Robot vacuums are impressive devices that will clean your floors well and — thanks to bigger batteries and better robot brains — rarely get tired of doing their job. Over the last few years, they have gone from being utilitarian devices that sweep your floor to full-fledged home robots that can vacuum and mop your home and then trundle off to clean themselves to be ready for the next run.
Technology
The best robot vacuums you can buy
I’ve been testing robot vacuums for seven years and have run over 70 robot vacuums all over my house. These are my top picks if you’re looking for the best: a robot vacuum that can do it all with limited intervention from you.
Along with my top picks, I have options to fit specific needs, such as mopping or besting pet hair. The good news is that there are a lot of great options. Whether you have a 3,000-square-foot home and three shaggy dogs or a small, stylish apartment you share with a goldfish, there’s a robot vacuum to suit your needs.
What I look for
I test robot vacuums constantly. At any time, there are seven or eight of these busy little bots roaming my floors. Alongside everyday use, I put them through a gauntlet of specific tests. This includes testing object detection and avoidance with phone chargers, socks, a pencil, and fake pet poop. I throw in Cheerios or popcorn to see if they know to vacuum that up rather than avoid it. I also run them over oatmeal and flour to see how well they pick up fine debris and have them tackle both thick and low-pile carpets. I watch to see how they handle rug tassels, skinny chair legs, and room transitions.For mopping prowess, I test them on hardwood and tile floors with dried milk, fresh OJ, and ketchup. I monitor how quickly they fill up their bin / auto-empty dock and how efficiently they use water and clean their mop pads.I also set schedules, hook them up to voice assistants, and play with any advanced features in the app. I evaluate how well they map and how easy the maps are to edit and use, as well as test and unique features such as home security camera capabilities, AI cleaning programs, and auto-mop removal.
It’s not all about suction. In my testing, the brush is also a big factor in how well a robot will clean your floors. A large rubber roller brush is much better than a small bristle brush at picking up debris. It’s also less prone to getting tangled up with hair. Two brushes are better than one, and a brush housing that has some flexibility — so it can move with the contours of the floor — is also more effective.It’s hard to find a robot vac that doesn’t have some form of mopping, but not all mops are created equal. I looked for mopping bots that could get up dried-on stains, like milk and ketchup, and scrub up small wet spills without messing themselves up. Oscillating, spinning, or vibrating mop pads clean better than bots that just drag a wet rag around, but the new self-cleaning roller mops that are beginning to appear are even more effective. Auto-carpet sensing is also important since it prevents the robot from accidentally mopping your rug.
A big bin means you don’t need to empty it as often. The largest I’ve seen is 800ml, but anything over 500ml is decent. With many bots now pulling double duty as mopping robots, plus the popularity of self-empty dock / charging bases, it’s getting harder to find small robot vacs with big bins. But they’re worth considering — especially if you have carpets and pets. I love self-empty docks, but sometimes you don’t have space for them, and if you like your robot to be out of sight (living under your bed or sofa), you’ll want a big bin and no dock.Self-emptying docks are becoming standard now and coming down in price (thankfully). A self-empty dock turns the charging base for your robot into a motorized emptying station that sucks out the dirt from its bin. (Warning: this process can be loud!) This saves you from having to pull out the bin after every few runs and empty it yourself. Instead, you’ll have to replace the bag (and buy new ones) when it gets full, generally about once a month. Many robots now have a self-empty dock option you can add later, although buying them together is generally cheaper.
Another nice-to-have feature, AI-powered obstacle detection helps your robot “intelligently” detect and avoid clutter (and a potential poop apocalypse if it encounters pet waste). These models use cameras (worth noting) to see objects in their path and onboard processors to “decide” how to approach them based on what they see. All AI is not created equal, however, and some are much better at this than others. The end result is that robot vacuums with AI detection are less likely to get stuck when cleaning, so you’re more likely to come home to a clean floor rather than a beached bot.A robot that maps your house will get into every nook and cranny better than one that bumps and rolls around. Mapping also lets you send the robot to clean specific rooms rather than the whole space and add virtual walls to prevent your bot from going where you don’t want it to. These are crucial if you have delicate objects or areas in your home that regularly trap robots. Most robots use variations on simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) technology, such as lidar or vSLAM.
A good app has easy controls to stop and start your vacuum, scheduling options (including do-not disturb hours), plus good mapping features. Nice-to-have features are room-specific cleaning and settings (so you can tell your vacuum to clean the kitchen or have it mop and vacuum the kitchen but only vacuum the living room). My biggest frustration with apps is maps that are fiddly to update and / or crash and must be rebuilt constantly. Most vacuums now have voice control (see FAQs), but some offer more in-depth control, such as telling Alexa to have the robot clean twice under the dining room table.
Nearly all robot vacuums can “recharge and resume” — take themselves back to their dock when they’re low and recharge before picking up where they left off. But a vacuum with at least 120 minutes of runtime (180 is ideal) will clean the whole house in one go. If it takes too long, noisy robots that are constantly running will get shut off by annoyed family members who aren’t about to clean the room for you.Robot vacuums are quite an investment, and it’s important to be able to buy replacement parts to keep them going for longer and have access to good support in case your robot has a serious issue.
$750
The Good
- Excellent vacuuming performance
- Good sonic mopping
- Extendable side brush gets into corners better
- Very good app
The Bad
- Dock is still quite ugly
- Mopping tray is hard to clean
- Expensive
Dustbin capacity: 270ml / Self-empty dock option: Yes / Auto-refill mop option: Yes / Mop lift: Yes, 20mm / Mop washing: Hot water and heated air drying / Mapping: Yes, lidar / AI-powered obstacle detection: Yes / Suction power: 10,000Pa / Remote check-in: Yes / Keep-out zones: Yes, virtual / Brush style: Dual rubber / Works with: Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Siri Shortcuts, Apple Home via Matter
Roborock’s S8 MaxV Ultra ($1,799.99) is an exceptional vacuum cleaner and a very good mop. Its dual rubber roller brushes and 10,000Pa suction make it great on carpets; its sonic mopping is very good on hard floors, and its improved AI-powered obstacle detection means it will most likely get the job done without getting trapped or derailed.
