Vacuum reviews

A smart-sensing cordless from Samsung with an auto-empty dock in the box. The AI suction is real if minor. The case to buy it is the bundle, not the algorithm.

A self-empty, self-wash, self-dry, self-refill robot vacuum and mop for $479. The dock is the headline. The mopping is the catch.

A spinning-pad robot vacuum with a trick arm that pushes one mop pad out to the wall. The full self-everything dock works as advertised. Carpets are not its strength.

Excellent suction and German build at almost twelve hundred dollars. It's heavy, fiddly to take apart, and the 3-in-1 trick is the weakest part of the design.

A corded vacuum-mop-steam hybrid for hard floors and the occasional area rug. It does the three jobs better than the three separate machines I owned, with one big asterisk about dry time.

A 120 AW cordless with a sensor that adjusts power to floor dirtiness and a brushroll that doesn't tangle. Carpet is its strength; cereal is its weakness.

A budget Shark with a 30-day bagless dock and basic obstacle avoidance. Fine for the daily dust. Not the robot you call when the kids spill a bowl of cereal.

A robot vacuum whose camera-based obstacle avoidance actually works, backed by a pet-waste guarantee. Strong on carpet, no mopping, and the battery hasn't improved in years.

A flagship robot vacuum with a vibrating mop that scrubs instead of wipes, and a dock that handles every other chore. Carpet performance is a half-step behind the older S7.

A 240 AW cordless with a laser that shows you the dust you've been missing and a hair tool that doesn't tangle. Small bin, big price, and no auto-empty dock at this money.

iRobot's flagship vacuum-and-mop with a self-emptying, self-refilling dock that hides inside a piece of furniture. It maps well, avoids the dog, and quietly does the floors. Around $1,000, and earns it.

Roborock's slimmest flagship — under 3.2 inches tall, with a retracting lidar tower so it can slide where every other robot stops. Strong suction, a real mop, and a dock that washes itself.

A small corded carpet spot cleaner that pulls coffee, wine, and worse out of upholstery and rugs. It's loud, awkward to refill, and one of the most-used appliances I own.

A cordless stick vacuum that picks up the dust you didn't realize was there, with a battery that swaps and a price that doesn't sting. The plastic build betrays the price tag a little.