The Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner

Robot vacuums can make the task of vacuuming a little less painful. Modern models can also mop, and even climb (small) steps.

They have a small trash bin that they empty themselves, and some can be controlled from a smartphone app instead of a physical remote. vacuum bot have mapping capabilities that aid in navigating your home with greater efficiency.

1. Power

With 8,000Pa of suction power Our top pick for robot vacuums is strong enough to take on the toughest dirt patches and hairs. Its ultra-thin square shape allows it to slide underneath furniture such as beds and sofas. Dual-Laser LIDAR technology allows for accurate obstacle avoidance and intelligent navigation. It also does an excellent job at cleaning up pet hair baking soda, sand, and other debris that can be found near baseboards and in corners.

Other high-powered robots in this list besides the DEEBOT X2 OMNI include the IRobot Roomba J7+ as well as the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra. The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra comes with a docking station which automatically performs maintenance. It also comes with mopping capabilities. Its powerful suction, combined with its efficient mopping, kept my floors clean of pet hair, muddy prints, and other messes on every type of floor we test.

In the lower cost range, a model that has 2,500Pa of suction is more than adequate for most homes. These units are quieter, which makes them an ideal option for those who have sensitive hearing. They’re not quiet, but they’re just about the same as a normal conversation at home.

Think about your budget and cleaning requirements to find the perfect combination of power and usability. For frequent light-duty cleaning it is recommended to have a longer runtime and less suction is needed. Weekly heavy-duty cleaning requires maximum power. Then assess your flooring, layout of your home and cleaning schedules in order to select the best model for your needs. Take a look at our comprehensive list of robot vacuum ratings and reviews for more details about the latest models. Many users have reported that their carpets and floors appear cleaner after introducing a robotic vacuum in their home.

2. Navigation

A robot vacuum can’t do its job effectively when it doesn’t know how to navigate around your home. Because of this, the most effective robots depend on sophisticated navigation systems that consistently scans rooms and builds maps to ensure thorough cleaning without being lost or hitting obstacles. There are three types of robot navigation including LiDAR, camera, and sensor.

LiDAR is used by the most expensive models to create a virtual room map, offering the highest levels of precision and efficiency. Bump sensors are used in less expensive models, but they can be inaccurate and miss a lot of debris when working in dark areas. Most robots come with cliff sensors to keep them from falling off steps or other drops.

Many of the robots I tried used object recognition to navigate around things such as cords and fake dog turds. However, the Eufy X10 was the best. It had superb mapping capabilities, powerful oscillating mops, an easy-to-use app, and the ability to clean a specific area, room or the whole house.

Other features worth considering include floor type sensors that recognize hard floors and soft carpet automatically increasing suction power when necessary. Some robots like the Roborock mop make use of mopping pad that lifts to reach into corners and clean dry spills. Many hybrids are able to apply cleaning solutions to stubborn stains.

A smaller size of the bin will require less frequent emptying, and a larger one will save you money on replacements. The cheapest robotic cleaners usually use a small disposable dust bag, but the mid-range models typically have larger dust bins of 3L that last for ages. Certain high-end robots, such as the EcoVACS DEEBOT OMNI station, will automatically empty their dustbin and refill their water tanks, allowing convenience without hands.

3. App control

The best robot vacuums come with an application that lets you track cleaning progress and schedule sessions and can connect to smart home devices for hands-free control. A lot of robot vacuums can be controlled using voice commands, such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Some models have a remote control that allows you to begin or pause and then return to dock. Find a model with larger dustbins that self-empty, as opposed to one that requires manual emptying.

Some robots are equipped with mapping technology that helps them avoid obstacles like furniture and stairs. Others let you designate no-go zones and targeted rooms, ensuring that they only clean areas that need it most. They also have cliff sensors to stop them from falling down staircase, which is particularly helpful in multi-level homes.

If you intend to use your robot vacuum to clean rugs, choose a model which can be used both for dry and wet mopping. You’ll get better results with the robot vacuum that can remove its own mop pad, and then rinse and reattach when it comes time for another cleaning cycle. Look for a robot with a rubber roller. This is less likely to become tangled from pet hair or other particles. Check the robot’s side brush and brushroll for any debris that may have gotten stuck on. Make sure to do this at least twice a week. If you notice that they’re starting to clog, it might be time to purchase replacement parts.

4. Debris collection

Robot vacuums are made, as the name suggests to gather dust and debris from your floors. The most effective robot vacuums are able to pick up small particles such as baking soda and sand in addition to larger ones like screws made of metal orzo, pet hair. They also deliver better results on carpets with a low pile than manual vacuums.

The top-performing robots across all flooring types had a pickup score higher than 95 percent. The two top-performing robots in this category were the ECOVACS DEEBOT X2 OMNI, and the Roborock Q Revo. Both are highly automated, with docking stations that can perform maintenance by themselves and app features which make them extremely user-friendly.

Both come with self-emptying bins which automatically collect the waste from the wastebasket, and clean the washboard while mowing. They also have an 8,000Pa vacuum, smart mapping technology and advanced obstacle avoidance that helps them navigate through the most difficult of spaces. The ECOVACS robot is one of the few that can clean carpet and take away mop pads. This makes it an ideal choice for users who have to switch between mopping and vacuuming often.

If you’re looking for a less expensive option, look into the Roomba Combo J7 by iRobot Plus, our budget pick. It features LIDAR navigation and decent debris pickup performance for the price. It’s not the fastest to map rooms and can be prone to hitting obstacles but it’s less expensive than our other top selections.

5. Battery life

The most effective robot vacuums are designed to let you go moving with your day while keeping your floors clean and spick and span. While you’ll still need to give your home a manual sweeping every now and then, robovacs can help you keep a certain level of cleanliness, and even wash when you’re away.

Choose a robovac that has long-lasting batteries to get the most of it. A good guideline is to expect a robovac to last about two cleaning sessions when you run it at the highest power setting. This is less than a typical full-sized vacuum cleaner, but it should be enough to provide for the majority of homes. If you don’t wish to wait while your robovac recharges you can opt for one that automatically returns to the base station to charge.

If you’re looking for a robot that does a little bit of everything, think about an all-in-one model that can mop as well. Eufy’s X10 is the top model in this class and includes self-emptying, self-draining and self-refilling of your dust bin and mop pad. It can also be programmed to automatically re-fill and wash mops when they’re empty.

Its dependable carpet and hard floor pickup, great hair pickup and tangle avoidance, and near-perfect auto empty score makes it the clear winner of our test scores. It’s not cheap and, unless you live in a an apartment that is small and has no pets, it might be too costly for some. The runner-up, the Dreametech D10+, has very similar performance but costs about 25 percent less.