What are Self-Emptying Bots?
Self-emptying robot vacuum cleaners give homeowners extra convenience by ensuring hands-off cleaning. You don’t need to regularly check the robot’s internal dust storage to prevent it from flogging. Neither do you have to disassemble, reassemble, or open catches or fasteners. Instead, in most designs, the automated vacuum empties itself of collected dust and debris every time it docks. You can easily dump out the dustbin occasionally when it gets full.
Of course, designers make self-emptying robovacs with various other features, too. You can find a model suited to any cleaning task you might have for your home, small business, or office.
Here are eight of the best models available today to free you from the humdrum tasks of dusting and vacuuming:
1. Best Smart Vacuum: iRobot Roomba J7+
Key Features:
- PrecisionVision navigation technology
- Self-emptying bin
- Recharge and resume
- Pet poop guarantee
A good option for those with furry friends in the house, the iRobot Roomba J7+ is useful for vacuuming up pet hair. Its powerful suction can easily slurp ground dirt, dust, and dog or cat hair clumps. iRobot’s design team gave it rubber brushes specially designed to avoid getting tangled up with hair. The two brushes clean each other and the floor, preventing fur from clumping into them.
The dual brush power helps the Roomba adapt to carpet and hard floors. The robovac also avoids pet waste rather than smearing it around or sucking it up. The company backs this function with its P.O.O.P. or “Pet Owner Official Promise” warranty.
The Roomba J7+ also avoids power cords and similar obstacles using the same detection system. When it encounters an obstacle, the robot photographs it and sends you the image. You then decide how the robovac should deal with each obstacle in the future.
This iRobot robovac empties itself into a dust bag inside its charging base. The “Clean Base” uses bags that usually require emptying only about once every two months. The bags provide 99% containment of pet hair allergens, mold spores, and dust, plus neat, easy disposal.
Though it’s a pricey robovac with moderate battery life, the Roomba J7+ offers intelligent mapping and cleaning, pet waste avoidance, and powerful combined suction and brushing for deep pet hair removal.
2. Best for Cleaning and Security: Ecovacs Deebot X1 Omni
Key Features:
- Automatically empties and cleans itself
- Features both mopping and deep cleaning modes
- Includes TrueMapping for better cleaning coverage
- Includes voice control
A combination of floor cleaner and roving security camera, the Ecovacs Deebot X1 Omni is a Swiss army knife with different robovac functions. Deebot X1 can empty and clean itself for a considerable time without you intervening. It also gives you a peek at other rooms, including sound and lets you talk through a microphone.
You can control and issue commands using Alexa for voice as the owner. The robot can also guide itself, using cameras for mapping and navigation. It sweeps carpets and uses wet mopping on bare floors for effective, adaptable cleaning. You can use the cameras for security viewing; the robot includes two-way audio.
The X1 Omni’s self-emptying feature comes into play when it returns to its dock after a busy day’s cleaning. The dock houses three different sections – a clean water tank, a dirty water or “sewage” tank, and a dust bag. The dock sucks dust and debris out of the Deebot’s internal dustbin with a vacuum hose. This feature empties the robovac’s dustbin in under 10 seconds and stores the dust in a 3-liter bag. Under normal circumstances, the owner only needs to change the bag once every 60 days.
On the downside, the Deebot’s dock takes up much room. Ecovacs had to build the dock large to fit all the support equipment inside, making it almost as bulky as a small furniture item. The Deebot is also one of the most expensive robovacs on this list, though most owners rate it highly.
3. Best for Mopping: Roborock S7+
Key Features:
- Self-Empty Dock empties robot automatically for up to 8 weeks
- Sonic vibration technology for tough mopping
- Auto-lifts mop when sensing carpets
- Ultrasonic carpet detection
Roborock’s engineers went all-out, making the Roborock S7+ capable of mopping up the toughest stains and crud. The robot digs into even dried, hardened dirt with a multi-directional brush. The mop uses water and 600 grams of pressure to lift mud, spilled and dried beverages, and other stubborn messes. Additionally, the robot’s mop features 3,000 sonic vibrations per minute to loosen dirt, leaving boards, tile, and other hard floors squeaky clean.
The S7+ robot vacuum guides itself with modern detection systems. It can go from wet-mopping a bare floor to dry vacuuming a carpet immediately. It senses rugs using highly reliable ultrasound and lifts its mop head, so it won’t get the carpeting wet. This robot vacuum works best on low-pile carpets with a 4mm pile or less. Its suction measures 2,500 Pascals (2,500 Pa), about 1,000 Pa more than the minimum needed for carpet vacuuming. This pulls dust and dirt out of the carpet’s interior and cleans the floor’s cracks.
Like all self-emptying robot vacuums, the S7+ has a large dock for recharging and self-cleaning. The dock sucks the dust out of the S7+ for storage in an internal dust bag. Roborock claims the dust bag can go up to 120 days between changes depending on circumstances. On the downside, you must clean the mop between uses and refill the robot’s water tank.
4. Best for Thorough Carpet Cleaning: Samsung Jet Bot AI+
Key Features:
- Object recognition avoids obstacles
- Adjusts suction by surface type
- Advanced HEPA filtration
- Touchless dust emptying
Costing about half of some other options on the list, the Samsung Jet Bot AI+ is perfect for the homeowner with plenty of carpeting. Users report the robovac is excellent at sucking dirt and dust out of both low-pile and high-pile carpets. It’s also competent on bare floors, though it only vacuums them rather than wet-mopping them like other models.
