Robot Vacuums

Not everyone enjoys the chore of vacuuming in households.

Agree?

But this chore can be painful if you have kids or pets around resulting in pet hairs and crumbs everywhere and vacuuming on daily basis.

Robots vacuums do save your time and chore of vacuuming but a robot vac won’t completely replace your upright vac. But, a good robot vacuum that does daily sweeping and spot cleaning can eliminate the need for using an upright machine every single day doing the big vacuum tasks occasionally.

So picking a good robot vacuum becomes difficult where you have several options available ranging from under $100 to $1000.

That said, We have a decent robot vacuum A7 released by iLife. The price is always varying you can check here. It not only beats decent upright vacuums at price but in features too.

From several features of this vacuum, the coolest ones are multiple cleaning modes, different brushes, and WiFi connectivity.

iLife A7 Robot Vacuum Review

Without further ado let’s see get to the nitty-gritty of the iLife A7 Review.

Vac in Pack

Right out of the box you will the main body of the vacuum, the charging base and power adapter, user manuals, high-performance filter, a dustbin with a filter, a remote control, extra slide brushes, slide brushes, brush cleaning tools, rubber brush, and a bristle brush.

If you are not tech-savvy don’t worry as its’ easy to assemble and everything is explained in the user manuals so that you can put it together effectively. The sleek and stylish appearance of this circular vacuum is a foot in diameter. The beauty of this vacuum is its small size (76 mm) that allows it to clean under furniture.

It’s similar in looks with iLife A6 its predecessor. But, the A7 features control buttons on the vacuum, allowing you to control the bot with or without a remote control. However, iLife app is another option to control the machine.

Battery Life

Battery Life is an important factor of any robot vacuum. No one likes to recharge their robotic vacuum in the middle of cleaning. There are a lot of robot vacuums that run for less than an hour

That said, iLife A7 offers impressive battery life with a lithium ion 2600 mAh battery that lasts for long enough time for cleaning the entire 5-bedrooms in the house. You also get an indication when the battery needs a charge by the buttons located in the middle with a yellow flash.

In a nutshell, the battery provides power for almost 2.5 hours ( exactly 144 minutes on auto mode) in a single charge by changing several modes, pausing operations, and resuming multiple times.

However, it takes between 220 and 280 minutes to fully recharge again. Depending upon the battery level while putting it on a recharge it can vary.

Picking Up Almost Everything

In the cleaning game, ILife A7 Vacuum cleaner is best at picking up pet hairs, dust, crumbs, and small debris. As this machine works in several modes, setting it up on the auto mode allows it to go free and pick up a few larger items like pen, a small toy, and an earring. You will be impressed with the suction power when the fan is running on max mode.

If you set the A7 in a room where a Yellow Labrador Retriever spends it’s a day you will see the 600mL capacity dustbin filled with pet hairs after few minutes while running the vacuum on max mode.

Though it picks up pet hairs and dust effectively, you might see some debris left behind by the vacuum. You can test the vacuum by throwing flour, sugar, sand or very fine particles on the floor but it will miss some granules but few extra sessions can make the floor cleaner as it was before.

When it comes to picking up large items like pens A7 does an exceptional job, but heavy or foot items or sticky foods like chunks of pizza crust will be difficult to pick up for A7. But that’s not the problem because you leave chunks of pizza rarely lying around.

Related: Eufy RoboVac 11 Review

Features and Cleaning Modes in Details

You can control the A7 using remote control, iLife app or with the button located on the robot. There are several cleaning modes in the iLife A7 robot vacuum used to serve different purposes.

That said, there is a total of three cleaning modes Point mode for spot clean, path mode that works on S-shaped cleaning path, an auto mode that works independently. Auto mode is good for carpet cleaning as it goes everywhere from cleaning walls to the middle areas.

Then we have a max mode that that utilizes the maximum suction power and results in deep cleaning. This mode is most effective in areas with a lot of dust, dirt, or pet hair. Of all the cleaning modes, this is the mode that gets the toughest jobs done.

Furthermore, we have border mode that performs the cleaning around the edges to clean the corners and wall edges where dust accumulates typically. But this mode hits a snag by going along the edges of chairs and other objects at home, rather than getting around the borders making this mode bit inefficient.

Similarly, A7 has a home function, that allows the vacuum to reach the dock station automatically when runs low on the battery. It works remotely and vacuums tend to find its way home precisely, sometimes it can take the bot a few minutes to locate its home base.

If you have shag carpet then you can choose your best vacuum for shag carpet and if you have hard floors then you can choose best vacuum for hardwood floors.

Preparation and avoiding obstacles

You will find some recommendations in the user manual like picking up toys, removing any obstacles or pushing in chairs before you begin vacuuming. If you don’t vacuum will struggle to avoid the obstacles so make sure the room is clear of any obstacles, chairs are pushed in, and the house is prepared for cleaning.

Removing obstacles means anything including dog’s food and water bowls or vacuum will run right into these objects regardless of several trials. So pet owners looking to buy this vacuum need to pick up pet’s food bowl to avoid potential spills caused by A7. Fortunately, the mechanical control panel is waterproof.

But that’s not all…

This vacuum will struggle with navigating over light area rugs. The vacuum will loop its way until and unless it finds it’s way over the rug eventually, but it doesn’t make a seamless transition like other expensive robot models. It works smoothly on heavier rugs without having any problem. However, the 70 mm shock detecting wheels can make the vacuum work on 1.5 cm thick rugs.

Patience is Virtue

It’s clearly mentioned in the user manual that the more often you remove the obstacles out of robot’s way, the machine will become familiar with the surroundings, Thanks to OBS all terrain detection system. Similarly, it’s can prevent falling down from stairs using three cliff sensors and detects edges with the help of two sets of edge sensors. Each time you use the vacuum, it performs a better job navigating your home.

The first time you’re run the machine, it will move randomly over the floor with no real direction. But, as soon as the machine reaches each area of the room five or six times, next sessions will be done efficiently and eventually, the vacuum will navigate from room to room without getting lost. In a nutshell, the more often you use the vacuum the more efficient it becomes with the surroundings to move efficiently.

Love the vacuum, But not the app

What makes this machine a solid robot vacuum is it’s Gen 3 CyclonePower cleaning system and floating roller brush. It can clean your floors and pick up dust and hairs in a breeze. You will notice a visible difference in your home after your run if you haven’t vacuumed in a day or two. Some vacuums work well on hardwood floors but struggle with carpets. However, A7 works best on hardwood floors and carpets by switching between a rubber roller and a brush roller.

It cannot be claimed as a smart home product as it lacks voice control capabilities and doesn’t connect to Alexa. Similarly, the app is not user-friendly. To connect the vacuum with a Wi-Fi network you need to enter WiFi network name and password into the app and hold the spot button so that the machine can connect to your network.

But, after the vacuum docks on the base and goes into sleep mode, it reads as offline. So you will have to struggle connecting to your A7 via the app when you are away from the house.

Other than that, the app is slow to respond and gives some connectivity issues. According to a test, it can take an average of 2 seconds longer than A7’s remote control to start and pause the vacuum.

Scheduling Problems

Similarly, the scheduling feature is also limited. You can schedule a specific time and can put the vacuum on repeat on specific days. Just for an example, if you set a time of vacuum at 4:30, and you want to repeat that every Friday. But that’s about all you can do.

That said, the scheduling feature is basic not easy to use and you have little control over your scheduled vacuum routines. Furthermore, it cannot set an end time via the app or indicate how long you want to vacuum.

Warranty of the Vacuum

The iLife A7 robot vacuum comes with a one-year limited warranty.

Overall, iLife A7 is a solid robot vacuum that efficiently picks up pet hairs and the battery life is also impressive. The downsides are its App and WiFi features but the affordable price tag justifies the pros and cons of this vacuum.

Is there any better option?

If you have a small budget and need a powerful vacuum with impressive battery life and good at picking up pet hairs A7 is a wise choice. It is loaded with extra cleaning features.

But if you are prone to a smart home connectivity device then this price range can let you own some better vacuums with Alexa and Voice capabilities, you should check Shark Ion 750 or the Roomba 690 instead.

The durability of the vacuum

The A7 with sturdy build brings tons of accessories and replacements parts including high-performance filters, extra brushes, and a brush cleaning too. So without spending the extra cash, you can operate the vacuum for quite a while.

After it’s predecessor the A7 has been around for a brief period but still, the iLife A6 holds the handsome amount of good reviews from the consumers. That increases the reputation of the A7 making it one of the more decent robot vacuums.

There’s no malfunction reported throughout the period of the product life but there was a product reliability rumor. That turned to not be true. The A7 is a quality machine that can last longer if taken care of properly.

Fortunately, the iLife app is expected to be improved due to customer feedback received by the user to the company. Because the app has a feature that allows the user to share their issues regarding the product with the company.

Should you buy it?

The A7’s cleaning performance, features, or durability are worth your every penny spent. So, if you’re looking for a robot vacuum to eliminate your vacuuming burden, then yes, A7 is for you. But if you are a smart home user looking for a cool tech gadget, then you may be happier with a smarter robot vacuum.

