The Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner
Robot vacuums can make the chore of vacuuming a bit less painful. Modern models can also mop and climb (small) steps.
Some have a smaller bin that they empty by themselves. Others can be controlled via a smartphone app rather than the physical remote. Some have mapping features that aid in navigation.
1. Power
Our top choice for robot vacuums comes with a suction force of 8000Pa, which is strong enough to get rid of even the most difficult hairs and dirt. Its super-thin square design allows it to slide underneath furniture such as beds and sofas and its Dual-Laser LiDAR technology allows for precise navigation and accurate obstacle avoidance. It also does an excellent job of cleaning pet hair baking soda, sand, and other debris near baseboards and in corners.
Other powerful robots in this list besides the DEEBOT X2 OMNI, include the IRobot Roomba J7+ as well as the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra. The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra has a docking station which automates maintenance. It also comes with mopping capabilities. Its powerful suction and efficient mopping made sure my floors were free of pet hair and muddy footprints and other debris in every floor type test that we conducted.
In the lower price range, a unit that has 2,500Pa of suction is more than enough for the majority of homes. They are also quieter and, therefore, a better choice for those with sensitive ears. They're still not silent, but they're only about the same as normal conversations at home.
To find the ideal balance of power and usability Consider your cleaning requirements and budget. Regular light-duty cleaning requires a longer runtime and lower suction, while weekly heavy-duty cleaning requires the most power. Then assess your flooring, home layouts and cleaning schedules in order to determine the best model to meet your needs. We recommend looking through our entire list of robot vacuum reviews and ratings for more information on the latest models available. Many customers report that their carpets and bare floors appear cleaner after using a robotic vacuum.
2. Navigation
A robot vacuum can't do its job if it does not know how to navigate your home. Because of this, the most effective robots depend on advanced navigation technology that effectively scans rooms and creates a map to ensure thorough cleaning without getting lost or hitting obstacles. There are best cheap robot vacuum of robot navigation including LiDAR, camera, and sensor.
The most expensive models use LiDAR to build a virtual map of the room, offering the highest levels of precision and efficiency. The less expensive models depend on bump sensors which are less accurate and can miss many debris in dark spaces. Most robots are equipped with cliff sensors, which keep them from falling off stairs or other drops.
Many of the robots I tried used objects recognition to navigate through things like cords and fake dog turds. But the Eufy X10 was the best. It had superb mapping capabilities with powerful oscillating mops, an intuitive app and the ability to clean a zone, room or all of the house.
Other features worth a look include floor type sensors that can detect carpets that are hard and soft and automatically boost suction power when necessary. Some robots, such as the Roborock mop utilize mopping pad that lifts to reach into corners and clean dried spills. Many hybrids can apply cleaning solutions to the most difficult stains.
A smaller dustbin will require less frequent emptying, however, a larger one can save you money on replacements. The cheapest robotic cleaners typically use a small disposable dust bag, but the majority of mid-range models come with larger 3L dustbins that last for ages. Some of the top models, like the ECOVACS DEEBOT OMNI station, can self-empty their bins and fill their water tanks for convenience without hands.
3. App control
The best robot vacuums come with an app that lets you monitor the progress of cleaning and schedule sessions and can connect to smart home devices for hands-free control. Many robot vacuums can be controlled using voice commands, such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Some have a remote control that allows you to start, pause and return to dock. Select a model with a larger dustbin and can self-empty instead of one that requires manual emptying.
Some robots are equipped with mapping technology that can help them remember obstacles, like stairs, and avoid hitting furniture. Others allow you to designate no-go zones and targeted rooms, ensuring that they only clean the areas that require it the most. They also have a cliff detector to prevent them from falling, which is particularly beneficial in multi-level homes.
If you intend to utilize your robot vacuum to clean your rugs choose a model that can do dry mopping and wet. You'll get better results from an vac that is able to remove its own mop pad, as well, which you can then wash and reattach when it's time to do another cleaning cycle. Also, look for a machine that has a rubber roll that is less susceptible to knots caused by pet hair and other debris than a bristle roll like those found on less expensive models. Check the robot's side brush and brushroll for any debris that might have been stuck to them. Make sure to do this at least twice per week. If you notice they are starting to clog up it might be time to replace parts.
4. Collection of debris
Like the name suggests robot vacuums are created to collect dust and other debris from your floors. The best ones pick small particles such as baking soda and sand as as larger pieces like orzo pasta, metal screws and pet hair. They also get better pickup results on carpets with low piles than most manual vacuums.
The top-performing robots across all flooring types had scores greater than 95%. The ECOVACS DEEBOT X2 OMNI and the Roborock Q Revo were our two top-performing robots in this category. Both are highly automated, with docking stations that can perform maintenance on their own, and features in the app that make them extremely user-friendly.
Both have self-emptying bins that automatically empty the wastebasket. They also have the ability to clean the washboards as they mowing. They also have suction of 8,000Pa, smart mapping technology, and advanced obstacle avoidance technology that helps them navigate even the most challenging spaces. The ECOVACS robot is among the few that can vacuum carpet and remove the mop pads. This makes it an ideal option for those who need to switch between mopping and vacuuming regularly.
If you're looking for a less expensive option, check out the Roomba Combo J7 from iRobot Plus, our budget-friendly pick. It has LIDAR navigation and decent debris pickup capabilities for the price. It is slow at mapping out rooms and has a tendency of bumping into obstacles, but the cost is lower than the other choices.
5. Battery life
The best robot vacuums let you get on with your day while they keep your floors in perfect state. It is still necessary to manually clean your home on a regular basis but robovacs can assist you in maintaining a minimum standard of cleanliness, and even clean while you're away.
To maximize the time you can get out of your robovac, choose the model that has a high battery life. A good guideline is to expect a model to last about two complete cleaning sessions when you run it on the highest power setting. This is less than a large vacuum cleaner, but it will be sufficient to cover most homes. If you don't wish to wait for your robovac to recharge you can opt for one that automatically returns to the base station to charge.
If you're looking for a robot that does a bit of everything, consider an all-in-one machine that can mop as well. Eufy's X10 is the top model in this class and includes self-emptying, self-draining and self-refilling of your dust bin and mop pad. It is also programmable to automatically re-fill and wash its own mop pads when they're running low.
The clear winner in our tests is the Dyson V810 due to its outstanding carpet and hard floor pickup, outstanding hair pickup, tangle-free performance, and nearly perfect auto empty score. It's not cheap, and unless you have a small house with no pets, it might be too costly for some. The Dreametech D10+ is the second-placed model and offers the same performance, but costs around 25 percent less.