#robot-vacuum

#robot-vacuum

I consider myself a busy person, and I find it hard to stay on top of weekly chores like vacuuming, dusting, and mopping. But I hate the feeling of dust and dirt accumulating on my feet (I keep a shoes-off household). That's why I was excited to test the Roborock Saros 10R Robot Vacuum to see if it can help me keep my floors cleaner between deep cleans. Spoiler alert: It does!

Robot vacuums quietly went from novelty to background appliance, yet many still behave like polite bumper cars. They avoid walls, follow schedules, and send maps, but they do not really understand what they are seeing. A cable, a sock, and a pet toy often get the same treatment, which is why people still hover nearby during automatic cleaning runs, ready to intervene when the robot inevitably gets confused by something obvious.

At CES 2026 this week, Roborock launched the Saros Rover, a robot vacuum with articulating legs on wheels that let it climb a full staircase in order to clean multiple floors and also clean each step along the way. I saw a live demo of the Rover on the show floor, and it was impressive. Its legs move in a froglike manner, fluidly and with lots of flexibility.

Small robot vacuums that fit into tight spaces rarely deliver strong performance, which is what makes the SwitchBot K11 Plus stand out. And right now, you can purchase the compact yet capable robovac from Amazon and SwitchBot for a new low of $179.99 ($220 off), the latter with code XMAS2GIFT55. Just note that only Switchbot is extending the full discount to the white model (and with delayed shipping).

Robot vacuums range from basic bump-and-go models that randomly wander your floors to sophisticated machines that map your home with surgical precision, and Roborock always positioned itself at the premium end with innovations that justify higher price tags. Each new model brings features that push the category forward, but that innovation typically costs serious money, with the flagship Saros 10R normally demanding $1,599 from your wallet.

Roborock's latest generation pushes robot vacuum technology into territory that leaves competitors scrambling to catch up. The Saros 10R is their most advanced machine yet, and it justifies its premium positioning: it can deliver an excellent cleaning performance that surprises the pickiest homeowner. This robot vacuum handles tasks that used to require manual intervention, from untangling hair to reaching impossible corners under furniture.

Most robot vacuums ask you to choose between brains and beauty, performance and polish. They either look like something you'd tuck away in a utility closet or they clean with all the conviction of a demo unit at a trade show. Roborock's Qrevo CurvX has been one of the rare exceptions since launch, which explains why it commanded $1,499.99. That's flagship territory, the kind of pricing reserved for products that are supposed to solve problems rather than create new ones.

The Tapo RV30 Max Plus is our favorite cheap robot vacuum, boasting features you'd typically only find on far pricier models. In addition to its self-emptying dock, the robovac offers an impressive 5,200Pa suction power, picking up dirt and debris particularly well on hard floors. It even comes with a wide mop pad, which performs surprisingly well given it lacks active pressure application and oscillation.

Things continue to look bleak for the original robot vacuum maker. iRobot's third-quarter results, released last week, show that revenue is down and "well below our internal expectations due to continuing market headwinds, ongoing production delays, and unforeseen shipping disruptions," said Gary Cohen, iRobot CEO, in a press release. This meant they had to spend more cash and are now down to under $25 million.

Black and Decker Dustbuster Flex for $89: This is another cool handheld vacuum that's great for cars, or even indoor areas like staircases. It has a 4-foot hose, longer than most compact vacuums, and has a handy little charging mount that the accessories clip into. And thank goodness for the charging mount, since the battery only lasts 15 minutes. Dyson Car+Boat Handheld Vacuum for $280:

I've tested dozens of robot vacuums, and it's rare that I stick with only one of them. Yet I've been using the Ecovacs Deebot X11 OmniCyclone for over a month, and I'm in love. This is a flagship robot vacuum that's good enough to be the only one you'll need for years and years to come. It features the latest navigation and obstacle avoidance technology, some of the best cleaning power on the market, and easy maintenance.

Amazon is hosting a Prime Big Deal Days sales event today and tomorrow, featuring some of the best discounts we've seen all year. One of them, the iRobot Roomba Plus 405 Combo , offers a self-emptying, self-washing robot vacuum and mop at a 50% discount, bringing its price down to $400. The Plus 405 is part of the latest Roomba lineup that iRobot has released, and it is one of the company's most capable.

Roborock launched the Saros 10R in June 2025 and introduced its latest flagship generation that redefines what premium robot vacuums can achieve. This is the most advanced model in Roborock's entire lineup, and it delivers power and capabilities that dwarf every other robot vacuum currently sold on Amazon. Now, for Prime Big Deal Days, this technological marvel has dropped to a new record low of $1,199, down from its usual $1,599.

The Clean Navigation system of the Matrix is a marked improvement over simple robot vacuums that navigate randomly. This tech instructs the vacuum to methodically vacuum in a specific grid pattern and repeatedly passing over the same areas until all dirt and debris have been removed. Rather than rely on the hope that, over time, the robot catches all places through random movement, you enjoy deliberate coverage that systematically takes on your whole floor area one step at a time.

The Deebot X8 Pro Omni is an excellent robot vacuum and mop hybrid, with an extendable roller mop that can apply up to 4,000Pa of pressure and reach into tricky spots, including corners. The nifty roller mop can also clean itself while tidying up your home, and the vac comes with a compact multifunction dock, one that can refill the robovac using an integrated water tank and move dirty water into a separate waste tank to prevent it from dragging stains across your home.

Ecovacs has officially launched the Deebot X11 OmniCyclone, its most advanced and visually ambitious robot vacuum and mop, revealed at IFA 2025 in Berlin. More than a refresh, the X11 is a bold rethinking of what a home cleaning robot can be, with a unique bagless station, a wealth of new technology, and a focus on both style and sustainability.

Who needs legs? Eufy, Anker's smart home brand, believes it has solved the problem of how a single robot vacuum can clean multiple floors in your home. Its new MarsWalker robot is equipped with four arms to carry a vacuum between levels, so you don't have to lug it up the stairs yourself or buy a robot for each floor. However, you've now got two robots, so perhaps it's not really solving that problem.

In my tests, the Narwal Freo Pro did pretty well at keeping my floors clean. It has fantastic suction on hard floors, does a decent job mopping, and can clean without much intervention. However, it didn't always avoid cords on the floor, the suction performance wasn't as great on carpet, and its dust containment didn't last me near seven weeks.

The Yeedi S14 Plus features some of the strongest suction on the market, an intelligent navigation process, and a self-cleaning mop roller, housed in a hands-free charging dock.

The Ecovacs Deebot N30 Omni, currently discounted to $365, offers features typically found in high-end models yet is priced in the midrange category, around $700.