This iLife A7 Robot Vacuum Review (Updated) breaks down pros, cons, features, and price of this vacuum model to help you make a better decision with your money.

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Picking up the right vacuum is challenging, but when it’s robot vacuum you need to be decisive.

Today, I am going to discuss the Roomba 860 Review, it’s advantages and disadvantages. And why you should buy this pocket-friendly robot vacuum which comes with all core features of high-end expensive models of Roomba 800 series.

iRobot Roomba 860 Review

Let’s discuss the iRobot Roomba 860 Robot Vacuum Review in details

Features of 860

Let’s discuss the features of Roomba 860 robot vacuum in details.

1. Brushless extractors

Unlike the previous series Roomba 800 series feature rubber rollers instead of rotating brushes. The rollers spin quickly, and the motion of the feet shake and bounce the dirt off your floors and direct it towards the path of the suction power. The shaking not only moves the through but breaks the bigger particles resulting in easy and more suction. This improvement significantly increased the popularity of the Roomba 800 series.

The “brushless-ness” is also ideal for the maintenance of the Roomba.

Unlike older models where you have to cut the hairs and sometimes use extractors to remove the hairs. Thanks to the rubber brushes, the 800 series did away with these completely.

2- Airflow Accelerator

The Airflow Accelerator has air ducts that channel the robot suction from the motor to the surface of the floor.

3- Vacuum with HEPA filters

The Roomba 860 comes with HEPA which are easy to replace and never takes more than 30 seconds.

Navigation

The Roomba 860 navigates efficiently on your floor or carpet using the onboard navigation system. The navigation system makes it intelligent enough to visit every corner of your home, in the less-elegant but random pattern.

For example, while cleaning a part of the room, suddenly it moves to any other spot or room and starts cleaning on a sport, then again comes back where it left and vice versa.

Though it won’t get trapped the height can be a problem for the vacuum to squeeze through tight areas.

Auto Dock

Autodocking is something crazy for this series.

Spinning Side Brush

As the suction is concentrated in the centre of the vacuum, the side brushes to sweep the edges to brings the dust and debris in the path of suction.

Battery

The Roomba 860 has Lithium-Ion battery where other models of the series are equipped with Nickel Metal Hydride batteries. The Li-Ion battery is long-lasting and it’s widely used in smartphones because it outperforms NiMH by 30%.

Virtual Wall Halo

The Roomba 860 can be restricted to not go beyond the wall with the Virtual Wall mode. You can use this mode especially when there are pet bowls around and you don’t want the robot to knock them over.

Performance

This smart robot vacuum can sweep along a wall vacuuming all dust away from the wall with it’s spinning brush. But if you properly get to know how to use the Roomba, you won’t need to vacuum manually.

Romba 860 on Carpet, hardwood and tile floor

Though a robot vacuum cannot provide powerful suction like a corded vacuum it still gets the job done for carpet and tile floors. Regardless of the number of passes, the Roomba will eventually clean your floors as you get after vacuuming manually. With the help of dirt sensors, the robot can focus on dirty areas resulting in the clean floor, either it’s carpet or hard surface.

As far as noise is concerned, it produces approximately 65 decibels while vacuuming hardwood floors but still considerably quieter than the traditional vacuums. For carpets, it comes out at 60 db.

If you have shag carpet then you can choose your best vacuum for shag carpet and if you have hard floors then you can choose best vacuum for hardwood floors.

Roomba 860 Maintenance

You can maintain the robot without any problems. It hardly takes a minute to completely clean the robot when the bin gets full. You can clean the dustbin after each session as it’s very easy. You can also clean side brushes and rubber rollers comfortably, no technical knowledge is required.

This process hardly takes 5 minutes and you have to this once in a month. Unlike other Roomba models, its much pleasant to clean except pulling out hair stuck with the hair extractor.

The Roomba 860 takes about 2.5 hours to charge from empty to full. The battery lasts for about 1.5 hours which is enough to clean the entire house. It runs low on battery returns back to the dock automatically.

The box comes with several other tools and accessories like:

• The vacuum
• Docking station
• Power Cable
• HEPA filter
• One Virtual Wall Halo
• Manual

Does Roomba 860 picks up Dog, Cat, Human Hairs

The Roomba 860 is excellent at picking up pet hairs, cat, dog or human hairs. As it comes with brushless rollers rather than the conventional vacuum brushes. So nothing to tangle and easy to clean with these rollers.

Furthermore, the Roomba 860 has huge wheels like an airplane’s landing gear and measures about 3″ in diameter. These allow the robot to climb over thick area rugs as well as on the transition moldings.

It can climb over the area rugs without any problems. Even it will push smaller or lightweight area rugs ahead with its power and performs well on heavy or thick rugs.

Cleaning multiple rooms is not a problem for Roomba 860 as it’s long battery life allows the robot to clean all your rooms. Using the Virtual Wall Lighthouse, you can restrict the robot to certain areas and move further when finish cleaning.

The Roomba 860 is suitable for most homeowners because you only need to start it and further it manages itself to avoid obstacles, cleaning rooms and charging itself from its base. You can schedule the robot to clean when you are out on certain days and time.

As as as the Wi-Fi is concerned, it’s only available in higher end models liek Roomba 960 and Roomba 980.

Does Roomba 860 gets Under Bed or Sofa?

As the Roomba 860 can stand 3-5/8″ high. Any furniture with this height can let the robot get under to clean.

In case of beds, ruffling of sheets, pillows, and comforters can result in dust but if the bed is high enough then the robot can sneak under it to clean and pick up every dust particle. People tend to use extending mop but it depends whether you like it or not.

Cleaning around the Cables

The Roomba might suck up a small cable like smartphone charging ones, while leaving bigger, heavier cables. But you can use Virtual Wall Lighthouse to block areas where you have these cables or protect them with a cable shield.

Does Roomba 860 damage hardwood floors or carpet?

As mentioned earlier, it’s not much powerful as the traditional vacuums. It works gently on hardwood floors and carpets, but in the case of area rugs with tassels or shag carpets, it will eat away the fringes over time. Technically, it’s not a bad thing as you better not to use the vacuum on area rugs.

Differences between the Roomba 860 vs 870 vs 880

Sometimes, people get confused that every vacuum comes with the same Roomba unit. While the main unit is perfect in the 900 series.

1. Batteries- The 860 comes with Lithium-ion battery where Roomba 870 has nickel-metal hydride which is not reliable as Li-ion.

2. Accessories- The most important accessory is Virtual Wall which is used to block the vacuum’s way. The Roomba 860 and 880 both have upgraded version of the Virtual wall, where 870 also features this but with Two Virtual Walls.

3. Remote Control- When it comes to remote control both 860 and 870 lack the remote, while the 880 comes with one.

In a nutshell, the Roomba 860 is an ideal machine with excellent cleaning performance and it’s much affordable compared to the Roomba 870 and 880 and brings almost similar features. The battery life is impressive and long-lasting. But if you are after the latest features and have deep pockets, you can go with Roomba 870 or 880.

If you have questions like how long does it take to charge a Roomba 860 then it takes less then three hours.
If you have questions like how do I reset my Roomba 860 then there’s a power switch at the side of robot.

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The Deebot DA60 Slim is the cheapest robot vacuum with all bells and whistles. Not only price but it’s small in size and earns the name of one of the smallest robot vacuum.

It comes with a cloth attachment to sweep and can suck up pet hairs, dust, and debris. Just under $200 dollar, this quiet machine is the affordable automatic vacuum available in the market.

The weak suction of the vacuum holds it back and erratic navigation skills.

Ecovacs Deebot DA60 Slim Review

Let’s discuss the Ecovacs Deebot DA60 Slim Review in details.

Design and Features

The Deebot Slim robot measues 2.2 by 12.2 by 12.2 inches (HWD) and weighs 6.6 pounds making it the most comapct robot vacuum.

In comparison, the LG Hom-Bot Square measures 3.5 by 13.4 by 12.7 inches and weight around 6.6 pounds, iRobot Roomba 980 measures around 13.8 inches rotational and weighs about 8.7 pounds.

A difference of an inch or two will make or break the game either a bot can sneak under low-clearance furniture or not, where the Deebot Slim is not tall enough so it can penetrate under anything.

Its a square with rounded edges, the top is made up of the smooth plastic surface having a mint green-and-white color scheme. It brings no handle, but you can grip easily from the sides.

The top contains only one button which is used to activate the bot with the default Auto cleaning mode. You can use the remote control access to all other features of the bot.

Using the remote you can set the bot to schedule, control the vacuum manually, return the vacuum to its charging base, and activate edge and spot cleaning. You’ll find the dustbin beneath a cover on the top of the panel.

On the other side of the vacuum (bottom), you’ll find cliff detection and lower camera sensors, suction intake opening, battery housing, two rotating side brushes, and metallic charging contacts.

Similarly, there’s the main power switch and two notches allowing you to connect the included cleaning cloth plate. Though it lacks the main rolling brush like Deebot D83, it still gets the job done.

The box contains a charging dock, two extra pairs of side brushes, two separate washable microfiber cleaning cloths, a remote control, and a cleaning cloth plate.

