The best robot vacuums unveiled at CES 2024 go where Roombas still haven't
The robot vacuums unveiled at CES 2024 are ushering in a new era of automated at-home cleaning. And none of them are Roombas.
Like Apple, iRobot doesn't do CES. Rather, the latest Roombas arrived in September 2023 and had a peaceful few months of (basically) being the best in the business. That's changing with the 2024 fleet of new flagship models from brands like Roborock, Samsung, Ecovacs, and Eufy, all of which showcased serious upgrades to their previous robot vacuums.
We're seeing a few recurring glow-ups that are setting new standards for ways a robot vacuum can make your life easier: Small obstacle avoidance (think phone chargers, socks, and pet waste) is non-negotiable at this point, but fully self-sufficient mopping — real elbow grease, AI-fueled stain detection, and automated washing and drying of mopping pads — is the clear theme of the year. Even the most advanced Roomba doesn't offer those last two bullet points.
Below, we're diving into the details of our favorite 2024 competitors, as well as hashing out the differences between the new models and their predecessors. We'll also give pricing and release date information if we have it.
Roborock S8 Max Ultra, and S8 MaxV Ultra
It feels like just yesterday (was October not last month?) that Roborock dropped its last bots of 2023, the Q5 Pro and Q8 Max series. However, Roborock operates on both its release schedule and the CES schedule, and there are yet again new Roborocks.
The more premium vacs of the two new series are the S8 Max Ultra, and S8 MaxV Ultra. This series' main claim to fame is a bendy robotic arm that extends from the underside of the vacuum to detail spots that a side brush would miss — a longstanding blind spot of even the most powerful robot vacuums.
A front-facing camera is also on board, which guides more meticulous small obstacle and stain detection and can livestream footage as it roves — technically giving you the ability to talk to someone who's at home by talking through the app.
Smarts aside, we'd be remiss not to mention the enhanced suction power on these bad boys: the Max Ultra clocks 8,000 Pa while the S8 MaxV Ultra clocks a whopping 10,000 Pa — doubling the power of so many vacs on the current market that were previously thought to be pretty damn powerful.
Like the S8 Pro Ultra, which was unveiled at last year's CES, the S8 Max Ultra and MaxV Ultra docks wash mop heads and dry them with warm air, then refill the water tank in the bot itself. If you'd prefer to also not be responsible for manually refilling the larger water tank in the dock itself, there is a version of both new S8s that can be hooked up directly to your home's drainage system.
Starting in April 2024, the Roborock S8 Max Ultra will be available for $1,599.99 and the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra will be available for $1,799.99.
Roborock Q Revo Pro and Q Revo MaxV
The more affordable new series is the Q Revo line, with both the Revo Pro and Revo MaxV sticking close to the $1,000 price point. (The latter is more expensive due to the presence of a built-in voice assistant.)
Aside from aesthetic differences of the docks, the main difference from the S8 line is the Q Revo's focus on more detailed mopping than sheer suction power. It mops with two oscillating mopping pads spinning at 200 RPM (rather than the S8's singular pad) for a closer clean around obstacles like table legs.
Compared to the S8 series, the new Revo models clean with 7,000 Pa of suction instead of 10,000 — still impressive — and are equipped with the same FlexiArm design to reach into corners. They also wash and dry the mopping pads.
The Q Revo Pro will go for $999.99 and the Q Revo MaxV will go for $1,199.99 when they become available for purchase in April 2024.
Ecovacs X2 Combo
Speaking of corner cleaning, Ecovacs is once again taking the literal route with another square robot vacuum — its second released in three months. After the Sept. 2023 drop of the Ecovacs Deebot X2 Omni (a welcomed upgrade over the frustrating Deebot X1 Omni) Ecovacs has already found a unique way to build on its most advanced robot vacuum: adding a handheld vacuum to the ensemble.
Yes, "Combo" refers to a new docking station that charges the robot vacuum itself on one side and a cordless handheld vacuum on the other side — because we all know that there are some intricate messes that you'd prefer to tackle by hand. Both vacuums self-empty into the bi-directional dustbin in the middle.
Other features seen in the X2 Omni that have carried over to the X2 Combo include mopping, washing and drying of the mopping pads, automatic water tank refilling, AI obstacle avoidance, and a voice assistant called Yiko that you can use to beckon the vacuum to wherever you're standing. Unlike the X2 Omni, the Combo is also Matter-ready, meaning it's compatible with several smart home systems.
The Ecovacs X2 Combo will cost $1,599 upon release, which is TBA but likely in the spring.
Samsung Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI+
Samsung's booth theme for CES 2024 — and the bigger theme for CES as a whole this year, apparently — is AI. More tangibly, Samsung's lean into AI is showcased in its new robot vacuum, the Bespoke Jet Combo AI+. Though it isn't Samsung's first robot vacuum with "AI" in the name, it does use AI in a major new way. On top of AI-powered smart mapping and AI-powered small obstacle detection, the Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI+ can also detect stains on hard floors without you having to designate a cleaning zone in the app.
So yes, Samsung's flagship robot vacuum finally mops. Once the Jet Bot finds a stain, the bot quickly returns to the dock to heat the mopping pads with hot enough water to create steam, then heads back to the problem spot to scrub, spinning at 170 RPM.
In line with the trend of fully automated mopping that we've been seeing, the Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI+ charges on a self-emptying dock that also auto-fills the Jet Bot's water tank and washes and dries the mop.
Pricing and a release date for the Samsung Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI+ are still up in the air. Its predecessor, the Jet Bot AI+ that does not mop, debuted at $1,299.99 in 2021, so we expect the Combo AI+ to be slightly more expensive than that upon release.
Eufy X10 Pro Omni
Eufy's latest botvac doesn't necessarily do anything that we haven't seen before. It empties itself, mops with some elbow grease, washes and dries its mopping pads, and avoids obstacles like cords and socks. It's a solid checklist that's almost expected at this point in the game.
What is groundbreaking about the X10 Pro Omni, though, is the fact that it secures all of those features for half the cost of multiple other vacuums in this list.
While Ecovacs takes a break from using "Omni" in its robot vacuum names, Eufy's Omni era will undoubtedly change the game for the sub-$1,000 robot vacuum category. Despite debuting at a price point that's $100 less than its predecessor, the X9 Pro, the X10 Pro Omni dishes out significantly stronger suction power (8,000 Pa versus the X9 Pro's 5,500 Pa) and cleans with a new edge-hugging feature for better baseboard and corner attention. It's also square-ish with rounded edges.
Like the X9 Pro, the X10 Pro Omni mops with dual spinning, pressurized mops that are fully lifted above carpeting and rugs when it's sensed. After mopping, the self-empty dock also washes and dries the mopping pads.
This packed checklist should cost way more than the mere $799.99 price that Eufy's asking, but we're not complaining. You can secure the X10 Pro Omni for yourself starting on Feb. 20.