No discussion of home robots would be complete without discussing a vacuum. Here, we like the quiet, laser-guided Neato Botvac Connected over the Roomba. It features three high-performance filters, a side brush to clean near walls, a 2.96-cup-capacity bin (larger than the Roomba), and a simple magnetic boundary strip you can put anywhere you want to keep it away from. It cleans for about 1 hour on each 2-hour charge.
CNET testing shows it to be especially skilled at picking up pet hair (even over the Roomba), so it’s a great cleaning tool for families with shedding pets. It works well on carpeting, but cleaning hardwood is where it really shines.
Also see: IROBOT ROOMBA 770 Review
The real draw, though is the vac's Wi-Fi connectivity and app. You can drive your Botvac Connected around like an RC car or send the vac out to clean your floors from anywhere. If you don't need this connectivity, we'd recommend the Neato Botvac D series
The Neato Botvac Connected is available at Amazon for $699.99 and the Neato Botvac D Series is available at Amazon for $449.99.
