How to Choose the Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner

Robot vacuums will save you time and effort when it comes to cleaning. Top performers are good at getting rid of dust as well as light debris and cords.

The most expensive models can even mop your floor, but they can't climb up stairs. Look for models with intelligent mapping, real-time hazards avoidance, and large self-emptying bins.

Best Overall

The top robots we tested were reliable, user-friendly and able to keep up with daily debris. You'll want a robot with decent carpet-picking power and the ability to handle stairs. If you're looking to add more features, you may be interested in a robot with smart mapping technology or an app that lets you control the robot remotely.

Camryn Rabideau is a contributing reviewer and writer for shopping at PEOPLE who has tested dozens of robotic vacuums. She prefers the ones with the most conveniences, such as those that have self-emptying bins and charging stations that automatically empty and fill the water tanks used to mop robotic vacuums. She also enjoys robots that recognize landmarks such as furniture legs and power cables so they won't trip up when climbing stairs.

This Black and Decker robot has a lower score on navigation and less object-avoidance tech than the best-rated models. It comes with a huge dust bin that is non-refillable and a long battery. It also comes with a feature which allows you to schedule cleaning sessions and return to where it was last. This makes it easier to cover larger spaces. This model is also a good option for pet owners since it is able to spot and eliminate hair tangled and fallen food particles.

In our tests, we discovered that the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra combined the LIDAR (light) sensor which can identify rooms and obstacles with a structured-light sensor to detect objects and detect edges. The combination allows it to avoid stairs, droplets of liquid, and furniture legs easily and save up to four floor maps to be used in the future for references. It is able to pause and resume cleaning at any point, so that you can continue with your chores while it is working. The included app provides a 3D representation of your home, room labels, and advanced cleaning options.

This robot is not as good at cleaning like our top models, but it is great in removing heavier objects 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 robotic vacuum that has strong pickup and maneuverability scores on carpet and rug. Many models do a good job of picking up dust that is embedded in carpets with low pile and some do a decent job at picking up heavier debris such as orzo pasta, metal screws, and pet hair. They aren't able to pick up fine particles like an upright canister, and may miss dirt that is close to baseboards or thresholds.

The best robot floor cleaner option for carpeted areas is a 2-in-1 robot vacuum/mop. It lets you swap in a cleaning bin and mopping pad that is damp. The Roborock Q Revo, for instance, vacuums and a mops wet with circular pads that rotate at 200 rotations per minute. It detects and raises the pads when it comes into contact with carpet to prevent wetting the floor. Additionally, you do not need to take them off or replace them after each use. The Q Revo is also superior to other robot vacuums and mops in staying clear of obstacles such as rugs and thresholds and eliminating obstacles.

The iRobot Roomba Combo i5 is another good option. It was a great performer in our tests and you can set it up to schedule it to clean 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 as well as rug. The Combo i5 has a long runtime and excellent path-planning for the size of the device.

If you're looking for a top-of-the-line vacuum that is high-tech, the Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum & Mop is a great option. It comes with a large charging dock that can run for months without needing to be emptied and boasts amazing navigation abilities and automatic emptying on bare floors and carpets. It also has a smart-mapping feature and can be programmed to be operational during certain times of the day (a handy feature for keeping children and pets who are prone to mischief from causing chaos). The Shark has less powerful suction than some other robot vacuums and mops but it's efficient in removing hair and pet hair. It is the best value of our top 5 robot vacuum picks.

Ideal for Hard Floors

Robot vacuums are a great option for hardwood floors since they are able to easily maneuver around obstacles and not damage bare surfaces. They are excellent for removing dust and crumbs, but they struggle with pet hair or larger debris. They lack the suction power of an upright or a top-quality canister vacuum, making them unsuitable for deep cleaning upholstery or carpeted areas.

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

If your home is mostly composed of hardwood floors, consider an automated vacuum (on the main page) and mop combo like the Eufy S1 Pro. This model is a powerful robot vacuum with smart navigation to clean hardwood floors and other hard surfaces, plus it can mop as well. Its sensors let it avoid hazards such as stairs.

When it comes to mops the eufy S1 Pro is designed to actually wash hardwood floors with downward pressure, rather than wipe them clean to remove light dust and dirt. The mop pads are reusable, which reduce the amount of waste and make it less likely to spread germs and can be cleaned at the docking station, saving you time. The mops can also be dried, washed, and reused.

Both the robovac and the mop are both controlled by your smartphone to make it easier to manage the device. You can, for instance utilize the app to create zones that the vacuum won't enter, or to label rooms and plan specific cleaning times. The eufy S1 Pro also has an auto-emptying dock, which collects debris through a trapdoor and stores it in a disposable or bagless bin, so you don't need to manually empty the bin as often as you do with other models.

Best for Small Spaces

As the name implies that these robots are to be used in small spaces. They have smaller bins that hold less waste, and they're more efficient than larger models when it comes to maneuvering tight corners. They can also fit under furniture, where larger robots are unable to reach. They are also less expensive than more expensive models, however you will need to empty their dirt bins manually at the end of each cleaning robot price session.

A few years ago, robot vacuums went through an important change. Manufacturers began to add sensors that helped them avoid household items that their traditional sensors might be stuck on or across. These advancements reduced the number of times our testers needed to clean up after a robotic snag, whether it was a power cord, toy or pet waste.

However, the latest sensors haven't resolved all of the problems these machines have. The most affordable models struggle with the same obstacles that the older ones did, and many of them require a certain amount illumination to be able see where they're headed. If you live in a dark house or have a lot of furniture with low-profiles, consider buying a model that utilizes top-mounted spinning LIDAR units to map your space as our top overall and runner-up picks do. This will allow them to avoid stairs and other barriers while working in the dark.

In addition being able to work in the dark and in the dark, these models can be set to use their cliff sensors only when they're on or near the floor, not when they're above them. It is essential to cover mirrors in order to stop this from happening. The lasers used by LIDAR-based models could bounce off reflective surfaces, causing the robot to think it's in a different space.

Some of the models we recommend also allow you to set up virtual no-go zones in areas where you do not want the robot to go, which is useful if you have small children or pets. These features aren't offered on all the models we've tested and recommend that you review our full reviews of the choices below before making your purchase.