Why You Must Experience Robot Vacuum Cleaner Best At A Minimum, Once In Your Lifetime
How to Choose the Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner
Robot vacuums can help you save time and effort when it comes to cleaning. Top performers do a good job of removing dust and lightweight debris and many allow you to designate no-go zones in pets or power cords.
The more expensive ones will even sweep your floor, but they can't climb up stairs. Look for models that have smart mapping, real time hazards avoidance, and large self-emptying bins.
Best Overall
The top robots in our testing are efficient and user-friendly, and able to keep up with everyday debris. You'll need a robot that has decent carpet-picking power and the capability to climb stairs. If you want a robot that has additional features, you should consider one that comes with smart mapping technology or an app that allows you to control it remotely.
Camryn Rabideau, a contributing shopping writer at PEOPLE and a product reviewer who has tested several robotic vacuums, has been acknowledged for her work in testing numerous robot vacuums. She's a fan of the robot vacuums that provide the greatest convenience, including self-emptying dustbins and charging docks that automatically empty and refill water tanks for mopping robots. She's also a big fan of the robots that can detect landmarks such as furniture legs and power cords to ensure they don't get caught when climbing steps.
Compared to the top-rated models, this Black and Decker vacuum is less equipped with object-avoidance technology and its navigation score is lower. It does however have an ample dust bin that doesn't need frequent emptying, and has a long battery life. Additionally, it has a feature that allows you to schedule cleaning sessions and return to the location the last time it was used and makes it much easier to tackle larger spaces. This model is a good choice for pet owners, as it can avoid tangled fur and food particles.
In our tests we tested the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra combines with a LIDAR sensor that maps rooms and identify obstacles using a structured light sensor to identify objects and detect edges. The combination allows it to avoid stairs, droplets of liquid and furniture legs with ease and save up to four floor maps for future references. It is able to pause and resume the cleaning process at any point, so that you can continue with your chores while it does. The app includes the 3D image of your home, with room labels as well as advanced cleaning options.
This robot is not as efficient in cleaning as our top models, however it is great at picking up heavier items like orzo pasta, metal screws and even fine particles like sand. The only downside is that it isn't able to mop and has a slightly less efficient navigation system.
The best option for Carpet
If you have carpeting in your home, look for a robotic vacuum that has strong pickup and maneuverability scores on carpets and rug. Many models do a decent job of picking up dust embedded in low-pile carpet, and several are capable of sweeping up heavier debris like orzo pasta, metal screws and pet hair. They aren't able to pick up fine particles like an upright canister, and could miss dirt that is close to baseboards or thresholds.
The best option for carpeted homes is a two-in-one robot vacuum/mop, which allows you to swap out an empty bin for cleaning and a damp mopping pad. The Roborock Q Revo is a 2-in-1 robot vacuum and mop that can clean and mop simultaneously with circular pads spinning at 200 rpm. It recognizes and raises its pads when it comes in contact with carpet, which prevents the flooring from getting wet. You don't have to remove them or replace them each time. The Q Revo is also more efficient than other robot vacuums/mops when it comes to avoiding obstacles and getting closer to carpets and thresholds.
The iRobot Roomba Combo i5 is another option worth considering. It performed well in our tests, and you can schedule it to sweep your home when you are away. It can be set up to mop only. We were impressed by its ability to navigate on bare floors and rugs. The Combo i5 has a long runtime and excellent path-planning for an item of this size.
If you're looking for a advanced model, look into the Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 Self-Empty Robot Vacuum & Mop. It has a large charging dock that can run for weeks without needing to be emptied, and it has amazing navigation abilities and auto-emptying on both carpets and floors that are not cleaned. It's also got an intelligent mapping system that can be programmed to be operational during certain times of the day (a useful feature to keep children and pets who are prone to mischief from causing havoc). The Shark has less suction power than other robot vacuums and mops but it's effective in removing hair and pet hair. It is the best value among our top choices.
Best for Hard Flooring
Robot vacuums are a great option for hardwood floors since they are able to maneuver around obstacles without damaging bare surfaces. They are great at picking up dust and crumbs, but struggle with pet hair or larger debris. They don't have the suction power of a high-end upright or canister vacuum, so they're not an ideal choice for carpeted areas or deep cleaning upholstery.
The most effective two-in-one robots incorporate a vacuum and a mop and take care of a more complete chore in one go. Look for a model that has an onboard sensor that can detect changes in the floor's texture and adjust suction to match. This feature is available on the ECOVACS Deebot T9+ and allows it to move seamlessly from hard carpeting to soft carpeting.
If your home is comprised of hardwood floors, you should consider a robotic mop and vacuum combination like the eufy S1 Pro. This model uses an efficient robot vacuum with intelligent navigation to clean hardwood and other hard surfaces, plus it can mop too. Its sensors help it avoid the stairs and other hazards, so you don't have to worry about the robot falling down the stairs and breaking your hardwood.
When you need mops, the eufy S1 Pro is designed to actually wash hardwood floors with downward pressure rather than just wipe them to get rid of light dirt and dust. The mop pads that are reusable reduce waste, make it less likely to spread germs, and can be cleaned at the docking station, saving you time. The mop pads can also be cleaned and dried to avoid spreading mold.
Both the robovac as well as the mop can be controlled from your smartphone, making it easier to manage the device. You can, for example make use of the app to designate areas where the vacuum cannot enter, label different rooms, or schedule specific cleaning sessions. The Eufy S1 Pro also has an auto-emptying dock that sucks debris through a trapdoor, and puts it in a bagless or disposable bin, which means you don't have to manually empty the bin like you do with other models.
Best for Small Spaces
These robots are designed to work in small spaces. They have smaller bins that hold less waste, and they're more efficient than the larger models in navigating tight corners. They can also fit under furniture, where larger robots struggle to get in. These robots are also cheaper than more expensive models, but you will have to empty their dirt bins manually at the end of each cleaning session.
A few years ago robotic vacuums experienced significant changes. Manufacturers started adding sensors that allowed them to navigate and avoid household items that traditional sensors could be stuck on or across. These improvements reduced the number times our testers had to clean up after a robot incident.
The new sensors don't solve all issues with these machines, however. The cheapest models are still struggling with the same challenges that the older ones faced, and many of them need a certain amount of light to be able see where they're headed. Consider getting an option that incorporates a spinning LIDAR unit mounted on top to map the space. Our top overall pick and runner-up models use this. This lets them avoid obstacles like stairs and other ones when working in darkness.
The models can be programmed to only use their cliff sensors when they are in or near the ground, and not when they are above it. It is still recommended to cover any mirrors that could interfere with this function, however, because the lasers used by a LIDAR-based model can bounce off reflective surfaces and cause the robot to believe it's in a different room.
A few of the models we recommend also allow you to set up virtual no-go zones for areas where you don't want the robot to go, which can be useful if you have small children or pets. auto vacuum aren't offered on all the models we test and recommend that you go through our complete reviews of each model below prior to making a purchase.