Some say that the best vacuum cleaners are those that have been around for years and have stood the test of time. Sturdy. Upright. Something with heft. However, many new robot vacuum cleaners on the market offer features and benefits that may make them a better choice for your needs.
Traditional upright vacuum cleaners require a lot of effort to push and pull around the house. You also have to manually guide it over different types of flooring, which can be time-consuming, but upright vacuum cleaners still offer the most power for the deepest clean.
The best robot vacuum cleaners, on the other hand, are designed to clean your floors automatically for your ultimate convenience. Some robot vacuum cleaners can even be controlled by voice commands (iRobot works with Alexa devices), and some can be controlled remotely via WIFI.
Robot vacuums use sensors to navigate around your home and avoid obstacles, so you don’t have to lift a finger. Additionally, most of the best robot vacuum cleaners can now self-adjust between carpet and hard floors without issue. This means that you can set it and forget it, without worrying about whether your hardwood / linoleum / tile floors are getting as clean as your carpeted areas.
So, if you’re looking for a low-maintenance solution to keeping your home clean, a robot vacuum cleaner is definitely worth considering. Have you thought about buying a robot vacuum cleaner but didn’t know if you were ready for one? Have you seen robot vacuum cleaners at the homes of your friends and family and always wanted to try one? Chicago Devotion has you covered.
Let’s see how the best Upright Vacuums compare with the best Robot Vacuums.
Dyson Ball Animal vs. iRobot Roomba s9+
Dyson Ball Animal Total Clean Vacuum Cleaner Bundle
THE LOWDOWN
Dyson claims the Animal has the strongest suction of any vacuum. It handles tough tasks easily, like disappearing heavy spills and tufts of fur, making it ideal for parents and pet-owners.
The Ball Animal Total Clean vacuum has an advanced self-adjusting cleaner head that automatically adjusts between carpets and hard floors, sealing in suction across all floor types to tackle your toughest tasks. The 35-foot-long power cord helps you clean almost anywhere.
The wand and hose features release in one smooth action to make it easier to clean up high and under furniture. With hygienic bin emptying, there’s no need to get your hands dirty—just push the button to release the dirt. Whole-machine filtration ensures that allergens and bacteria are trapped inside the machine, not expelled back into the home.
This Dyson Animal Bundle comes with six extra tools, including the tangle-free turbine, the articulating hard floor tool, the combi tool, a carbon fiber soft dusting brush, a multi-angle brush, a reach under tool, a mattress tool, a stair tool and a tool storage bag.
You can find the vacuum by itself, but this Dyson Ball Animal Total Clean Bundle with all the extras is only about $20 more than the vacuum by itself (at time of publication).
Dyson’s free 5-Year Warranty covers parts and labor, plus free shipping there and back.
What’s in the Box?
- 1 Dyson Ball Animal Total Clean Vacuum Cleaner
- 1 Tangle-free turbine
- 1 Articulating hard floor tool
- 1 Combi-tool
- 1 Carbon fiber soft dusting brush
- 1 Multi-angle brush
- 1 Reach-under tool
- 1 Mattress tool
- 1 Stair tool
- 1 Tool storage bag
Disadvantages:
- Corded vacuums offer less versatility and portability.
- The dustbin may require frequent emptying for heavy-duty cleaning jobs.
- Larger upright vacuums can be heavier and more difficult to control than lightweight cordless models.
Amazon Buyers’ Rating: 4.4 out of 5 Stars from 1,203 global ratings (at time of publication).
iRobot Roomba s9+ Robot Vacuum
THE LOWDOWN
Branded by iRobot as “The World’s Best Robot Vacuum,” the Roomba s9+ empties on its own—you don’t have to think about vacuuming for weeks at a time. The Clean Base Automatic Dirt Disposal holds 30 bins of dirt, dust, and hair while the Filtration System captures and traps 99% of microscopic particles.
The Roomba s9+’s superior 3-stage cleaning system delivers up to 40x the suction compared to the Roomba 600 Series models. It automatically increases suction to clean deep into carpets.
iRobot’s PerfectEdge Technology, with advanced sensors and a specially designed Corner Brush, optimizes cleaning deep into corners and along edges. The s9+ easily moves and cleans around obstacles, under and around couches, and along walls, ensuring a thorough cleaning.
The molded, soft-touch bumper cushions the contact between Roomba and furniture, walls, and other objects while accurately discerning soft barriers from solid barriers, allowing Roomba to go under curtains, bed skirts, and couch skirts.
