How to Choose the Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner
A robot vac uum can help you save time and effort in the case of regular cleaning. Top performers are good at getting rid of dust, light debris and cords.
The more expensive models even clean your floors, but they can't climb stairs. Look for models with smart mapping, real-time hazard avoidance, and large self-emptying bins.
Best Overall
The top robots we tested were reliable, user-friendly, and able keep up with the daily messes. You'll also need a robot capable of handling stairs and that has decent pick-up power on carpets. And, if you're looking for additional features, you might be interested in a robot equipped with smart mapping technology or an app that lets you control the robot remotely.
Camryn Rabideau, a contributing shopping writer at PEOPLE and a reviewer of products who has tested dozens robotic vacuums, is recognized for her testing of dozens of 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 the water tanks used by mopping robots. She also enjoys robots that recognize landmarks such as furniture legs and power cables so that they won't trip up when climbing the stairs.
This robot from Black and Decker has a lower score on navigation and has less technology for avoiding objects than the best-rated models. It comes with a huge, non-refillable dustbin and an extended battery. In addition, it has a feature that allows you to schedule cleaning sessions and then return to the spot where it last stopped and makes it much easier to tackle larger areas. This model is also a great option for pet owners since it can spot and prevent tangled hair as well as fallen food particles.
In our tests in our tests, the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra combines a LIDAR sensor that is able to map rooms and identify obstacles using an organized light sensor to identify objects and detect edges. This combination lets it avoid steps, drops of liquid, and furniture legs with ease and save up to four floor maps to be used in the future for use. It is also able to stop the cleaning process at any time and resume where it left off and let you do chores while the robot does its work. The included app offers a 3D representation of your home, room labels and advanced cleaning options.
Although this model isn't able to clean as well as our top-rated models, it is superior in removing small particles like sand and baking soda as well as larger objects, like orzo pasta and metal screws. The only downside is that it's not able to mop, and has a less efficient navigation system.
The best for Carpet
If you have carpeting, pick a robot vacuum that has a high score for carpet and rug mobility and pickup. Many models are good at cleaning dust from low-pile rugs, and some are capable of cleaning up larger debris such as orzo pasta and screws made of steel. They can't take in fine particles like an upright or canister, and they may be unable to pick up dirt close to thresholds or baseboards.
For most carpeted homes, a 2-in-1 robotic vacuum/mop is the best choice. You can exchange the cleaning bin for a damp mopping mat. The Roborock Q Revo, for example, is a vacuum cleaner and mops with circular pads that rotate at a speed of 200 rotations per minute. It recognizes and raises its pads when they come into contact with carpet, which prevents the flooring from becoming wet. It is not necessary to remove them or replace them every time. The Q Revo is also better than other robot vacuum/mops at keeping away from obstacles and rugs, while also getting close to them and thresholds and staying clear of obstacles.
The iRobot Roomba Combo i5 is another option worth considering. It performed well in our tests and you can program it to tidy your home even when you're away. It can be set up to mop only. We liked its navigation on floors that are not bare and rug. The Combo i5 has a long time to run and excellent path planning for a device of this size.
If best robot vacuums want a more modern model, you can look at the Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 Self-Empty Robot Vacuum & Mop. It has a huge charging dock that can last for months without needing to be emptied, and it has amazing navigation abilities and auto-emptying on bare floors and carpets. It also has a smart mapping system and can be programmed to only run for certain hours (a useful feature for keeping mischievous children and dextrous animals from running amok). The Shark has less suction power than some other robot vacuums and mops however it's still good at picking up hair and pet hair and is the most affordable of our top choices.
Ideal for Hard Floors
Robot vacuums are ideal for hardwood floors, as they can maneuver through obstacles with ease without causing damage bare surfaces. They are excellent at of removing crumbs and dust, but they aren't able to handle pet hair and other larger particles. They lack the suction power of a high-end upright or canister vacuum, so they're not the best choice for carpeted rooms or upholstery that requires deep cleaning.
The most effective two-in-one robots incorporate mopping and vacuum and take care of an entire task in one sweep. Look for models that have an onboard sensor to detect changes in the floor's texture and adjust suction accordingly. This feature is available on the ECOVACS Deebot T9+ and lets it effortlessly transition from hard carpeting to soft carpeting.
If your home is primarily made up of hardwood floors, you should consider a robotic mop and vacuum combo like the Eufy S1 Pro. This model has a powerful robotic vacuum with smart navigation that can clean hardwood and other surfaces. It also mop. Its sensors let it stay clear of hazards like stairs.
The eufy S1 Pro mop is designed to clean hardwood floors by applying downward pressure, instead of simply swab them to remove dust and dirt. The mop pads are reusable, which reduce the amount of waste, and make it less likely to spread germs, and can be cleaned at the docking station to save your time. They can also be dried, washed and reused.
Both the robovac and the mop are both controlled by your smartphone to make it easier to manage the device. For instance, you can use the app to create a zone where the vacuum can't go, label separate rooms, or schedule cleaning times for specific areas. The Eufy S1 Pro also has an auto-emptying dock that collects debris through a trapdoor and stores it in a disposable or bagless bin, so you don't have to manually empty the bin every time as you would with other models.
Ideal for small Spaces
As the name suggests, these robots are best designed for smaller areas. They have smaller bins that hold less waste, and they're more efficient than larger models when it comes to maneuvering tight corners. They can also fit under furniture, whereas larger robots are unable to reach. They are also less expensive than higher-end models, but you will have to empty their dirt bins manually at the end each cleaning session.
A couple of years ago, robotic vacuums underwent a significant change when manufacturers began adding sensors to help navigate and avoid household objects that traditional sensors would become stuck on or over. These advancements have reduced the number of times our testers needed to clean up after a robotic snag whether it was an electrical cord, toy, or piece of pet waste.
The new sensors don't solve all issues with these devices however. The cheapest models still struggle with the same issues that the older ones did and, in addition, they require a certain amount of light to see where they're going. Look into one that has a spinning LIDAR unit that is mounted on top to map the space. Our top pick and runner-up models have this feature. This allows them to avoid obstacles like stairs and other ones when working in darkness.
In addition to being capable of working in dark they can also be configured to use their cliff sensors only when they're near or on the floor, not when they're above them. You'll still need to cover any mirrors that may interfere with this function, however, since the laser used by a laser-based model could bounce off reflective surfaces and cause the robot to think it's in a different room.
Some of the models we recommend will allow you to create virtual no-go areas for areas that you don't want the robot to enter. This can be helpful if you have pets or small children. Those features aren't available on all the models we've tested and recommend that you review our full reviews of the models below before you make a purchase.
