Here are five of the best iPhone-connected robot vacuums

AppleInsider · August 22, 2018 1:12PM

Robot vacuums are becoming increasingly commonplace in households, but there are also a plethora to choose from. Here are some of the better ones you can control from your iPhone.

There are a lot of robot vacuums about, but not all of them play nicely with the iPhone or iPad. There are some clear leaders for Apple-centric folk, and AppleInsider takes a look at a few of the best options.

EcoVacs Deebot N79/N79S

The N79S ($229.98) has its drawbacks. It's not really meant for thick carpets or cleaning up long pet hair -- but it is relatively cheap, and still has Wi-Fi, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant support, as well as an iPhone app for scheduling cleaning and checking the vacuum's status. It sports 120 minutes of battery life.

There is an older version of the robot called the N79, which may be fine if you can find it for less and don't care about losing voice assistants, 20 minutes of battery life, or "Max Mode," which doubles the S's power at the expense of running time.

iRobot Roomba 690

The "Roomba" name is almost as synonymous with robot vacuums as Kleenex is with tissues, but often at high cost. iRobot's Roomba 690 ($279.99) is halfway reasonable though, and performs similarly, if with less battery life than EcoVacs' N79S.

The 690 supports Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, and can also be controlled via the iRobot Home app for iPhones and iPads. The main reason to get a Roomba is iRobot's record, since the vacuum should be fairly reliable or at least easy to repair.

Neato Botvac D7 Connected

If you're willing to spend a bunch, the D7 ($699) has more cleaning power and some advanced features, including the ability to scan and map multiple floors each with their own custom software-based "no-go" lines.

The Neato Botvac D7 Connected It supports both 2.4- and 5-gigahertz Wi-Fi, and "smart" features such as Alexa, Google Assistant, IFTTT, and even a Neato chatbot on Facebook. Battery life is rated at 120 minutes.

iRobot Roomba 960

The Roomba 960 ($529) is similar to the 690, but more powerful, and equipped with superior navigation, including visual detection. iRobot even brags that the vacuum is "ideal for pet hair," often one of the toughest challenges. It manages this through a combination of suction and "tangle-free" brushes.

The 960 can only run for 75 minutes at time, but will recharge itself mid-routine then continue, all without any help.

Samsung Powerbot R7065

Yeah, we know, but it's still a solid product. The R7065 ($499.99) is strong enough to handle things like pet hair, and has some unique touches, as an upward-facing camera for detecting obstacles like people, and and a visible collection bin so you can tell when it needs to be emptied. Samsung also offers mapping, an iPhone app, and Alexa compatibility.

You do make some tradeoffs though, including low battery life, and an absence of any "dirt detection" features.

esquirecats · August 22, 2018 2:22PM

Fingers crossed that they update to include Siri shortcuts. It'll be rather cool to tell Siri to clean your house. (Currently only achievable via HomeBridge.)

darren mccoy · August 22, 2018 2:36PM

I'd love Dyson to update their 360 eye robot vacuum, maybe make it a bit thinner so it can get under more obstacles.

purdueguy · August 22, 2018 2:54PM

I’m surprised the Evovacs Deebot 900/901 wasn’t mentioned. Laser distance sensor, smart mapping, Alexa support.

nunzy · August 22, 2018 2:58PM

I won't buy Samsung. Never have, never will.

ghammer · August 22, 2018 5:34PM

purdueguy said:

I’m surprised the Evovacs Deebot 900/901 wasn’t mentioned. Laser distance sensor, smart mapping, Alexa support.

And the ad copy gives you a small chuckle. "Sometimes your DEEBOT has to suck in different ways."

kryptomaniac · August 22, 2018 8:19PM

I am still waiting for one that can empty itself into a larger container. It could be as simple as a silo that has its own vacuum to vacuum the contents out of the robot vacuum.

i envision the dock having something like this, integrated and notifies my phone when it needs emptying.
https://eyevac.com/

anome · August 22, 2018 10:17PM

Just curious, how many of these are actually vacuum cleaners? I know Roomba, at least the base models, are really carpet/floor sweepers, and fitting a sufficiently powerful motor for actual vacuuming into that low a profile might be difficult. (I'm sure Dyson could do it, but do they?)

Follow up - which of these is the most comfortable for your cat to ride on?

I'm big on the IoT at the moment. I like being able to control stuff from my phone, although the whole security issue is still a tad worrying. I wish I had a place large enough to warrant one. And a cat. And a shark onesie for the cat.

robpalmer9 · August 22, 2018 10:53PM

nunzy said:

I won't buy Samsung. Never have, never will.

Is there nothing Samesung won't rip off!

aplus · August 22, 2018 11:57PM

I'm holding out for one that's compatible with HomeKit. Surely can't be too far away.

fastasleep · August 23, 2018 12:26AM

anome said:

Just curious, how many of these are actually vacuum cleaners? I know Roomba, at least the base models, are really carpet/floor sweepers, and fitting a sufficiently powerful motor for actual vacuuming into that low a profile might be difficult. (I'm sure Dyson could do it, but do they?

Not sure what you mean. I have a 700-series Roomba from...2013 or so, and it's most certainly a vacuum. Have you ever used one? I originally bought it for my little apartment that had low-pile carpet and some hardwoods I never had time to sweep or vacuum, and it picks nearly everything up. I now use it in a larger house with two cats and it sucks up tons of dirt, larger chunks of things, cat hair etc and fills its bin in an hour.

Dyson makes one called the Eye 360 I think which has some of the highest suction but has a bunch of other problems like poor navigation etc compared to the competition.

However, even the strongest robot vacuums are no match for a full-size upright/corded vacuum. These are meant to keep things tidy, which they do with aplomb, not do deep cleaning, especially if you have deep shag carpeting (shudder).

anome · August 23, 2018 9:04PM

fastasleep said:

anome said:

Just curious, how many of these are actually vacuum cleaners? I know Roomba, at least the base models, are really carpet/floor sweepers, and fitting a sufficiently powerful motor for actual vacuuming into that low a profile might be difficult. (I'm sure Dyson could do it, but do they?

Not sure what you mean. I have a 700-series Roomba from...2013 or so, and it's most certainly a vacuum. Have you ever used one? I originally bought it for my little apartment that had low-pile carpet and some hardwoods I never had time to sweep or vacuum, and it picks nearly everything up. I now use it in a larger house with two cats and it sucks up tons of dirt, larger chunks of things, cat hair etc and fills its bin in an hour.

Dyson makes one called the Eye 360 I think which has some of the highest suction but has a bunch of other problems like poor navigation etc compared to the competition.

However, even the strongest robot vacuums are no match for a full-size upright/corded vacuum. These are meant to keep things tidy, which they do with aplomb, not do deep cleaning, especially if you have deep shag carpeting (shudder).

It seems the (discontinued) Dirt Dog was the model without a vacuum, and I had been led to believe that the same was true for other models. Sorry for any confusion.