Smart Vacuums That Feel More Like Robots

AI has these tools getting more precise in picking up dirt, mapping routes and even cleaning themselves

By Michael KaminerOriginally Published August 29, 2023

Photo: Eufy

Photo: Eufy

A new generation of smart vacuums is doing much more than sucking up dust and crumbs.

Along with voice and app controls, these robo-vacs use high-grade cameras to map rooms, AI technology to remember layouts, and industrial-grade sensors to avoid obstacles. While they inhale dirt, the new generation of smart vacuums also does double duty with built-in mops that even clean themselves once they’ve tidied your space.

Here are our choices for smart vacuums.

Siri, Alexa—make room for YIKO, Ecovacs’ own voice assistant. With the X10 Omni, YIKO “uses the latest AI advancements in natural voice recognition and sound source localization to enable you to navigate and highlight new cleaning tasks using your voice,” Ecovacs says. It’s one reason why this robo-vac feels more robot than vacuum; another is its capability to empty its own dustbin, wash its own mop, and dutifully return to its home base. Its proprietary, laser-based TrueMapping navigation system scans your space to create the fastest, most efficient cleaning paths, Ecovacs says. EcoVac’s home app also lets you create no-go zones for the appliance, or customize cleaning plans. Because the X10 Omni is designed by Jacob Jensen Design, the Danish firm behind Bang & Olufsen’s look, you might want to display it even when you’re not using it.

Ecovacs Deebot X10 Omni is available for $1,099.

Ecovacs

Ecovacs

Roborock

Roborock

Self-washing, self-emptying, self-refilling and self-cleaning, Roborock’s top-end robo-vac also soups up basic functions with powerful dual-brush vacuuming and high-speed mopping. The S8 Pro Ultra usesstructured light and infrared imaging technology to steer clear of potential hazards in both bright and dark rooms. The S8 Pro Ultra’s navigation system is just as powerful; it’s based on LiDAR, or Light Detection and Ranging, which uses light pulses to measure ranges. The result is a detailed map with optimal cleaning routes throughout your home. You can control it all on Roborock’s well-designed app—from home layout to cleaning schedules to cleaning strength.

Roborock S8 ProUltra is available for $1,599.

Along with mighty suction, the Ultra’s power comes from AI technology and a highly sensitive RGB camera, which breaks down red, green and blue into pixels. The Ultra quickly learns your home’s layout, tailors cleaning strategies for each space, and auto-generates paths based on flooring types, rooms, and obstacles. For floors, the Ultra’s dual-rotary mops spin at 180 rpm and apply serious pressure to coax out dirt and scrub floors thoroughly. The company’s DreameHome app lets you set cleaning schedules, monitor the robot’s self-cleaning progress and even adjust mop dampness for cleaning hard floors. As a bonus, the Ultra’s built-in camera can function as a home-security device using app controls.

DreameBot L10s Ultra is available for $999.

DreameBot

DreameBot

Dyson

Dyson

Along with Dyson’s typically dazzling design, the Gen5outsize wows with “smart” features like an LCD screen that displays your remaining run time with live updates of the number of particles getting removed. This cordless upright is also driven by Dyson’s fastest, most power-dense motor, which spins at up to 135,000 rpm, the company says. Dyson’s proprietary Dynamic Load Sensing technology adjusts power to different floor types, so you can clean carpets and hard floors without changing cleaner heads. An ultrasensitive piezo sensor—which measures microscopic motions or vibrations—continuously sizes and counts dust particles, automatically increasing suction power when needed.

Dyson Gen5outsize Absolute is available for $1,049.

A time-of-flight sensor isn’t for airports; the specialized instrument measures the distance between objects, and the Clean X9 Pro employs one to avoid objects as it vacuums or mops your rooms. Using that information, the X9 Pro’s AI camera maps out routes through your home; through an easy-to-use app, you can navigate those paths, save multiple maps, set cleaning schedules or manipulate the robo-vac using manual controls. Most importantly, this is a powerful cleaning machine. Its auto-lift mop completes three rotations per second with 2.2 pounds of pressure, working in tandem with a vacuum using 5,500 Pascals of suction for deep cleaning—most home vacuums offer 3,000 Pascals.

Eufy Clean X9 Pro is available for $899.

Eufy

Eufy