CNET has refined its procedures for evaluating robot vacuums over years of testing more than 100 models. The process assesses cleaning performance, navigation, obstacle avoidance, and other key factors in a dedicated lab. Awards recognize top performers based on lab results and value.
CNET's testing of robot vacuums began with early models like the first Roomba and continues with ongoing refinements to ensure reliable results. Experts evaluate aspects such as cleaning power, navigation skills, object avoidance, noise levels, price, and features to guide consumer recommendations.
In a lab in Louisville, Kentucky, following International Electrotechnical Commission standards, each vacuum navigates a simulated home environment with obstacles like furniture legs, cords, and fake pet waste on various floor types including low-pile and mid-pile carpets and hardwood. For cleaning performance, testers scatter controlled amounts of play sand and pet hair from a groomer across floor patches. They weigh the debris before and after five runs to calculate pickup percentages, averaging results and rerunning outliers. Top models achieve over 60% overall pickup, while poorer ones score below 20%. On mid-pile carpet, the Mova Z60 Ultra Roller Complete reached 47.54%, the highest recorded.
Navigation is assessed via overhead camera recordings and heat map analysis over three runs, measuring floor coverage. The Dreame X50 Ultra and Mova Z60 showed high coverage with few missed spots, including under low furniture. In contrast, the Eufy E28 left many areas untouched, especially edges and corners.
Obstacle avoidance tests place six items—fake pet waste, a lamp, pet toy, and sock—at varying angles (90, 180, and 360 degrees). No vacuum avoids all, but top ones dodge five; failures include sucking socks or overrunning waste, as seen with the Roomba DustCompactor Combo 205 and Narwal Flow.
Noise is measured in decibels, with levels varying by about 10 times across models, though not heavily weighted yet. Awards include Editors’ Choice for overall best and Lab Awards for specific metrics, like the Dreame X50's cleaning coverage. Price comparisons ensure fair assessments across budgets from $200 to nearly $2,000, considering mopping and self-emptying features.