Imprint Smart Mapping enables the robot to learn, map, and adapt to your home, allowing you to control which rooms are cleaned and when. Advanced sensors constantly scan ahead at a rate of 25 times per second to detect obstacles in the cleaning path.
On First Use, the s9+ uses its full range of sensors to map out your floor and the world around it. Roomba then uploads the information collected by its sensors to the iRobot HOME app to allow you to properly name each room. You can merge, split, and label rooms as you see fit. After that, you can schedule the Roomba s9+ to clean certain rooms at certain times, or have the robot clean an entire level of your home.
You can direct the Roomba s9+ to where you want it to clean by voice commands using Alexa-enabled devices or Google Assistant.
What’s in the Box?
- 1 Roomba s9+ Robot Vacuum
- 1 Clean Base® Automatic Dirt Disposal
- 2 Dirt Disposal Bags
- 1 North American Line Cord
- 2 Extra High-Efficiency Filters2 Extra Side Brushes
Disadvantages:
- Compared to the all-day power of a corded vacuum, robot vacuums need time to recharge, sometimes in the middle of cleaning if you have a large floorplan. The positive side of that is the Roomba drives itself back to the charging dock and recharges itself, then goes back to work if it hasn’t finished the job.
- The first time the Roomba maps out your floorplan, it could take a while and it may experience some trial and error. Most reviews that mentioned this setup period also stated that once it finally learned the floorplan, they could set it and forget it. You may need patience during this learning curve.
- Robot vacuums will never be able to clean all the nooks and crannies that traditional upright vacuums with all their crazy attachments are so good at cleaning. Also, those attachments are handy at cleaning surfaces other than floors.
- Robot vacuums can have a hard time picking up large clumps of food or long locks of pet fur or human hair (if you cut your own hair or a loved one’s hair). If a pile of something needs to be cleaned off the floor, your best bet is to break out the ol’ broom and dustpan.
Amazon Buyers’ Rating: 4.1 out of 5 Stars from 440 global ratings (at time of publication).
BONUS! Save Money on this iRobot Combo Bundle and Get the iRobot Roomba s9+ AND the Braava Jet m6 Ultimate Robot Mop with Precision Jet Spray for a total floor clean.
iRobot Roomba s9+ AND the Braava Jet m6 Ultimate Robot Mop Combo
THE LOWDOWN
The Braava Jet m6 robot mops where and when you tell it to clean, and iRobot’s Precision Jet Spray technology helps tackle sticky messes and kitchen grease. This robot mop is ideal for multiple rooms and larger spaces, and it can navigate around objects and under furniture.
The Braava Jet m6 cleans finished hard floors including hardwood, tile, and stone. With vSLAM navigation, the Braava Jet m6 learns the layout of your home and builds personal Smart Maps, enabling them to expertly clean and navigate in neat, efficient rows, just like the Roomba s9+.
A simple request to your voice assistant or via the iRobot Home app enables the s9+ or Braava Jet m6 to clean messes for you, right when they happen—immediately clean that spot and consider it done.
Amazon Buyers’ Rating: 4.1 out of 5 Stars from 2,264 global ratings (at time of publication).
Dyson V11 Animal Stick Cordless vs. iRobot Roomba j7+
Dyson V11 Animal Stick Cordless Vacuum
THE LOWDOWN
The Dyson V11 Animal intelligently optimizes suction and run time to deep clean everywhere. The Dynamic Load Sensor (DLS) system continuously senses and adapts power to automatically change the motor speed between carpets and hard floors for deep cleaning across all floor types.
The Dyson digital V11 motor helps deliver 40% more suction power than the Dyson V8 cord-free, and 20% more suction power than the Dyson Cyclone V10 vacuum. Whole-machine filtration captures 99.97% of microscopic dust particles as small as 0.3 microns to expel dust and allergens for cleaner air.
Dyson’s lighter yet more powerful 7-cell lithium-ion batteries can deliver up to 60 minutes of fade-free power. *Actual runtime will vary based on power mode and/or attachments used.
With fade-free battery power and a battery-saving trigger, the LED screen displays cleaning modes that lets you switch easily between Eco, Auto, and Boost modes.
Eco Mode offers up to 60 minutes of run time for longer cleans across all floor types. Boost Mode is designed for quick, intensive cleaning on ground-in dirt, but will use up more battery energy. Auto Mode senses and adapts for a deep clean—the optimum balance of power and run time—and intelligently adapts to different floor types. *Actual runtime will vary based on power mode and/or attachments used.
