These robot vacuums are ones that tested well, scoring at least a 7 overall rating, or that might be the right fit for a specific situation.
Yeedi S16 Plus
Yeedi S16 Plus: The Yeedi S16 Plus distinguishes itself with the best pet hair pickup we’ve tested, completely clearing our hardwood test area. It also has one of the most user-friendly app interfaces available. However, it falls short of our main list due to significant failures in obstacle avoidance and inconsistent cleaning power on specific surfaces. In our navigation tests, it avoided only two of six objects, running over a sock and two types of simulated pet waste, which makes it a risky choice for homes where messes might occur.
While its overall sand pickup average is a decent 51.51%, its specific performance lags behind top-tier competitors. It achieved a mediocre 86.13% pickup rate on hardwood and struggled significantly on midpile carpet, with only a 17.39% success rate. Consequently, despite its sleek design and effective self-rinsing Ozmo mop, we recommend models like the Eufy E28 for people who need reliable obstacle avoidance.
Yeedi M14 Plus
Yeedi M14 Plus: The Yeedi M14 Plus is a standout choice for smart navigation, tying for the best obstacle avoidance score in our testing by successfully evading five out of six common hazards, including pet waste and socks. It pairs these smarts with excellent hardwood performance, removing 92.7% of sand in our lab tests, and has what our testers rated as the most intuitive and comprehensive app interface available. With a base station that offers self-emptying and hot water mop washing, it’s a highly capable automated cleaner for homes with hard floors.
However, the M14 Plus falls short of our main list due to its abysmal performance on soft surfaces; it managed a dismal 8.7% pickup rate on midpile carpet, making it unsuitable for homes with rugs. Its navigation coverage was also below average at 71.18%, leaving more missed spots than top-tier competitors like the Mova V50 or Dreame X50. While often available at a deep discount, its high retail price of $1,199 makes the iRobot Roomba 205 DustCompactor a stronger value proposition for most buyers.
Roborock Qrevo Curv
Robock Qrevo Curv: The Roborock Qrevo Curv is easily recognizable by its distinctive egg-shaped base station and has an AdaptiLift chassis that helps it cross high thresholds. In our lab tests, it proved to be a specialist for homes with plush rugs, achieving a 35.65% sand pickup rate on midpile carpet. This was the highest score recorded in its specific test batch and the second-highest midpile score we’ve seen to date, trailing only the Mova V50.
However, the Qrevo Curv misses our main list due to its underwhelming performance on hard floors and poor hazard detection. It removed only 75.91% of sand from hardwood, a mediocre result compared to top-tier competitors, which consistently score above 90%. Additionally, its navigation systems failed to identify common clutter. It avoided only one out of six obstacles in our avoidance test. Our lab experts also noted that its cleaning path was inefficient, with heat maps showing it focused heavily on the room’s edges while neglecting the center.
Eufy E25
Eufy E25: The Eufy E25 stands out as one of the better obstacle-avoidance systems for robot vacuums. It successfully evaded five out of six hazards, including simulated pet waste and cords — a feat matched only by its sibling, the E28, and the Yeedi M14 Plus. While setup was a breeze, thanks to an app that instantly recognized the device, its cleaning power didn’t quite match its brains. It managed a respectable 85.4% sand pickup on hardwood but struggled significantly on soft surfaces, recording the lowest low-pile carpet score in its batch at just 31.88%.
We ultimately excluded the E25 from our main list because it offers less utility than the Eufy E28 for a similar or higher price. “I would recommend the Eufy E28 over this unit because it offers the carpet-cleaning functionality with similar cleaning abilities,” noted lab technician Schylar Breitenstein. With a price tag hovering around $1,300 without sales and a midpile carpet pickup rate of only 12.17%, it is hard to justify the E25 when the E28 provides the same elite obstacle avoidance plus a unique portable carpet cleaner for better value.
iRobot Roomba 705 Max
iRobot Roomba 705 Max: The iRobot Roomba 705 Max distinguishes itself with room coverage, with an impressive 86.36% score. It is a thorough cleaner on hard floors, picking up 92.7% of sand, and it has a compact, stylish base station that auto-empties the dustbin without dominating your floor plan. If you have a tidy home with predominantly hard floors and want a vacuum that won’t miss a spot, the 705 Max offers the thorough cleaning pattern iRobot is known for.
