How to Choose the Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner

Robot vacuums can help you save time and effort when it comes to cleaning. The best models are capable of cleaning up dust as well as light debris and cords.

The more expensive models even clean your floors--though they still can't climb the stairs. Look for models with smart mapping, real-time hazard avoidance, and roomy self-emptying bins.

Best Overall

The best robots we tried were reliable, user-friendly and able to keep up with the daily debris. You'll also want a robot that can take on stairs and that has decent cleaning power for carpets. If you're looking to add more features, you may be interested in a robot vacuum cleaner cheap equipped with smart mapping technology or an app that lets you control it remotely.

Camryn Rabideau is a contributing reviewer and writer for shopping at PEOPLE who has tried many robotic vacuums. She's a big fan of robotic vacuums that offer 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 can recognize landmarks such as furniture legs and power cables, so they don't fall when climbing the stairs.

When compared to the top-rated models this Black and Decker robot vacuum isn't as advanced in its object-avoidance capabilities and its score for navigation is lower. It does however have an enormous dust bin that doesn't require frequent emptying and a long battery life. It also comes with a feature which allows you to schedule cleaning times and return to where it stopped last, making it easier to clean larger areas. This model is also a good choice for pet owners because it is able to identify 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 maps rooms and see obstacles with a structured light sensor that can identify objects and detect edges. The combination allows it to avoid steps, drops of liquid, and furniture legs easily and save up to four floor maps for future references. It can pause and resume the cleaning process at any time, so that you can continue doing chores while it works. The app offers an interactive 3D model of your home, with room labels and advanced cleaning options.

This robot is not as good at cleaning as our top models, however it excels in picking up larger items like orzo pasta, metal screws, and even fine particles like sand. The only downsides 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 vacuum that has excellent pickup and good maneuverability scores on carpets and rug. Many models do a good job of removing dust that is embedded in carpets with low pile and a few do a good job of picking up heavier debris such as orzo pasta, metal screws and pet hair. However, they aren't able to pick up fine particles as well as an upright or canister vacuum and may also not pick up dirt that is ground-in close to baseboards and thresholds.

The best choice for most carpeted areas is a 2-in-1 robot vacuum/mop, which allows you to swap out the cleaning bin as well as mopping pad that is damp. The Roborock Q Revo, for instance, vacuums and a mops wet with circular pads that rotate at a rate of 200 rotations per minute. It automatically detects and lifts the pads when it encounters carpet to avoid wetting the floor. Additionally, you don't have to take them off or replace them after every use. The Q Revo is also more efficient than other robot vacuums and mops in avoiding obstacles and getting closer to carpets and thresholds.

Another good option is the iRobot Roomba Combo i5, which did exceptionally well in our tests and can be scheduled using the app to clean when you're away from home. It can be set up to mop only. We were impressed by its ability to navigate on floors with no flooring and rugs. The Combo i5 also has a very long runtime and a great path-planning feature for such a small device.

If you're looking for a advanced model, look into the Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 Self-Empty Robot Vacuum & Mop. It comes with a large charging dock that can last for weeks without needing to be emptying and boasts impressive navigation skills and auto-emptying on both carpets and floors. It also comes with a smart mapping system, and can be set to only run for certain hours (a beneficial feature to keep mischievous children and dextrous animals from running amok). The Shark is less powerful than other mop/robot combination models however, it still picks up pet hair and hair with a high degree of accuracy. It's also the most affordable value of our top choices.

Best for Hard Flooring

robot cleaner commercial vacuum cleaner top 10 (Recommended Online site) vacuums are the best choice for floors made of hardwood, since they can navigate around obstacles easily without damaging bare surfaces. They are excellent at of removing dust and crumbs, however they struggle with pet hair and other large debris. They don't have the suction of an upright or a top-quality canister intelligent vacuum cleaner, making them a poor choice for deep cleaning upholstery or carpeted areas.

The best two-in-1 robots combine mopping and vacuum, taking care of a more complete chore in one go. If you have floors that are mixed, look for models with an onboard sensor which detects changes in the floor's texture and adjusts suction accordingly. The ECOVACS DEEBOT T9+, for instance, has this feature and can go seamlessly from soft to hard carpeting.

If you have lots of hardwood flooring in your home, you might want to consider a robotic mop and vacuum combo like the Eufy S1 Pro. This model comes with a powerful robotic vacuum equipped with smart navigation that can clean hardwood floors and other surfaces. It also mop. The sensors in it allow it to avoid dangers like stairs.

The eufy S1 Pro mop is designed to wash hardwood floors using downward pressure, instead of simply swab them to remove dirt and dust. The mop pads are reusable, which reduce the amount of waste, and make it less likely to spread germs and can be cleaned in the docking station to save your time. The mops can also be washed, dried and used again.

Both the robovac and the mop can be controlled by your smartphone, making it easier to manage the device. For instance, you can use the app to create a no-go zone where the vacuum can't go or mark rooms as separate or schedule cleaning sessions for certain areas. The Eufy S1 Pro also has an auto-emptying dock, which collects debris through a trapdoor, and is then stored in a bagless or disposable bin, meaning you don't need to empty the bin manually like you do with other models.

Best for Small Spaces

Like the name suggests the robots are best suited for small spaces. They have smaller bins, which can hold less garbage. They are also more efficient in maneuvering around tight corners as opposed to larger models. They can also fit under furniture where larger robots can't reach. These robots are also cheaper than more expensive models, but you will have to empty their dirt bins manually at the end each cleaning session.

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

The new sensors aren't completely eliminating all the issues with these machines, however. The cheapest models are still struggling with the same challenges that the older models faced, and many of them need a certain amount of illumination to be able to see where they're going. If you live in a dark house or have a lot of low-profile furniture, consider buying a model that utilizes a top-mounted spinning LIDAR unit to map your space, as our top overall and runner-up picks do. This will allow them to avoid obstacles like stairs and other ones when working in darkness.

In addition to being able to work in the dark they can also be configured to use their cliff sensors only on or near the floor, not when they're above them. It is essential to cover mirrors in order to stop this from occurring. The laser used by the LIDAR-based models may bounce off reflective surfaces, making the robot vacuum black friday believe it's in a different room.

Some of the models that we recommend let you create virtual no-go zones for areas you don't want the robot to enter. This is helpful if you have pets or small children. Those features aren't available on all of the models we test so make sure to read our full reviews of the models below before making your purchase.