If you have shag carpet then you can choose your best vacuum for shag carpet and if you have hard floors then you can choose best vacuum for hardwood floors.

Setup and Performance

The Ecovacs Deebot DA60 is easy to setup. You only have to insert a pair of spinning side brushes into the slots. You can attach a plastic cleaning cloth plate if you want, and a microfiber cloth too. Now flip the bottom power switch on, and flip the bot back, now press the Auto button and it’s good to go. Don’t forget to plug the charging base into the wall outlet, and placed somewhere on the ground.

One thing you need to take care of is to clear the way from dangling power cords and pet toys off your floor. The vacuum is slim enough to penetrate under TV stand, L-shaped sofa, coffee table, and moves nicely on the top of the rug.

While on the hardwood floors, it performs efficiently picking up dust, hairs, and debris. While doing its job it runs quietly making no noise while you are watching TV in the same room.

The Deebot will face trouble moving from room to room and will require manual intervention. For raised flooring, it requires hand or vice versa. It also struggles when returning back to the docking station, often traveling in the opposite direction.

Steering the bot using a remote control is very easy. Using the directional pad you can move the bot in four directions: Left, right, forward, and backward.

It lacks Wi-Fi connection and a mobile app which is fair at this price range. But the solid battery life of two and a half hours is enough to clean your entire home.

Final Words

The Deebot DA60 Slim is a low-profile, inexpensive, quiet, and pocket-friendly robot that not only vacuums but also sweep your floors. While on the other hand, it’s not that powerful and requires manual interference while moving from one room to another. If you want a bot similar to this but with better options then iRobot Braava 320 robot vacuums is the much more effective option.

Overall, Ecovacs Deebot DA60 Slim is an affordable robot vacuum that not only vacuums but sweeps your floors, but navigating issues and weak suction make it a tough sell.

Ecovacs Deebot DA60 Slim Review ( Updated Today ) explains advantages, disadvantages, and features to help you make a better decision with your money.

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The true meaning of convenience is having a robot vacuum that does everything while you are sitting on the couch.

That said, the Roomba 980 attempts to provide convenience but at a higher cost. The Roomba 980 is the excellent robot vacuum cleaner that offers various advanced features like Wi-Fi connectivity, smartphone app and several other features we are going to discuss further in this iRobot Roomba 980 Review.

Well, there’s no sense in spending this hefty price just for app control because you can find these features in Neato Botvac connected which is more less-expensive. Similarly, the Neato XV Signature Pro robot vacuum hits the sweet spots between price and features, but Roomba 980 does something that differentiates it from others, let’s see that.

iRobot Roomba 980 Review

Without further ado let’s get into the nitty-gritty of this robot.

Design and Features

Though it’s similar in looks with Roomba 880. But, it has 13.8 inches diameter, weighs around 8.7 pounds, and is 3.6 inches taller. For comparison, the Neato Botvac connected is not much different in the dimensions but has an advantage with it’s D shape over circular design. The Neato has all the features and settings on the LCD where the Roomba contains all its settings and features in the smartphone app.

The Roomba 980 has three buttons on the physical unit-a large, circular Clean button, a smaller Home button and Spot Mode button. The Clean button activates the robot where in the first press it jingles and in the second press, it starts cleaning.

The home button sends the robot back to it’s a docking station for charging. Spot Mode let the robot work in a controlled location.

Similarly, there are few LED indicator lights sitting right above the Clean Button. Wi-Fi indicates the network status; troubleshooting helps identify the problems with a computerized voice telling about the error. Battery lights indicate with the green lights that the robot is charging, Full Bin tells when the dirt bin is full, and Dirt Detect flashes in case of high-debris area identified by the robot.

On the other side of the robot (at the bottom), you’ll find a spinning side brush, removable dustbin (comes out by press the latch), the rotating side brushes can pick up pet hairs, debris from the floor, a floor tracking sensor, two main 6.2-inch rotating brushes.

Like it’s predecessor Roomba 880, it comes with two Virtual Walls. Basically, these are two battery-powered devices, small enough that they can be set to project a boundary across doorways or you desired areas to cordon off those areas for the Roomba. Similarly, a Halo mode creates a no-go zone in sensitive areas of your home like pet food bowls.

The robot is promised to last for about two hours in a single charge. But it barely lasts for about 90 minutes allowing you to clean the bedroom apartment, bathroom, dining area, living area, and an entrance hall.

Sometimes, it can repeat a specific area to clean it better. When the job is done or it’s running low on battery, it automatically returns to the dock to recharge. When fully charged, it starts the job where it left.

App and Control

As it lacks physical remote control, you can do anything using the smartphone app which is compatible with both iOS and Android and available on both Google Play Store and Apple App Store. First, download the app, connect the robot to your home network, you get all the instructions by the app making the process simple enough that it only takes few minutes to establish the connection and use the robot using your Wi-Fi network to start the cleaning job anywhere in your home.

If you have shag carpet then you can choose your best vacuum for shag carpet and if you have hard floors then you can choose best vacuum for hardwood floors.

After the connection, it’s time to use the app which is very easy. The main screen is the home of a big Clean button which is typically used to start the bot with a quick tap.

At the top left corner, an icon brings up a small menu that houses all other settings and information about the robot. Similarly, at the bottom of the row or three icons: Cleaning Preferences, Weekly Schedule, and More.

Cleaning Preferences further contains some options like Carpet Boost, which allows the robot to use full power when it detects carpets or rugs. You can set the robot to switch to Boost Mode when it encounters carpets, use the setting on all floor surfaces, or always run at the lowest power settings to increase cleaning time and work more quietly.

You can also program the Roomba to eliminate passes and cover all the areas in a single pass, to finish cleaning even the dirt bin is full, and to “edge clean”, which lets the robot clean around the furniture legs while avoiding the bumps.

However, it lacks the Eco and Turbo modes, which only consume more power in less time making the robot inefficient.

The weekly schedule feature allows you to configure the robot to start a cleaning session on the desired time and days. The more tab contains some extra miscellaneous items like settings, robot maintenance guide, and firmware/app update.

Performance

The Roomba 980 first builds the map of your entire home using several built-in sensors during cleaning. In the first attempts, it will bump into furniture, though gentler but will learn by the time to avoid them. The more it cleans the more it learns to keep track of everything in your home as it keeps mapping everything.

Following the Neato vacuums method, it works in parallel lines while running in an open area. While moving systematically, it can optimize the suction power by detecting the floor surfaces, which makes it more powerful on carpets and rugs.

When the bot is activated it starts cleaning your floors, scooting around the furniture legs and underneath the kitchen counters, and cleans hard-to-reach areas or under the tables with its side brushes, and sweeps out everything.

You will notice broad strokes, bumping in the beginning. But, after a few sessions, you will be amazed to see that the bot will avoid them as it already knows they are there.

So it can pick up cat hairs, avoid table lets, clean under the sofa, over the rug or pick up any kitty litter from your bathroom, stray hairs or leaves or dry cat food pellets.

If there are sensitive objects like cat food bowls or dog food bowls you can place Virtual Walls to avoid these areas by the robot. But you should clear the way from cat toys and wires because they can get stuck in the spinning brush, and require and untangling session.

The Roomba 980 is loaded with Wi-Fi, app control, allows you to schedule it anytime, anywhere. But when it comes to price, it’s very expensive, nearly a thousand dollars. Where it still leaves the debris behind and requires you to clean its way out of obstacles.

That said, the Neato Botvac Connected which is way cheaper but offers similar performance and features making it a pocket-friendly option for you.

Overall, the Roomba 980 is an expensive but high-end robot vacuum cleaner that brings app control for easy navigation, Wi-Fi connectivity and other advanced features but the price for convenience is much higher than ever.

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Robot vacuums are perfect to clean your home, pick up pet hairs, dirt, debris but they don’t exactly leave your floors looking shiny as we get by mopping.

That said, the Scooba 450 is an ideal choice for mopping and sweeping your floor.

iRobot Scooba 450 Review

Let’s discuss the iRobot Scooba 450 Review in details

Design and Setup

The Scooba 450 shares the similar looks to its predecessor Scooba 390. It’s hard to tell the difference between the Roomba family and Scooba series.

The Scooba has a diameter of 14.4 inches and measures around 3.6 inches allowing the robot to get under some places but not all of them.

The robot is easy to carry around due to the handle on the top. The top contains three backlit buttons: Clean, Information button, Room Size button.

The Clean button activates the robot to start the cleaning cycle or stop if already working. The information button has different lights showing the status of the robot. It also gives verbal notifications making you sure what’s the meaning of a particular light. Finally, the Room Size button allows you to select short or long cleaning sessions.

It’s easy to set up the robot. But for the first time, it takes about eight hours to charge fully. But the other recharge sessions will be less than three hour, which is faster than previous models.

After the robot is charged fully, You can fill the 750ml tank of Scooba with the hard floor cleaning solution and water. The solution comes in a bottle with the vacuum, but you can buy extra bottles separately. You are restricted to use only this solution which can easily last for 32 cleaning sessions with a bottle. You can also use the water only if you are out of solution.

The tops contain a Tank Release button which allows you to separate the water tank from the robot. At the bottom of the tank there are Clean and Dirty compartments, So when the fresh water goes in and refuse later goes out. After the tank is full, you can start using it.

