Find the Best Robot Vacuum for Your Smart Home in 2022

Are you tired of constantly cleaning up your place? Fortunately, a robotic vacuum cleaner can get the dirty work done for you. Gone are the days when robots belonged to the realm of sci-fi – now they're here as real, regular devices that take care of your housekeeping. Take a look at the best smart vacuums available today!

How Robot Vacuums Work

As the past decade has proven, robot vacuums are more than just a party trick. They're getting more popular and feature-packed every day, while their price goes down.

For as little as €150, you don't have to get off of the couch to clean up your household – your robotic vacuum can be turned on manually by a single tap in its mobile app, and cleanup can even be initiated automatically. What’s left for you to do is lift your legs every now and then, and make sure you've hidden all the loose cables.

So what makes the operation of robotic vacuums possible? These devices use various sensors to navigate around your house or apartment, avoiding collisions. The basic models normally use bounce navigation, which means they go forward until they gently bump into an obstacle, and they continue in a random direction afterward.

Some more advanced models use LiDAR, or self-generated lasers, to move around, while other types utilize stereoscopic cameras. Many of these devices boast features like modern processors and artificial intelligence to help them clean up. Thanks to this extra brainpower, they can recognize the type of floor or carpet and adjust their settings accordingly.

The more advanced vacuums usually also employ guard sensors to prevent them from running into something and infrared cliff sensors to save them from tumbling down the staircase.

Most smart vacuums include a HEPA filter to collect and contain allergens, and there's always a multi-use removable dust compartment. Some models even offer a mopping capability with a water tank and a replaceable mop pad. It's not that common, but the feature comes in handy when your home requires a thorough cleanup.

Moreover, because these devices integrate with smart home hubs like Homey, they gain even more skills. For example, they can run when you are not home so that you avoid all the racket. Simply set it, forget it, and return to a sparkly clean household. How neat is that?

Robotic Vacuum Models You Should Consider

There are numerous robot vacuums efficient at removing dust, dirt, pet hair, and more in your home. We've compiled a list of top-rated robot vacuums to help you find the one you need. 

Brand	Model	Price	Size	Protocol	Navigation	Suction Power	Mop	Noise	Homey Pro Support	Homey Beta Support
Xiaomi	Mi Robot Vacuum 1C	€191	353 x 350 x 82 mm	Wi-Fi	LiDAR	2500 Pa	Yes	50 dB	Yes	No
iRobot	Roomba i7	€650	339 x 337 x 92 mm	Wi-Fi	vSLAM	1800 Pa	No	68 dB	Yes	Yes
Xiaomi	Roborock S6	€415	348 x 350 x 96 mm	Wi-Fi	LiDAR	2000 Pa	Yes	50 dB	Yes	No
Neato	D8	€600	323 x 336 x 101 mm	Wi-Fi	LiDAR	–	No	69 dB	Yes	Yes
Eufy	RoboVac 15C	€150	324 x 324 x 72 mm	Wi-Fi	Bounce	1300 Pa	No	55 dB	Yes	No

All of these devices work flawlessly with Homey Pro, so they can be included in smart home automation with Homey Flows. See what makes each model unique in our review below.

The Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum 1C is a simple, minimalist device with amazing functionality. It’s generally excellent for hardwood and laminate flooring, and it effectively cleans pet hair and small debris. 

Xiaomi's entry-level vacuum also performs well with bulkier material like grain, however, its suction power decreases as its dustbin fills up over time. When it comes to carpet cleaning, the vacuum sometimes gets confused by darker fabrics but otherwise performs fine. 

The battery lasts long enough to clean a mid-sized house, and its LiDAR navigation framework allows it to move around adequately. Another major pro of this device is its mop. The system is a bit flimsy, but it works well with both tiling and hardwood floors.

Just like with other robot vacuums, the 1C connects to your Wi-Fi. You can control it via its offical mobile app or via the Homey community app for Xiaomi Mi Home devices.

This product offers amazing features at a great price, but keep in mind that you only get what you pay for. There are many parts that require regular maintenance or occasional replacement, which means expenses can add up as the device gets older. One such part is the mop's water tank, which can be quite fragile and tends to break as the vacuum occasionally bumps into things.

iRobot is a well-known player in the robotic vacuum market – the company pretty much invented the category. However, long gone are the days when iRobot dominated the market and its devices cost thousands of euros. The company still maintains a higher price point for its high-quality devices, but they're still affordable and work well Homey Pro and Homey Bridge.

The i7 is pretty much the iPhone of robotic vacuums – it's the industry standard that performs exceptionally well in most situations. This iRobot device will prove useful if you have carpets, mats, or rugs in your house or apartment. It has a so-called Dirt Detect feature that will increase suction power in areas with concentrated dust or dirt, typically found in carpets.