The S8 MaxV Ultra is the best in the category of “hands-free” robot vacs, bots that do virtually everything for you: empty their bins, refill their mop tanks, and clean and dry their mop pads. Roborock invented this category with the S7 MaxV Ultra and has been steadily improving it.
That’s the big selling point here; this bot is basically hands-free. Fill the S8 MaxV Ultra’s clean water tank and empty its dirty water once a week and change out the dust bag every couple of months. The robot will take care of the rest.
For $100 more, you can dispense with dealing with the water tanks entirely and buy the Refill & Drainage System model. This lets you plumb the charging base directly into your home’s water supply. I’ve not tested this on the Roborock, but my experience with the SwitchBot S10 with the same feature leads me to recommend this option if you can swing it.
The S8 MaxV Ultra comes with excellent AI-powered obstacle detection, bringing back the camera it last had on the S7 MaxV Ultra. It’s not quite as good as Roomba’s obstacle detection — it sometimes confused a pile of Cheerios for a charging cable and avoided them — but it’s much better than the Roborocks that rely on non-camera obstacle detection. It deftly navigates around most household clutter, allowing you to get the job done without having to tidy up.
Roborock has caught up to Roomba on cleaning prowess, and the S8 MaxV Ultra’s dual rubber brushes and 10,000Pa of suction power tackled the pet hair on my fluffy carpet and demolished my oatmeal test.
It also did a better job at mopping than Roomba’s mopping bots, though not quite as well as the Narwal Freo X Ultra or Dreame X40 Ultra, though it’s a better vacuum than either.
Its sonic mopping system — which vibrates its mop pad 4,000 times a minute — ably simulated scrubbing and wiped out my OJ and ketchup tests, though I did have to set it to deep scrub. Plus, the addition of a side mop and flexi-arm brush that extends from the bot helped with cleaning edges and corners.
Roborock’s mobile app is easy to use and comes with a laundry list of features and customizations that give you ample control over your cleaning. The S8 MaxV Ultra also has a built-in voice assistant, which makes getting the bot to clean the mess your kid made after dinner as easy as saying, “Rocky, clean here.”
Roborock also sells the S8 Max Ultra (no V) for $1,599.99. It has the same cleaning hardware as the MaxV but no camera, so its obstacle detection will not be as good. However, you also don’t have to worry about a camera in your house. It has a lower 8,000Pa of suction and lacks a voice assistant, too, which makes it seem overpriced since it’s currently only a couple hundred dollars less than the MaxV.
There are several great vacuum / mop hybrids in this guide. Of them, the S8 MaxV Ultra is the best at vacuuming and obstacle detection, and it’s a very good mop. It can also do both in one run, as it can lift its mop 20mm, which will clear all but the highest-pile rugs. If you have a lot of those, go for the Dreame X40, with its automatic mop removal. Its vacuuming and object detection are a notch below the Roborock’s, but its mopping is a notch above. The Narwal Freo X Ultra is an even better mop than the Dreame, but its obstacle detection isn’t great, and its vacuuming is merely pretty good.
Read my Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra review.
$220
The Good
- Cheap, even with the auto-empty dock
- A dual mop and dustbin means no swapping
- Room-specific cleaning
- Carpet boost
The Bad
- Short battery life
- Slow to recharge
- Docking can be spotty
- Basic obstacle detection
Dustbin capacity: 300ml / Self-empty dock option: Yes / Auto-refill mop option: No / Mop lift: No / Mop washing: No / Mapping: Yes, lidar / AI-powered obstacle detection: No / Suction power: 5,300Pa / Remote check-in: No / Keep-out zones: Yes, virtual / Brush style: Single rubber bristle hybrid / Works with: Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Siri Shortcuts
For around $300, the Tapo RV30 Max Plus is a very capable robot vacuum and mop with some key features usually only found on vacuums that are more than twice its price. These include room-specific cleaning, multiple suction and water levels, smart lidar-based navigation, and an auto-empty dock. With brands like Roomba and Roborock, you’re often paying double for the privilege of not having to empty the bot’s bin.
Thanks to lidar navigation, the RV30 did an excellent job of navigating my house, cleaning the perimeters of the rooms, and then using a mesh grid to clean inside the rooms. I did have to tidy up before it ran, though, as there’s no camera on board or AI-powered obstacle detection — so cables and socks will trip it up.
Its 5,200Pa suction power is impressive on a bot at this price, and ably sucked up Cheerios and dry oatmeal on hard flooring. It left some of the finer dust and debris, as its single bristle / rubber brush isn’t super effective. It fared less well on carpet. However, in the app, I could set it to clean a room three times for each job, after which it had generally picked up all visible debris.
Mopping was better than average for a mop with no pressure or oscillation. It has a wide mop pad, and the bot has a big 300ml tank (which also incorporates a 300ml dustbin), so it applies enough water to do a good surface clean.
Another unique feature for a budget robot is the ability to set customized cleaning for each room, choosing from five suction levels and three water levels as well as the three rotations.
5,200Pa suction power is impressive on a bot at this price
The Tapo app is very simple to use, with an easy-to-edit map that lets you add virtual walls and no-go zones, add furniture, and designate carpet areas. There’s no carpet sensing, so you need to tell it where carpets are if you don’t want it to mop them. You can even set the cleaning direction and build up to four maps — again, features usually only found on higher-end robots.
It’s also super easy to start a clean, and I really like that you can just tap on the map to send the robot to that spot. The biggest downside of the Tapo is its tiny battery, which is just 2,600mAh. That is half the size of most vacs, and it couldn’t clean my entire 800-square-foot downstairs without needing to go back and recharge. It also takes a while to charge and occasionally had trouble repositioning itself on its dock. You can get the RV30 without the auto-empty dock for around $80 less if you prefer an even simpler robot vacuum setup. This way, it will fit under a couch or bed, but you’ll have to manually empty its bin.