If you have shag carpet then you can choose your best vacuum for shag carpet and if you have hard floors then you can choose best vacuum for hardwood floors.

Cleaning Process

It looks similar to Roomba, but don’t work like it. It uses new three-cycle cleaning process which makes the robot much better than it’s predecessors. So as you start the robot, it automatically sweeps, pre-soaks, scrubs, and then squeegees your floor dry.

The pre-soak period is important because it provides extra time for the solution and water to loosen any dirt and debris.

The Scooba for wet floors uses iAdapt responsive navigation technology, which optimizes the amount of time and Scooba makes between passes.

Performance

It works pretty well on real floors. But for smaller areas, it uses a regimented process. First, it works in a circle, making a few revolutions outward, cleaning near the walls, it cleans the perimeter of the room.

The robot will quickly remove the fresh stains, and to know the results you can look in the tank when the robot is finished cleaning. But, for deeper-set stains, you need to give the robot some hand like when the bot is dealing with the ancient coffee spill.

The robot can quickly determine either it’s working on the carpet or floor and can detect stairs as well. While running on a carpet, it takes a small pause like it’s bumped into a wall.

It’s low-profile design allows it to sneak under most couches, tables and stands, but struggles to get under tight spaces like a miniscule Brooklyn apartment bathroom.

It will also struggle to tidy up larger rooms. The bot will lose while doing the regular circular rotations.

The good thing about the Scooba is that the less water it picks up, the less dirty water you need to drain. After the Scooba has done its job, you can take the tank to a sink and drain it of all the collected liquid.

The gray water that comes out of the tank will sometimes contain pet hairs or detritus.

You can restrict the robot to enter certain areas of your home by using an Auto Virtual Wall. This small, flask-shaped device creates an invisible barrier that keeps the robot away from that area. The one comes with the robot while you can buy spare if you want.

Very easy to set up, they are powered by two D batteries, flip the power switch and point it in the direction you want to create a wall.

If you have a bigger room, you can divide the room into different sections making it easy for the robot to clean it. The robot has a battery life of 45 minutes, and it’s loud.

Overall, the Scooba series is moderately priced and does a good job, but the Roomba family still earns the market respect with its expensive models.

After all, it’s quite simple to pull out the vacuum or broom and tidy up. Therefore, the best solution for mopping is Scooba 450 as you won’t need to mop again.

Those familiar with the Scooba 390 can get the same job done but it only lacks voice cues. Though there are no further models coming in Scooba series they have managed to expand the series with Braava line by offering Braave 320 and Braava 380t. If you are a casual clean freak these are some worthy options for you.

Overall, the iRobot Scooba 450 is an excellent choice which is an ideal option if you want to keep your floors sparkling without reaching for mop and bucket.

In this iRobot Scooba 450 Review ( Updated ) article, I have explained the advantages, disadvantages, features, and options of this vacuum to help you make a better decision.

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The Black and Decker Robotic Vacuum is a another great vacuum that offers customizable LED lighting which looks interesting to watch scoot around compared to your average Roomba.

Though it’s not good at traversing floor types and taller to go under low-profile furniture, it has impressive battery life and great suction capabilities.

It can be controlled by a well-designed app, but the Bluetooth range is limited. If you are not impressed by the rainbow lighting, better choose the iRobot Roomba 690.

Black and Decker Robotic Vacuum (HRV425BL) Review

Let’s discuss the Black and Decker Robotic Vacuum (HRV425BL) Review in details.

Design and Accessories

Well, to be honest with you, RGB lighting suits a gaming keyboard, not on a robot vacuum cleaner. However, this gimmick allows the vacuum to stand out from the fairly staid pack. Using the app you can customize the color and brightness of the light (more on this later).

Otherwise, the HRV 425BL is a typical top-loading, robot vacuum cleaner having 13.9 inches diameter and 4.3 inches tall making it ill-suited for low-profile tables, couches, or TV stands.

There’s a top-loading dustbin at the top of the vacuum. With a single push of a button, it pops up so you can empty it out. Above the dirt bin is a start/stop button and sensor or signal emitter the helps bot navigate around. The bumper at the front houses an infrared sensor, and underneath there are two side brushes, a 9-inch beater bar, drop sensors, two main wheels, and a front wheel.

In the accessories, there’s a cleaning tool, a charging dock, a spare filter, and two spare side brushes (and a screwdriver). It lacks virtual walls so the vacuum will move around without any restrictions.

Setup and App

The vacuum is ready to use right out of the box, the only thing it requires is plug in the dock and charge the robot and it takes around three hours to fully charge.

After this, simply download the mobile app from the Apple App Store or Google Play and create an account. Then open the app, press and hold the start/stop button to pair the robot. But using the robot doesn’t require to pair it (a physical button can be used to start/stop), but if you want to schedule cleans, switch cleaning modes, change colors, or steer the bot, it’s not possible to do so without pairing.

The Bluetooth connection has a range of 33 feet. So it’s good for small homes or apartments, but you can’t interact with the vacuum remotely. Connecting with Bluetooth can be troublesome if there are a lot of Bluetooth devices around. Sometimes the wireless interference can result in connection drop to the robot.

If you have shag carpet then you can choose your best vacuum for shag carpet and if you have hard floors then you can choose best vacuum for hardwood floors.

This user-friendly app allows you to see the name of your robot, connectivity status, cleaning status and battery level. There are three tabs: Cleaning Modes, Manual Steering, and Scheduling.

There are three different cleaning modes in the Cleaning tab: Auto Clean, Quick Clean, and Spot Clean. Similarly, the Manual steering screen has a direction pad that allows you to steer the vacuum according to your needs. Finally, the Scheduling tab allows to schedule the bot to clean for certain days and time in a week and times the robot cleans.

Then, there’s a settings icon located at the upper right corner, which includes Color Select menu allowing you to customize color settings for robots LED. Pick any color, slide the brightness from low to max or vice versa from a range of pastels.

The lights are attractive, but you cannot program lighting effects. You will also see a cool rainbow pattern only when the bot wakes up and you cannot replicate that.

You will get a yellow light indication when the robot is stuck. You can also use light notifications for different things like red flash for low battery indication, pink flash when something is stuck in the roller and so on.

Performance

The HRV 425BL is a solid vacuum that follows a random cleaning pattern, the same as the Eufy RoboVac 11 but this cleaning pattern struggles to navigate different floor types.

Similarly, it struggles with raised flooring and sometimes gets stuck. In that case, it needs a little push to move.

Unlike other inexpensive or even expensive vacuums, this model works efficiently on darker flooring. Many robot vacuums suffer if they are operated on a black border and darkly colored geometric patterns. Like iRobot Roomba 690, would stop on dark flooring reading that as a cliff by its sensor.

However, Black and Decker will continue cleaning with minimal effort on these kinds of rugs.

The vacuum lacks remote control but the app works well until you are in the range.

It’s impressive suction power can pick up a good amount of dust, dirt, and hairs without high-power settings. The top-loading dustbin is easy to remove and easy to empty and holds a greater capacity compared to the Bissell SmartClean 1974 and the popular Samsung Powerbot R7070. Ultimately, you can complete several cleaning sessions without having to empty it.

The impressive battery life of 85-90 minutes allows the vacuum to clean most of your home’s area in a single charge. As for noise, it’s not the quiet vacuum and the Eufy Robovac 11 maintains its spot for the quietest robot vacuum and has an impressive battery life of 100 minutes and outlasts many expensive models like Dyson 360 Eye.

Docking itself is not an issue but it will take some lengthy detours before returning back.

Conclusions

At price under $400 it remains in the list of budget robot vacuums. However, there’s nothing the separates this vacuum robot from its competition except the LED lighting. It does clean well, has an impressive battery life, runs well on dark flooring. But it has a limited Bluetooth range, struggles with raised flooring, and cannot get under low-profile furniture. While a much less-expensive robot Roomba 690 under $300 offers some advanced features like Wi-FI, voice commands. But if you want all these features more less-expensive vacuum and prioritize savings over connectivity, then the Eufy RoboVac 11 is worth investing that handles different floor types and costs you nothing.

Overall, the Black and Decker Robot vacuum with LED and Smartech is an excellent machine with flashy design, it struggles with connectivity but delivers nice results in testing.

In this Black+Decker Robot (HRV425BL) Review Updated article, I have explained pros, cons, features and performance of this vacuum cleaner to help you make a better decision.

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This latest robot vacuum is compact, quiet, and pocket-friendly that comes with several cleaning modes and a remote control.

While running in the Turbo mode, it performs very well, but quickly runs out of battery. And it’s navigational skills are a bit difficult to use, so you will face some trouble in the beginning. For the price, you’re better off getting a Wi-Fi vacuum you can get robots which you can easily control through smartphone like Neato Botvac Connected or the iRobot Roomba 980.

LG Hom-Bot Square (VR65704LM) Review

Let’s discuss the LG Hom-Bot Square (VR65704LM) Review in details.

Pricing, Design, and Features

The Robot comes in two different versions: Ocean Black with a mop attachment, Ruby Red with no attachment, where both have price difference.

