particular attention to the corners, which is a nifty little feature.
At around two hours, the battery life is the longest-lasting we’ve found, and in Auto mode the Scout RX1 can take it upon itself to vacuum the floors and then return to its base for charging. A Turbo mode is also available for giving the house a quick once-over – but obviously that’s not quite as thorough as the standard mode. One slight downside is that it can occasionally struggle a little with obstacles such as chair legs and trailing cables. But if you make sure to clear the areas you intend it to clean, then this is a fantastic, keenly priced robotic vacuum.
Vileda Robotic Vaccuum Cleaner: The best for under £100
Price when reviewed: £79
This Vileda is the most wallet-friendly option here. With Amazon deals dropping the £230 RRP to as little as £80, it’s a no-frills option that doesn’t come with a dedicated remote control, nor any luxuries such as a mobile app – but it’s very easy to use. Three buttons on the top let you choose whether you wish to clean a small, medium or large room. Simply press the button and cleaning will commence.
The Vileda has spinning brushes at the front and a rotating brush bar. It detects obstacles by bumping into them, but will quickly recalculate its route, and has drop sensors to prevent it falling down the stairs. This does work well, although we suggest keeping it away from wires or the ends of curtains as it will try and take those with it. Battery life is around 1hr 20mins, but there’s one big black mark on the Vileda’s copybook: it has be manually taken back to its charger and takes around five hours to recharge.
iRobot Roomba 980: The best for extra features
Price when reviewed: £769
This is a seriously pricey option from iRobot, but the Roomba 980 is packed with high-end features. It uses a camera to avoid obstacles and map floors, and it can connect to the iRobot Home mobile app over Wi-Fi to simplify setup and schedule cleaning times.
In common with many of the robot vacuum cleaners here, it has a circular, low-profile design that allows it to fit under most furniture, but underneath things look a little different. There’s no rotating bristle brush, and instead uses a pair of iRobot’s proprietary AeroForce extractors. These help to make a good job of cleaning carpets, though, thanks to the ability to sense when it's rolling over carpet and automatically crank up the suction power.
Although its app is a little on the sluggish side, and it struggles slightly when rolling over trailing cables, the Roomba 980 is a top-notch robot vacuum at a top-end price.
Neato Botvac Connected: The best for silent cleaning
Price when reviewed: £489
The Neato Botvac Connected is a little different to many of its rivals: it’s squared-off profile on one edge allows it to get closer into corners and edges, so you won’t see any spinning brushes sticking out the front. There’s a full-length rotating bristle brush, a large 700ml dust box – so you won’t need to empty it too often – and the tall wheels help it to roll wherever it needs to go.
It also has effective mapping and navigation technology to help it plan a route around your house, and the battery lasts two hours once fully charged. Cleverly enough, if the battery expires mid-clean, it will return to its dock, recharge, and continue from where it left off.
This is a Wi-Fi-connected robot vacuum, which means you can pair it with a mobile app in order to receive notifications, and to schedule cleans. For the latter you'll need to be on the same Wi-Fi network, though, which rules out activating the Botvac while you’re out and about. It’s almost completely silent, so you can happily set it to vacuum in the night whilst you’re asleep.
One negative is that the Botvac can struggle to dock successfully with its charging port, taking several minutes to correctly reattach itself – hopefully Neato will be able to rectify those issues in future versions. That said, for less than £500, the Botvac has some great features and cleans well.