With Drop-in docking, simply drop your Dyson V11 vacuum into the wall-mounted charging dock, and once charged it’s ready to grab and go again.
The Dyson V11 Animal cord-free vacuum quickly transforms to a handheld for quick clean ups, spot cleaning, and reaching difficult places like stairs, inside vehicles, and into furniture crevices.
The Dyson V11 Animal Cordless Vacuum also features a free 2-year warranty on parts and labor.
This vacuum is extremely powerful, lightweight, cordless, and can transform into a very powerful handheld vacuum. The Dyson V11 is a solid choice for those who need a powerful vacuum with extreme portability, but its cordless power is no match for its big brother: the Dyson Ball Animal 2.
If you don’t have a massive home to clean, but you still have allergy concerns or pets to clean up after, the Dyson V11 Animal is a lightweight option that can be more powerful than robot vacuums in certain cleaning situations.
What’s in the Box?
- 1 Torque drive head (main vacuum body)
- 1 Mini-motorized tool
- 1 Crevice tool
- 1 Stubborn dirt brush
- 1 Combination tool
- 1 Wand storage clip
- 1 Docking station and charger
Disadvantages:
- Lower battery life than robot vacuum models.
- Less suction power than the Dyson Ball Animal 2 Total Clean. That being said, it is cordless, and can transform into an amazingly powerful handheld vacuum.
- More expensive than the Dyson Ball Animal 2 Total Clean.
Amazon Buyers’ Rating: 4.7 out of 5 Stars from 4,854 global ratings (at time of publication).
iRobot Roomba j7+ Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum
THE LOWDOWN
Want that sweet robot clean but want to pay less? iRobot’s Roomba j7+ cleans almost as good as the s9+ for a lower price. The Roomba j7+ allows you to schedule multiple cleanings per day by continuously learning and adapting to your home. It also empties its own bin so you don’t have to.
The ultra-smart iRobot OS avoids pet accidents on purpose, and they guarantee it. Only iRobot brings you P.O.O.P. (the Pet Owner Official Promise). You can rely on your Roomba j7+ to avoid pet waste, or iRobot will replace it for free. Additional terms and conditions apply—see iRobot.com for full details.
iRobot advertises that there is no need to pick up before you clean. The Roomba j7+ robot vacuum uses iRobot OS Technology and PrecisionVision Navigation to recognize and avoid common objects in its way like cords, pet waste, socks, and shoes. Picking up before you clean is now a thing of the past (unless you wanted the robot to clean under those socks, I guess).
This seems like a moot point, because you’re going to have to pick that stuff up eventually. The biggest selling point to that option is if you have pets and schedule regular cleanings while you’re at work or out on the town, if little Fluffy drops a steamer, the robot won’t drag it all over your living room.
iRobot’s Imprint Smart Mapping system allows you to control & schedule which rooms are cleaned and when, while storing multiple maps for easier cleaning on each level of your home. Plus, you can set customizable Keep Out Zones and Clean Zones that allow you to tell the Roomba j7+ the exact area to avoid and clean.
The Roomba j7+’s powerful 3-Stage Cleaning System packs 10x the Power-Lifting Suction compared to the Roomba 600 series. Its Edge-Sweeping Brush cleans along walls and corners, and iRobot’s patented Dual Multi-Surface Rubber Brushes flex to adjust to different floor types and don’t get tangled with pet hair.
This is where the value price meets the power: yes, the j7+ is cheaper, but the Roomba s9+ has 40x the cleaning power compared to the Roomba 600 series. The Roomba j7+ only packs 10x that power.
Smart Recharge and Resume allows your robot to intelligently recharge for the amount of time needed to continue cleaning and get the job done.
What’s in the Box?
- 1 Roomba j7+ Robot Vacuum
- 1 Clean Base® Automatic Dirt Disposal
- 1 Extra High-Efficiency Filter
- 1 North American Line Cord
- 1 Extra Corner Brush (black)
- 2 Dirt Disposal Bags
Disadvantages:
- Less suction power than the iRobot Roomba s9+. (The Roomba s9+ has 40x the suction power of the Roomba 600 series; the Roomba j7+ has 10x the suction power of the Roomba 600 series.)
- Does not have the Specialized Corner Clean technology of the Roomba s9+.
- Compared to a corded vacuum, the robot version needs time to recharge. The positive side of that is the Roomba recharges itself, then goes back to work if it hasn’t finished cleaning your floorplan.
- The first time the Roomba maps out your floorplan, it could take a while and it may experience some trial and error. Most reviews that mentioned this setup period also stated that once it finally learned the floorplan, they could set it and forget it. Just be ready for a learning curve.