However, we excluded it from our main list because its obstacle-avoidance technology is virtually nonexistent compared to modern standards. In our lab tests, it failed to avoid a single object, running over everything from socks to simulated pet waste — an odd flaw for a robot touting its AI vision. Additionally, it lacks the mopping capabilities standard on most robots in this price class. Our lab team critiqued the app as “underdeveloped,” noting that the expensive warranty add-ons feel “like an unnecessary paywall.” For a smarter robot that can actually dodge trouble, we recommend the Eufy E28.
3i S10 Ultra
3i S10 Ultra: We haven’t reviewed many robot vacuums from 3i, but the company has some unique offerings, including the S10 Ultra, which it says is the first water recycling robot vacuum in the world. What that means is that it’s capable of purifying and distilling its own wastewater extracted from the robot, as well as using water vapor and condensation from the air to refill the robot’s water tank with clean water. It’s a fascinating implementation that can help cut down on water wasted on mopping.
In terms of performance, the S10 Ultra is a capable robot vacuum, removing 93.45% of sand from hardwood floor, which is the third highest score on our list. However, carpet performance wasn’t as good, at 37.68% low-pile and 17.68% midpile, resulting in a 49.6% average. That said, it has all the key features you’d expect from a higher-end robot vacuum, including advanced lidar navigation, dirt and liquid detection, a self-cleaning spinning roller mop and AI obstacle avoidance. Our lab technician, Schylar Breitenstein, noted that the app wasn’t very user-friendly and that she had issues with connectivity to Wi-Fi. Obstacle avoidance was also a disappointment, with a complete failure for all six obstacles. The bulky and heavy base station weighs 50 pounds and takes up significant space. All this keeps it off our best list.
Ecovacs Deebot X9 Pro Omni
Ecovacs Deebot X9 Pro Omni: The Ecovacs Deebot X9 Pro Omni distinguishes itself with reliable carpet detection that correctly ramps up suction when transitioning from hard floors to rugs, a feature our lab noted isn’t always consistent in this category. In terms of raw cleaning power, it performed decently, removing 88.32% of sand from hardwood floors and securing the third-highest midpile carpet pickup score in its test batch at 20.87%. Our testers also appreciated its navigation around furniture, noting that it “navigates well around chair legs” and easily cleared our 4-inch threshold tests.
However, the X9 Pro Omni misses our main list because its performance doesn’t justify its premium price tag. Despite claims of AI avoidance, it only successfully dodged two out of six obstacles in our hazard gauntlet. Furthermore, its room coverage was a middling 76.42%, with lab technicians observing that it “seems to clean in one direction” without the cross-hatch pattern that ensures a deeper clean. With a total average pickup score of 51.47%, it is a capable cleaner, but lacks the elite efficiency of top contenders such as the Mova V50.
Monsaga MS1 Max
Monsaga MS1 Max: The Monsaga MS1 Max caught our eye as a potentially affordable option that doesn’t skimp on features, offering lidar navigation and a self-emptying base station for a midrange price. In our lab testing, it actually punched above its weight class on hardwood floors, removing an impressive 92.7% of sand — a score that rivals some of our top picks, including the Yeedi M14 Plus. Our testers also appreciated the petite, lightweight base station, noting it was “easily transportable” compared to the bulky docks typical of this category.
However, the MS1 Max falls short of a recommendation due to what our lab team described as “atrocious” pet hair performance; hair became hopelessly tangled around the main brush and was scattered around the room rather than collected. It also struggled significantly on softer surfaces, managing only 44.06% pickup on low-pile carpet and a dismal 4.35% on midpile. Furthermore, its navigation smarts didn’t hold up in our hazard tests; the robot failed to avoid a single object in our six-item gauntlet, running over everything from cords to simulated pet waste.
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