How to Choose the Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner

A robot vacuum will help you save time and hassle when it comes to regular touch-ups. Top performers are good at cleaning up dust light debris, cords and dust.

The more expensive ones can even sweep your floors, but they can't climb stairs. Find models with smart mapping, real-time safety features, and large self-emptying bins.

Best Overall

The top robots we tested were user-friendly, efficient, and able keep up with the daily messes. You'll also want a robot capable of handling stairs and has good ability to pick up carpets. If you want a robot that has additional features, you should consider an option that incorporates smart mapping technology or an app to control it remotely.

Camryn Rabideau, a contributing shopping writer at PEOPLE and a product reviewer who has tested several robotic vacuums, has been credited with testing numerous robot vacuums. She's a fan of the 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 likes robots that can recognize landmarks such as furniture legs and power cables so they won't trip up when climbing stairs.

When compared to the top-rated models this Black and Decker vacuum has less object-avoidance technology and its navigation score is lower. It comes with a large, non-refillable dustbin and a long battery. Additionally, it has a feature that allows you to schedule cleaning sessions and return to the spot where it last stopped which makes it easier to clean larger areas. This model is also a great option for pet owners as it can spot and eliminate hair tangled and fallen food particles.

In our tests in our tests, the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra combines with a LIDAR sensor that can map rooms and see obstacles with a structured light sensor to identify objects and detect edges. The 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 references. It is also able to stop the cleaning process at any moment and return to where it stopped and let you do chores while the robot does its work. The app comes with the 3D image of your home, room labels, and more advanced cleaning options.

The robot isn't as good at cleaning as our top 10 robot vacuum cleaner models, however it is a pro at picking up heavier items like orzo pasta, metal screws, and even fine particles like sand. The only drawbacks are that it's not able to mop, and its navigation system is a little less impressive.

Best for Carpet

If you have carpeting in your home, look for a robot vacuum with strong pickup and maneuverability scores on carpet and rugs. A lot of models are adept at picking up dust in low-pile carpets, and some do a decently job of picking up heavier debris, such as orzo pasta and screws made of steel. However, they aren't able to pick up small particles like canister or upright vacuums, and they may not pick up dirt that is ground-in close to baseboards and thresholds.

The best option for carpeted homes is a two-in-one robot vacuum and mop that allows you to swap between an empty bin for cleaning and a damp mopping pad. 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 that spin at 200 revolutions per minute. It detects and lifts its pads when it comes in contact with carpet, preventing the flooring from becoming wet. It is not necessary to remove them or replace them each time. The Q Revo is also better than other robot vacuums and mops in staying clear of obstacles, getting close to rugs and thresholds, and staying clear of obstacles.

The iRobot Roomba Combo i5 is another option worth considering. It was a great performer in our tests, and you can schedule it to tidy your home even when you're away. It can be set up to mop only. We were impressed by its ability to navigate on floors with no flooring and rug. The Combo i5 has a long runtime and excellent path planning for the size of the device.

If you're looking to buy a high-tech vacuum that is high-tech, the Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 Robot vacuum bot & Mop is a fantastic alternative. It has a large charging dock that can go months without needing to be emptied and has amazing navigation abilities and auto-emptying on both carpets and floors that are not cleaned. It also has a smart-mapping feature and can be programmed to only operate at certain times of the day (a handy feature for keeping the sly kids and pets from causing havoc). The Shark has less suction power than some other robot vacuum/mop combos, but its still very good at picking up hair and pet hair and is the best value among our top picks.

The best choice for hardwood floors

Robot vacuums are best for hardwood floors, as they can maneuver around obstacles easily without damaging floors that aren't. They are excellent at of picking up dust and crumbs, but they are unable to deal with pet hair and other large debris. They don't have the suction power of a high-end upright or canister vacuum, meaning they're not an ideal choice for carpeted rooms or deep cleaning upholstery.

The best two-in-one robots combine a vacuum and a mop and take care of the entire chore in one go. If you have flooring that is mixed choose one with an onboard sensor that detects changes in the floor's texture and adjusts suction to match. The ECOVACS DEEBOT T9+, for instance, has this feature and can move seamlessly from soft to hard carpeting.

If you have a lot of hardwood floors in your home, you might want to consider a robot mop and vacuum combination like the Eufy S1 Pro. This model is a powerful robotic vacuum with intelligent navigation that can clean hardwood floors and other surfaces. It also mop. Its sensors help it avoid stairs and other hazards so you don't need to worry about the robot falling down the stairs and damaging your hardwood.

When it comes to mop pads, the Eufy S1 Pro is designed to actually wash hardwood floors using downward pressure rather than just wipe them over to remove light dirt and dust. The mop pads are reusable, which reduce the amount of waste, and reduce the spread of germs and can be cleaned in the docking station to save you time. They can also be dried, washed and used again.

The robovac is controlled by your smartphone, making it easier to use. For instance, you can, use the app to create no-go zones that the vacuum will not be allowed to enter, label different rooms and plan specific cleaning times. The eufy S1 Pro also has an auto-emptying dock that collects debris through a trapdoor and is then stored in a disposable or bagless bin, so you don't need to empty the bin manually as often as you do with other models.

best self cleaning vacuum suited for small Spaces

As the name suggests that these robots are suited for small spaces. They have smaller bins, which hold less garbage. They are also more efficient when it comes to maneuvering around tight corners over larger models. They can also fit under furniture that larger robots aren't able to reach. They are generally less expensive than the pricier picks, as well, but you'll have to empty them manually from their dirt compartments at the end of each cleaning session.

A couple of years ago, robotic vacuums underwent a major transformation when manufacturers started adding sensors to help them navigate around and avoid household objects that traditional sensors would become stuck on or over. These advancements decreased the amount of times that our testers had to clean up after a robotic snag whether it was a power cord, toy or pet waste.

The new sensors aren't completely eliminating all the issues with these machines, however. The less expensive models are not able to traverse the same obstacles as older models, and they require some level of illumination to be able to see where they are going. You should consider an option that incorporates a spinning LIDAR unit mounted on top rated robot vacuum to map the area. Our best overall pick and runner-up models use this. This lets them avoid stairs and other barriers while working in the dark.

In addition to being capable of working in the dark they can also be configured to use their cliff sensors only when they're near or on the floor, not above them. You'll still need to cover any mirrors that could interfere with this function however, since the lasers used by a LIDAR-based model can bounce off reflective surfaces and cause the robot to think it is in another room.

A few of the models we recommend also allow you to set up virtual no-go zones for areas you do not want the robot move, which is useful if you have pets or children. These features aren't on all models we test. Read our full reviews before deciding.