Best mopping robot vacuum for hard floors
$700
The Good
- The best mopping robot
- Also good at vacuuming
- Very quiet
- Big water tanks mean less refilling
The Bad
- Middling laser-based obstacle avoidance
- Wonky app
- Huge charging dock
Dustbin capacity: 1L / Self-empty dock option: No / Auto-refill mop option: Yes / Mop lift: Yes, 12mm / Mop washing: Yes, hot air drying / Mapping: Yes, lidar / AI-powered obstacle detection: Yes / Suction power: 8,200Pa / Remote check-in: No / Keep-out zones: Yes, virtual / Brush style: Single, conical rubber bristle hybrid / Works with: Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Siri Shortcuts
The Narwal Freo X Ultra is one of the best mopping robots I’ve tested — and it’s a good vacuum, too. Its spinning triangular mop pads rotate at 180RPM with 12n of downward pressure. Combined with its ability to swing slightly to get closer to baseboards, the Narwal does a very good job on hard floors. Its dual four-liter water tanks will keep you going longer than most other mopping bots as well, the majority of which feature smaller tanks.
The Narwal has some innovative features, including dirt sense — which analyzes the dirt level in the water and prompts it to remop — and an ability to adapt the pressure of its mop based on the type of floor, applying more pressure to tile and less to hardwood. “Freo” refers to the bot’s ability to make cleaning “decisions,” including going back to clean dirty floors.
Its charging dock is very big, though, giving off a real Wall-E vibe. But despite the size, there’s no spot for an auto-empty dustbin; instead, Narwal’s disposable onboard bin compresses the dust, and Narwal claims you won’t need to empty it for up to 60 days. It wasn’t close to full after two weeks of testing. A bonus here is that there’s no loud noise, as is the case with most auto-empty docks.
Its charging dock is very big, giving off a real Wall-E vibe
In fact, the Freo X Ultra is one of the quietest bots I’ve tested. Even at full power, it was so quiet that I had to check that it was working. Its anti-tangle brush and 8,200Pa suction did a good job on most carpet, but its 12mm mop lifting isn’t good for plush carpets.
Narwal’s obstacle detection is also only okay; there’s no camera, and it routinely eats cables. Its three lasers can identify objects as small as a sock and move around them, and it did pass my fake pet poop test.
The app is very hard to follow, making it tricky to access all of the bot’s features. Mapping was fast, but it didn’t recognize all my rooms on the first go. It did better the second time, although splitting up rooms and naming them in the app was painful. The lack of a camera also means its navigation is spotty, and sending it to clean specific rooms wasn’t always successful. But if you’ve got a lot of hard floors to keep clean, it will do an excellent job.
Best robot vacuum / mop hybrid
$650
The Good
- Self-removing mop pads
- Mop extension reaches under edges
- Self-cleaning washboard
- Dirt detection tech
The Bad
- Middling AI obstacle detection
- Single rubber roller brush
- App can be flaky
Dustbin capacity: 300ml / Self-empty dock option: Yes / Auto-refill mop option: Yes / Mop-lift: Yes, 20mm / Mop washing: Hot water, hot air drying / Mapping: Yes, lidar / AI-powered obstacle detection: Yes / Suction power: 12,000Pa / Remote check-in: Yes / Keep-out zones: Yes, virtual / Brush style: Single, rubber / Works with: Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Siri Shortcuts
The Dreame X40 is the best robot vacuum / mop hybrid because it can drop its mop pads automatically, extend them, and swing them to get under your cabinets and consoles. I watched the X40 spread its mops wide apart and swing behind my TV console, allowing it to access the dust wedged a good inch under it. That’s impressive.
The X40 also features an extending side brush arm to reach corners — like the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra — and its dual oscillating mop pads are more effective than Roborock’s thin microfiber pad. If you have a mix of carpeted rooms and hardwood floors with high-pile rugs, the Dreame is the best robot vacuum for you.
Its signature feature is its ability to automatically remove and reattach its mop pads, depending on whether it’s vacuuming or mopping. This solves the problem of how to vacuum and mop without getting your rugs wet. The robot will do this procedure multiple times during cleaning to ensure carpets are vacuumed and floors are mopped. Genius.
While it’s a superb mopper, its vacuuming prowess is slightly behind the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra because, despite its 12,000Pa suction power, it still only has a single roller rubber brush. The Roborock’s dual rollers are simply better at getting dirt out of carpets and tackling pet hair.
If you have a mix of carpeted rooms and hardwood floors with high-pile rugs, the Dreame is the best robot vacuum for you
Roborock’s app is also more stable and easier to use than Dreame’s, which often crashes and can take a while to load. While the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra is my top pick overall, the Dreame X40 is a very good vacuum, and the two companies are neck and neck regarding innovative features.
The X40 can also clean its washboard, something the Roborock can’t. That area can get quite grungy, so it needs a cleaning every few weeks. The X40 has AI-powered smart dirt detection that uses its cameras to identify spills like milk or particularly dirty areas. When it spots something, it will slow down and do a more thorough cleaning. I also like Dreame’s option to vacuum first and then mop, which the Roborock doesn’t offer.
The X40 has AI-powered obstacle detection, although Roborock’s is just a bit better. However, both still get tripped up occasionally by pencils and other small items — something that never happens with the Roombas with this feature.
Best midrange robot vacuum / mop
$500
The Good
- Good AI-powered obstacle detection
- Effective mopping
- Excellent value
- Nice dock
The Bad
- Single rubber / bristle brush
- Lower suction power
- No heated mop washing
- Some navigation issues
Dustbin capacity: Unknown / Self-empty dock option: Yes / Auto-refill mop option: Yes / Mop lift: Yes, 12mm / Mop washing: Yes, hot air drying / Mapping: Yes, lidar / AI-powered obstacle detection: Yes / Suction power: 8,000Pa / Remote check-in: No / Keep-out zones: Yes, virtual / Brush style: Single rubber / bristle hybrid / Works with: Amazon Alexa, Google Home
The Eufy X10 Pro Omni combines the Eufy Clean X9 Pro mopping robot vacuum and the Eufy X8 Pro self-empty robot vacuum. It’s the first Eufy with a multifunction auto-empty / wash / fill dock, and unlike many bots in this price range, it comes with AI-powered obstacle detection.
With 8,000Pa suction and oscillating dual spinning brushes for mopping, the X10 has all the same functions as the top-of-the-line, all-in-one bots — but it’s not quite as good at any of them. Which is sort of the definition of “midrange.”
The X10 has all the same functions as the top-of-the-line, all-in-one bots — but it’s not quite as good at any of them
The Eufy performed excellently in my mopping tests, even eradicating dried stains with its 1kg of downward pressure. Thanks to an onboard water reservoir, it didn’t have to head home to fill up as frequently as some mopping bots do. It also has heated mop drying to help prevent the base from getting stinky — a first in this price range. (There’s no hot water washing.)
