To find out which robot vacuums are the best, we ran dozens through the gauntlet in our lab in Kentucky, evaluating suction power, navigation performance, object avoidance, noise level, and, most importantly, pickup performance.
Upright Vacuums: These corded vacuums are the most traditional. They work for hardwoods and carpets and most of the Shark ones come with hoses and nozzle attachments for extra mobile cleaning, reaching high or hard to reach areas. Plus, they are corded so you never have to charge them, etc. On the negative side, they are heavy and you are tied down to a power outlet.
If you listen to the CES hype machine this year, you might think that robots are finally ready to take over your domestic duties. To some extent that's true, but take note of the plural: there's no single robot ready to take over all of your household chores yet, but an army of them just might. You might have had one of these single-purpose robots in your home for years already, of course.
The U.S. company that put robot vacuums into American homes has hit the skids. The maker of Roomba, called iRobot, has filed for bankruptcy about two years after its failed merger with Amazon. The company has struggled to keep up with foreign rivals, its hefty debt and new costs of tariffs. The firm is now being taken over by its main manufacturer based in China, assuring owners that its devices will keep running as usual.
IFA, short for Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin, meaning International Radio Exhibition Berlin because it started in 1924 when radios were the hottest things in tech, doesn't see as many major gadget announcements as CES. Still, it's Europe's largest tech show to close out summer, and this year the show doubled down on the stuff its Messe Berlin convention halls are typically known for: smart home gear and robots.
