Best Rated Robot Vacuum and Mop

Eufy's robotic vacuum and mop is the highest-rated of its kind. It takes a lot of chore of cleaning your floors. It is able to refill its own water tank, empty its tower bin, and swap the dust bag.

Advanced models can map your house and note furniture positioning. They also can detect obstacles and avoid hazards like charging cables that are loose and loose socks.

Object Avoidance

Object avoidance functions allow your robot to avoid running into things such as power cords, toys and even clothes that could get caught up in the automatic vacuum cleaner and mop. These are particularly important if you have children or pets who are inclined to leave objects on the floor, where your robot can discover them.

Depending on the model you pick the robot you choose may come with various sensors to help it navigate around obstacles. Some of the most sought-after include crossed IR sensor beams that are infrared-focused lights that scan the room for things like furniture legs or door frames. Many robots have adopted this technology, and you'll see it in the most expensive models that cost more.

Other technologies for avoiding objects that you might find in more expensive robots include 3D Structured Light, which uses cameras and crossed IR sensors to map the surrounding area and detect obstacles; and Time of Flight (ToF) sensors which emit and measure the time it takes for light to reflect off of objects, to determine the distance between them. They aren't as common, but are a great addition to your robot, in case you're looking to add peace of mind.

The majority of the top-rated robots can also mop your floors. Some even come with their own water tanks, which allow them to remove water-based spills and messes. You will need to empty the robot's dust bin onboard and clean its cameras and sensors between cleaning sessions.

Mapping

Mapping capabilities are crucial in robot vacuums because they allow them to keep track of your home's layout and avoid bumping into things like walls. Without mapping, they could be tripped over by furniture, cords or pet toys and end up removing less of your space. Using sensors, most robots map out your home to track any obstacles and help navigate around them. They can sweep the floor in fewer passes, and save you time. Many of the top-rated robot vacuums can also use this feature to create no-go zones, allowing you to set specific rooms that you don't want the robot to enter.

Robots with built-in LIDAR system make use of this technology to map your home quickly and efficiently. During our tests, the Eufy Clean robot utilized this feature to divide my home into various areas and clean each one independently it was a major improvement over the less expensive models we tested, which had a front bump sensor. This was a much more precise way to navigate my home and was easy for me to control with the app that came with the device.

Although no robot vacuum has the ability to climb stairs yet, the majority of the top-rated models come with good obstacles avoidance and mapping features. These tools help them to remove dirt from carpets and hard floors, and to avoid falling down the steps. Some have cliff sensors that stop them from going over the edge of the stairs and some also have boundary strips that stop them from entering certain areas.

Some robots come with a massive tower base that houses their dirt and debris, reducing the amount of dust and allergens released into your home. They can be left for weeks or even months without emptying and are particularly helpful if you suffer from allergies. Some models have self-emptying dust bins that can empty without opening or closing them manually.

Wi-Fi enabled

Some robot vacuums make use of Wi-Fi to connect with their apps and allow you to control them using your smartphone rather than (or in addition to) an actual remote. These models are more expensive however they can save you time since you can schedule cleaning sessions each week, daily or monthly. They also often allow you to modify and save floor maps, and provide alternative cleaning routines.

The most advanced robot vacuums utilize dual sensors, combining a LIDAR system to map your area with a structured light sensor that can see objects and avoid them, even if they're buried under furniture or power cords. Those features allow your robot to enter narrow spaces such as the nook underneath the kitchen cabinets or beneath sofas, areas where other robots have difficulty. They're also quicker to get over obstacles and have longer run times with larger dust bins, which makes them better suited for large homes than the entry-level robots.

The most effective robot vacuums are quick efficient, smart and powerful. They can remove a wide range of floor debris including pet hair, kitty litter and other messes. They also are quiet, making them an excellent choice for homes that have pets as well as young children. Most robot vacuum users we've spoken with say that they appreciate the ease of having their floors cleaned with minimal effort. This is especially true if they are used frequently. Robots can last just as long as traditional vacuum cleaners if they are given the proper maintenance (cleaning rotating brushes and keeping the track of spare parts). PCWorld offers a useful guide that outlines some essential tips to keep your machine running in good shape for the years to come.

Larger Dust Bags

While a robotic vacuum may not be as effective as a canister or upright model, it's great in picking up dirt and dust that regular vacuuming leaves behind. It can be used to perform quick retouching of floors and is able to navigate around cords or other household obstacles. If you don't wish to do the deep cleaning yourself, a robot vacuum can be set to send it out to scour your floors on a regular basis.

The top rated robot vacuums have huge dust bags that are easy to empty and can hold more than one room's worth of dirt. This can save you time and money on replacement bags. This feature is available on many models including our top choice which is the Ecovacs T30S Combo. This all-in-one robovac boasts an excellent performance rating and has self-emptying bin. It also has a mopping feature and efficient navigation. It's a close match between this and the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+, which comes with the ability to avoidance and smart mapping. This robovac has more capacity, but is slightly more expensive.

Another significant difference between these two models is how well they deal with long human hair which can get caught in the rollers of some robots. The top-performing models include the Roborock Q5 Max+ and SwitchBot K10S Plus, both have excellent hair pickup and tangle avoidance scores along with fantastic path planning and close to perfect auto empty results. The Shark Matrix Plus and eufy are also excellent options, with respectable hair pick-up and tangle avoidance, but not as much path planing or auto empty.

The latest robots come with sensors that can spot dirt and debris in the carpet, and they're better at picking up hairs that have fallen off of pets. Some have a mopping mode that makes use of the reservoir of water to eliminate the stains and spills. This feature is a must-have for families with pets and children.

Maintenance

Having a robot vacuum is a great help in keeping up with your home. While no robot is able to replace an upright or a canister best automatic vacuum cleaner for deep cleaning, the top rated models pick up pet hair, lint, and other dirt on hard floors and low-pile carpets and pick up more than you can with the broom. 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 hoovers vacuum is also able to run several times per day, or permit users to observe it at work via an app. However, these useful vacuums are also prone to clogging and require frequent maintenance, such as emptying the onboard bin (or the base's bigger dust bin in some instances) and checking the brushes for hair that is tangled, and periodically rinsing and letting the filters dry as recommended by the manufacturer.

Vacuum expert Emily Rairdin, a store owner apprentice at University Vacuum + Sewing, says a good robot vacuum will last for three to five years or more with regular maintenance and care. She recommends regularly emptying the brush roll and bin and cutting off any hair that has gotten caught in the brushes, and frequently washing and drying the filter in the event that your robot acts as mop. It's also recommended to wipe down the sensors and charging contacts on the dock or the robot often with a soft, clean cloth. Then, refill and recharge your robot for the next cleaning session.