- Robot vacuums will never be able to clean all the nooks and crannies that traditional upright vacuum and all their crazy attachments are so good at cleaning.
- Robot vacuums can have a hard time picking up large clumps of food or long locks of human hair (if you cut your own hair, or you cut a loved one’s hair). If a pile of something needs to be cleaned, your best bet is to break out the ol’ broom and dustpan.
Amazon Buyers’ Rating: 4.4 out of 5 Stars from 4,124 global ratings (at time of publication).
BONUS! Save Money on this iRobot Combo Bundle and Get the iRobot Roomba j7+ AND the Braava Jet m6 Ultimate Robot Mop with Precision Jet Spray for a total floor clean.
THE LOWDOWN
The Braava Jet m6 robot mops where and when you tell it to clean, and iRobot’s Precision Jet Spray technology helps tackle sticky messes and kitchen grease. This robot mop is ideal for multiple rooms and larger spaces, and it can navigate around objects and under furniture.
The Braava Jet m6 cleans finished hard floors including hardwood, tile, and stone. With vSLAM navigation, the Braava Jet m6 learns the layout of your home and build personal Smart Maps, enabling them to expertly clean and navigate in neat, efficient rows, just like the Roomba s9+.
A simple request to your voice assistant or via the iRobot Home app enables the j7+ or Braava Jet m6 to clean messes for you, right when they happen—immediately clean that spot and consider it done.
Amazon Buyers’ Rating: 4.4 out of 5 Stars from 4,124 global ratings (at time of publication).
— THE ULTIMATE WINNER —
Dyson Ball Animal 2 Bundle vs. Roomba s9+ / Braava Jet m6 Combo vs. Roomba j7+ / Braava Jet m6 Combo vs. Dyson V11 Animal Stick Cordless
In this comparison, the Dyson Ball Animal and the Dyson V11 Animal Stick boast impressive suction power over the robotic options. On the other hand, the iRobot Roomba s9+ and the iRobot Roomba j7+ robot vacuums offer unprecedented modern convenience.
The iRobot Roomba s9+ with the Braava m6 Jet Mop Bundle is hands-down the most convenient option. Once these machines learn the layout of your home, they run themselves, and they only need you to empty their litter boxes and maybe provide a little maintenance every once and a while. You can control them both with your voice through the smartphone app or through any Alexa device, and with the WIFI feature you can control them with your smartphone app from anywhere in the world (where you can get signal…).
And, the Roomba s9+’s suction power is exponentially greater than the iRobot Roomba j7+. The Roomba s9+ has 40x the suction power of the Roomba 600 series cleaning system; the Roomba j7+ has 10x the suction power of the Roomba 600 series. If you are ready to buy a robot vacuum, the lower price of the Roomba j7+ does not justify it over the power of the Roomba s9+.
This is an investment, after all, and you want the most for your money. That’s why we are recommending the iRobot Roomba s9+ AND the Braava Jet m6 Ultimate Robot Mop Combo Bundle if you are in the market for a powerful set-it-and-forget-it total floor cleaning system.
If you are in need of ultimate power, then robot vacuums probably won’t get the job done just yet. There have been amazing advances in robot vacuuming, but sometimes you need to clean underneath cushions, or in stair crevices, or on raised surfaces like coffee tables or entertainment centers (no judgment, you do you!). And sometimes you need a lot of power for messy spills and heavy-shedding animals.
The Dyson Ball Animal is one of the strongest vacuums on the market, and the attachment bundle makes it ideal for deep cleans of large spaces and hard-to-reach areas, especially if you are a pet owner or have hypoallergenic needs. The attachment bundle allows you to clean places other than the floor as well, and it gives you the most control over how clean your home can be.
In our opinion, the portability and the cordless convenience of the Dyson V11 Animal Stick Cordless Vacuum does not justify the increased price and lack of power, features, and attachments you get with the Dyson Ball Animal Total Clean Vacuum Cleaner Bundle. The Ball Animal Bundle is more powerful and can clean more of your home than the V11 Animal Stick. This is a classic case of pay less, get more, even if you have to deal with a cord.
Ultimately, the choice between these vacuums largely depends on your specific personal preferences and cleaning needs, but the iRobot’s Roomba s9+ and Braava Jet m6 Bundle is the best evidence yet that robots might actually be able to keep your floors clean now, mostly without you ever having to lift a finger.
And that convenience automatically crosses one more thing off your long, long to-do list, and that peace of mind is hard to come by, my friend.
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