An edge-hugging mode makes the robot swing its behind into the baseboards to help mop edges. With its square-ish shape, it got into corners better than most of the round bots. But its 12mm mop pad lift over carpet wasn’t effective, resulting in its pads getting hung up in a few places.
The X10 has great object recognition, allowing it to suck up Cheerios and piles of oatmeal while deftly navigating fake dog turds and cables. However, its navigation sometimes got screwy; it would go into a corner and stay there for a while, trying to figure itself out.
While its vacuuming is good, particularly on carpet and tile surfaces, the single rubber / bristle roller brush lets it down and is a good illustration of my point that it’s not all about suction power; it’s also about the brushes and how you use them. The Eufy’s brush is supposedly anti-tangle — a cutting tool inside the robot should shred the hair — but this wasn’t effective.
The Eufy Clean app is very easy to use, and the lidar-powered mapping was fast and accurate, dividing my rooms correctly on the first try. There are many customization options — including room-specific cleaning, zone cleaning, and customized cleaning — but the app is clear and well laid out.
Best robot vacuum for pet hair
$600
The Good
- Excellent vacuuming
- Superior AI obstacle detection
- Smart scrub feature works well
- Attractive dock that doubles as a table
The Bad
- Small mop pad
- Limited cleaning customization
- Mapping can take a long time
- Navigation can be buggy
Dustbin capacity: 250 ml / Self-empty dock option: Yes / Auto-refill mop option: Yes / Mop lift: Yes, up and over / Mop washing: Yes / Mapping: Yes, vSLAM / AI-powered obstacle detection: Yes / Suction power: N/A / Remote check-in: No / Keep-out zones: Yes, virtual / Brush style: Dual rubber / Works with: Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Siri Shortcuts, Apple Home via the Matter protocol.
While Roombas may have fallen behind the competition in terms of features and innovation, there’s one area in which they reign supreme, and that’s cleaning prowess. Their dual rubber roller brushes rotate in opposite directions to effectively dig up dirt from carpets, and they are by far the best at tackling pet hair on all surfaces. They are also one of the most self-repairable robot vacuums you can buy, with spare parts for most of the bot’s bits readily available.
The newest model, the Combo 10 Max, is the best Roomba for pet hair as it ties for the highest suction power of the current Roomba line, plus it can clean its own mop. It also has top-notch AI-powered obstacle detection that is able to tell the difference between pet poop and a pile of popcorn (and vacuum up one while avoiding the other).
While its mopping isn’t great — the pad is tiny, and there’s no swinging to get along baseboards — it does a decent job, and its retractable mopping system is handy if you have a lot of carpets. All of this makes the Combo 10 Max a great buy for pet parents who are in a daily battle with shedding and occasional muddy paw prints.
The Combo is the first Roomba with a multifunction dock that can refill its mopping tank and self-wash its mopping pad, meaning less hands-on time for you. (The j9 Combo Plus has the same suction power and can refill its mopping tank but can’t wash the mop pad.) The SmartScrub feature that tells the robot to wiggle its butt to scrub your floors works surprisingly well, but it’s really only effective on small areas, making it good to run in hallways and around pet bowls for an extra clean.
The Dirt Detect feature remembers the dirtiest rooms, actively seeking out spots my hairy Wirehaired Pointing Griffon hangs out
The Dirt Detect feature remembers the dirtiest rooms, and I found that meant it actively seeks out the spots my hairy Wirehaired Pointing Griffon hangs out. The 10 Max can also be set to mop only, which is a new option and is handy for deep cleans. But there’s no hot water washing or hot air drying of the mop as there is on similar Dreame and Roborock models, so you’ll want to throw the pad in the washing machine every now and then.
iRobot’s app is also a bit of a pain point. While I appreciate its simplicity, I miss the deeper cleaning customization options that most other high-end robot vacuum apps offer. And it’s recently started popping up ads for Roomba products when I navigate between screens — which is one of the features I did not want to see migrate over from the competition.
While its mapping is very good, it can take a really long time (Roombas use vSLAM, not lidar), and it doesn’t seem to adapt to changes in my home as easily as other robots. (It also doesn’t lose my maps as often as other robots.) I’ve also noticed that the newer Roombas (j9 and 10 Max) suffer from the occasional navigation glitches, occasionally getting confused and needing to be rebooted.
I really like Roomba’s dock design, which, while large enough to accommodate two rather small water tanks, is the most stylish of all the multifunction docks. Plus, because you access the water tanks from the front rather than the top (as on most other models), it can be used as a table. That’s a small quality-of-life upgrade I enjoy.
Overall, it’s a good-looking robot that vacuums really well and is smart enough to get the job done with limited intervention. If you’re not interested in mopping at all, however, save some money and get the Roomba j9 Plus. It has similar cleaning prowess, a self-empty dock, and no messing with mopping.
Other robot vacuums to consider
- The 360 Vis Nav ($499.99
$999.99), Dyson’s first robovac in the US in almost a decade, is a powerful beast and the best robot vacuum for carpets I’ve tested. But its navigation needs a lot of work. If you have a simple floor plan with a lot of carpets, it is worth considering, but the short battery life and lack of an auto-empty dock are major cons. Read more in this hands-on. - The Roomba j7 ($599.99) is a previous top pick that has great AI-powered obstacle detection, excellent navigation skills, and superior cleaning power. It can be a bit rough with furniture, but it is aggressive at getting your floors clean and is a great vacuum-only Roomba.
- The Dreame X30 Ultra ($399.99
$899.99) is the older version of my top pick for a vacuum / mop hybrid and is a great buy if you can get it on sale. It does most everything the X40 Ultra does, just with lower suction power (8,3000Pa) and no flexi-arm. - The Roborock Q8 Max Plus ($659.99) is the bigger brother to the Q5 Pro (my pick for pet hair in my budget robot vacuum guide), adding better obstacle detection (still no camera) and better mopping. However, it has a smaller bin to make way for a much bigger water reservoir for mopping (350ml). If you like the idea of the Q5 Pro but want better mopping, this is a good option, although it’s currently only available without an auto-empty dock at Walmart for $179.99 ($20 off).
