Best Rated Robot Vacuum and Mop

Eufy's top-rated robotic vacuum and mop takes a bit of the burden of keeping your floors spotless. It can replenish its own water tank as well as empty its tower bin. It also has the ability to change its dust bag.

More advanced models are smart enough to draw a map of your home and take note of the furniture's position. They also can detect dangers and navigate around them, such as loose charging cables or loose socks.

Object Avoidance

Object avoidance helps your robot to avoid hitting objects such as cords, toys and clothes that could get caught in the vacuum. These features are particularly crucial if you have children or pets that may leave items on the floor for your robot to find.

Depending on the model you select depending on the model you select, your robot could have several sensor options to help it navigate around obstacles. Some of the most popular are crossed IR sensors that focus beams of infrared light throughout the room to spot things like furniture legs and door frames. A lot of robots have adopted this technology, and you can find it in the top models that cost more.

Another object avoidance technology you may find in higher-end robotics is 3D Structured Light which uses cameras and crossed IR sensors to map the environment, and detect obstacles. Time of Flight (ToF), sensors that measure and emit the amount of time that it takes the light to reflect off of an object to determine its distance, are available. While they are not as popular, they can be an excellent addition to your robot vacuum cleaners best if it needs extra peace of mind that it will avoid getting caught up in power cords or socks when cleaning.

Most of the top-rated robots can also mop your floors. Some robots have their own water tanks which let them clean up spills and messes. You'll have to empty the robot's onboard dust bin and clean the cameras and sensors in between cleaning sessions, but these chores shouldn't take much of your time.

Mapping

Mapping capabilities are essential in robot vacuums as they help them keep track of your home's layout and prevent them from bumping into objects like walls. Without mapping, they might be tripped by cords, furniture or pet toys, and end up taking less space from your space. With sensors, the majority of robots map out your home to track any obstacles and help navigate around them. This way, they're able to sweep your floors with fewer passes, saving you time. Many of the best robot vacuums also have this feature, which enables you to create no-go areas.

Robots with a built-in LIDAR system make use of this technology to map out your home quickly and efficiently. The Eufy Clean robot separated my room into different areas and cleaned each one independently during our tests. This was a huge improvement over other models that rely on the front bumper sensor. This was a much more accurate way of navigating my home and was also easy to control via the app on the device.

While there are no robot vacuums that can scale stairs, the best models do have mapping and obstacle avoidance features. These tools allow them to collect dirt from low-pile or hard floors, and prevent falling down stairs. Some have cliff sensors to stop them from crossing over the edge of the stairs, and some have boundary strips that can stop them from entering certain areas.

Certain robots have a large base tower that collects dirt. This helps reduce the amount of dust or allergens that are released in your home. The bases can be kept for weeks or months without having to be cleaned, which is especially helpful for those who suffer from allergies. Some models also have self-emptying mechanisms that let you take out the dust bins without having to manually open and close them.

Wi-Fi enabled

Some robot vacuums connect via Wi-Fi with their applications. This allows you to operate them with your smartphone instead (or in addition) to the physical remote. They are more expensive, but they save you time by allowing you to schedule cleaning times on a daily, weekly or even a monthly basis. These models also allow you to modify floor maps, save them and offer different cleaning schedules.

The most advanced robot mop vacuums employ dual sensors, which combine the LIDAR system to map your area with a structured light sensor that is able to see objects and avoid them, even if they're buried under furniture or power cords. Those features allow your robot to get into small spaces, like the nook beneath your kitchen cabinets and beneath sofas, areas where other robots struggle. They're also quicker to get over obstacles and have longer running times thanks to bigger dust bins, making them more suitable for large homes than entry-level robotics.

The top rated robot vacuums are quick, efficient and effective, picking up most kinds of floor debris such as pet hair, kitty litter, and other mess. They can also be quite quiet which makes them a great choice for homes with children and pets. The majority of robot vacuum users have told us that they enjoy the convenience of having their floors cleaned with little effort. This is especially true if they are used frequently. Robots can last as long as traditional vacuum cleaners if they are given the right maintenance (cleaning rotating brushes and keeping an eye on replacement parts). PCWorld offers a helpful guide that covers some important techniques to keep your robot running in good shape for the years to come.

Larger Dust Bags

While a robotic vacuum might not be as efficient as a canister or upright model, it is excellent at picking up dust and debris that regular vacuuming leaves behind. It is also a great tool for quick repairs to floors, and it can also navigate through cords and other obstacles that are common to household use. If you don't want to do the deep cleaning yourself, a robot vacuum will let you send it out to sweep your floors on a regular schedule.

The top-rated robot vacuums come with big dust bags that can store more dirt than a room. This will help you save time and money on bags that need to be replaced. Several of the models we've listed include this feature, including the top pick model, the Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo. This all-in-one robovac is a top-performing robovac that includes a self-emptying bin. It comes with a mopping function and a streamlined navigation. It's a close match between this and the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+, that has intelligent mapping and avoidance technology. This robovac has a larger capacity, but is slightly more expensive.

The two models also differ in their handling of long hair, which may get caught in the rollers of certain robots. The Roborock Q5 Max+, SwitchBot K10S Plus and Roborock Q5 Max+ are the best performing models. They all have outstanding hair pickup and tangle-avoidance scores along with great auto empty performance and great path planning. The Shark Matrix Plus and eufy are also great options with decent hair pickup and tangle avoidance, however not as much path planing or auto empty.

The most recent robots are outfitted with sensors that can detect dirt and debris on carpets, and they are more adept at removing pet hair. Some robots come with mopping modes that makes use of the water reservoir in order to clean up stuck-on debris and spills. This feature is crucial for families with children as well as pets.

Maintenance

A robot vacuum can help keep up with your home. The best models can remove more surface dirt pet hair and lint, than the broom that is used on low-pile or hard floors. They have navigational features that keep them from getting stuck on power cords, rug fringe, or furniture.

Based on the model, a top-rated robotic vacuum is also able to run several times per day or allow you to view it at work via an app. These devices are convenient however they can be clogged and require regular maintenance. This involves emptying the dust bin that is onboard (or in certain cases, the base's larger bin), checking brushes for tangled fur, and a regular cleaning of the filters and allowing them to dry according to the specifications of the manufacturer.

Emily Rairdin is a vacuum expert and store owner apprentice from University Vacuum + Sewing. She believes that a robotic cleaner and mop vacuum can last from three to five years if it is properly maintenance. She suggests regularly emptying the bin and brush roll, cutting out hair that's tangled up in the brushes and frequently washing and drying the filter in the event that your robot acts as mop. It's also an excellent idea to wipe down the charging contacts and sensors on the robot or dock every now and then with a soft cloth. Then, recharge and refill your robot before the next cleaning session.