How to Choose the Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner
Robot vacuums will save you time and effort when it comes to cleaning. The best models do a great job picking up dust and lightweight debris, and most allow you to designate no-go zones in pet areas or power cords.
The ones that are more expensive can even sweep your floors however they're not able to climb stairs. Choose models that have intelligent mapping, real-time hazard avoidance, and roomy self-emptying bins.
Best Overall
The best robots that we tested are efficient and easy to use and are able to cope with the everyday messes. It is also important to choose a model that can take on stairs and that has decent cleaning power for carpets. If you're looking for a model with extra features, consider one that comes with smart mapping technology or an app to control it remotely.
Camryn Rabideau is a contributing reviewer and writer for shopping at PEOPLE who has tried numerous robotic vacuums. She's a big fan of robotic vacuums that offer the greatest convenience, such as self-emptying dustbins and charging docks that automatically empty and refill water tanks for mopping robots. She also loves robots that can recognize landmarks such as furniture legs and power cables so that they don't fall when climbing steps.
This Black and Decker robot has a lower navigation score and has less technology for avoiding objects than the best-rated models. However, it has an ample dust bin that doesn't need frequent emptying and a long battery life. Additionally, it comes with an option that allows you to plan cleaning times and return to the spot where it stopped last which makes it easier to cover larger spaces. This model is also a great option for pet owners as it is able to spot and avoid tangled hair and fallen food particles.
In our tests, we discovered that the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra combined the LIDAR (light) sensor which can identify rooms and obstacles with a structured-light sensor to identify objects as well as detect edges. It is able to avoid the steps, liquid droplets and furniture legs easily with this combination. It can also save up to four floor plans to be used in the future. It is able to stop and restart cleaning at any time, so that you can continue doing chores while it does. The included app offers an interactive 3D model of your home, room labels and more advanced cleaning options.
This robot is not as effective at cleaning as our top models, however it excels in picking up larger items like orzo pasta, metal screws and fine debris such as sand. The only downside is that it isn't able to mop and has a slightly less effective navigation system.
Best for Carpet
If you have carpeting, pick a robot vacuum that has a high score for rug and carpet mobility and pickup. A lot of models do a great job of picking up dust that is embedded in carpets with low pile, and several are capable of cleaning up larger debris such as orzo pasta, metal screws, and pet hair. They can't take in small particles like an upright or canister, and may miss dirt close to baseboards or thresholds.
For most carpeted homes, a 2-in-1 robot mop/vacuum is the best choice. You can swap out an empty bin to a damp mopping mat. The Roborock Q Revo is a 2-in-1 robotic vacuum/mop that is able to clean and mop at the same time with circular pads spinning at 200 rotations a minute. It detects and raises the pads when it is in contact with carpet to avoid wetting the floor. You don't need to remove or replace them after each use. The Q Revo is also better than other robot vacuums and mops in avoiding obstacles such as rugs and thresholds, and avoiding obstacles.
The iRobot Roomba Combo i5 is another good option. It performed well in our tests and you can set it up to schedule it to clean your home when you are away. It can also be set to mop only and we were impressed by its remarkable navigation on rug and floor surfaces as well as its ability to go over and up onto furniture. The Combo i5 has a long runtime and excellent path planning for an item of this size.
If you're looking for a more high-tech model, consider the Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 Self-Empty Robot Vacuum & Mop. It has a huge charging dock that can run for months without needing to be emptied and has amazing navigation capabilities and auto-emptying on both bare floors and carpets. It also has an intelligent mapping system that can be programmed to operate during certain hours of the day (a useful feature that can keep the sly kids and pets from causing chaos). The Shark is less powerful than other mop/robot combination models, but it still picks up pet hair and hair with a high degree of accuracy. It's also the best price of our top picks.
Best for Hard Flooring
Robot vacuums are ideal for floors made of hardwood, since they can maneuver through obstacles with ease without causing damage the surfaces that are not. They are capable of removing dust and crumbs, however they are unable to deal with pet hair and other larger particles. They don't have the suction of the top canister or upright vacuum, which makes them a poor choice for deep cleaning upholstery or carpeted areas.
The most effective robots are those that come with two-in-one features, combining a vacuum with a mop to do a complete job in one move. Choose a model that has an onboard sensor that can detect any changes in the flooring and adjust suction accordingly. The ECOVACS DEEBOT T9+, for instance, has this feature and can move effortlessly from hard to soft carpeting.
If you have a lot of hardwood floors in your home, you might want to think about a robotic mop and vacuum combo like the Eufy S1 Pro. This model is a powerful robotic vacuum that has intelligent navigation to clean hardwood floors and other hard surfaces, plus it has the ability to mop as well. The sensors in it allow it to stay clear of hazards like stairs.
The eufy S1 Pro mop is designed to clean hardwood floors using downward pressure, not simply swab them to remove dust and dirt. Its pads that can be reused reduce waste and spread less germs. They can also be cleaned in docking stations to help save time. The mop pads can also be washed, dried and reused.
robot vacuum cleaners and mop can be controlled from your smartphone to make it easier to manage the device. For instance, you can make use of the app to create zones that the vacuum will not enter, label different rooms, or schedule specific cleaning sessions. The eufy S1 Pro has an auto-emptying port that collects debris through trapdoors and then puts it into a bagless or disposable bin. robotic vacuum cleaners means that you don't have to empty the bin manually as often as you do with other models.
Ideal for small Spaces
Like the name suggests that these robots are suited for small areas. They have smaller bins that contain less waste, and they're more efficient than larger models when it comes to navigating tight corners. They can also fit underneath furniture that larger robots aren't able to reach. They are generally less expensive than the more expensive models, however, you'll need to empty them manually from their dirt compartments at the end of each cleaning session.
A few years ago, robot vacuums underwent a significant change when manufacturers started adding sensors to help them navigate around and avoid household objects that traditional sensors would be stuck on or over. The improvements in technology reduced the number of times our testers were required to clean up after a robotic accident.
However, the new sensors aren't solving all of the problems these machines have. The cheapest models still struggle with the same issues that the older ones faced, and many of them need a certain amount of illumination to see where they're going. If you are living in a dark space or have lots of low-profile furniture, consider getting one that uses a top-mounted spinning LIDAR unit to map your area, like our best overall and runner-up picks do. This allows them to work in the dark and avoid obstacles such as stairs.
In addition to being capable of working in the dark, these models can be programmed to use their cliff sensors only near or on the floor, not when they're above them. It is still recommended to cover any mirrors that may interfere with this function though, as the laser used by a LIDAR-based model can bounce off reflective surfaces and cause the robot to believe it is in another room.
Some of the models that we recommend let you create virtual no-go areas for areas you don't want the robot to go to. best home vacuum cleaner can be helpful when you have pets or children who are small. These features aren't present on all models we test. Read our full reviews before deciding.