- The Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 ($299.99
$699.99) was my previous runner-up pick for a midrange option that self-empties its bin, vacuums, and mops. It mops very well, but you have to manually fill and attach the mop reservoir and empty the bin.
What I’m testing and what’s coming next
- The Matic is a $1,095 robot vacuum that doesn’t require a cloud connection and utilizes cameras for navigation. It’s also the first robovac / mop I’ve seen that can suck up both wet and dry spills. It’s easily the smartest machine I’ve tested, one that can mimic human cleaning with impressive precision and excellent mapping and navigation abilities. It’s also easy to operate and maintain, and it’s proven to be remarkably reliable. We’ll be publishing our full review soon, so stay tuned. In the meantime, here’s some video of it in action.
- DJI’s new Romo robot vacuum / mop comes in three configurations, with the flagship model being the transparent Romo P, which retails for €1,899 (around $2,200). Then there’s the Romo A, which is partially transparent and costs €1,599 (around $1,700), and the white Romo S, which is the most affordable at €1,299 (around $1,500). All three use wide-angle dual-transmitter solid-state lidar — the same tech found in DJI’s flagship drones — along with a pair of fish-eye vision sensors, which allow them to spot objects as thin as a playing card. All three models offer built-in sound suppression and hot air for drying mop pads, although the auto-empty base for the high-end Romo P also features a slot for dispensing a “floor deodorizer solution.” At the moment, all three robovacs are only available in Europe.
- Roborock’s Saros 10 ($1,599.99) and 10R ($1,599.99) are upgrades to the S8 MaxV Ultra. Both can automatically remove their mop pads when not needed — a new option for Roborock — and feature an AdaptLift chassis to climb high room transitions. The 10R features 19,000Pa suction power, StarSight 2.0 navigation, and oscillating mops. The Saros 10 has 22,000Pa of suction power, lidar navigation, and the vibrating flat mopping pad of the S8 MaxV.
- Roborock also recently released the Saros Z70 ($1,999.99,
$2,599), which is the first mass-produced robovac to feature a robotic arm that can pick up objects like socks and tissues. The arm itself isn’t particularly reliable, but the Z70 still functions as an excellent robot vacuum with 22,000Pa suction power, support for Roborock’s StarSight navigation system, and an AdaptLift chassis. Read our review. - In March, iRobot announced a new Roomba lineup that starts at $299 and goes up to $999. All of the robovacs come with lidar navigation and mapping, 7,000Pa suction power, and four suction levels. The pricier 405 and 505 models are the first Roombas to feature dual spinning mopping pads, while the 505 also offers heated mop drying, which is something even the higher-end Combo 10 Max lacks.
- In April, iRobot also introduced the Roomba Max 705 ($549.99
$899.99), which comes with an auto-empty dock. The Matter-compatible robovac brings back iRobot’s dual rubber roller brushes, which, based on our previous testing, do an excellent job of picking up pet hair; the 705 also features AI-powered obstacle detection, lidar navigation, and 13,000Pa of suction — the most of any Roomba to date. - iRobot recently released the Roomba Max 705 Combo ($1,299.99), an upgraded version of the Roomba Max 705. The step-up model comes with a new self-deploying mop cover to protect carpets from getting wet, along with an extendable mop that cleans corners and wall edges for a more thorough clean.
- The new Eufy Robot Vacuum Omni E28 ($749.99 with code WS24T2352111
$1,399.99) is a self-emptying, self-refilling, and self-washing robot vacuum / mop hybrid. The vac comes with a deep cleaner integrated into the charging dock, which you can use to spray clean water on stains before sucking everything into a separate wastewater tank. It’s also powerful, boasting up to 20,000Pa of suction power, and offers AI-powered obstacle detection and Matter support. - The Dreame X50 Ultra ($1,049.99
$1,699.99) adds a “motorized swing arm” that acts like a leg, allowing the robovac to climb a transition up to 6cm tall. Otherwise, it’s a lot like the X40 Ultra, only with higher suction power. - The Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni ($839.99
$1,399.99) is the first Deebot with a roller mop. It features an extendable mop that can clean itself, boasts 18,000Pa of suction power, and comes with a redesigned auto-empty fill dock. - The Switchbot K10 Plus Pro Combo ($397.09 at checkout
$417.99) is an upgrade to the compact K10 Plus, a previous pick for the best robot vacuum for small spaces. It has better obstacle detection and a bump up to 3,000Pa of suction power. Plus, its auto-empty dock incorporates a manual stick vacuum. - The Switchbot S20 robot vacuum / mop hybrid ($480 with code BXBX40
$799.99), which looks like the Switchbot S20 Pro announced at CES, launched in early August. It features an extendable roller mop and side brush, as well as 15,000Pa of suction power, which is more than twice that of our previous pick for the best mopping vacuum (the last-gen S10). - SharkNinja’s PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro 2-in-1 robot vacuum / mop ($599.99
$999.99) can lift itself over rugs by up to 20mm. Uniquely, its automatic empty /wash / dry cleaning station doesn’t require bags. - Roborock’s Qrevo Curv ($999.99 $
1,599.99) can raise itself to clear thresholds up to 40mm. The svelte-looking bot gets its name from a curved FlexiArm Arc side brush, which helps prevent hair from tangling as much. - Narwal’s Freo Z Ultra ($949.99 with code FRZU
$1,499.99) is an upgrade to my current pick for the best mopping bot. It features dual cameras and dual AI chips for seeing and identifying objects, which should help with obstacle detection and vacuuming methods. - The Eufy S1 Pro ($799.99 $
1,499.99) has a long roller mop that self-cleans as it mops and features a square-ish design that allows it to get into corners more easily. A single rubber roller brush, 8,000Pa of suction, and 3D-powered obstacle detection tackle the vacuuming.
Robot vacuum FAQ
Suction power is measured in pascals (Pa), and while most vacuums offer between 5,000 and 8,000, we’re starting to see robots with 18,000 and even 22,000Pa. Higher suction power will do a better job getting the fine dust and debris off your floor, but it’s important that it’s paired with effective brushes. The real key to a clean floor with a robot vac is consistency. Run it daily if you can; it won’t keep up as well if it only runs once a week. If you want hands-free cleaning everywhere, you’ll want to budget for one per floor or be prepared to move it around. You can also buy extra charging bases, and most models can map multiple floors.
