The best new robot vacuums at CES 2021
Robot vacuums are getting smarter
Robot vacuums are getting smarter and smarter — and pricier, too. At CES 2021, a handful of companies have debuted their newest robot vacuums for this year. All feature multi-floor mapping, virtual walls and some serious intelligence. That should not only make them better at avoiding cords and socks lying on the floor, but more efficient at cleaning up after you and your pets.
There aren't very many new robot vacuums being introduced at this year's CES, but the ones we've seen all have some interesting new features. Here's a look at the robot vacuums coming later this year. Which of these will make it to our best robot vacuums page? We can't wait to test them out.
Samsung JetBot 90 AI+
It's been a few years since Samsung released a new robot vacuum, and it seems the company has been hard at work. The Samsung Jetbot 90 AI+ uses a LiDAR sensor and a 3D sensor along with object recognition and Intel artificial intelligence to identify objects and navigate around them. The company even says it can spot and avoid pet waste. That's something we'd have to see.
Speaking of seeing, the Jetbot 90 has another camera on its front, which you can use to keep tabs on your pets while you're not home. A patrol mode will tell the vacuum to drive to up to five different locations around your home.
Similar to Roomba's newest robot vacuums, the Jetbot 90 AI+ has a dustbin built into its charging dock, with a disposable dust bag that you should only need to clean out every few months. It has a 30W digital inverter motor, HEPA filtration, multi-room mapping, and virtual no-go zones.
The Jetbot 90 AI+ has a bit of an unusual shape. While the bulk of the vacuum is a traditional circular shape, there's a squarish wedge that sticks out the front.
The Jetbot 90 AI+ should be available the first half of this year. Pricing has not been finalized, but we expect it won't be cheap.
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Roborock S7
We've tested a number of robot vacuums that also had a mopping feature, and for the most part we've been underwhelmed. They usually don't perform either function as well as standalone robot vacuums or robot mops. Could the Roborock S7 change that? Perhaps.
This robot vac vibrates its mop head from 1,650 times a minute to 3,000 times a minute, giving your floor a good, hard scrub. And, it will automatically raise its mop head and start vacuuming when it senses that it's on a rug.
The S7 can remember up to four floor maps, and has room-specific cleaning and virtual no-mop zones. It will be available in black or white for $649 on Amazon starting March 24.
Eufy RoboVac L80 and L80 Hybrid
Eufy is coming out with two new robot vacuums, the RoboVac L80 and the L80 Hybrid. Both models support multiple floor maps using laser navigation, and can detect things such as stairs and other obstacles. But these look to really suck with twin turbines rated at 2,000 pascals each — double that of many other robot vacuums. That should result in much better cleaning performance, as well as greater efficiency.
The RoboVac L80, which is a vacuum-only model, will cost $549.99. The RoboVac L80 Hybrid, which also features mopping, will cost $599.99. Both should be available this June.
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Michael A. Prospero is the U.S. Editor-in-Chief for Tom’s Guide. He oversees all evergreen content and oversees the Homes, Smart Home, and Fitness/Wearables categories for the site. In his spare time, he also tests out the latest drones, electric scooters, and smart home gadgets, such as video doorbells. Before his tenure at Tom's Guide, he was the Reviews Editor for Laptop Magazine, a reporter at Fast Company, the Times of Trenton, and, many eons back, an intern at George magazine. He received his undergraduate degree from Boston College, where he worked on the campus newspaper The Heights, and then attended the Columbia University school of Journalism. When he’s not testing out the latest running watch, electric scooter, or skiing or training for a marathon, he’s probably using the latest sous vide machine, smoker, or pizza oven, to the delight — or chagrin — of his family.