Vacuum cleaner

The robot cleaners we have tidying up our houses in the 21st century continue to get smarter and more efficient – such as the Narwal, which combines both vacuuming and mopping in one device, and can even replenish its own water tanks when it's done.

The Ecovacs Deebot 711 has Smart Navi Mapping Technology, up to 110 minutes of battery life, and can double the amount of suction power on demand. Plus it’s smart home enabled, voice controlled, and costs about US$350. We tried it out to see if it lives up to the hype.

The Shark Ion model S87 (aka RV851WV – we call it "Sharklon" for short) is a two-vacuum system consisting of a higher-clearance, multi-floor robotic vacuum unit and a handheld quick vacuum for dust-busting. Both are wireless, charging on a "hub" stand, and both are powerful suckers.

iRobot's new Roomba i7+ can empty itself thanks to a new base station that seals the waste in an enclosed bag. The new vacuum has also been given a memory upgrade and can now remember the floor plans of multiple homes..

​A whopping 89 percent of owners of robot vacuum cleaners would recommend them to friends and family, according to an independent survey commissioned by Neato Robotics. Several figures have been released which suggest that there's potential for growth in the market.

Dyson says its Cyclone V10 cordless vacuum cleaner is so good that it's no longer producing machines that need to be plugged into the wall. So is it really time to toss out your conventional vacuum cleaner?

​Back in 2015 two pieces of abstract art appeared from an artist named Mr. Head, not a human being but actually an old Roomba robot vacuum, repurposed to become an expressionist painter. Now Mr. Head is back with a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for a new set of artworks.

For a vacuum, sucking at a job is a good thing. The Deebot N79S is aimed towards low-pile carpeting and solid surface flooring, and does a reasonably good job of everyday maintenance on those floors. Its connectivity with Amazon’s Alexa, though, leaves a little to be desired.

Perhaps best known for its vacuum cleaners, Dyson says its new Cyclone V10 really, really sucks. In a good way. So much so that the company will no longer be developing full-sized vacuum cleaners.​

Samsung Electronics will be debuting its latest Powerbot vacuum cleaner, the VR7000, at CES next week. The VR7000 is not only 28 percent slimmer than previous Samsung robotic vacuums, but can be operated by voice commands using Amazon's Echo smart speaker.

Homewares are a tried-and-true gift avenue, but candelabras and doormats can be pretty dull. That's why we've rounded up some of the coolest home gadgets and gifts to help your friends and family (or yourself) relax and make the most of the holiday season.

Last year, the Neato Botvac joined the Internet of Things with the Wi-Fi-enabled Botvac Connected, allowing users to boss it around with a smartphone app. Now the little robo-maid is earning its Connected title all over again, with Neato adding voice control functionality through Amazon’s Alexa.