The Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner
Robot vacuums can make the task of vacuuming a bit less painful. Today's models also mop and even climb (small) stairs.
Some have a small trash bin which they empty themselves. Others can be controlled by apps for smartphones instead of a physical remote. Some come with mapping features to aid in navigation.
1. Power
Our top pick for robotic vacuums has suction power of 8,000Pa, which is powerful enough to get rid of even the most stubborn hairs and dirt. Its ultra-thin square design allows it to slide beneath furniture like sofas and beds, and its Dual-Laser LiDAR technology supports intelligent navigation and accurate obstacle avoidance. It's also great for cleaning baking powder, pet hair and other debris that can be found near baseboards and corners.
Other powerful robots on this list, in addition to the DEEBOT X2 OMNI include the IRobot Roomba J7+ aswell as the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra. The latter comes bundled with a powerful docking station that automatically performs maintenance and mopping functions as well. Its powerful suction system, along with its effective mopping, ensured my floors were free of pet hair, muddy prints, and other debris on every type of floor we tested.
In the lower price range, a model with a suction capacity of around 2,500Pa is more than adequate for most homes. They are also quieter, making them an ideal option for people who have sensitive hearing. They're still not quiet, but they're just about the same as a normal conversation at home.
For the best mix of performance and convenience Consider your cleaning requirements and budget. Regular light-duty cleaning requires a longer time to run and lower suction, while weekly high-volume cleaning requires a lot of power. Examine your flooring, home layout, and cleaning schedules before choosing the right model. We suggest looking through our complete list of robot vacuum reviews and ratings to get more details about the latest models available. Many customers report that their carpets and floors looking much cleaner after introducing a robot vacuum in their home.
2. Navigation
A robot vacuum cannot do its job without knowing how to navigate your home. The most advanced robots utilize sophisticated navigation technology to scan rooms and make a map, ensuring thorough cleaning without getting stuck or hitting obstacles. There are three kinds of robot navigation: LiDAR-based sensor-based, and camera-based.
The most expensive models employ LiDAR to create a virtual map of the room, delivering the highest level of accuracy and efficiency. The less expensive models depend on bump sensors which can be more inaccurate and can miss many debris in dark spaces. Most robots also feature cliff sensors to stop them from falling down stairs or other drops.
A number of the robots I tested utilized objects recognition to navigate through things like fake dog turds. But the Eufy X10 was the best. It had powerful mop heads that oscillate, a user friendly app and a superb mapping capability.
Think about features like sensors for floors that automatically boost suction power when required. Some robots like the Roborock mop use a mopping pad that lifts to reach into corners and clean dried spills. Some hybrids even apply cleaning solution to stubborn staining.
A smaller size of the bin will mean less frequent emptying however, a larger one can save you money on replacements. The cheapest robotic cleaners typically use a small disposable dust bag, whereas the majority of mid-range models come with larger dust bins of 3L that last for many years. Certain high-end robots, such as the ECOVACS DEEBOT OMNI Station are able to self-empty and refill their water tanks for hands-free convenience.
3. App control
The majority of robot vacuums come with an app that monitors cleaning progress, schedule sessions and connect to smart home devices. They also can sync with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for voice-based control. Certain models come with a remote control that lets you start or pause and then return to dock. Choose a model that has a larger trash bin and can self-empty, rather than one that requires manual emptying.
Certain robovacs have mapping technology that allows them to recognize obstacles, such as staircases, and prevents them from running into furniture. Certain robovacs let you define no-go zones and rooms so that they only clean those areas which need the most. They also have cliff sensors to stop them from falling down the stairs, which is especially beneficial in multi-level homes.
If you plan to utilize your robot vacuum to clean rugs choose one that can perform both dry mopping and wet. You'll have better results cleaning if your robot vacuum can also remove its mop pad. Rinse it and then reconnect it when you want to run another cleaning cycle. Also, look for a machine that has a rubber roll, which is less prone to tangles due to pet hair and other debris than bristle rollers that is found on cheaper models. It's a good idea inspect the robot's brushroll as well as side brushes for stuck-on debris every week or once, too. If you notice that they're starting to clog up it might be time to buy replacement parts.
4. Debris collection
As the name implies 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 well as larger pieces like orzo pasta, screws made of metal, and pet hair. They also have better pickup results on low-pile carpets than most manual vacuums.
The top-performing robots across all flooring types had a pickup score greater than 95%. Our two best-performing robots in this category were the ECOVACS DEEBOT X2 OMNI and the Roborock Q Revo. Both are highly automated equipped with docking stations that perform maintenance by themselves and features in the app that make them extremely user-friendly.
Both have self-emptying bins that collect the waste from the wastebasket and clean the washboard while mowing. They also have an 8,000Pa vacuum, intelligent mapping technology, and advanced obstacle avoidance to help them navigate even the most difficult spaces. The ECOVACS model is also the few robots we tested that could remove its mop pads and vacuum carpet, which makes it the ideal choice for those who have to change between mopping and vacuuming frequently.
If best robot cleaner looking for a less expensive option, check out the Roomba Combo J7 from iRobot Plus, our budget pick. It comes with LIDAR navigation at an affordable price and decent debris collection performance. It's a bit slow to map rooms and may be susceptible to crashing into obstacles, however it's much less expensive than our other best-buy picks.
5. Battery life
The most effective robot vacuums are designed to let you go moving with your day while they keep your floors clean and spick and span. Although you'll 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 when you're away.
To maximize the time you can use your robovac, make sure you choose a model with excellent battery life. If you use the highest power setting, a model should last for about two cleaning sessions. This is less than a larger vacuum but should be sufficient to keep most homes clean. If you don't want to sit while your robovac charges you can select one that automatically returns to the base station to charge.
If you're looking for a robot that can do a amount of everything, you should consider an all-in-one robot that can mop as well. Eufy's X10 is the top model in this category and includes self-emptying, self-draining and self-refilling of the dust container, water tank and mop pad. It can also be programmed 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 because of its impressive carpet and hard floor pickup, superb hair pickup, tangle-free performance, and a near perfect auto empty score. It's not cheap, however and unless you have a a small home with no pets it might be too expensive for some. The Dreametech D10+ is the second-placed model and offers the same performance, but it costs 25% less.