Here we are going to cover the Ocean Black with a mop attachment which costs enough just for a microfiber pad.

The glossy finish at the top will result in leaving fingerprints. Similarly, the top contains several other touch buttons embedded in the body like Start/Stop, Push, Turbo, Mode, Home.

Start/Stop activated the robot and turns it off, Turbo is used to get more suction power, Mode allows you to use the robot with a variety of cleaning modes (discussed below), Home is used to send the robot back to the docking station. Push pops open the lid allowing you to remove the dist bin and insert after emptying. The handle on the dustbin makes it easy to remove and lift.

Near the embedded buttons, there’s an LED display that shows several options like the current mode of the robot, battery level, time of day, and to check either the robot is in Turbo mode or not.

The bot only comes with these settings on its body. But, you can use the remote control that runs on a pair of AAA batteries allowing you to access all other features of the robot remotely.

When you have inserted the batteries in the remote, you can use it to control the robot manually, program schedules, mute voice prompts, set the clock on the display. However, the LG Hom-bot lacks a smartphone app.

The other side of the vacuum (bottom), there’s a battery housing, metallic charging contacts, two rotating side brushes which are helpful in cleaning edges and sweeping debris, cliff detection and lower camera sensors, the main roller brush.

In addition, there are some more sensors at the sides of the robot, and an Of/Off switch and ventilation port located at the back end.

The box in which the robot comes, has a docking station, an AC adapter for the docking station, microfiber mop cloths, an extra dust bin filter, a roller brush for pet hair, a comb-like cleaning tool, and an attachable mop plate.

Setup, Control, and Performance

The LG Bot is easy to setup right out of the box. First, plug the docking station into a wall outlet. Then, place the robot on the docking station making sure that it’s charging, let the robot rest for about three hours to get it fully charge.

Now the robot is filled with power, it only requires a push of the Start/Stop button to activate.

Before you activate the robot, it’s recommended to clear the way of the robot from the pet toys, clothes, or anything that you don’t want the vacuum to suck up.

It can struggle with tangled cords, so make sure the way is totally clear.

Most robots face a problem which is returning itself to the docking station, even some expensive models. The same is the case with LG Bot. So you have to manually steer the robot using the remote control to find the dock. For raised flooring, it requires a little push. For what should be a fully automated process, you can’t simply set and forget this robot.

If you don’t know much about cleaning modes, better read the manual. For instance, My Space mode is used to put the robot in 3.3 feet or smaller rectangular perimeter for cleaning only.

The zigzag mode has the robot sweep back and forth across the floor. Cell-by-Cell divides the area into several rectangular spaces allowing the robot to clean one at a time. And Spiral Spot focuses on a specific area.

As for the cleaning performance, the Hom-Bot while running in Turbo mode gets the job done quickly and quietly. The suction power is only higher in this mode, which is good for carpets.

If you have shag carpet then you can choose your best vacuum for shag carpet and if you have hard floors then you can choose best vacuum for hardwood floors.

On hardwood floors, the bot performs considerably well, the mop attachment doesn’t offer any noticeable changes in cleaning.

It’s better you go with iRobot Braava 380t if you want shiny floors or iRobot Scooba 450, both are ideal for mopping.

The manufacturer claims that the bot can last for 100 minutes while used in Standard mode, which is enough to clean a huge area of an apartment in a single charge, but take some time to juice up again. Though the robot will not last much longer while used in Turbo Mode.

Finally, the Hom-Bot is small enough to sneak under most furniture, quieter, has several cleaning modes, and offers a remote control. But it lacks an app, which you can find in other robots having the same price like Roomba 980 or if you want the features but want to save money Neato Botvac connected robot vacuum saves you a lot while offering the same features with powerful cleaning and Wi-Fi connectivity.

Overall the LG Hom-Bot Square is an excellent vacuum that is quiet, compact, and strong enough to pick up any dust or dirt particles from your floors. It’s simple but lacks remote control.

This LG Hom-Bot Square (VR65704LM) Review breaks down features, pros, cons, and other options of this vacuum cleaner to help you make a better decision.

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If you are thinking to buy a robot vacuum, Roomba 780 is the right option to spend your money.

Let’s discuss the Roomba 780 review and why you should buy it.

iRobot Roomba 780 Review

How Does a Roomba Fit Into Your Life?

If have used the Roomba before, you might know the experience. But if don’t, then let me tell you that it chimes a nice little tune, and get to work immediately. Soon you will recognize it’s a random pattern to clean and navigate around your home.

But that’s not all…

It will keep move repeatedly over certain areas, sometimes take much more to clean a room. But you shouldn’t need to be in sight of the robot like a traditional vacuum cleaner. Sometimes it bumps into your chair of furniture, sometimes it comes much closer and you feel the noise from the robot signaling that it is nearby. (Although, it’s not louder while compared with others.)

Once it gets the job done or runs low on battery, it will head back to the docking station.

Features of Roomba 780

Let’s break down its features to see what it can do.

Wall-Following Technology

This round shaped robot vacuum won’t let it clean around the walls without some compensating mechanism. Fortunately, the wall follow technology allows the Roomba 780 robot vacuum to point the spinning side brush toward the wall and slowly inch along. That way, every little inch beside the walls is vacuumed.

Spinning Side Brushes

The spinning side brushes bring the dust and debris laying near the walls into the path of suction where it can be sucked due to the concentrated suction at the center.

Soft-touch bumper

The Roomba 780 comes with a 180-degree front soft bumper. If by chance the robot bumps into furniture and walls, the soft bumper acts as a cushion, preventing scratches against your walls and furniture.

HEPA filters

HEPA filter keeps the dirt trapped inside the dustbin and never let it out due to its tight seals.

Cliff Sensors

The cliff sensors help the robot identify ledges, stairs, or big objects coming its way. If working on the upper floor, it will detect stairs before falling down.

Virtual Wall Lighthouse

With the help of Virtual Wall Lighthouse, you can keep the robot in a room preventing it to go to the next room before it finishes vacuuming. This saves a lot of time as the robot tends to move back and forth between rooms. This virtual wall is powered by two C batteries.

The Virtual Wall Lighthouse are basically small beacons you place to cordon off the areas for the robot. It has two modes: Virtual Wall mode and Lighthouse mode. In the Virtual Wall mode, the beacon transmits a blocking signal to block the way for the robot. While the later mode tells the robot to finish vacuuming the current room before moving to the next one. The second mode is efficient as it saves time reducing the traveling of the bot from one room to another.

On-Board Scheduling

As mentioned earlier, Roomba 780 is a silent robot, much quieter than a regular handheld vacuum. But it will be loud if you use it while sleeping.

That said, the scheduling feature allows you to program the robot to clean on certain days and time. So while you are out, you can set the robot to clean the room after you. Once you reached home, you will get clean floors. Robots tend to tangle with cords and small objects lying around. Make sure you clear their way and there are no spots for the robot to get stuck.

If you have shag carpet then you can choose your best vacuum for shag carpet and if you have hard floors then you can choose best vacuum for hardwood floors.

Self Charging home base

The Roomba 780 comes with a docking station. When it runs low on battery, it can automatically return back while locating the base with infrared beams. Everything is auto-pilot escape emptying the dustbin. You need to clean the dirt bin with your bare hands.

Spot Clean Function

This feature allows the machine to focus on a particular spot where intense cleaning is required. The robot has a Spot clean button on its body allowing you to only press the button to get it started for this mode.

Technically, the areas can be a small circle, then keeps getting bigger as it gets cleaned. This thoughtful feature is very helpful when you have something spilled like cereal, chips, or cat litter. Collect the big pieces or particles and let the Roomba finish the rest with Spot Clean.

Less Useful Features

While all the features are not that useful as others.

Remote Control

The remote control is a nice feature to steer the robot in any direction, but not vital to the Roomba’s function.

Full Bin indicator

Few will find this feature useful as it lets you know when the dist bin is full. But those who always empty the dustbin while the cleaning is done won’t find it useful.

Touchpad Interface

It’s just a fancy side of the bot, otherwise, regular buttons can get the job done nicely.

iAdapt technology

This technology allows the robot to examine the surroundings 60 times a second with the help of multiple sensors and, once the scan did it determines which way to go. This can avoid bumps or obstacles but overall, every place is to be cleaned.

Dirt Detect Series 2 Cleaning Technology

The Roomba 780 used to determine the dirt with acoustic sensors, but now with the help of optical sensors, they can visibly see the dirt and dust while capturing the most.

The areas with high foot traffic will activate the Dirt Detect feature. Supposedly the robot will focus more on these areas, but its job is to zip around the entire house, cleaning every inch of the rooms.

Is Roomba 780 Quiet?

For hardwood floors, it creates 65-decibel noise, while for the carpet it creates 60 db.

Where to buy the Roomba 780?

For the most competitive price, we recommend Amazon.

As for charging, you would need a 220v or 240v outlet. Sometime you will receive US domestic chargers that work with 120v outlets. But sometimes you receive universal adapters that work with both 120 and 240v outlets.

But if you receive the charger of 120v then better get a step-down transformer.

Do Roomba 780 vacuums handle pet hair?

