The Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner
Robot vacuums can make the chore of vacuuming less painful. Modern models can mop, and even climb (small) steps.
Some have a smaller bin which they empty themselves. Others can be controlled via a smartphone app rather than an actual remote. Some of them have mapping capabilities that aid in navigating your home more efficiently.
1. Power
Our top pick for robot vacuums has suction power of 8,000Pa, which is enough to eliminate even the most stubborn dirt patches and hairs. Its ultra-thin square shape allows it to slide underneath furniture like sofas and beds. Dual-Laser LIDAR technology offers accurate obstacle avoidance and intelligent navigation. It also does an excellent job at cleaning up pet hair, baking soda, and other debris near the baseboards and in corners.
Apart from the DEEBOT X2 OMNI, the other high-powered bots on this list include the Robot Roomba J7+ and the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra. The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra has docking stations that automatically handles maintenance. It also has mopping capabilities. Its powerful suction, combined with its effective mopping, made sure my floors were free of pet hair, muddy prints, and other debris on every type of floor we tested.
A model that has 2500Pa suction should be sufficient for homes that are in the lower price range. These models are quieter, and are therefore a better choice for those who have sensitive ears. They're still not quiet, but they're just the same volume as a normal conversation at home.
To find the ideal balance of performance and convenience Consider your cleaning requirements and budget. A regular light-duty cleaning schedule requires longer runtime and lower suction, while weekly high-volume cleaning requires a lot of power. Consider your flooring, layout of your home, and cleaning schedules to choose the right model to meet your requirements. Check out our complete list of robot vacuum ratings and reviews for more information about the most recent models. Many customers report having their carpets and floors looking significantly cleaner after introducing a robot vacuum in their home.
2. Navigation
A robot vacuum isn't able to perform its job effectively if it doesn't know how to navigate around your home. Because of this, the most effective robots depend on sophisticated navigation systems that consistently scans rooms and then creates a map to ensure thorough cleaning without getting lost or hitting obstacles. There are three kinds of robot navigation that include LiDAR, camera and sensor.
The most expensive models utilize LiDAR to create a virtual map of the room, delivering the highest levels of accuracy and efficiency. Bump sensors are employed in cheaper models, but they can be inaccurate and miss a lot debris when working in dark areas. Many robots also have cliff sensors to keep them from falling down stairs or other drops.
Several robots I tested used objects recognition to navigate through things such as cords and fake dog turds. However, the Eufy X10 was the best. It had superb mapping capabilities, powerful oscillating mops, a user-friendly app and the ability to clean a zone, room or entire house.
Other features worth looking into include floor type sensors that can detect carpets that are hard and soft, automatically boosting suction power when required. Some robots, such as the Roborock mop utilize mopping pad that lifts to reach into corners and clean dry spills. Many hybrids can apply cleaning solution to staining that is difficult to remove.
A smaller size of the bin will require less frequent emptying, whereas larger ones will cost less to replace. Most low-cost robotic cleaners use a small, disposable dust bag. However, the majority of mid-range models have larger dustbins of 3L that last for a long period of time. Certain premium robots such as the ECOVACS DEEBOT OMNI Station can self-empty and fill up their water tanks, allowing hands-free convenience.
3. App control
The majority of robot vacuums come with an app that monitors the progress of cleaning and schedule cleaning sessions. They also connect to smart home devices. Many robot vacuums can also be controlled by voice using Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Some models have a separate remote control that lets you start the process, pause it and then return to dock. Select a model with a larger trash bin and can self-empty, rather than one that requires manual emptying.
Some robovacs come with mapping technology that helps them recognize obstacles, such as the stairs, and also avoid getting into furniture. Some allow you to create no-go zones or specific rooms, so they only clean areas that require it the most. They also have cliff sensor to keep them from falling, which is especially helpful in multi-leveled homes.
If you plan to use your robot vacuum to clean rugs pick a model that can do both dry mopping and wet. You'll have better results cleaning by having your robot vacuum also take off its mop pad. Rinse it and then reconnect it when you want to run another cleaning cycle. Look for robots with a rubber roller. This is less likely to become tangled from pet hair or other debris. Examine More Material and brushroll for any debris that might have gotten stuck on. Do this once or twice per week. If you notice that they are starting to clog up it could be time to buy replacement parts.
4. Collection of debris
Robot vacuums are designed, as the name suggests to remove dust and other debris on your floors. The best ones pick fine particles such as baking soda and sand as in larger pieces of orzo pasta, screws made of metal, and pet hair. They also get better pickup results on carpets with low pile than manual vacuums.
All flooring types are covered, and the top-performing robots had pickup scores of more 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 do maintenance on their own and features in the app that make them extremely user-friendly.
They both come with self-emptying bins which automatically suck up the contents of the wastebasket and clean the washboard while you mow. They also have suction of 8,000Pa, smart mapping technology, and advanced obstacle avoidance that can help them find their way around even the most challenging spaces. The ECOVACS robot is one of the few that can mop carpet and remove the mop pads. This makes it a great option for those who need to switch between mopping and vacuuming regularly.
If you're looking for a more affordable option, we suggest the iRobot Roomba Combo J7+, our budget-friendly pick. It comes with LIDAR navigation for a reasonable price and a decent performance in the collection of debris. It is slow when it comes to mapping rooms and is prone to hitting obstacles, but it is lower than our other picks.
5. Battery life
The top robot vacuums are designed to let you go to work while keeping your floors clean and spick and span. While you'll still need to give your home a manual vacuum every now and again robot vacuums can help you keep a certain level of tidiness and even clean while you're away from home.
Find a robovac equipped with long-lasting batteries to get the most of it. If you use the highest power setting, a model should last for about two cleaning sessions. This is less than a typical large vacuum cleaner, but it is enough to provide for the majority of homes. If you don't want to sit for your robovac to recharge, you can choose an option that will automatically return to the base station for charging.
If you're looking for a robot that does a amount of everything, you should consider an all-in-one robot that can mop as well. Eufy's X10, the best model of this category, offers self-emptying and self-refilling for the dust bin, the water tank, and mop pad. It can be programmed to refill and wash its mops when they run out.
Its respectable carpet and hard floor pick up, great hair pickup and tangle prevention, and its close to perfect auto empty scores makes it the clear winner of our test scores. However, it's not cheap and unless you live in the smallest of homes with no pets it might be too pricey for some. The Dreametech D10+ is the second choice and has the same performance, but it costs 25 percent less.