I've recently introduced a few friends to the power of a great robot vacuum. One of my friends calls hers a marriage saver, while the other was both thrilled and horrified by how many stains the vacuum's AI found on her floors. Personally, my robot vacuums keep me from wanting to set the litter box on fire, since my cat is on a mission to create his own navigational trail of litter through my home. The best robot vacuums these days aren't just vacuuming your floors, nor are they blindly bumping around your house like they used to. These gadgets are mopping, scrubbing away stains, lifting themselves off of obstacles, and even reminding you to clean the dirtier areas in your home more frequently. A good robot vacuum can cost a pretty penny, but it doesn't have to, depending on what you're looking for. I've been testing every new robot vacuum I can in my three-story home filled with three adults, a preschooler, and a cat who's on a mission to get litter all over the house.

I'm a full-time working parent who lives with my husband, two small children, and several pets. In an earlier time, I would have extended family to help me stay on top of domestic tasks. But today, the closest thing I have to an extra pair of hands is my robot vacuum. Some of my team members remain unimpressed with the current state of robot vacuum performance. However, I'm a full-grown human who can barely cope with a fully snarled box of embroidery floss left strewn all over the floor.