While it’s a more affordable option with prices under $500 as early as 2023, the Samsung Jet Bot AI+ has limits. Its designers gave it a bare-bones set of features, including no object recognition. It will run over objects such as socks, toys, or pet waste, potentially smearing the latter all over the place. As such, it’s best for uncluttered homes without small kids or pets.
The Samsung Jet Bot uses LiDAR to map the rooms to vacuum clean for quick, effective navigation. Once the layout is memorized, its computer “brain” figures out the best route for swift, thorough cleaning. The Jet Bot‘s "jet cyclone" vacuuming system filters particles to avoid reduced suction. Multiple layers of fine filters cleanse 99.999% of dust. The robot‘s dock then empties the internal dustbin into storage needing emptying only every 1-3 months.
5. Best for Bagless Dust Storage: Shark AI Ultra Robot Vacuum
Key Features:
- Powerful suction picks up embedded dirt
- Matrix Clean navigation for full coverage
- Bagless self-emptying dock
- Works well for pet hair
If you hate handling dust bags or often forget to buy them, the Shark AI Ultra Robot Vacuum robot vacuum offers a solution. Like other self-emptying robovacs, it returns to its dock to deposit the dust while recharging. Shark AI has no bag in the dock’s dustbin. Instead, the space is bagless, though it features HEPA rated filters and seals. These features keep 99.97% of dust and allergen particles contained down to 0.3 microns. The base needs emptying every 60 days with typical use.
The Shark AI Ultra generates strong suction to pick up ground-in dirt, pet hair, and stubborn debris equally well on carpeting and bare floors. It can resume vacuuming where it left off when recharging.
You can use Alexa voice control or the app to schedule cleanings. With the SharkClean app, you can choose cleaning modes, adjust suction power, set no-go zones, review cleaning history and receive notifications.
6. Best Budget Robot Vacuum: Verefa L11 Pro
Key Features:
- Quiet 56 decibel operation
- LiDAR navigation for efficiency
- 2,700 Pascal strong suction
- Houses 70 days of dust
The Verefa L11 Pro Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum boasts quieter than regular operation as one of its standout features. It generates just 56 decibels when put in “quiet mode”, about equal to a regular human conversation. This budget robovac is affordable, priced under $350 in early 2023. Despite its low cost, it features strong 2,700 Pascal vacuuming ability and convenient controls.
You can schedule cleanings, activate vacuuming, or use Alexa voice control through the Verefa app. Options include spot cleaning, room cleaning, zone cleaning, and manual remote control steering. Verefa‘s robotic vacuum cleaner uses a brushroll that auto-adjusts for maximum floor contact and sweeping power. When emptying, the dock stores 70 days worth of dust and dirt before needing changed.
7. Best for Heavy Duty Cleaning: Dreametech W10
Key Features:
- Sweeping, mopping, washing and drying
- 4,000 Pa super suction
- 210 minute runtime
- LiDAR navigation
The Dreametech W10 deploys suction up to 4,000 Pa to vacuum embedded dirt from carpets. It also mops with water and brush heads to scrub caked-on spills from hard floors. When docking, it washes and dries its mop heads so they are fresh for the next use.
Engineers gave the W10 a long-lasting battery for large homes. It can clean for 210 minutes on a charge, covering up to 3,200 square feet. Using LiDAR navigation, the robovac maps rooms quickly then vacuums in organized rows for full coverage.
You can adjust suction power, schedule cleanings, set no-go zones and control the Dreametech robot vacuum with voice commands using Alexa or Google Assistant integration. Overall the W10 delivers intelligent, intensive floor cleaning care for those needing serious vacuuming support.
8. Best for Under Furniture: eufy Clean G40 Hybrid+
Key Features:
- Extremely low 2.85 inch height
- 2,500 Pa suction
- Vacuums & wet mops
- Runs quietly
Just 2.85 inches high when active, the eufy Clean G40Hybrid+ slips easily under furniture, cleaning hard-to-reach spots. When self-emptying, its dock triple filters dust to avoid leakage and allergen spread. The bag locks when removed, holding 60 days of debris before needing replacement.
Despite quiet 55 decibel operation, this robovac generates formidable vacuum suction.Its low profile reaches deep under couches and beds for complete cleaning. Switching between vacuuming and wet mopping ensures thorough hard floor and carpet care throughout the home.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a robot vacuum self-empty?
The robot vacuum self-empties by connecting to the dock. The dock then vacuums the robot’s dust bin clean, pumps out dirty water or “sewage” if the bot is a mopping type, and pumps in fresh water if needed.
How long can robot vacuums go between dock dust storage emptying?
It takes somewhere between 45 days to 120 days to empty docks, depending on the model. Most self-emptying docks hold about 60 to 70 days of dust. Water reservoirs may need more frequent filling and emptying for mopping models.
How loud are robot vacuums?
Most robot vacuums operate around 60 decibels, similar to a normal conversation. Some run quieter at 55 decibels, about the hum of a refrigerator.
Can modern robot vacuums resume incomplete work?
Yes, most robovacs are designed to recharge when low then remember where they were upon docking to later resume vacuuming there.
What are price ranges for self-emptying robot vacuums?
Cheaper self-emptying robot vacuums cost $300-$400. High-end models run from $1,200 up to $1,600, with a select few specialty bots priced even higher.
