Eureka unveils a brand new robot vacuum (and it’s worth it!)

Shopping for a robot vacuum can be an overwhelming process, to say the least. After all, don’t they all virtually sweep up dirt, dust, and debris with a design that’s hands-free?

RELATED: Best house cleaning products we reviewed

Despite the seemingly endless selection of cutting-edge robot vacuums on the market, not all are created equal. They’re also an investment, so you want to make sure you’re hand-picking the best one for your household.

CES is the launchpad of new consumer technology, and one of this year’s most exciting announcements comes from Eureka with its J5 Max Ultra Robot Vacuum. Debuting into the retail space on Jan. 7, it’s clad with a chic design, including a docking station and even features proprietary IntelliView AI 2.0 technology that enables the brand’s robot vacuum to recognize multiple types of objects, including liquids. Eureka’s first rendition of this technology, the IntelliView AI, was first introduced on the J15 Pro Ultra and has been applauded by a wealth of users — and the 2.0 technology is even better.

Aside from the new vacuum’s state-of-the-art object detection, its ability to classify each mess and self-adjust its cleaning mode while doing so is quite unmatched. Upon encountering wet messes, the J15 Max Ultra automatically rotates its body to prioritize cleaning with the mop and lifts the roller brush to prevent liquids from entering the dustbin. How great is that?

When cleaning dry debris, the speed of its side brushes is reduced automatically to prevent scattering as well.

Most transparent liquids are difficult to detect, especially if the spill occurred in overly bright or, on the other hand, incredibly dim lighting. This occurs because our eyes detect limited wavelengths of light, which are easily influenced by ambient lighting—but the J15 Max Ultra solves that problem.

Unlike traditional robot vacuums with RGB vision sensors that function like human eyes (they also perceive a limited light range and struggle to recognize transparent or similarly colored objects due to ambient lighting), the J15 Max Ultra includes its IntelliView AI technology, which includes a self-developed infrared-sensitive optical sensor and infrared array emitter. This combination is the first in the industry.

Like infrared surveillance cameras, even in the darkest environments, they can capture differences in infrared light absorption and reflection, restoring the surface structure of objects. The J15 Max Ultra uses similar principles; while cleaning, the infrared array emitter continuously emits infrared light, and the infrared-sensitive optical sensor significantly reduces ambient light interference, capturing the 3D structure of stains beyond the visible light range.

Above, Eureka exclusively shared the difference in detection levels after its in-house experiment, in which the brand spilled a drop of water on a black-patterned floor.

In natural light, the transparent liquid and the floor both reflect most of the light, making it difficult to discern the edge of the liquid, and RGB vacuums wouldn’t catch the spill. However, with the infrared optical sensor, the difference in how the liquid and the floor reflect infrared light makes the surface structure of the stain clearly visible, enabling the AI to better identify it.

Ahead, we outlined the benefits of the new J15 Max Ultra Robot Vacuum.

No More Clumps in the Dust Box

Most robot vacuums on the market cannot accurately detect dry and wet messes. When they encounter wet messes, they lack an effective cleaning strategy, and the roller brush may carry the wet debris into the dustbin (a big no-no, BTW). Over time, this can cause the dustbin to clump, making it difficult to clean.

However, the J15 Max Ultra‘s IntelliView AI 2.0 can accurately classify wet messes, even transparent liquids. When encountering wet messes, the vacuum will rotate its body to prioritize cleaning with the mop. During the wet debris cleaning process, the built-in FlexiRise technology will intelligently lift the roller brush, effectively preventing wet debris from entering the dustbin.

Debris Won’t Be Scattered

In previous evaluations of its robot vacuums, Eureka noted feedback indicating that the side brushes on its robot vacuums tended to spin too quickly, often causing debris to scatter. And, candidly, balancing the speed of side brushes has been a longstanding industry challenge: excessive speed can scatter debris, whereas reduced speed may compromise dust removal efficiency.

Thanks to the precise debris classification by IntelliView AI 2.0, the brand has cemented a beneficial conclusion. When the robot vacuum encounters dry debris, it automatically reduces the side brush speed to minimize scattering. Conversely, when no dry debris is detected, the side brushes operate at higher speeds to enhance dust removal capabilities.

Your Floors Will Benefit from a Floor Re-mopping

Yes, the J15 Max Ultra will re-mop your floors. So, not only will you appreciate its first round of hands-free cleaning, but you’ll also adore its second conscientious cleaning element, which will really rid your floors of stubborn messes!

When dealing with challenging liquid spills like coffee on hard floors, the robot returns to the base station to wash the mop with hot water after the first pass. It then returns for another round of mopping and washing, ensuring the wet spills are effectively removed.