Yes, every Wi-Fi-connected robot vacuum worth its salt today works with Alexa or Google smart speakers for voice control. However, some are limited to stop, start, pause, and maybe suction level, whereas others can be told to go clean specific areas. Here’s how to set up a bot with Alexa voice control or Google Home voice control. A couple of manufacturers now also work with Siri Shortcuts, so you can use Apple’s Siri voice assistant to command your bot. Robot vacuums are now part of Matter, meaning more opportunities for smart home integration and native Siri voice control for robot vacuums.
Matter is a new smart home standard that allows connected gadgets to work with any smart home platform, including Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Samsung SmartThings. When connected to your smart home platform through Matter, you should be able to control basic robot actions including start / stop and changing cleaning modes, as well as get alerts directly in the app, meaning you won’t need to use the manufacturer’s app for these functions.Matter 1.4 added support for cleaning specific areas, so while you will still need the manufacturer app to set up a map, you will be able to use your smart home platform app and / or voice assistant to direct the robot to do things like clean the kitchen or clean downstairs. Samsung SmartThings and Amazon both support robot vacuums in Matter; Apple added it to iOS 18.4, and Google said support is coming soon.While Amazon Alexa and Google Home have supported robot vacuums for years via the cloud, Matter will bring this control locally. It will also bring support to Apple Home for the first time, allowing you to control them with Siri through HomePods and add them to scenes and automation.There are still relatively few robot vacuums that support Matter. As of November 2025, that list includes:Ecovacs X8 Pro OmniEcovacs Deebot X2 ComboSwitchBot S20SwitchBot S10SwitchBot K10 Pro PlusSwitchBot K10 PlusDreame X50 UltraDreame X40 UltraRoborock Saros 10 and 10RRoborock Saros Z70Roborock S8 MaxV UltraRoomba Combo 10
Photos by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge
Update, November 4th: Adjusted pricing / availability and added some new information regarding the Matic and DJI’s Romo robot vacuum. Sheena Vasani also contributed to this post.
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I’ve seen lots of so-called “smart” bike locks over the years, but none so far could justify the added cost. A newcomer that got its start securing ATMs for banks is trying to change that. There’s nothing wholly unique about the TMD Chain Lock, but the combination of materials, performance, and insurance-friendly ART-2 certification makes it worth considering.
TMD’s first bicycle lock combines a Bluetooth proximity sensor and motion alarm with a slender core of hardened steel chain wrapped in a soft and lightweight sleeve of high performance Dyneema and Kevlar fibers. That makes this lock tough, yet flexible enough to conveniently wrap around your seat post when cycling. TMD also designed the keyless lock to be shareable with friends and family, and capable of withstanding shock, rain, dust, and extreme temperatures. That makes it highly suited to city bikes parked outside and ridden all year long.
I like the TMD Chain Lock I’ve been testing, but spending €249 (about $283) on something that typically costs far less is a big ask.
$280
The Good
- Strong yet flexible lock won’t scratch bike
- Digital key can be shared with friends and family
- Convenient if you lock your bike several times a day
- ART-2 certified for insurance
- Loud enough alarm
The Bad
- Very expensive
- Lacks USB-C charging
- Annoying operating sounds
The chasm separating ATM security from bike security isn’t as wide as it might seem. TMD developed a centralized, keyless system for banks to authorize access to its ATMs for service, replacing the physical master keys that created a massive security risk whenever they were lost or stolen. It’s this same keyless knowhow that TMD now brings to the Bluetooth bike lock.
There are many advantages to turning phones into digital keys, especially in bike-centric societies like the Netherlands, which TMD calls home. For example, I could ride to the train station and have an authorized friend pick the bike up later. And the keyless convenience quickly adds up for those of us that use our bikes to commute to work, pick up the kids from daycare and football, run errands, and shop for groceries. In my home city of Amsterdam, it’s not unusual to grab my keys more than a dozen times a day to lock and unlock my bike.
I tested the TMD Bike Lock in the 110cm (about 3.5 feet) length with an iPhone 15 Pro running the latest version of iOS. Generally — I’d say 19 out of every 20 attempts — the TMD Chain Lock immediately recognized my approach, allowing me to seamlessly unlock it with a push on the lock’s only button. When I did have to wait, it took no more than a second for the button to flash blue, indicating the lock had detected my nearby phone in a pocket or bag. Pretty good, but that convenience comes with some tradeoffs.
For example, my bike remained within range of my phone when parked outside a cafe, so anyone could have walked up and unlocked it. I had the same issue when cooking in my kitchen with the bike parked just outside the window, as I normally do. In both cases, I either had to move the bike or turn off my phone’s Bluetooth radio. And since my phone is now my bike key, if it’s stolen, my much more expensive e-bike is vulnerable as well.
TMD says its Chain Lock is “immune to conventional drilling and picking,” but all bike locks can be defeated by a determined thief. The Chain Lock has earned an ART-2 certification issued by an independent Dutch organization that tests and certifies bike locks on a scale from one to five. Most Dutch insurance companies require ART-2 at a minimum to validate policies on expensive e-bikes and cargo bikes. It’s akin to something like a Sold Secure Silver or Gold rating in the UK, a 2 Roues in France, and VdS approval in Germany. (The US and Canada do not have a single, centralized, independent testing body that dictates insurance requirements for bicycles.) Should your bike be stolen, you can produce a digital log file for the insurance company from within the TMD app as official proof that your bike was locked.
To deter theft, the lock also features an integrated motion alarm that can be armed and disarmed in the app or with a double press of the lock’s button. At 100dB it’s less shrill than I expected, but it does the job when it senses the lock being jostled. It shuts off automatically after about 10 seconds of inactivity.
TMD tells me that a future software update will let you disable these sounds.
The lock is rather noisy in day-to-day usage. Unlocking it is accompanied by a loud tone that hits 75dB when measured at a distance of one meter. I hate that it draws attention to me and my expensive e-bike. Just flash green and unlock — that’s more than enough. TMD tells me that a future software update will let you disable these sounds.