The design of the primary brush allows it to come in consistent contact with various types of floor, making it efficient at deep cleaning. Additionally, if you have long hair or own a shaggy pet, the hair-resistant brush of the Roomba i7 uses elastic fibers to prevent the brush from developing hair tangles.

Assuming you live in a huge house, the iRobot Roomba i7 might impress you – it can save up to ten distinctive floor maps. It allows you to name different rooms in your home so that you can send it off to clean a specific space. All in all, the i7's functionality is worth every cent.

The Roborock brand is a Xiaomi spinoff that focuses solely on robotic vacuums, and its S6 model is one of the mid-range devices that are really worth the investment. It handles the basics perfectly and offers high suction power.

As a bonus, the Roborock vacuum takes anything you throw at it while remaining amazingly quiet. Roborock’s processing and LiDAR navigation make S6 excellent at mapping out your home, and with the Roborock App for Homey, you can specify one or multiple rooms to be cleaned either manually or with Homey Flow automation.

Just like the cheaper Xiaomi 1C, the S6 comes with an optional mop. The build quality of this model is alright, but fortunately, it comes with free replacement parts like extra filters. That means you won't have to spend much on the maintenance of this device.

The Neato D8 is a well-built and easy-to-maintain robotic vacuum. It utilizes LiDAR laser technology to navigate through your home. The technology allows the D8 to clean methodically, rather than just ping-ponging from one wall to another. It initially goes around the edges of a room and then makes straight lines to cover the remainder of the space. 

The Neato vacuum offers multiple features to improve your life quality – the squared-off design is great for cleaning corners, preventing the build-up of dust in out-of-reach places.

It comes with two power modes that can be easily changed thanks to the dedicated Homey app. The Eco mode reduces the vacuum's suction power and makes the vacuum quieter, while Turbo expands its suction power and spins the brush quicker.

In terms of battery life, this device doesn't perform as well as some of the other devices, but it should still work long enough to clean a mid-sized house. Unfortunately, the D8 users often complain that the device requires a frequent part replacement, making the costs increase over time.

The Eufy RoboVac 15C is a strong choice for people who are on a limited budget and are new to the world of robot vacuums. This model's functionality is modest but it still performs well, is easy to understand, and takes little time to set up.

It's ideal for any floor type, from hard floors to medium-heap rugs. Moreover, when it comes across a rug, it will automatically increase its suction power. With lower noise and solid suction power, this device is suitable for families with pets and children, since the RoboVac will easily reduce noise-related stress for everyone.

The robot is sensitive to obstacles and navigates well by avoiding staircases. Unfortunately, the vacuum only offers dated bounce navigation, making the cleanup less efficient than with the LiDAR-equipped models.

The major pro of this Eufy model is that it's low-profile – the device is tall only 7.2 cm, and it will easily clean under low couches or around your kitchen cabinets.

And there's a cherry on top of it all. With the Eufy app for Homey, you can send your vacuum on a daily mission when there's no one home, but there are also other useful automations. For example, the vacuum can send you a notification via Homey when it's run out of power.

The Best Smart Vacuum in 2021

The final decision comes down to your needs. While no robot vacuum can tackle stairs or big messes, the top picks on our list do have noteworthy everyday performance. They clean up fine particles, such as sand and baking soda, heavier dirt, such as pasta or metal bolts, and even tricky stuff like pet hair. 

Obviously, the Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum 1C is the right choice for anyone whose priority is the budget and who just needs a vacuum that gets its job done. 

The compromise between affordability and capability makes Roborock S6 the best mid-range option. And when it comes to the most feature-packed vacuum, then iRobot is the clear winner. 

Whichever device you have your eyes on, rest assured – all of the vacuums we’ve reviewed talk with your Homey Pro. That’s one less thing to worry about when shopping for smart home accessories.

Improve Your Smart Home with a Robotic Vacuum

You should consider investing in one of these devices if you need your home cleaned frequently or simply hate the chore of vacuuming. Robotic vacuums save you the time and energy you would spend cleaning the floors and dusting. 

As you've seen above, there are various types of robotic vacuums, and it's up to you to figure out which features will be helpful in your household. However, with Homey’s capabilities, you can extend both the life and the brainpower of any robotic vacuum.

For example, Homey can send the vacuum on a mission a couple of times every week, and all surface dirt on your floors will be gone before it gets a chance to build up. With a simple Homey Flow, you can even schedule your vacuum to run whenever no one’s around, and you won't be annoyed by the device's buzzes and whirrs. 

Sounds good? Give Homey a try »