How to Choose the Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner
A robot vacuum will save you lots of time and effort when it comes to regular cleaning. Top performers are good at cleaning up dust light debris, cords and dust.
The most expensive models can even sweep your floors however they're not able to climb up the stairs. Look for models with intelligent mapping, real-time hazard avoidance, and roomy self-emptying bins.
Best Overall
The top robots in our testing are efficient and user-friendly, and are able to cope with the everyday messes. You'll also want a robot that can take on stairs and has adequate pick-up power on carpets. And, if you're looking for additional features, you may be interested in a robot that uses smart mapping technology, or an app that lets you control it remotely.
Camryn Rabideau is a contributing reviewer and writer for shopping at PEOPLE who has tried numerous robotic vacuums. She prefers the ones with the most features such as ones that have self-emptying bins and charging stations that automatically empty and fill water tanks to mop robotic vacuums. She's also a big fan of the robots that are able to recognize landmarks such as furniture legs and power cords, so they don't get caught when climbing stairs.
This robot from Black and Decker has a lower score for navigation and less object-avoidance tech than the most popular models. It comes with a huge non-refillable dustbin as well as an extended battery. It also has a feature which allows you to schedule cleaning times and return to where it stopped at the last point, making it easier to cover larger spaces. This model is also a great option for pet owners since it is able to identify and eliminate hair tangled and fallen food particles.
In our tests, we observed that the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra combined a LIDAR (light) sensor that can map rooms and detect obstacles with a structured-light sensor to detect objects and detect edges. The combination lets it avoid stairs, droplets of liquid and furniture legs with ease and save up to four floor maps for future reference. It is also able to stop the cleaning process at any point and return to where it stopped so that you can complete chores while the robot is working. The app offers the 3D image of your home with room labels as well as advanced cleaning options.
The robot isn't as effective at cleaning as our top models, but 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.
Best for Carpet
If you have carpeting, select an automatic vacuum that has a high score for carpet and rug mobility and pickup. A lot of models do a great job of picking up dust that has been embedded in carpets with a low pile and some are capable of picking up heavier debris such as orzo pasta, metal screws, and pet hair. They aren't able to pick up fine particles like an upright or canister, and may miss dirt that is close to baseboards or thresholds.
The best choice for most carpeted homes is a two-in-one robot vacuum and mop that allows you to swap between the cleaning bin as well as mopping pad with damp. The Roborock Q Revo is a 2-in-1 robot vacuum and mop that can clean and mop at the same time with circular pads spinning at 200 rotations a minute. It recognizes and raises its pads when they come into contact with carpets, preventing the floor from becoming wet. It is not necessary to remove them or replace them each time. The Q Revo also performs better than other robot vacuum/mops in the absence of obstacles and in getting close to rugs and thresholds.
The iRobot Roomba Combo i5 is another option worth considering. It performed well in our tests and you can set it up to schedule it to tidy your home when you are away. It can also be set to only mop and we were impressed by its remarkable navigation on rug and floor surfaces and its ability to go over and up onto furniture. The Combo i5 also has a extremely long run time and great path planning for such a small device.
If you're looking for a more modern model, you can look at the Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 Self-Empty Robot Vacuum & Mop. It has a large dock that can last for weeks without needing to be empty. It also features impressive ability to navigate and auto-empty on carpets and bare floors. It also has a clever mapping system that can be programmed to run only during specific hours (a useful feature for keeping the sly children and animals from running amok). The Shark isn't as powerful than other robot vacuum/mop combos, but its still very good at picking up hair and pet hair and is the most affordable of our top choices.
Best for Hard Floors
Robot vacuums are ideal for floors with hardwood floors because they can navigate around obstacles without causing damage to bare surfaces. They are fantastic for removing dust and crumbs but struggle with pet hair or other debris. They also lack the suction power of an expensive upright or canister vacuum, which is why they're not the ideal choice for carpeted rooms or upholstery that requires deep cleaning.
The best two-in-one robots combine mopping and vacuum, taking care of the entire chore in one pass. Look for models that have an onboard sensor that can detect changes in the floor 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 primarily made up of hardwood floors, consider a robotic mop and vacuum combination like the eufy S1 Pro. This model comes with a powerful robotic vacuum equipped with intelligent navigation that can clean hardwood and other surfaces. It can also mop. The sensors help it avoid the stairs and other hazards, so you don't need to worry about the robot falling down the stairs and damaging your hardwood.
The Eufy S1 Pro mop is designed to clean hardwood floors by applying downward pressure, not simply swab them to remove dust and dirt. The mop pads that are reusable reduce the amount of waste, and reduce the spread of germs and can be cleaned in the docking station to save you time. The mops can also be washed and dried to avoid spreading mold.
The robovac is operated by your smartphone, making it easier to use. For instance, you can make use of the app to designate a zone that the vacuum won't enter or mark rooms as separate or schedule cleaning times for specific areas. The eufy S1 Pro has an auto-emptying port that collects the debris via trapdoors and then puts it in a bag-less or disposable bin. This means you don't have to empty the bin manually as often as you do with other models.
Best for Small Spaces
As the name suggests the robots are best suited for small areas. They have smaller bins that hold less garbage, and are more efficient than the larger models in navigating tight corners. They can also fit under furniture, where the larger robots are unable to reach. best rated robot vacuum are also cheaper than more expensive models, but you will have to empty their dirt bins manually at the end each cleaning session.
A few years ago robotic vacuums experienced a major change. look at here now began to add sensors that could help them navigate and avoid household items that traditional sensors could become stuck on or run across. The improvements in technology reduced the number of times our testers were required to clean up after a robot accident.
The new sensors aren't completely eliminating all issues with these devices however. The most affordable models struggle with the same issues that the older ones faced and most require a certain amount of light to be able see where they're headed. If you reside in a dark area or have a lot of low-profile furniture, consider purchasing a top-mounted spinning LIDAR unit to map your space, like our best overall and runner-up picks do. This will allow them to avoid stairs and other barriers when working in darkness.
The models can be programmed to only use their cliff sensors when they are near or on the ground, but not when they are above it. It's essential to cover mirrors in order to stop this from happening. The lasers used by the LIDAR-based models can bounce off reflective surfaces, causing the robot to think it's in a different space.
Some of the models we recommend allow you to create virtual no-go zones in areas you do not want the robot to move, which is useful if you have small children or pets. These features aren't on all models we test. Read our full review s before deciding.