TMD claims the lock’s battery will last up to nine months on a single charge. However, my test unit has already dropped 16 percent after a week of testing, suggesting a lifespan closer to six or seven weeks. But that’s likely because I store my bikes inside my house when not in use, so the lock’s Bluetooth radio is constantly being lit up by my phone’s proximity.
To prevent water and dust ingress and leave more room for the battery and speaker, TMD says it opted for a shallow magnetic pin connector – not USB-C – to charge the Chain Lock. That’s a shame because plenty of phones have USB-C ports and offer even better IP68/69 protection against rain and debris. That means you’ll need to have the lock’s proprietary cable on you should you ignore the low-battery warnings and let it die. It can be quickly recovered, however: I saw a completely dead (and locked) Chain Lock spring back to life after just two or three minutes of charging off the USB-C port of an iPhone.
You can still unlock the TMD Chain Lock should your phone die. You just have to tap in your four digit “emergency code” on the lock’s button. Choosing a code like 1324 would require 1 push, then 3 pushes, then 2, and 4. The ring around the button changes colors to visually prompt you for each new number. The TMD app also lets you share the lock with friends and family, who can also come to your rescue with their own phones.
1/6
For added peace of mind, it’s always a good idea to double-lock your bike, so most urban cyclists combine a chain lock with a ring lock that’s permanently mounted to the frame and prevents the rear wheel from spinning. TMD has already announced an “anti angle grinder” U-Lock and GPS-equipped Ring Lock coming later this year. Having my phone unlock both of my bike’s locks simultaneously would really up the convenience factor and better justify TMD’s pricing.
Right now, paying €249 when equivalent analog bike locks costs a quarter of that would be foolish for most people. The ART-2 certified ABUS 8900, for example, in the same flexible 110cm length, costs around €60 (about $68). If you can afford the TMD Chain Lock and really hate keys, or need a keyless lock that can be shared digitally with others, then have at it. Otherwise, it won’t justify its exorbitant price.
- Security rating: ART-2 certified
- Operation: Keyless Bluetooth
- Deterrence: Motion activated 100dB alarm
- TMD Locks App: Manages sharing, location tracking and more (iOS and Android compatible)
- Sizes: 70cm (1.3kg), 110cm (1.7kg) and 160cm (2.1kg)
- Colorways: Navy, Beige and Black
- Power: 9 month battery life. Charge to 100% in 2 Hours
- Durability: IP57 water and dust resistant
- Warranty: 2 years
- Pricing: from €229
All photography by Thomas Ricker / The Verge
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Apple has started charging more for some of its products, and AI is one of the big reasons why. The increases apply to select iPads and MacBooks, along with HomePod speakers and Apple TV devices. Apple’s own store pages now show higher prices on several models than earlier launch materials listed. The iPhone was not included in this round, but analysts warn that may not last.
Apple says it can no longer fully shield customers from soaring memory and storage chip costs tied to AI data center demand. The pressure comes from what some in the tech industry are calling RAMageddon. AI data centers need huge amounts of DRAM and high-bandwidth memory to train and run advanced models. Those are the same basic chip categories that help power phones, laptops, tablets, game consoles and other devices sitting in your home right now.
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APPLE TAPS GOOGLE GEMINI TO POWER APPLE INTELLIGENCE
AI demand is putting new pressure on memory chips, and Apple has started charging more for some devices. (Apple)
Why AI is making memory chips harder to get
AI gets a lot of attention for chatbots, image tools and smart assistants. Behind the scenes, though, it runs on massive hardware systems. Those systems need powerful processors. They also need a lot of memory. That is where the pressure builds. High-bandwidth memory, often called HBM, helps AI chips move huge amounts of data quickly. Data centers want more of it, and chipmakers are chasing that demand because AI hardware can bring in big money.
At the same time, everyday tech still needs regular DRAM and NAND storage. Phones use memory to keep apps running smoothly. Macs need it for multitasking. Apple’s iPad, Apple Watch and Vision Pro rely on memory and storage too. In other words, AI companies and consumer gadget makers are now competing for parts from the same broader supply chain. When supply gets tight, prices usually move one way.
Why Apple feels the squeeze
Apple has enormous buying power. That usually helps the company secure parts at better prices. But even Apple has limits when an entire market tightens.
Tim Cook, Apple’s outgoing CEO, had warned that memory costs would increasingly affect Apple after the June quarter. Now, Apple says it has reached the point where it needs to begin passing some of those costs to customers.
That is important because hardware margins are a huge part of Apple’s business. A higher memory bill can eat into profits fast, especially on premium devices that ship in massive numbers.
The iPhone escaped this round, but analysts expect Apple may raise iPhone prices in the coming months. Apple could still handle the iPhone differently by raising only Pro model prices, adjusting storage tiers, leaning on carrier promotions or pushing trade-in offers harder to soften the blow.
INSIDE APPLE MAC WEEK: NEW POWER, SMARTER AI, BOLD INNOVATIONS
Before upgrading, check your battery health, storage use and trade-in value so you know whether a new device makes sense. (Apple)
Apple has another AI problem too
This memory crunch comes at a tricky time for Apple. The company has been under pressure to show that its AI strategy can keep up with rivals. Earlier this year, Apple agreed to a $250 million settlement tied to claims that it overstated or delayed certain AI features connected to Siri and Apple Intelligence. Apple denied wrongdoing, but the case added to the pressure around its AI rollout.
Then, at WWDC 2026, Apple showed off a major Siri overhaul and the next generation of Apple Intelligence. Those features could make Apple devices more useful, especially if Siri becomes better at understanding personal context, what is on your screen and what you are trying to do. But there is a catch. More on-device AI can also raise hardware demands over time. If future Apple features need more memory, more storage or more powerful chips, the premium models may become even more expensive. That puts Apple in a tough spot. It needs to prove its AI features are worth the wait. At the same time, the parts needed to support that AI push are getting more expensive.
Which Apple products got more expensive?
The current price increases apply to select iPads and MacBooks, along with HomePod speakers and Apple TV devices.
The MacBook Neo’s starting price moved from $599 to $699, months after launch. The MacBook Air with 512GB of storage rose to $1,299 from $1,099. The 14-inch MacBook Pro with 1TB of storage rose to $1,999 from $1,699. The iPad Air with 128GB of storage rose to $749 from $599.
