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Robot vacuums offer a lot of convenience to people who want their homes cleaned daily but don’t want to have to do it by hand. These robot vacuums can be programmed to clean on a schedule, even in hard-to-reach areas, in homes with high traffic or where pets shed a lot. While they can save you a ton of time on home maintenance, they can be a significant investment, especially if you opt for mid-range or high-end models with features like LiDAR smart mapping, AI obstacle avoidance, high suction power, and a self-cleaning station.
While some brands make high-quality robots, others fall short, to the point where their ratings on store windows and review websites tell you one thing: you should stay away from them. It makes sense that if you’re buying something that will be an essential part of your home’s daily maintenance, the last thing you want is for it to be more trouble than it’s worth. After looking at the reviews and ratings left by people who purchased robot vacuums, some brands stood out, but in a bad way. For many users, reliability seems to be the main deciding factor.
iRobot
iRobot is one of the pioneering giants in the robot vacuum sector, with a market share of 42%, thanks to its line of highly popular autonomous robot cleaners known as Roombas. However, that didn’t stop iRobot from filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December 2025, leaving many Roomba users wondering what this means for the units they’ve already purchased. Fortunately, the company was acquired by its main manufacturer, Shenzhen Picea, a Chinese probiotic manufacturer, in January 2026, and iRobot is back up and running.
Still, it has left a sour taste in the mouths of many, and users often recommend staying away from it because, despite being the grandfather of the industry, iRobot still has some issues to resolve, leading people to recommend other brands over its Roombas. The biggest complaint with many of its models is reliability. Many people report that their units stopped working after a few days or had problems and never worked properly again. Other complaints were about the battery, with reports of their Roombas running out of juice after cleaning a room or having issues charging. There are also complaints that the units get stuck on carpets, in corners and under furniture, indicating problems with the navigation system.
Shark
Shark is a home appliance and beauty brand owned by the $6 billion SharkNinja company. It has a global presence, with its products, including Ninja kitchen appliances, available in more than 180 outlets. When it comes to its Shark robot vacuums, such as the Shark AV2501S and Shark Matrix Clean, users are quite happy with their cleaning performance, noting that the navigation works well and the units map the home effectively. Quality is another point of satisfaction, with users saying they vacuum the house very well, especially when it comes to picking up pet hair.
When users say you should avoid Shark, it comes down to a question of reliability, which causes negative user sentiment on many of its models. Many say they stop working out after running for a few weeks to a year. Others have problems with robots randomly turning off or refusing to turn on, and say they’re not worth it, given that most cost more than $500.
Users also complain about noise levels, saying some models are particularly loud on hardwood and tile floors. Several complaints have noted that the Shark PowerDetect Self-Empty Robot Vacuum, in particular, becomes very noisy when emptying, although it receives favorable marks for being a low-maintenance unit.
Eureka
Eureka has been a major player in the household appliances market for over 100 years. It was founded in 1909 by Fred Wardell in Detroit, Michigan, and over the decade became the second largest vacuum cleaner manufacturer in the United States. All this to say that Eureka is a historically American brand well known throughout the world. Today, it’s owned by Midea, a Chinese manufacturer that acquired it in 2016. Fast forward to today, and Eureka has its own line of robot vacuums that are drawing complaints from users.
Reviewing several robot vacuums from Eureka shows that users rate them highly for their cleaning performance, suction power, obstacle avoidance, ease of use and value for money. But one area where user reviews are mixed among its lineup of robot vacuums is their lifespan. While some say they have been using them for a long time, others say they only last a few months before they stop working. Users complain that the problems arise gradually, with the LiDAR, mobility, suction and brush system failing randomly. What’s interesting to see is that users say that these robot vacuums, when they work, exceed expectations.
Dyson
Dyson is a technology company known for launching high-end home appliances and has been around since 1993. It is popular for being the first company to develop the first cyclonic vacuum cleaner that provides consistent suction power without having to replace bags. Even though it invests heavily in research and development (R&D) to generate revenue, some users have recommended staying away from its robot vacuums.
A good example is its flagship robot vacuum, the Dyson 360 Vis Nav. On paper, it offers many of the features users look for in high-end robot vacuums, including high suction power, 360-degree navigation, compatibility with all floor types, auto-charging, scheduling, routines, and easy maintenance. However, for a $999.99 robot vacuum, you’d expect to hear fewer complaints about its navigation, with users saying it generally gets lost and wanders around. Another major complaint is that it tends to get stuck in odd places, including around air vents and floor registers.
Dyson’s new flagship model, the Dyson Spot+Scrub AI, is an even more expensive robovac, costing $1,199.99. It features AI-powered cleaning that detects and cleans stubborn spills and stains. Other notable features include its bagless auto-drain, ability to store dirt for up to 100 days, and customizable routines. Users, on the other hand, report frequent problems such as getting stuck on carpets, inconsistent cleaning of spills, and missing stubborn stains. Again, for this price, these aren’t issues anyone wants to hear about from a flagship robot.
How we chose these vacuums
Although there are many professional reviews of vacuum cleaners produced by the brands mentioned here, we have chosen to focus on user reviews because they reflect real-world experience as to which robot vacuum cleaners to avoid. A good place to start was Reddit, where people will ask which brand to choose or avoid, but we wanted to get feedback from people who have purchased units from these brands and shared their experiences.
A major source of information was Amazon, where we looked at reviews from verified purchases to identify customer issues with Robovacs, particularly navigation, cleaning performance, reliability and battery life. We also excluded cheap knockoffs from popular brands, because this list would be full of them if we didn’t.