The Roomba 780 is excellent at all types of pet hairs: human, cat, dog or any other pet you have in your home. Though it picks up tons of them but struggles with long hairs. If the roller is stuck you have to manually remove the hairs. You do get a hair extractor tool with the robot to make this easier. For that, take the rolling brush out, and use the brush to clean it.

The Roomba 800 Series is completely brush-less. So long or short hairs gets inside without requiring you to pull them out or getting stuck.

Does Roomba 780 works on Hardwood floor or Carpet and Rugs?

Roomba 780 is ideal for different floor types like hardwood floors, carpets. When it comes it area rugs, it has significantly large wheels of 3 inches allowing the robot to climb over the area rugs regardless of its thickness and heaviness. Even the Roomba might push the smaller, lighter rugs around with its power.

Charging time of Roomba 780

The Roomba 780 gets fully charged in less than 3 hours.

Battery Life of Roomba 780

The Roomba 780 comes with an impressive battery which lasts for about 1.5 hours to 2 hours but it depends on the floor.

Though robot vacuums are aimed to provide comfort while letting you sit on the couch. But they still require manual intervention like the manual vacuuming.

But robot vacuums does save you from the noise, and dusty smell while vacuuming.

Overall, the Roomba 780 is an excellent robot vacuum which offers all bells and whistles which are necessary to tidy up your home, but the price tag is expensive.

This article explains iRobot Roomba 780 Robot Vacuum Review & Ratings to help you identify the pros and cons of this vacuum to help you make a better decision.

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With the fast improvements in technology, robots vacuums are not limited to deep pocket consumers only. There are a lot of pocket-friendly robot vacuums in the market and the Eufy RoboVac 30 is one of them which is not only an affordable machine but sports a sleek, slim design and offers a magnetic boundary strip allowing you to restrict certain areas in your home where the bot cannot go.

Though there is vacuum under like Ecovacs Deebot N79s under $300 that offers Wi-Fi connectivity and voice assistant support Eufy Robovac 30 lacks both of these. But it still wins the game with its stellar performance and unique design.

Eufy Robovac 30 review

Let’s discuss the Eufy Robovac 30 review in details.

Design

Though Eufy Robovac 30 and Robovac 11 robot vacuum have some similarities like the same dimensions, 12.8 inches diameter and 2.85 inches tall. But the Eufy Robovac 30 is sleeker and the top is made up with black tempered glass with subtle curved white lines. You will also see a silver brand logo in the center, while at the front there’s a Start/Stop button. The button glows orange that indicates the bot is charging and red if there’s an error and blue when everything is good to go. In the front bumper, you will find vacuum’s infrared sensors, while the 0.6-liter dustbin can be found on the opposite side.

At the bottom of the robot, there’s a roller brush, drop sensors, swivel wheel, charging contacts, and two treads. Similarly, beneath the left tread, there’s a troubleshooting chart and a power switch.

As for accessories, the bot offers a similar remote control like the 11s, allowing you to manually steer the vacuum, schedule cleanings, and switch between the cleaning modes. The Robovac 30 also comes with a 13 feet of magnetic boundary straps, two AAA batteries for the remote, a power adapter, a charging dock, cleaning tools, filters, and spare spin brushes.

This robot vacuum is the first vacuum cleaner by Eufy that includes boundary strips, so you can restrict the bot to not clean the areas you want to exclude, like a pet’s food bowl or exposed power strips.

If you have shag carpet then you can choose your best vacuum for shag carpet and if you have hard floors then you can choose best vacuum for hardwood floors.

Performance

The Eufy Robovac 30 can suck up dust, dirt and pet hairs like iRobot Roomba 960. The amazing suction power allows it to inhale debris, pet hairs, USB memory stick, even a computer case screw without getting tripped. Like it’s cousin 11s it comes with Eufy’s BoosIQ feature, allowing the bot to automatically increase or decrease the power depending on the type of flooring.

The Robovac 30 works on different floor types including vinyl, tile, and carpet. Dealing with raised flooring is like breeze, and can tackle thick carpeting without getting tripped up. Unlike the expensive models with methodical cleaning, it follows a random cleaning pattern, which results in bumps. The bumps are gentle so they don’t make the vacuum less effective. So, there’s no need to worry about it scuffing up your walls or antique chairs.

Well, it does have some limitations with scheduling. Using the remote control you can only program it for once-daily cleaning. It lacks some advanced features like app and voice support which are generally available in less expensive Deebot N79s.

The Robovac 30 comes with an impressive battery that lasts for about 100 minutes while cleaning in a single charge allowing you to clean a single floor completely, and most of the areas of your apartment. For noise, the Eufy Robovac 30 shares the same characteristics as the Eufy Robovac 11 which is less noise. If you are in the same room watching TV where the bot is cleaning you will hardly notice the bot is operating near you.

Comparison and Conclusion

Without any doubt, the Eufy Robovac 30 is an excellent vacuum with a quiet motor, impressive battery life, strong performance, compact form factor, and an affordable price. But you get the same features in Eufy Robovac 11 which is more less-expensive but lacks boundary strips. But if you are behind a bot which app control, better scheduling and voice commands then Deebot N79S is a best affordable option.

Overall, the Eufy Robovac 30 is a slim, quiet, and affordable machine that offers boundary strips to restrict specific areas and clean the areas only you want.

This Eufy Robovac 30 Robot Vacuum Cleaner Review breaks down features, performance, pros, cons, and other options of this vacuum model to help you make a better decision.

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Bissell is the oldest brand making vacuum cleaners for over 100 years but came into robot vacuum industry for just over two.

That said, The Bissell SmartClean 1974 is an affordable, programmable, vacuum that offers virtual wall for sectioning off areas of your home.

It works well on different floor types including tile and wood floors. However, struggles with raised flooring and area rugs. It’s an ideal choice for small spaces, but if you want the best bang for your buck, Eufy RoboVac 11 is a more versatile option for you.

Bissell SmartClean 1974 Review

Let’s discuss the Bissell SmartClean 1974 Review in details.

Design and Components

The SmartClean features a futuristic design and sturdy build, having a grey bumper at the front with an IR receiver, while everything else is the teal border. The top contains a tessellated sticker above an LCD touch control panel.

Cleaning and maintenance with SmartClean are much easier. You need to press the cover near the Bissell logo and it’ll pop open to reveal the dustbin, which comes with an ergonomic handle to remove the bin easily.

The side brushes, roller, and battery compartments are secure as well as easy to remove. The most attractive robot vacuum is none other than Dyson 360 Eye.

Its circular shape has a diameter of 13.0 inches and it’s 3.4 inches tall. But Eufy RoboVac 11 still wins with 13.0 diameter and 3.0 inches height. However, the Roomba 690 has also 13.0 inches diameter and 3.7 inches in height. That said, SmartClean can clean everything except low-clearance furniture.

The SmartClean brings it’s charging dock along with it. It also sports a virtual wall which is backed by two pairs of AA batteries and are sold separately. The vacuum lacks Wi-Fi, which isn’t surprising for the price but also lacks remote and other spare parts. So be prepared to spend some bucks on side brushes, extra filters, remote, door covers, docking stations.

Setup and Control

The SmartClean is easy to set up. You only have to need to install the battery. Then, push down the side brushes onto their holders. Now charge the vacuum initially which means you have to leave the vacuum on the dock for a few hours. You can charge the SmartClean using a direct adapter from any power switch. After four to five hours the vacuum will be fully charged and you can plug the adapter into the docking station and charge that way.

There are two ways to start a cleaning session. First, either you schedule the cleaning while the robot is on the docking station. This involves three settings to the left: Clock, Schedule, Run. Slide the switch to the Clock and vacuum will be ready for current hour and day, then move it to Schedule to set it up on specific day and time you desire. You have five different types: weekly, daily, weekdays, weekends, or Monday through Saturday.

Similarly, there’s an LCD touch panel on the vacuum which allows you to control the bot. The middle button allows you to pick cleaning time out of eight different settings. The first four settings will return the vacuum to its dock after a specific period of time you have set. The fifth return it back without cleaning. Similarly, the last three just have the robot clean for 30, 45, or 60 minutes without sending the machine back. On the left, a plus-minus button allows you to toggle between Normal and Turbo cleaning power.

You can switch between different cleaning modes using the Mode button with diver different cleaning styles: Auto, Along the Wall, Diagonal Path, Spiral, and Z Formation.

Spiral and Along the Wall both cleaning modes are similar to spot and edge cleaning type. Z Formation and Diagonal Path are new patterns by Bissell. The Z Formation moves in on a zig-zag pattern, while the Diagonal Path moves it in diagonal lines but it hits obstacles. Finally, the Auto mode combines all the modes mentioned above.

If you have shag carpet then you can choose your best vacuum for shag carpet and if you have hard floors then you can choose best vacuum for hardwood floors.

Performance

For performance, the SmartClean works best on tile and hardwood floors but struggles on area rugs and transitions between rooms. It can still work on carpets but doesn’t face any problem with dark flooring which many robots with infrared struggle.

It has strong suction power, but the roller is very short, but it can still manage to pick up a decent amount of hair, dust, and detritus.

