The Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner

Vacuuming is the bane of many lives, but robot vacuums make it less tedious. Modern models mop and climb (small) stairs.

They have a tiny dustbin that they empty themselves and some of them can be controlled from a smartphone app instead of the physical remote. Some of them have mapping capabilities that assist in navigating your home more effectively.

1. Power

With the suction power of 8,000Pa, our top pick for robot vacuums is strong enough to take on the toughest hairs and dirt. Its ultra-thin square design allows it to slide under furniture, such as beds and sofas and its Dual-Laser LiDAR technology supports precise navigation and accurate obstacle avoidance. It also does an excellent job at cleaning up pet hair baking soda, sand, and other debris that can be found near the baseboards as well as in corners.

Other high-powered robots in this list apart from the DEEBOT X2 OMNI, include the iRobot Roomba J7+ as well as the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra. The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra has a docking station which 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 messes on all floors we test.

A model that has 2,500Pa suction will suffice for most homes in the lower price range. These units are quieter, making them a better option for people with sensitive hearing. These units are not silent but they're not about the same as normal conversations at home.

To get the most effective mix of performance and convenience, consider your cleaning needs and budget. Regular light-duty cleaning requires a longer runtime and a lower suction, whereas weekly heavy-duty cleaning requires the most power. Take a look at your flooring, home layouts and cleaning schedules to select the best automatic vacuum cleaner model for your needs. We suggest looking through our full list of robot automatic vacuum and mop reviews and ratings to get more details on the most recent models available. Many customers report having their carpets and floors looking much cleaner after introducing a robotic vacuum in their home.

2. Navigation

A robot vacuum isn't able to perform its job properly without knowing how to get around your home. The best robots employ sophisticated navigation technologies to scan rooms and create maps, ensuring thorough cleaning without getting stuck or hitting obstacles. There are three kinds of robot navigation: LiDAR-based sensor-based and camera-based.

LiDAR is used by the most expensive models to create a virtual room map, which provides the highest levels in precision and efficiency. Bump sensors are utilized in cheaper models, but they can be inaccurate and miss a lot of debris when working in dark areas. Most robots are equipped with cliff sensors, which prevent them from falling down stairs or other drops.

Many of the robots I tested used object recognition to deftly navigate things like fake cords and dog turds but the best was the Eufy X10. It was equipped with powerful mop heads that oscillate and a user-friendly app and a superb mapping capability.

Other features worth considering include floor type sensors that can detect hard floors and soft carpet and automatically boost suction power when required. Some robots, such as the Roborock mop, utilize mopping pad lifts to get into corners and clean up dried spills. Many hybrids can apply cleaning solution on staining that is difficult to remove.

A smaller dustbin will mean less frequent emptying while a bigger one can save you money on replacements. The majority of robotic cleaners that are low-cost use the smallest disposable dust bag. However, most mid-range models come with larger 3L dustbins which last for a long time. Certain high-end robots, such as the ECOVACS DEEBOT OMNI station, can self-empty their dustbin and refill their water tanks for convenience without hands.

3. App control

The top robot vacuums have an app that allows you to monitor cleaning progress and schedule sessions and connect to your smart home devices for hands-free control. Many robot vacuums can also be controlled via voice using Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Some have a remote control that allows you to start or pause, and then return to dock. Choose a model that has a larger trash bin and can self-empty instead of one that requires manual emptying.

Some robovacs have technology for mapping to help them avoid obstacles like furniture and stairs. Certain robovacs let you create no-go zones as well as specific rooms so that they only clean areas that require it the most. They also have a cliff detector to stop them from falling, which is especially helpful in multi-leveled homes.

If you are planning to make use of your robot vacuum to clean rugs, opt for a model that can do dry mopping as well as wet. You'll get better results with the robot vacuum that can remove its own mop pad and then wash and reattach when it's time to do another cleaning cycle. Find robots that have an elastomer roller. It is less likely to become tangled from pet hair or other debris. It's a good robot vacuum idea check the robot's brushroll and side brushes for debris stuck on once or twice a week, too. If you notice that they're beginning to get blocked, it could be time to purchase replacement parts.

4. Collection of debris

Like the name suggests, robot vacuums are designed to collect dust and other debris from your floors. The best robot vacuums can take tiny particles, such as baking soda and sand, in addition to larger ones like screws made of metal orzo, pet hair. They also deliver better results on low pile carpets than manual vacuums.

In all flooring types, the top-performing robots had pickup scores of more than 95%. The ECOVACS DEEBOT X2 OMNI and the Roborock Q Revo were two of our best-performing bots in this category. Both are highly automated with robust 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 automatically remove the contents of the wastebasket. They can also clean the washboards as they mowing. They also feature 8,000Pa suction and smart mapping technology and advanced obstacle avoidance technology that helps them navigate even the most difficult of areas. The ECOVACS robot is one of the few that can clean carpet and take away mop pads. This makes it a great option for people who need to switch between mopping and vacuuming regularly.

If you want a cheaper option, we recommend the Roomba Combo J7 from iRobot+, our budget choice. It features LIDAR navigation for a reasonable price and a decent debris collection performance. It's a bit slow to map out rooms and can be prone to crashing into obstacles, however it's much less expensive than our other best-buy selections.

5. Battery life

The best robot vacuum cleaner and mop robot vacuums are designed to let you go to work while they keep your floors clean and spick and span. While you'll still need to give your home a manual sweeping every now and again robot vacuums can help you keep a certain level of cleanliness and even keep your home clean while you're away from home.

Find a robovac equipped with a long-lasting battery to get the most use of it. A good guideline is to expect a robovac to last about two complete cleaning sessions when you run it at the highest power setting. This is less than a full-sized vacuum cleaner, but it is enough to be sufficient for most homes. If you don't like to wait around while your robovac recharges you, you can choose 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 think about a robot that can also mop. Eufy's X10 is the top model in this category. It provides self-emptying, auto-draining and self-refilling of the dust container as well as the mop pad. It is also programmable to automatically refill and wash its own mop pads when they're empty.

Its dependable carpet and hard floor pick up excellent hair pickup, tangle avoidance, and an almost perfect auto empty score makes it the clear winner of our test scores. However, it's not cheap and unless you live in a the smallest of homes with no pets, it could be too pricey for some. The Dreametech D10+ is the runner-up and has a similar performance, but it costs 25% less.