How to Choose the Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner
Robot vacuums can save you time and effort when it comes to cleaning. Top performers do a good job at removing dust and light debris and many allow you to create no-go zones for pet areas or power cords.
The ones that are more expensive will even sweep your floor, but they can't climb up stairs. Look for models that have smart mapping, real-time safety features, and large self-emptying bins.
Best Overall
The best robots that we have tested are effective and easy to use and able to cope with everyday debris. It is also important to choose a model that can handle stairs and has good pick-up power on carpets. If you're looking for extra features, you might be interested in a robot equipped with smart mapping technology or an application that allows you to control it remotely.
Camryn Rabideau is a contributing reviewer and writer for shopping at PEOPLE who has tested dozens of robotic vacuums. She's a huge fan of robot vacuums that provide the greatest convenience, including self-emptying dustbins and charging docks that automatically empty and refill the water tanks used by mopping robots. She also likes robots that recognize landmarks, such as furniture legs and power cables so that they won't get tripped up when climbing the stairs.
Compared to the top-rated models this Black and Decker vacuum has less object-avoidance technology and its score for navigation is lower. It has a large dust bin that is non-refillable and a long battery. It also has a feature which allows you to schedule cleaning sessions, and then return to the place it stopped at the last point, making it easier for you to cover larger areas. This model is also a great option for pet owners since it is able to identify and eliminate hair tangled and fallen food particles.
In our tests, the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra combines an LIDAR sensor that can map rooms and see obstacles with a structured light sensor to identify objects and detect edges. The combination lets it avoid stairs, droplets of liquid and furniture legs easily and save up to four floor maps to be used in the future for reference. It is also able to stop the cleaning process at any moment and resume where it left off, so you can do chores while the robot does its work. The app includes an interactive 3D model of your home, complete with room labels and advanced cleaning options.
This robot is not as effective at cleaning like our top models, but it is great in picking up larger items like orzo pasta, metal screws, and even fine particles like sand. Its only downsides are that it isn't 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 vacuum that has excellent pickup and good maneuverability scores on carpet and rugs. A lot of models are adept at picking up dust in low-pile rugs, and some can be quite effective in cleaning up larger debris like orzo pasta and metal screws. But they don't pick up small particles as well as an upright or canister vacuum and may also miss ground-in dirt close to thresholds and baseboards.
For carpeted homes, a 2-in-1 robotic vacuum/mop is the best choice. It is possible to swap out the cleaning bin for a damp mopping mat. The Roborock Q Revo is a 2-in-1 robotic vacuum/mop that is able to clean and mop simultaneously with circular pads that spin at 200 rotations a minute. It automatically detects and lifts the pads when it is in contact with carpet to prevent wetting the floor. You don't have to take them off or replace them after each use. The Q Revo is also more efficient than other robot vacuum/mops in avoiding obstacles and getting closer to carpets and thresholds.
Another solid option is the iRobot Roomba Combo i5, which did exceptionally well in our tests and can be scheduled via the app to clean your home when you're away from home. It can be set up to only mop. We loved its navigation on bare floors as well as carpets. The Combo i5 also has a extremely long run time and a great path-planning feature for a device of this size.
If you want a more modern model, you can look at the Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 Self-Empty Robot Vacuum & Mop. It has a huge charging dock that can run for several weeks without having to be empty and boasts impressive navigation skills and auto-emptying on bare floors and carpets. It's also got a smart-mapping feature and can be programmed to be operational during certain times of the day (a useful feature that can keep children and pets who are prone to mischief from causing chaos). The Shark is less powerful than other mop/robot combination models, but it still manages to pick up pet hair and hair very well. It's also the most affordable value of our top choices.
The best choice for hardwood floors
Robot vacuums are the best pick for hardwood floors because they are able to easily maneuver around obstacles without damaging bare surfaces. They are excellent for removing dust and crumbs but struggle with pet hair or larger debris. They also lack the suction power of a top-of-the-line upright or canister vacuum, which is why they're not an ideal choice for carpeted rooms or upholstery that needs deep cleaning.
The most effective two-in-one robots incorporate mopping and vacuum, taking care of a more complete chore in one go. If you have mixed flooring choose one 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 move seamlessly from hard to soft carpeting.
If you have a lot of hardwood flooring in your home you might want to think about a robotic mop and vacuum combo like the Eufy S1 Pro. This model is an impressive robotic vacuum that has smart navigation that can clean hardwood and other surfaces. read full article mop. Its sensors assist it in avoiding the stairs and other hazards, so you don't have to be worried about the robot falling down the stairs and breaking your hardwood.
When you need mops, the Eufy S1 Pro is designed to actually wash hardwood floors using downward pressure, rather than wipe them over to remove dirt and dust. The mop pads are reusable, which reduce the amount of waste, and reduce the spread of germs, and can be cleaned in the docking station, saving you time. The mop pads can also be washed and dried to prevent the spread of mold.
Both the robovac and the mop can be controlled from your smartphone, making it easier to manage the device. For instance you can make use of the app to designate an area that the vacuum won't enter, label separate rooms, or schedule cleaning sessions for certain areas. The eufy S1 Pro has an auto-emptying port that collects debris via a trapdoor, and stores it into a bagless or disposable bin. This means that you don't have to empty the bin manually as often as with other models.
Best for Small Spaces
As the name suggests that these robots are to be used in small areas. They have smaller bins that hold less garbage, and are more efficient than larger models when it comes to maneuvering tight corners. They can also fit under furniture, where the larger robots struggle to get in. These robots are also cheaper than the more expensive models, but you will need to empty their dirt compartments manually at the end of each cleaning session.
A few years back robotic vacuums experienced a major change. Manufacturers started adding sensors that allowed them to navigate around and avoid household items that their conventional sensors might get stuck on or run across. These advancements have 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.
The new sensors don't solve all the issues that these devices have however. The cheapest models still struggle with the same challenges that the older ones faced and, in addition, they require a certain amount illumination to be able see where they're headed. Look into a model that uses a spinning LIDAR device that is mounted on top to trace the area. Our top models and runners-up models have this feature. This allows them to work in darkness and avoid obstacles like stairs.
In addition to being capable of working in the dark and in the dark, these models can be set to use their cliff sensors only when they're close to or on the floor, not above them. It is still recommended to cover any mirrors that could interfere with this function, however, since the laser used by a laser-based model can bounce off reflective surfaces, causing the robot to think it's in another room.
A few of the models we recommend let you set up virtual no-go zones in areas you don't want the robot to move, which is beneficial if you have small pets or children. These features aren't on all models we test. Check out our complete reviews before making your choice.