Self-Empting Robot Vacuums

It can be a hassle to have empty your robot vacuum after every cleaning cycle, especially when you are suffering from allergies. And, of course, debris and dirt are tossed back into the air every time you empty the vacuum.

Self-emptying bases minimize your exposure to dust by having the robot move debris from its bin to a larger trash container when it's full.

The Samsung Jet Bot+

Samsung's robot is the most advanced robot we've examined. It is a great filtration system along with a brilliant navigation system, as well as hand-free emptying of the dustbin. It also comes with HEPA filtering capabilities and can trap in airborne particles to reduce allergies. The brush bar that rotates on the top of the device can reach into the tightest of spaces. It also comes with self-cleaning extractors which grind hairs to keep them from getting tangled.

When I tried the Jet Bot, it picked up a significant amount of debris from my carpets and hardwood floors. It omitted a couple of small pieces of furniture in the corner of my dining room and needed to go back over them however, it was a success overall. In comparison to the Roomba, it edged the other one in my tests as its side brush was more effective along edges and it was more effective in terms of removing smaller particles.

Samsung Jet Bot can be operated via the SmartThings App and set to clean itself automatically at times that you prefer. It is also possible to schedule to clean certain rooms or areas, as well as adding virtual no-go zones (and physical ones if you want).

It utilizes LiDAR sensors akin to the ones used by self-driving vehicles for navigation and mapping and a camera at the front to enable smart object recognition. This feature allows it to avoid collisions with furniture and other items and find the most efficient way to move between rooms. It also flags any objects that it considers to be "poop" and offers up an educated guess (it can choose between three recurring options: sock, towel or a cup/plate).

The SmartThings App lets you schedule cleaning times and monitor the robot's status. You can also track the events happening on the map. The app can be programmed to alert you when the robot vacuum with self empty base's bin is full. It will return to its dock to empty itself before continuing its cleaning cycle. The 0.3L dust bin is easy to empty and cleaned since it's sealed to ensure it's clean.

The iRobot Roomba 960

The Roomba 980 is iRobot's top-of the top of the line robot, and it's also the most expensive. It's also an excellent performer that easily puts itself in the same category as the top self-emptying robot vacuums in terms of cleaning power due to its HEPA filter and powerful battery. It's also got a nifty small feature called CarpetBoost that automatically increases the power when it detects it's on carpet, which is great.

As with the previous Roomba models, this one's frame is circular and has a single, clear window on the top that carries the camera. It's the camera that provides this model with real smarts. It uses the camera for VSLAM (Visual Simultaneous Localization Mapping), by looking out for distinct features and storing them. It then compares this information with the relative positioning gyro IMU and wheel odometry information to build an outline of the space it's in.

It's an extremely clever system, and it performs pretty well - even on carpet, where the Roomba generally has a tougher time than on hard surfaces. There are other great smart functions on the 980, for instance the ability to set up a weekly cleaning schedule and to play a sound to aid in finding your robot. There's a large "Clean" button on the front of the device that will start your robot and there are indicators to show when it's charging or connected to Wi-Fi, and when it's full of bins.

The 980 has basic spot cleaning features that can be used to clean up small spills. However it isn't able to provide the same level of coverage as more advanced options. Finally, if you've got some wires that are a hazard to your robot there's a virtual walls feature that lets you place a barrier that tells it not to be near it.

The software that comes with the 980 is very user-friendly and gives you a visual representation of what your robot is doing. You can also set up your schedule and play around with other settings, including bin capacity and reduced power mode, and more.

The Roomba iRobot 960 from iRobot

iRobot is a name that is synonymous with robot vacuums. The Roomba 960, which costs $700, falls somewhere between the two. It's less expensive than the top of the line 980, yet it has many of the same features. This includes the ability to use a camera for navigation and a mobile app that provides precise cleaning maps. It also comes with Virtual Wall which creates a barrier that the Roomba will not cross.

The 960 performed well, especially on floors with no. It sucked up lots of food crumbs, cat litter and tracked-in dirt. It is also adept in climbing over obstacles like stair runners, and the legs of tables and chairs. It was able to suck up pet hair, as well, though it did struggle with some smaller pieces of debris, such as baking soda.

One thing that separates the 960 from other Roomba models is that it uses a separate dustbin for large amounts of debris, which cuts down on maintenance requirements. You can empty it at the press of a button, through the iRobot HOME app or using Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant voice commands.

The iRobot HOME App allows you to customize every cleaning cycle. You can set the number of passes, and choose from different modes like edge clean, or a complete room sweep. It can also send an alert when it's time to clean the dirt compartment.

The 960 is easy to use and has buttons on top and controls available in the iRobot Home app or via Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. It's also simple to maintain and comes with a display on the top that displays the battery's life and an automatic docking station that transfers debris from the dirt compartment to the bin when you're ready to empty it. The iRobot HOME App also provides you with instructional videos and show the location of every object it has collected. The 960's battery life isn't stellar but it's enough for the majority of people to use throughout the day without worrying about recharging it before sleeping. The iRobot HOME app is available for both iOS and Android devices.

The Roomba 970 from iRobot

The Roomba 970 is a robot vacuum cleaner that is compatible with Google Home and Amazon Alexa. It utilizes the same advanced navigation system as other recent iRobot models and is able to detect stairs, which is something that could be a pain with some other vacuums. It also uses a central camera to scan the floor as it moves about and self-Emptying Robot Vacuums is able to recognize furniture, walls, and other obstacles so that it doesn't bump into objects. It can also use an artificial wall to establish boundaries that the robot can't cross.

One of the main differences between this model and previous Roomba models is the fact that it uses a lithium-ion battery rather than the nickel metal hydride batteries that were used in older ones. This means that it will run for longer between charges, and it has more endurance when cleaning. It's not as fast as the Shark AI Robot but it can navigate the space effortlessly.

Like the other models of the 960 series the 970 is operated via the iRobot app and connects to your Wi-Fi network with no installation required. It has a small handle on the front of the device that you can use to manually return it to its charger and a spot-cleaning feature that lets you concentrate on a specific area of your home. The 960 series robots come with the same three-stage cleaning procedure like other iRobot models, which combine agitation with power-lifting suction to thoroughly clean the floor and remove dirt.

The 960 works well on unfinished floors and picks up a great deal of dust, hair, and other debris thanks to its brushrolls as well as powerful suction. It struggles with carpets with a high pile and can leave some sand in its tunnel. It has a decently-sized dirt compartment and can notify you when it's full through the app or by a indicator on the top of the robot. It is also programmed to clean at a scheduled time, and we had no trouble setting this up during our tests.