How to Choose the Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner
A robot vacuum can save you lots of time and hassle when it comes to regular touch-ups. The top models do a great job picking up dust and lightweight debris, and most allow you to designate no-go zones in pets or power cords.
The more expensive ones will even sweep your floor, but they can't climb stairs. Choose models that have intelligent mapping, real-time hazards avoidance, and roomy self-emptying bins.
Best Overall
The top robots we've tested that we tested are efficient, easy to use, and are able to cope with the everyday messes. You'll want a robot with decent carpet-picking capability and the ability to handle stairs. If you want a robot with additional features, think about one that comes with smart mapping technology, or an app to control it remotely.
Camryn Rabideau, a contributing shopping writer at PEOPLE and a product reviewer who has tried numerous robotic vacuums, is acknowledged for her work in testing dozens of robot vacuums. She prefers robovacs that have the most features, such as those that have self-emptying bins and charging stations that automatically empty and fill water tanks for mopping robotic vacuums. She also enjoys robots that can recognize landmarks such as furniture legs and power cables, so they won't get tripped up when climbing the stairs.
This Black and Decker robot has a lower score on navigation and has less technology for avoiding objects than the most popular models. It comes with a large, non-refillable dustbin and an extended battery. It also has the ability to schedule cleaning sessions, and then return to the place it stopped at the last point, making it easier to cover larger spaces. This model is also a good option for pet owners since it can spot and eliminate hair tangled and fallen food particles.
In our tests, we found that the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra combined with a LIDAR (light) sensor that can identify rooms and obstacles by using a structured-light sensor to identify objects and detect edges. This combination lets it avoid stairs, droplets of liquid, and furniture legs with ease and save up to four floor maps for future reference. It is able to pause and resume the cleaning process at any time, so that you can continue doing chores while it is working. The app provides an interactive 3D model of your home with room labels as well as advanced cleaning options.
Although this model isn't able to clean as well as our top-rated models, it excels in removing small particles such as baking soda and sand and heavier items, such as orzo pasta and screws made of metal. The only drawback is that it isn't able to mop and has a less efficient navigation system.
Best for Carpet
If you have carpeting, pick one that scores high for carpet and rug maneuverability and pickup. Many models are good at picking up dust in low-pile rugs. Some can be quite effective in sweeping up heavier debris such as orzo pasta and screws made of steel. They don't pick-up fine particles like an upright canister, and could miss dirt close to thresholds or baseboards.
The best option for carpeted homes is a two-in-one robot vacuum and mop that lets you swap in the cleaning bin as well as mopping pad with damp. The Roborock Q Revo is a 2-in-1 robot vacuum and mop that can clean and mop at the same time with circular pads spinning at 200 rotations a minute. It automatically detects and lifts the pads when it is in contact with carpet to avoid wetting the floor. You don't need to remove or replace them after each use. The Q Revo also performs better than other robot vacuum/mops in avoiding obstacles and getting closer to carpets and thresholds.
The iRobot Roomba Combo i5 is another option worth considering. It was a great performer in our tests, and you can schedule it to clean your home when you are away. It can be set to mop only. We were impressed by its ability to navigate on bare floors as well as carpets. The Combo i5 also has a very long runtime and great path planning for a device of this size.
If vacuum robot looking to buy a high-tech vacuum, the Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum & Mop is a fantastic option. It has a large charging dock that can run for weeks without needing to be empty, and it has amazing navigation abilities and automatic emptying on carpets and floors that are not cleaned. It also has a smart mapping system, and can be set to only run during certain hours (a useful feature for keeping the sly children and animals from running amok). The Shark isn't as powerful as other mop/robot combinations however, it does pick hair and pet hair with a high degree of accuracy. It's also the most affordable price of our top picks.
Best for Hard Flooring
Robot vacuums are a great option for hardwood floors since they can easily maneuver around obstacles without damaging bare surfaces. They do an excellent job of picking up dust and crumbs, but they aren't able to handle pet hair and larger debris. They don't have the suction of an upright or a top-quality canister vacuum, which makes them unsuitable for deep cleaning carpeted or upholstery areas.
The most effective robots are those that are two-in-one, combining the power of a mop with a vacuum to complete the job in one go. If you have floors that are mixed, look for a model with an onboard sensor that detects changes in floor texture and adjusts suction to match. This feature is available on the ECOVACS Deebot T9+ and allows it to effortlessly transition from hard carpeting to soft carpeting.
If you have a lot of hardwood flooring in your home, you may want to consider a robotic mop and vacuum combo like the Eufy S1 Pro. This model is an impressive robotic vacuum that has intelligent navigation that can clean hardwood and other surfaces. It also mop. Its sensors help it avoid the stairs and other hazards, so you don't need to worry about the robot falling down the stairs and damaging your hardwood.
When you need mops, the Eufy S1 Pro is designed to actually clean hardwood floors using downward pressure rather than wipe them clean to remove light dust and dirt. Its reusable mop pads reduce waste, spread germs less and can be cleaned at the docking station to save you time. They can also be washed, dried and reused.
The robovac is controlled by your smartphone, making it simpler to use. For instance, you can use the app to set up a no-go zone that the vacuum won't enter, label separate rooms, or schedule cleaning times for certain areas. The Eufy S1 Pro also has an auto-emptying dock that sucks debris through a trapdoor, and is then stored in a disposable or bagless bin, meaning you don't need to empty the bin manually as often as you do with other models.
Best suited for small Spaces
As the name suggests that these robots are designed for smaller spaces. They have smaller bins that can hold less garbage, and are more efficient than larger models when it comes to navigating tight corners. They can also be tucked under furniture, whereas larger robots struggle to get in. These robots are also cheaper than more expensive models, but you will need to empty their dirt bins manually at the end each cleaning session.
A couple of years ago, robotic vacuums underwent a major transformation when manufacturers began adding sensors to help navigate around and avoid household objects that their traditional sensors would become stuck on or over. These advancements have reduced the number of times our testers had to clean up after a robotic snag, whether it was an electrical cord, toy or pet waste.
However, the new sensors haven't resolved all of these machines' problems. The cheaper models are still unable to navigate the same obstacles as the older models, and they need some level of illumination to be able to see where they are moving. If you live in a dark house or have a lot of furniture with low-profiles, consider purchasing a top-mounted spinning LIDAR unit to map your space, like our best overall and runner-up choices do. This lets them work in the dark and avoid obstacles such as stairs.
The models can also be programmed to only use their cliff sensors when they are in or near the ground, and not when they are above it. You'll still need to shield any mirrors that might interfere with this function, however, since the laser used by a LIDAR-based model can bounce off reflective surfaces, causing the robot to believe it's in another room.
Some of the models we recommend allow you to create virtual no-go zones for areas you don't wish the robot to go to. This is helpful if you have pets or children who are small. Those features aren't available on all the models we've tested, so be sure to read our full reviews of the choices below before making your purchase.