Best Rated Robot Vacuum and Mop

Eufy's robotic mop and vacuum is the best-rated in its class. It takes a lot of the work out of cleaning your floors. It can refill its own water tank and empty its tower bin. It can also change the dust bag it uses.

Advanced models are able to draw a map of your home and take note of furniture placement. They can also detect hazards and avoid them, like loose charging cables or unintentional socks.

Object Avoidance

Object avoidance functions allow your robot to avoid crashing into things such as power cords, toys and even clothes that could be caught in the vacuum. These features are particularly crucial if you have children or pets that may leave things on the floor for your robot to search.

Based on the model you select the robot you choose may come with a variety of sensor options to help it navigate around obstacles. A few popular ones include crossed IR sensors that beam focused beams of infrared light across the room to spot things like doors and furniture legs. This technology is widely used by numerous robots on the market and you can get it in top models that cost more than others.

Another object avoidance technology can be found in more expensive robotics includes 3D Structured Light which uses cameras and a crossed IR sensors to map the surroundings and detect obstacles. Time of Flight (ToF), sensors that measure and emit the duration that it takes for the light to reflect off an object, in order to determine its distance, are available. These aren't very common but are a great addition to your robot, in case you're looking to add security.

In addition to cleaning up dust and other debris from hard floors, most of the best-rated robots can also mop your floors as well. Some robots come with their own water tanks which enable them to clean up messes and spills. You'll need to empty the robot's dust bin onboard and clean its sensors and cameras in between cleaning sessions.

Mapping

Robot vacuums need to be able to map. This lets them navigate around your home and avoid getting caught up against walls. Without mapping, they may be tripped by furniture, cords, or pet toys and end up cleaning less of your space. With sensors, the majority of robots map out your space to identify any obstacles and help them navigate around them. This way, they're able to sweep the entire floor with fewer passes, saving you time. Many of the top-rated robot vacuums also have this feature to create no-go zones allowing you to set specific rooms that you don't want the robot to get into.

Robots with a built-in LIDAR system use this technology to create a map of your home quickly and efficiently. The Eufy Clean robot divided my room into distinct areas and cleaned each one independently during our tests. This was a vast improvement over the cheaper models that rely on a front-bumper sensor. This was a much more precise method to navigate my home and was easy to control using the app on the device.

While there aren't any robotic hoovers vacuums that can climb stairs, the top models do come with obstacles avoidance and mapping features. These tools let them collect dirt from low-pile or hard floors, and avoid falling down the stairs. Some have cliff sensors to stop them from crossing the edge of the stairs and some also have boundary strips that can prevent them from certain areas.

Certain robots have a large base tower that is able to collect dirt. This helps reduce the amount of dust or allergens that are released in your home. They can be left for weeks or months without emptying, which is especially helpful when you suffer from allergies. Some models come with self-emptying dust bins which you can empty without opening and closing them manually.

Wi-Fi enabled

Some robot vacuums connect via Wi-Fi to their apps. This allows you to control them using your smartphone instead of (or in addition) to an actual remote. These models are more expensive but they can save you time since you can schedule cleaning time daily, weekly or even monthly. These models also allow you to modify floor maps, save them and offer different cleaning patterns.

The most advanced robot vacuums use dual sensors, combining with a LIDAR system to map your space with a structured light sensor that is able to see objects and avoid them even if they're hidden under furniture or power cords. These features allow your robot to get into small spaces, such as the nook underneath your kitchen cabinets and under sofas, areas where other robots struggle. They also have a faster speed to maneuver around obstacles, have longer runtimes, and bigger dust bins. This makes them ideal for homes with large spaces compared to entry-level robots.

The best rated robot vacuums are fast, smart and powerful and can clean up all kinds of floor debris, including pet hair, kitty litter and other messes. They can also be quiet making them a good option for homes with young kids and pets. The majority of robot vacuum users we've spoken with say that they enjoy the convenience of having their floor cleaned without much effort. This is especially true if they are used frequently. And with proper maintenance (cleaning the rotating brushes and keeping an eye on the parts that need replacement) robots can last as long as a conventional full-size vacuum cleaner. PCWorld offers a guide with helpful tips to keep yours running smoothly.

Larger Dust Bags

A robotic vacuum isn't as efficient in cleaning as an upright or canister vacuum mop cleaner robot, but it's great at picking up the dust and debris that regular vacuuming has left behind. It is a great tool for quick repairs to floors that are not clean and is able to maneuver around cords and other obstacles in your home. If you don't want to perform the deep cleaning yourself, a robot cleaner can be set to send it out to sweep your floors on a regular schedule.

The top-rated robot vacuums come with large, easy to empty dust bags which can hold more dirt than one room. This can help save time and money by providing bags that can be replaced. This feature is available on many models which includes our top choice one, the Ecovacs T30S Combo. This robovac all-in-one has an excellent performance score and comes with self-emptying bin. It also has a mopping feature and a streamlined navigation. It is a close race between the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+ and this model, which utilizes smart mapping and avoidance technologies. This robovac is more expensive, but it has a larger capacity.

The two models also differ in how they handle long hair, which could get caught in the rollers of certain robots. The Roborock Q5 Max+, SwitchBot K10S Plus and Roborock Q5 Max+ are the most efficient models. They both have excellent hair pickup and tangle avoidance scores, as well as excellent auto empty results and great path planning. The Shark Matrix Plus and eufy are also great options with decent hair pick-up and tangle avoidance, but not as much path planing or auto empty.

The latest robots are fitted with sensors that can identify dirt and other debris on carpets and they are more adept in removing pet hair. Some even have a dedicated mopping mode that can use the reservoir of water to wash away spills and stuck-on mess. This feature is a must for families with pets as well as 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 canister vacuum for deep cleaning, the Best robot vacuum cleaner UK models that are rated highly pick up pet hair, lint and other dirt that accumulates on carpets with low pile and hard floors which can pick up more than you would find with a Broom. They also have navigational features to keep them from getting stuck on power cords, rug fringe, or furniture.

According to the model, you can program the robot vacuum to run several times per day or even observe it in action with an app. These devices are convenient but they also get clogged and require regular maintenance. This includes emptying the dust bin that is onboard (or in certain cases, the base's larger bin) and checking the brushes for tangled fur, and periodically rinsing the filters and allowing them to dry according to the specifications of the manufacturer.

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