For noise, the SmartClean is quieter than the high-end Dyson 360 Eye while used at maximum power, But it’s reasonably loud even when it’s working in a different room. It’s much quieter than the traditional stick vacuums. That said, the Eufy Robovac 11 still tops to be the quietest robot vacuum cleaner around.

Navigation-wise, you can get good results in Z Formation or along the Wall modes. In Auto mode, it ping-pong across the room without rhyme or reason.

Smaller homes or apartments will find this suitable. Similarly, you can use a virtual wall to cordon off some areas to avoid vacuum from getting tangled in cords or other problem areas.

Using the virtual wall is not a problem, simply turn it on and place where you want the vacuum not to cross further.

The vacuum doesn’t face any trouble returning back to its dock. Sometimes it can struggle and will end up dead while getting back to its dock, but it’s rare.

The SmartClean offers 90 minutes of impressive battery life which is enough to clean a decent chunk of kitchen, hallway, living room, in this small price.

Final Words

The SmartClean is an affordable vacuum which is $100 less expensive than the entry-level Roomba 690.

Overall, The Bissell SmartClean 1974 is an excellent robot that offers all bells and whistles but only struggles to navigate in larger areas.

This Bissell SmartClean 1974 Review & Ratings explains why this vacuum you should buy or not. We break down pros, cons, features, and performance to help you make a better decision.

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Eufy Robovac 11

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The iLife A8 Robot vacuum cleaner offers the best navigation and automatic docking abilities in a reasonable price under $300, it’s low-profile design allows it to penetrate under most furniture. Unlike the most expensive models like Ecovacs Deebot N79S, it does not offer advanced features like app and voice control. But it’s superior connectivity and cleaning capabilities make iLife A8 a top bot available at affordable price.

iLife A8 Robot Vacuum Cleaner Review

Let’s discuss the iLife A8 Robot Vacuum Cleaner Review in details.

Design

This sleek vacuum has a deep black top panel made of glass, having dust and fingerprints will still make it look classy and elegant. The front bumper contains a panoramic camera and a circular Auto button. The button glows in different colors: green when fully charged, red when facing an error, and orange while charging. You’ll also find infrared sensors at the front bumper, while the dustbin at the back side.

Size-wise, the iLife A8 is quite compact. It has 12.2 inches in diameter and stands 2.8 inches tall. The iLife V8s (which both vacuums and mops) has a diameter of 13-inches and is 3.1-inches tall. The short profile of A8’s makes it an ideal choice for low-clearance furniture.

Flip the bot over and you’ll see drop sensors, side wheels, nose wheel, charging pins, two main treads, two side brushes, and an interchangeable main brush. Similarly, the box contains a charging dock, an extra rubber brush, two spare side brushes, cleaning tools, a spare filter, and remote control without the batteries. Unlike the expensive models, it lacks virtual barriers to restrict specific areas for a bot.

This whole robot machine is controlled by a small remote control which has a monochrome screen up top, and a directional pad underneath. Right between the directional pad, there’s a start/pause button. The bottom directional button toggles the Max cleaning mode, and underneath that are two rows of the button allowing you to schedule, set the time, pick different modes. You can switch between spot and edge cleaning, and return to bot back to its dock.

If you have shag carpet then you can choose your best vacuum for shag carpet and if you have hard floors then you can choose best vacuum for hardwood floors.

Setup and Performance

As it lacks an app component, so you need to just plug in the dock to get the bot charge fully. The A8 requires five hours to charge fully, which is longer than average.

When it comes to performance it excellent at mapping rooms and avoiding obstacles. I was not convinced of the panoramic camera as the bot consistently bumped into cabinets. But, the subsequent bumps were getting gentle as it was learning to map its environment. As for traversing different floor types, the bot managed itself with aplomb.

There are many robot vacuums some clean with the random pattern and other clean with the methodical pattern. While the A8 does both. While set to auto mode, it starts zig-zagging around the room, but soon after it maps the area it switches to methodical cleaning.

At this price point, you will get the best docking performance. Many robots in this range get lost or end up losing juice far from their charging docks. But A8 is much better at returning back to its docking station, not always but usually. It will also identify the shortest path to return to the dock.

Well, due to a snag of smaller dustbin it won’t be able to pick up large piles of dirt or pet hairs, but it performed well to pick up an earplug, a screw, a quarter without issue. But when you see it’s not picking up large dust bunnies or clumps of pet hairs you better check either the bin is full or not.

Though it sends notifications when stuck, but not when the bin is full resulting in an ineffective cleaning. So prepare yourself to empty the dirt bin twice in a cleaning cycle making it not ideal while planning on running the bot unsupervised while you’re at work.

Well, the remote control is also disappointing. It’s nice when scheduling and toggling between modes, the bot never registered directional commands in testing. While for the scheduling options, you can program a once-daily cleaning, but that’s it.

The A8 offers an impressive battery life with 90 minutes of cleaning with a single charge. At this price point, it’s completely fair and enough to clean a small-to-medium apartment on a single floor of a house. When it comes to noise, the Eufy Robovac 11 is still the quietest robot, but the A8 is definitely an improvement over your traditional stick vacuums. While the bot is cleaning in the same room where you are watching TV, you might raise the volume up to avoid the noise created by the bot.

Comparisons and Conclusions

Though the A8 delivers better-than-average navigation, for cleaning it’s not capable to outperform big names. Except the frequent bin cleaning, it’s a decent option for keeping your home clean with minimal work on your end. But if we see other options in this price range, the Eufy Robovac 11 is much effective with longer battery life, less noise and less money. Similarly, the Ecovacs Deebot N79s is an expensive model with app control, more scheduling options, voice commands and strong cleaning performance.

Overall, the iLife A8 Robot Vacuum is an excellent cleaner to fit under low furniture and navigate around household obstacles, but to suck up all crumbs you need few extra sessions.

This iLife A8 Robot Vacuum Review ( Pros & Cons ) Updated breaks down the features, performance, and other options of this robot vacuum to help you make the better decision.

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In this iLife A4s Robot Vacuum Review, I am going to reveal everything about this vacuum allowing you to make an informed decision for shopping this vacuum.

Let’s get started…

Typically robot vacuums are expensive than a traditional vacuum cleaner. But not all…

That said, iLife A4s is a simple vacuum cleaner that traps the dust for a relatively reasonable price. Though it lacks some of the advanced features like Wi-Fi connectivity, it’s solid performance, impressive battery life and the compact design justifies the price. In this same price Eufy Robovac 11 boasts great features.

iLife A4s Robot Vacuum Cleaner Review

Design of iLife A4s

The iLife A4s is 12.2 inches in diameter and 3 inches tall becomes a smaller robot vacuum that we review. This compact size makes this vacuum perfect for low-clearance furniture, Plus easy to carry around.

However, the A4s are fairly nondescript. It can start cleaning with a single push of a button. The front bumper contains infrared sensors, while the other end boasts a large dustbin. Between these ends is a power switch plus a charging port.

Similarly, the bottom of the iLIfe A4s Robot vacuum cleaner is equipped with spin brushes, a swivel wheel, two treads, drop sensors, the main brush, and a charging contact. Right out of the box you will see several accessories and spare parts, remote control, and a charging dock.

The remote control is the only way to switch between different cleaning modes, steer the vacuum in any direction and to schedule cleans.

Similarly, the remote control features three directional buttons: forward, left, and right. While the fourth button is not a back button but instead a Max button that’s usually used for deeper cleaning on carpets.

Between these buttons, a blue button labeled as clean is surrounded that starts cleaning.

Below this button there are Plan and Clock buttons that are basically used for scheduling cleans and setting the time.

Further below, the buttons are used for edge cleaning along the walls, spot cleaning in contained areas, and small rooms, thanks to the small size of the vacuum.

Performance of the Vacuum

You need to run the vacuum on a specific mode, otherwise, the vacuum will operate randomly, it will ping-pong across the rooms as it cleans. Sometimes robotic vacuums can be a tad bit overzealous with furniture around.

The bumps of A4s are more like a gentle tap so nothing to worry about.

Here’s the best part…

The A4s are capable of handling several floor types including tile floor, hardwood floors, area rugs, and carpets. Cleaning raised floor will be challenging for the vacuum.

But remember one thing,

The infrared sensors of this vacuum simply don’t work for very dark flooring. This issue is common with drop sensors as sometimes sensors will consider dark floors as cliffs. An example of this type of floor can be a charcoal rug.

The A4s is ideal when it comes to picking up pet hairs, dust bunnies, and a disturbing amount of food bits from rugs and floor. As stated earlier the dustbin is large enough that you do not have to worry about emptying the bin frequently before a cleaning session has ended.

The A4s beats the biggest names when it comes to battery timing. The battery life of A4s is about 140 minutes and 120 minutes while used in mixed mode. Unlike those vacuums with typical 60 to 90 minutes of battery life, A4s can clean the entire home with a single charge before needing to recharge.

The only problem this vacuum faces is returning reliably to it’s charging dock, which isn’t uncommon among vacuums that lack mapping abilities.

If you have shag carpet then you can choose your best vacuum for shag carpet and if you have hard floors then you can choose best vacuum for hardwood floors.

