The Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner
Robot vacuums can make the task of vacuuming a little less painful. Modern models mop and can even climb (small) steps.
Some have a smaller bin that they empty by themselves. Others are controlled with an app on your smartphone instead of an actual remote. Some of them have mapping capabilities that help them navigate your home with greater efficiency.
1. Power
Our top choice for robot vacuums has a suction power of 8000Pa, which is strong enough to eliminate even the most stubborn hairs and dirt. Its ultra-thin square design allows it to slide underneath furniture like sofas and beds and its Dual-Laser LiDAR technology provides intelligent navigation and accurate obstacle avoidance. It's also great at cleaning baking powder, pet hair, and other debris near corners and baseboards.
Aside from the DEEBOT X2 OMNI, other powerful bots in this list include the Robot Roomba j7+ and the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra. The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra has docking station that automatically performs maintenance. It also has mopping capabilities. Its powerful suction, coupled with its effective mopping, kept my floors clean of pet hair, muddy prints, and other debris on every type of floor we tested.
A model with 2,500Pa suction will suffice for the majority of homes in the lower price range. These models are quieter, and, therefore, a better choice for those with sensitive ears. They're not silent but they're not about the same as normal conversations at home.
To find the ideal balance of usability and power take into consideration your cleaning needs and budget. For light-duty cleaning that is frequent you will require a longer time-to-run and a lower suction is required. For heavy-duty cleaning, weekly runs require maximum power. Take a look at your flooring, home layouts and cleaning schedules in order to select the best model to meet your needs. We recommend checking out our complete list of robot vacuum reviews and ratings for more information on the latest models available. Many users report that their carpets and floors appear cleaner after using a robot vacuum.
2. Navigation
A robot vacuum cannot do its job when it doesn't know how to navigate your home. The best robots employ sophisticated navigation technology to scan rooms and create maps, ensuring thorough cleaning without getting stuck or hitting obstacles. There are three types of robot navigation: LiDAR, camera and sensor.
The most expensive models use LiDAR to create a virtual map of the room, delivering the highest levels of precision and efficiency. Bump sensors are used in cheaper models, but they can be inaccurate and miss a lot of debris when working in dark environments. Most robots come with cliff sensors, which keep them from falling down stairs or other drops.
Several robots I tested used objects recognition to navigate through things such as cords and fake dog turds. But the Eufy X10 was the best. It had powerful oscillating mop heads as well as a user-friendly application, and superb mapping capabilities.
Other features worth a look include sensors for floors that can recognize carpets that are hard and soft, automatically boosting suction power when needed. Certain robots such as the Roborock mop use a mopping pads lift to reach into corners and clean up dried spills. Many hybrids can even apply cleaning solution to stubborn stains.
A smaller size of the bin will require less frequent emptying, whereas bigger ones will cost less to replace. The cheapest robotic cleaners typically use a small disposable dust bag, whereas the majority of mid-range models come with larger 3L dustbins that last for many years. Certain high-end robots, such as the EcoVACS DEEBOT OMNI station, will self-empty their trash bins and refill their water tanks to provide hands-free convenience.
3. App control
The majority of robot vacuums come with an app to monitor cleaning progress and schedule sessions. They also connect to smart home devices. A lot of robot vacuums can be controlled using voice commands, such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Some have a dedicated remote control that lets you start or pause, and then return to dock. Choose a model that has a larger trash bin and can self-empty, rather than one that needs manual emptying.
Some robovacs come with mapping technology that can help them remember obstacles, like the stairs, and also avoid getting into furniture. Some robovacs allow you to designate no-go zones and specific rooms to ensure that they only clean areas that require the most. They also have cliff sensor to keep them from falling, which is especially beneficial in multi-level homes.
If you intend to utilize your robot vacuum to clean your rugs, opt for one that is capable of dry mopping as well as wet. You'll get better cleaning results if your robot vacuum can also remove its mop pad. Clean it and attach it again when you are ready to conduct a clean-up cycle. Find robots that have a rubber roller. It is less likely to tangle from pet hair or other debris. It's recommended to inspect the robot's brushroll as well as side brushes for debris that has gotten stuck every once or twice per week as well. If you notice that they are getting clogged it could be time to buy replacement parts.
4. Debris collection
As the name suggests robot vacuums are made to collect dust and other debris from your floors. The most effective ones can pick small particles such as baking soda and sand as well larger pieces such as orzo pasta, metal screws, and pet hair. They also provide better pick-up results on low-pile carpets than most manual vacuums.
The top-performing robots across all flooring types had scores higher than 95%. The two top performers in this category were the ECOVACS DEEBOT X2 OMNI, and the Roborock Q Revo. Both are highly automated equipped with docking stations that do maintenance on their own and features in the app that make them extremely user-friendly.
Both have self-emptying bins that eliminate the contents of the wastebasket. They also have the ability to clean the washboard while they mow. They also come with an 8,000Pa vacuum cleaner, smart mapping technology, and advanced obstacle avoidance technology to help them navigate through even the most difficult spaces. The ECOVACS robot is among the few that can vacuum carpet and remove mop pads. This makes it an ideal option for those who need to switch between mopping and vacuuming often.
If you're seeking a lower-cost option, look into the iRobot Roomba Combo J7 Plus, our budget choice. It features LIDAR navigation and decent debris pickup capabilities for the price. It can be a bit slow in mapping rooms and has a tendency of bumping against obstacles, but it is less than our other picks.
5. Battery life
The best robot vacuums let you move about your day while they keep your floors in perfect in good condition. You'll still have to manually clean your home on a regular basis, but robovacs will assist you in maintaining a minimum level of cleanliness and even clean while you're away.
Choose a robovac that has a long-lasting battery to get the most of it. If you select the highest power setting, a model should last about two cleaning sessions. This is smaller than a full-sized vacuum, but it should be sufficient to keep most homes clean. If you don't want to wait around while your robovac is charging you, you can opt for a model that automatically makes its way back to its base station to recharge.
If you're looking for a robot with a bit of everything in it, then consider one that is able to mop. best robot vacuum cleaner is the top model in this category comes with self-emptying and self refilling for the dust bin and the water tank and the mop pad. It can also be programmed to automatically refill and wash its own mop pads when they're running low.
Its high-quality carpet and hard floor pickup as well as its excellent hair pickup and tangle-free, and a an almost perfect auto empty score makes it the clear winner of our test scores. It's expensive and unless you have an apartment that is small and has no pets, it could be too costly for some. The Dreametech D10+ is the second-placed model and offers the same performance, but is priced around 25 percent less.