Impressively Accurate Carpet Recognition

Talk about cutting-edge: the J15 Max Ultra now recognizes a wider range of carpet types. Traditional vacuums often rely on ultrasonic sensors to detect carpets, but this method lacks precision, especially for thin mats. With IntelliView AI 2.0, the J15 Max Ultra can now detect long-pile carpets, short-pile carpets, yoga mats, and even thin mats like pet feeding mats with much greater accuracy. So, it’ll clean where it’s supposed to.

When encountering different types of carpets, the robot will automatically adjust the cleaning mode. For example, it recognizes yoga mats and automatically avoids them, it recognizes pet mats and increases suction, and it recognizes long-pile carpets and activates its unique ObstaCross mode.

You Can Capture Videos of Your Pets

The J15 Max Ultra is a little bit of everything: an at-home super-cleaner, object-detector, and even a pet camera. The addition of the vacuum’s FHD vision sensor significantly enhances video recording capabilities, and that said, one of the most noticeable benefits is the improved clarity of pet videos and remote video interactions.

This makes it easier to capture those precious moments with your pets. Impressively, Eureka also introduced a pet-search function with its latest vacuum. With the user’s permission, the J15 Max Ultra can scan your home, locate your hiding pet, and take pictures to capture the moment.

Dual Extension Technology Ensures No Missed Spot in Your House

The J15 Max Ultra is equipped with Eureka’s first self-developed mop extension technology, ScrubExtend. When encountering skirting boards, table legs, and wall corners, the mop extends outward for extreme “0-gap” edge cleaning.

More granularly, the extended mop achieves 98.95% edge coverage with a precision margin of 1.36 mm, certified by TÜV Rheinland, ensuring highly efficient corner cleaning. The flexible design allows it to avoid obstacles, protecting both the arm motor and the furniture while also applying a 7 N downward pressure that ensures edges are mopped as thoroughly as the rest of the floor. So yes, it’s ultra-specific.

Moreover, the Eureka J15 Max Ultra includes an extendable side brush known as SweepExtend Technology. This feature enhances cleaning effectiveness along edges and corners, resulting in a more thorough and efficient cleaning experience.

Next-Generation Hair Detangling Technology

Eureka’s proprietary FlexiRazor hair detangling technology is another impressive feature available with the Eureka J15 Series. This technology operates at a cutting speed of 400 times per minute, effectively removing hair that gets tangled around the main brush. The FlexiRazor blades reduce hair wrap by 99%, minimizing maintenance needs and maximizing performance.

On the Eureka J15 Max Ultra, the brush has been designed with enhanced detangling capabilities. Traditional side brushes typically use an equilateral triangle bristle structure, which often leads to the formation of tangles that are frustrating to remove. In contrast, the Eureka J15 Max Ultra features an innovative DragonClaw Side Brush with a V-shaped design. This ensures dust removal efficiency and helps prevent the formation of difficult tangles. As the brush rotates, centrifugal force aids in untangling hair easily, providing superior anti-tangling performance.

An extraordinary base station

Another standout feature of the J15 Max Ultra is its base station. It drains dirty water, refills with clean water, empties dust, and collects tray dirt automatically. It pretty much dispenses all the grime and grossness from your house without a trace and cleans up for you, too.

What’s more, it also automatically washes the mop pads with hot water and dries them with hot air so they’re spic and span for your next cleaning cycle. On top of that, the vacuum’s swift technology will automatically wash the tray it lays on and — you guessed it — instantly charge it as well.

The bottom line

The J15 Max Ultra isn’t your cookie-cutter ordinary vacuum. It’s a machine, a wonder, and a delight to your home. While most robot vacuums feature that coveted, hands-free cleaning technology, this model is strides ahead of the pack.

The Eureka J15 Max Ultra will be available in June 2025, priced at $1,299. The initial sales wave will kick off in the United States, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain. 

In addition, at the CES 2025, Eureka also introduces the J15 Ultra, an entry-level model in the Eureka J15 Series. It features 19,000 Pa suction power, FlexiRazor Technology, ScrubExtend, and the All-in-One Base Station. The J15 Ultra is set to launch in March 2025 at a price of $799.

Don’t think twice; pick up the J15 Max Ultra to make your 2025 and each year after remarkable.

For over 200 years, the New York Post has been America’s go-to source for bold news, engaging stories, in-depth reporting, and now, insightful shopping guidance. We’re not just thorough reporters – we sift through mountains of information, test and compare products, and consult experts on any topics we aren’t already schooled specialists in to deliver useful, realistic product recommendations based on our extensive and hands-on analysis. Here at The Post, we’re known for being brutally honest – we clearly label partnership content, and whether we receive anything from affiliate links, so you always know where we stand. We routinely update content to reflect current research and expert advice, provide context (and wit) and ensure our links work. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.