Essentially, the dock guides the machine to home acting as a large tractor beam. Unfortunately, If the vacuum couldn’t find it’s way to the charging dock due to obstacles while running low on battery, or it’s relatively far from the dock, the vacuum will be confused and eventually lost.

It’s not a noise-free vacuum but compared to other robot models it’s much quieter and won’t even feel if you are sitting in a room with vacuum operating in other room.

Related: Eufy RoboVac 11 Review

Comparisons

You might have guessed that it’s not the most advanced robot vacuum on the market, but it still does an excellent job for a reasonable price. Its compact and has impressive battery life than the Eufy Robovac 11 (100 minutes). But the Robovac 11 is much quieter, better at navigating even on the raised floorings of the kitchen, and easily gets back to the charging dock.

It just depends what features are suitable for your home. One more thing, if you’re likely to spend more Roomba 690 is the right vacuum to invest as it boasts advanced features like Alexa compatibility, app control and voice commands allowing you to start cleaning right from your smartphone.

Final Words

Overall, iLife A4s is a compact, affordable vacuum that busts dust and debris without breaking your bank.

This iLife A4s Robot Vacuum Cleaner Review (Updated) breaks down the features, performance, price and other options of this vacuum cleaner to help you make a better decision.

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Pet owners who have allergies and are annoyed by the shedding of pets need to get Neato XV-21 Pet & Allergy Robot Vacuum.

That said, we have Neato XV-21 Pet & Allergy Automatic Vacuum Cleaner which comes with upgraded filters and picks up tons of dust and pet hairs with it’s efficiently designed bristled brushes.

This robot can silently pick up every straying pet hair, even you can set it clean automatically while you are not around. Though it struggles in tight corners but has super allergy-fighting power.

Though XV-21 being a robot vacuum will destroy every pet hair but you might need a traditional vacuum cleaner to get the things squeaky clean.

Neato XV-21 Pet & Allergy Robotic Vacuum Review

Let’s discuss the Neato XV-21 Pet & Allergy Robotic Vacuum Review in details.

Design and Setup

It looks similar to the XV-11 but both bots share aesthetics of a Super Nintendo video game system from 1990. Though the design is not much attractive but still gets the job done efficiently.

The XV-21 weighs around 8.2 pounds, stands a little over 4 inches, and has a diameter of 13 inches. For controlling there are five buttons on the vacuum: a start button to activate the robot, two menu navigation buttons, a select button, and a back button.

You can control these options through the easy-to-read 2.5-inch black and white display. Either schedule the robot to automatically clean on certain days and time or Spot clean a specific area.

When you receive the robot the very first thing to do is to put it on the charging station. Due to the inductive charging, you have to press the front of the robot so that it’s pressed up against the charging dock to work.

It can recharge in less than three hours and lasts for 45 minutes allowing you to clean 550-square foot apartment. If during cleaning, the bot runs low on battery, it stops cleaning and heads back after refilling to get the job done.

If you have shag carpet then you can choose your best vacuum for shag carpet and if you have hard floors then you can choose best vacuum for hardwood floors.

Performance

As you only need to press the Start button when the robot is fully charged. But the sound will let you know when the robot is activated. The starting sound is very similar to a plane taking off but reduces instantly. If we compare it with traditional vacuums it’s quiet but you tend to notice the noise a lot more while you’re not the one doing the work.

With the help of laser-based room positioning technology, it can create a 360-degree view of the room to analyze all the rooms including the furniture, doorways, and any obstacle lying around in an area of 13 meters.

The robot works surprisingly well while avoiding accidental bumps. It can traverse the rooms back and forth going from bedroom to living room to bathroom.

A reasonably large dustbin is housed under a big purple lid at the top of the vacuum which is easy to pop up and has the capacity to let the robot clean many rooms and apartments before getting filled.

When you will look into the dustbin, you will be amazed to see the amount of dirt and pet hairs this vacuum sucked up compared to the normal vacuums occasional crumb or stray dog hair.

Furthermore, the XV-21 can work flawlessely either its hardwood floors, rugs, tiles or carpets. As mentioned earlier, it won’t suck up the tight corners, which, of course, is where pet hair tends to accumulate.

Therefore, get handheld Dyson for these areas so that you can completely get off pet hairs.

Though it picks up tons of dust and pet hairs, and remove allergens, it still leaves few behinds. There is no more an allergy-combatant than this handheld mini vacuum.

Cleaning the robot is simple, remove the dirt bin, open its door, and then throw the garbage out and pop the dustbin back.

If you have used XV-11, you will definitely love the XV-21. There are a lot of accessories you can upgrade your model with a new bristle brush and keep the device’s latest firmware. As it cannot spray and scrub your floor, but it works on variety of surfaces and makes the floor sleek with ut’s dirt sensors.

Overall, the Neato XV-21 is an excellent robot vacuum that picks up an astonishing amount of dust and pet hair, but it’s no replacement for a traditional vacuum.

This Neato XV-21 Pet & Allergy Vacuum Review breaks downs features, performance, pros, cons, and other options of this robot model to help you make the better decision.

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While robot vacuum cleaners have been improving over the years with decreasing price curve but still spending hundreds of dollars just for getting efficient cleaning is extravagant.

Because tons of robot vacuums including the Ecovacs Deebot N79S can get the job done without breaking the bank. The Deebot N79S is an affordable vacuum that offers more than the price it costs. Besides an impressive battery life and manual steering, it supports app control and voice commands capabilities which are typically seen in more expensive models.

Ecovacs Deebot N79S Review

But that’s not all, It delivers stronger clean compared to other vacuums in the same price range.

Design of Deebot N79S

Don’t get fooled by the basic circular looks. This 13.9 inches diameter is slightly wider than Eufy RoboVac 11 and the iLife A4s. However, with a height of 3.3 inches, it can steer below couch, furniture, and bed to clean those hard to reach areas except lowest-clearance furniture. You may not like the dark chocolate colour but it can easily blend with most home decor.

Right above the Deebot and Ecovacs logo at the top you can see an oblong tab that houses the Wi-Fi indicator light and the Auto Clean button. The side contains the power switch, the front bumper houses bot’s infrared sensors, while a removable dustbin resides at the back.

Furthermore, there are two spin brushes, the main roller brush, contact charges, two main threads, a nose wheel and a drop sensors located on the bottom, flip and see them.

You also get a remote control with a monochrome screen and a glossy black finish. At the top, there’s a charge button that moves the bot back to it’s charging cradle and an Auto Clean button. In addition, there is a button to Start/Pause and a directional pad to steer the vacuum in specific directions. After these, there are two rows of buttons: Time and Date, Scheduling, Spot cleaning, Room Cleaning, Wi-Fi Setup, and Edge Cleaning.

App and Alexa

You can take advantage of the mobile app that works for Android and iOS. After you download choose the Ecovacs robot from the list of products that are available, press the Wi-Fi button on the remote and you will hear a beep asking you to enter homes’ Wi-Fi password, the connection of 2.4GHz is compatible while 5GHz is not supported. You just need to connect the robot manually with your Wi-Fi and rest will be taken care.

If you couldn’t find the N79S Wi-Fi network just restart the process and you will find it on your phone.

After establishing the connection you can clearly see the status of the robot on the left of the app screen with the remaining battery life on the right side.

Then a directional pad to control the movements of the vacuum using your phone. Underneath, there’s a screen lists all the cleaning modes available to use.

As mentioned earlier, it supports voice commands using Amazon Alexa. Like the Deebot R95, all you need is to enable the Ecovacs skill in the Alexa app.

You can even use the Alexa-compatible device, one you have linked with your account, to start and stop cleaning by voice, and to tell the robot to go to home (docking station) for recharge.

If you have shag carpet then you can choose your best vacuum for shag carpet and if you have hard floors then you can choose best vacuum for hardwood floors.

Performance

The N79S robot vacuum is surprisingly powerful. It can pick up dirt, suck pet hairs, crumbs, and dust from floors. While cleaning it can even pick surprisingly large objects like USB sticks if there are any lying. Other robot vacuums would malfunction facing this kind of objects and with N79S you can pick your objects from the dustbin.

Well, the N79S will struggle to navigate if there are common household obstacles around, as well as trawling across different floor types. However, the bot releases a beep telling you that it needs your assistance. But, it’s an easy fix using the mobile phone app or remote. You can set the cleanings on schedule for certain days and time, as well as enable spot cleaning for one specific area, or edge cleaning when you also want to corners of the house covered.

As for noise, you might be able to hear while the vacuum in operation, but it won’t be too bad when making the rounds around the other parts of your home. The impressive battery life provides juice for 95 minutes in a single charge that’s enough to clean a single floor of a house or an average apartment.

Comparisons and Conclusion

Compared with the Eufy Robovac 11, The N79S is much more powerful, supports Alexa’s voice, and app control. It lacks Google Assistant compatibility like the iRobot Roomba 690 but that only increases the price. So despite some minor navigational and connectivity issues, the Ecovacs Deebot N79S is an excellent vacuum that provides tremendous value for the money you spend.

This Ecovacs Deebot N79S Review ( Updated ) breaks down the features, performance, pros, cons, and other options of this robot models for making better decision.

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