The price increases also hit Apple’s home devices. The HomePod mini rose to $129 from $99, while HomePod rose to $349 from $299. Apple TV rose to $199 from $129.
The iPhone is still the big product to watch because it sells in huge numbers. If Apple raises iPhone prices next, you would feel that faster than a change to a smaller product line. The Pro models may be especially vulnerable because they tend to carry more advanced chips, more memory and higher storage options.
10 THINGS I WISH I KNEW BEFORE BUYING REFURBISHED ELECTRONICS
The next iPhone launch could show whether AI-driven chip costs are about to reach the device you use every day. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
What you can do before more Apple prices rise
Here is where things get useful. You cannot control the memory chip market. But you can make a smarter buying decision before paying more than you expected.
1) Check whether you really need a new device now
Start with your current device. If the only problem is battery life, a battery replacement may buy you more time for far less than a new iPhone or Mac. That is especially true if your device still runs the latest software and handles your daily routine well.
On an iPhone, go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging. If the battery health has dropped a lot, compare the cost of service with the cost of replacing the phone. You can also check out our guide on whether you should replace your phone battery or buy a new phone.
2) Look at your storage before you overbuy
Do not guess how much storage you need. Check it first.
On iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage or iPad Storage. You will see which apps, photos, videos and messages are taking up space.
On Mac, click the Apple menu > System Settings > General > Storage.
Storage controls how much you can keep on your device. Memory helps your device handle apps and tasks while you use it. Both can affect the price, but they are different things. Before paying for a bigger storage tier, try clearing space first. Delete large message attachments, remove old downloads, offload apps you rarely use and move photos or videos you want to keep onto cloud storage or an external drive.
If you are only using half your storage after years with a device, you may not need to pay for the largest storage tier next time. On the other hand, buying too little storage can become expensive too, especially if your phone is always full.
For more step-by-step help, check out our guides on how to free up iPhone storage, how to clean up your phone and how to transfer photos from your phone to a hard drive.
3) Check your Mac’s memory needs before you upgrade
If you are buying a Mac, storage is only part of the decision. Apple’s newer Macs use unified memory, and you usually cannot upgrade it later. That means the amount you choose at checkout can affect how long the computer feels fast.
On Mac, open Activity Monitor by going to Finder > Applications > Utilities > Activity Monitor. Then click the Memory tab. Look at Memory Pressure.
If it stays green during your normal workday, your current memory setup may be enough. If it often turns yellow or red while you edit video, keep lots of browser tabs open or use demanding apps, more memory may be worth paying for upfront.
4) Watch current prices before the fall launches
If you already planned to buy an iPhone, iPad or Mac this year, track current pricing now. Look at Apple, carriers, major retailers and warehouse clubs. Save the current price so you can compare it later. That helps you spot a real deal versus a marketing discount that only looks good. It also helps you see whether a product has already jumped in price before you buy.
5) Look for discounts before paying full price
Before you buy directly from Apple, check whether you qualify for education pricing, employer discounts, carrier offers or warehouse club deals. Some discounts are straightforward. Others come with strings attached, especially carrier promotions. Look at the full monthly cost, not just the upfront device price.
6) Consider Apple Certified Refurbished
Apple’s Certified Refurbished store can be worth checking before paying full price. These devices go through Apple’s testing process and include a one-year warranty. The selection changes, so it works best when you have some flexibility on color, storage or model. For many people, a refurbished Mac or iPad from Apple can be a smarter buy than stretching for the newest version at the highest price. You can also check out our guides on the best ways to give your old iPhone a second life and how to know when it is time to replace your Mac.
7) Compare trade-in offers before you commit
Trade-in values can vary between Apple, carriers and retailers. Before you buy, check more than one offer. A carrier may give you a bigger credit, but it may require a specific plan or a long bill-credit period. That is where people get tripped up. A “free” phone may be tied to 24 or 36 months of service. Make sure the plan cost still makes sense.
8) Do not buy only because of AI
AI features can sound exciting during a product launch. But ask yourself what you will use every week. Better battery life, a stronger camera, more storage or a faster laptop may matter more to you than a new assistant feature. Also, some AI features can arrive later through software updates. Others may require newer hardware. Before upgrading, check which features actually work on the device you are buying.
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Your phone holds your email, passwords, photos, banking apps and personal data. In this free CyberGuy Live replay, Kurt the CyberGuy walks you step by step through simple phone security fixes you can do at your own pace. You’ll learn how to improve your privacy settings, spot the latest phone scams, use trusted security tools and walk away with a simple checklist to stay protected. Watch the replay and get our checklist here: CyberGuyLive.com
Kurt’s key takeaways
AI is no longer something happening only inside data centers. It is now affecting the price of devices you use every day. Apple has already started charging more for select iPads and Macs, along with HomePod speakers and Apple TV devices.
The iPhone escaped this round, but that may not last. Before buying anything new, check your current device first. A battery replacement, storage cleanup, trade-in offer or refurbished model may save you money. Also, do not pay extra for AI features unless you know you will actually use them.
Now that Apple prices are rising, does it make you want to pause from buying anything new and hold on to what you already have? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com
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Maraget Atwood, the storied author of The Handmaid’s Tale and The Blind Assassin, was interviewed as part of the Babell Literary and Cultural Festival in Porto, Portugal. As it usually does at these things, the issue of AI came up, and Atwood didn’t mince words.
According to Deadline’s recap, Atwood said she’d used an AI chatbot exactly once, Anthropic’s Claude, and came away unimpressed. She was looking for information about the British detective series Father Brown and, well:
”Claude gave me the wrong answer, or it lied. Of course, it didn’t know it was lying because it’s not a human being; it’s a large language model… It had skimmed and sampled a lot of television reviews, but they never give away the ending in online criticism, so it was misled by the things it had read about the show.”
She didn’t have particularly kind words for the people who rely on AI either, calling them “opportunists” looking for the easy way out. But of course, as she pointed out, all LLMs are only as good as the data they’re fed, and putting your faith in a machine trained on scraped, previously published, and possibly out-of-date information isn’t the best idea.
“Human beings are not robots, but they are opportunists, so if there’s an easy way to cheat and it’s hard to detect, people will do it… But the thing about AI is that it’s garbage in, garbage out. Even people who use it for business reasons have to check it because it makes mistakes.”
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