However, in long-term, everyday use, problems and abnormalities can arise that were not noticed after 1-2 weeks.
So I usually continue to use vacuum robots even after the actual test has been completed, usually until the next model comes along.
This article is about manufacturer-specific abnormalities that I observed and generally how reliable and durable my robot vacuum cleaners were.
(Almost) no failures!
I have already used dozens of vacuum robots and, excitingly, almost none of them have failed completely. There were only two exceptions here:
Neato Botvac-Connected, a now quite old model (2017), but this stopped working around 2 years after purchase. The sensor that detects whether the vacuum cleaner is on the floor has failed.
The vacuum robot thinks it is always hanging in the air and no longer starts.
Base station of the DreameBot L10s Ultra Unfortunately, a few months after the test, the base station of the L10s Ultra failed. Strictly speaking, the pump at the washing station no longer works. The vacuum cleaner itself, however, works without any problems.
These are the only two failures that I have experienced with several dozen robot vacuum models.
Loss of suction power, a big issue!
What is different, however, is how well older models still suck. Because here I noticed some clear differences.
Of course, the filters of vacuum robots often have to be replaced or at least cleaned, otherwise the suction power of almost all vacuum robots quickly drops to the bottom!
However, there are some models that feel like they have permanently lost some suction power.
Although I really like Roborock’s vacuum robots, I noticed this phenomenon most clearly with Roborock.
I noticed this clearly, especially with the slightly older Roborock models, that they simply couldn’t pull in as much air. The Roborock S50 in particular was really bad here!
At a certain point, the Roborock S50 almost stopped breathing air at all. I then dismantled it and inside there was a hidden filter in front of the suction motor, which had become clogged over time. Removing this filter massively increased the suction power.
I can’t say whether this filter is present in all Roborock vacuum cleaners and whether it is a problem. However, I also noticed a slight reduction in air flow on the S7. But this could also be your imagination.
I also noticed certain changes from other manufacturers. As a rule, a thorough cleaning and replacing the filter, the brush was enough and the robots returned to their former strength.
Breaks cards
In principle, Dreame’s vacuum robots navigate very well. However, they do break my cards from time to time.
You can see in the app how several cards appear to be overlapping each other, which confuses the robot.
Of course, this problem can be solved quite easily, delete the map and recreate it. However, I haven’t noticed this with models from other manufacturers.
The best navigation
The robot vacuum cleaners of all major manufacturers now have good navigation. But I would still like to choose my top 4 here:
Narwhal
Roborock
Dreaming
Ecovacs
iRobot, Eufy, Neato, Ultenic, Shellbot, Sell usw.
I was very impressed with the Narwhal Freo! This is the robot vacuum cleaner with the best navigation I have ever experienced. No other vacuum robot drives through my apartment so safely and reliably.
I would generally vote for the Roborock models in second place. Of course there are models with better navigation and with worse, but in general the Roborock models are very reliable.
Aside from the small “map” issue, Dreame’s navigation is also fantastic! Dreame vacuum robots all navigated incredibly well and reliably for me. No matter whether the expensive flagship models or the somewhat price/performance-oriented models.
Dreame vacuum robots tend to be a little more careful than Roborock vacuum cleaners when it comes to contact with furniture and obstacles.
4th place goes to EcoVacs. EcoVac’s vacuum robots also generally navigate very well! However, I see this part as a touch behind Dreame and Roborock. But the navigation is so good that I would like to put it clearly above the various “mini manufacturers”.
The robots from iRobot, Yeedi, etc. also usually navigate well, provided a camera or laser sensor is used for navigation. However, in my experience, the “Top 4” manufacturers are somewhat more reliable, even if this can never be said in general terms.
Suction stations are getting better and better!
With the first vacuum robots with suction stations, I often had to struggle with “constipation”. I have two dogs that produce a lot of hair.
In the first generation, only the iRobot suction station was really reliable.
Now almost all of the suction stations that I have had in my hands are powerful enough, as long as the bags in the station are not too full.
But I would say that iRobot has the best suction stations, followed by Dreame and ECOVACs.
Battery life expectancy?
I rarely use a robot vacuum cleaner for long enough to notice massive wear and tear on the battery.
However, even with models that I have used for 1-2+ years, I have not observed any significant wear on the battery.
So I don’t think battery life itself is a big problem, although I wish the battery was easier to replace! You want to use the 1000€+ models in particular for a long time.
Sucking is good for almost everyone!
In normal everyday life, almost all vacuum robots vacuum very well! Especially if you primarily have smooth floors, even the cheap models remove 95% of the dirt and hair in one trip.
Sure, you won’t always get “perfect” results, but the great thing about robot vacuum cleaners is that they keep your home at a “constantly low” dirt level. Especially if you have pets and use the vacuum robot every day, there simply isn’t that much dirt that can accumulate, even if a hair is left behind.
Especially on smooth floors, the expensive high-end models rarely deliver more than the “solid mid-range”.
Many manufacturers are currently advertising extremely high suction power ratings, 5000 PA, etc. Don’t let that lure you too much. These are peak values that are rarely used on smooth floors. Robot vacuum cleaners usually have several levels and these usually use one of the lower levels to achieve better battery life and lower volume.
Such a high suction power can only make sense on carpets, but even there I couldn’t always observe a compelling connection between high suction power and high suction power.
Rollers with bristles are better
Most robot vacuum cleaners have a rotating roller/brush with more or less soft bristles.
However, there are always models with two rollers or a rubber roller, etc.
In my experience, the simple bristle rollers/brushes work best! This “double roller” principle in particular doesn’t work so well on some carpets.
Conclusion
In my experience, robot vacuum cleaners are relatively durable. Obviously logical, I hardly trust a model to have a lifespan of 10 years.
But for a high-tech product, I generally had very little to do with failures or problems.
There are always “special features” here and there. I used to have a deep black carpet that some robot vacuum cleaners recognized as an abyss.
But such anomalies are usually not a drama and can occur with all manufacturers depending on the apartment, etc.
As a rule, you can’t go wrong with the big manufacturers. Personally, I really like the Dreame models at the moment, as well as ECOVACs, but that is also a bit of personal preference.
A special praise
I would like to give special praise for the Dreame Bot Z10 Pro. I have been using this for a very long time and this is one of the best and most reliable robot vacuum cleaners that I have ever had, even in continuous use!
The Dreame Bot Z10 Pro is very fairly priced at under €400 for a model with a suction station!