You’ve seen it. That five-letter word staring back at you from the New York Times crossword grid. The clue is simple: chore doing robot brand NYT. You type in I-R-O-B-O-T, and suddenly the puzzle snaps into place. But honestly, the distance between a crossword answer and the actual reality of 2026 home automation is getting massive.
The world doesn't just belong to the Roomba anymore.
While iRobot remains the "Kleenex" of the industry—the name everyone says when they mean "automated floor puck"—the actual tech has moved into a weird, wild, and slightly intimidating territory. We are officially past the era of robots that just bump into your baseboards and hope for the best.
Why Everyone Still Guesses iRobot
It’s basically the gold standard for trivia. If you’re looking at a crossword or a Connections prompt, nine times out of ten, the chore doing robot brand NYT is going to be iRobot. They pioneered the space. They made it normal to have a circular plastic disc scaring your cat at 3:00 PM on a Tuesday.
But if you’ve looked at the NYT Wirecutter reviews lately, you’ll notice the crown is slipping.
Brands like Roborock and Eufy are consistently snatching the "Best Overall" titles. It’s a bit of a classic innovator's dilemma. iRobot spent years perfecting the vacuum, while the newer players decided to turn these things into literal Swiss Army knives.
The Shift From Vacuums to Humanoids
We aren't just talking about floor cleaners anymore. At CES 2026, the conversation shifted from "how well does it suck up Cheerios?" to "can it actually fold my laundry?"
Take the LG CLOiD. This isn't a puck; it’s a wheeled humanoid with two arms. It can literally grab a croissant, put it in the oven, and then head to the laundry room to start a cycle. This is what the chore doing robot brand NYT clue will probably refer to in five years. We are moving toward the "Zero Labor Home" vision that LG has been pushing, where the robot understands your lifestyle instead of just following a pre-set map.
Then you have 1X with their NEO robot. This is a humanoid that's meant to live with you. It’s soft-to-the-touch, looks a bit like a person in a jumpsuit, and is designed to handle "unstructured" tasks. Basically, it can pick up the random mess on your floor that would usually trap a standard vacuum.
The Big Players You Actually Need to Know
If you're shopping for a robot in 2026, the market is segmented into two distinct worlds: the "evolved pucks" and the "emerging humanoids."
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- Roborock: These guys are the current tech leaders. Their Saros Rover just debuted with extendable legs. Yes, legs. It can actually climb stairs. No more buying two robots for a two-story house.
- Eufy (Anker): Usually the "value" pick, but their new Omni S2 is fancy. It has a built-in aromatherapy system. It’ll disinfect your floors with electrolyzed water and leave the house smelling like Bergamot.
- Samsung: Their Bespoke AI Jet Bot Steam Ultra uses a Qualcomm Dragonwing processor. It’s basically a supercomputer on wheels that uses 212°F steam to kill bacteria.
- SwitchBot: They just launched the onero H1. It’s aimed at being the "affordable" humanoid—under $10,000. It focuses on three specific chores: dishes, laundry, and (surprisingly) organizing your shoes.
Honestly, the chore doing robot brand NYT search usually leads people to iRobot, but if you want a robot that actually does chores beyond just floor maintenance, you're looking at a $15,000 to $25,000 investment right now.
The Crossword vs. The Reality
It’s funny how the NYT games keep us anchored to brands. We see "iRobot" in the Mini Crossword and think the tech has stayed the same. But the reality is that the "chore doing robot" is becoming a member of the family.
There's a lot of nuance here that a five-letter answer can't capture. For instance, the privacy concerns. When you have an LG CLOiD or a Tesla Optimus walking through your house, they aren't just seeing dirt. They are mapping your life. The NYT has actually reported on the "Invasion of the Home Humanoids," questioning whether we are ready for the data trade-off.
What Most People Get Wrong About These Bots
Most people think these robots are "set it and forget it." They aren't. Even the most expensive Roborock or Dreame models require maintenance. You still have to clean the sensors. You still have to untangle the hair from the rollers (though the dual-rubber systems are getting better).
And the biggest misconception? That they can replace a deep clean.
Even with 30,000 Pa of suction—which is what the newest high-end models are boasting—they still can't get into every nook and cranny like a human with a detail tool. They are "maintenance" bots. They keep the house at 90% cleanliness so you don't have to spend your entire Saturday vacuuming.
Actionable Steps for Choosing Your Next Bot
If you’re ready to move past the crossword answer and actually put a robot in your living room, here is how you should actually approach it.
First, identify your biggest "pain point." If you have five dogs, you don't need a humanoid; you need a Roborock Q5 Max+ or a Roomba j9+ that is specifically rated for pet waste avoidance. There is nothing worse than a robot "mopping" a dog accident across your entire hardwood floor.
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Second, check your thresholds. If you have those old-school 2-inch transitions between rooms, most bots will get stuck. You'll need something like the Samsung Bespoke AI or the Roborock Saros that can actually lift its chassis to hop over bumps.
Lastly, don't buy the "humanoid" hype unless you have a massive budget and a lot of patience. Robots like the onero H1 are amazing, but they are still "clunky" compared to human speed. They are great for people with mobility issues or those who genuinely hate folding laundry, but for the average person, a high-end hybrid vacuum-mop is still the smarter buy in 2026.
Keep an eye on the Wirecutter updates. They usually do a massive re-test every six months, and with the way AI is moving into "Physical AI" (models like VLA that translate vision into action), the rankings change faster than the crossword puzzles do.