The Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner
Robot vacuums can make the chore of vacuuming a bit less painful. Modern models mop and climb (small) stairs.
Some have a small bin that they empty by themselves. Others are controlled with apps for smartphones instead of an actual remote. Some have mapping capabilities that help them navigate your home more effectively.
1. Power
Our top pick for robot vacuums has a suction power of 8,000Pa, which is enough to get rid of even the most difficult hairs and dirt. Its slim square shape enables it to slide beneath furniture, such as beds and sofas. Dual-Laser LIDAR technology provides accurate obstacle avoidance and intelligent navigation. It is also great at cleaning baking powder, pet hair, and other debris near corners and baseboards.
Other high-powered robots in this list in addition to the DEEBOT X2 OMNI include the IRobot Roomba J7+ aswell as the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra. The latter comes with a powerful docking station that is able to perform maintenance and has mopping functionality as well. Its powerful suction and efficient mopping kept my floors free of pet hair and muddy footprints and other debris throughout every floor type test we ran.
A model with 2,500Pa suction is sufficient for most homes in the lower price range. They are also quieter and therefore a better option for those who have sensitive ears. They're not silent, but they're only about the same as a normal conversation at home.
Consider your budget and cleaning requirements to find the perfect combination of power and efficiency. Regular light-duty cleaning requires a longer time to run and lower suction, while weekly high-volume cleaning demands maximum power. Take a look at your flooring, layout of your home, and cleaning schedules to select the best model to meet your needs. Take a look at our comprehensive list of robot vacuum ratings and reviews for more information about the most recent models. Many users report that their carpets and bare floors look cleaner after using a robotic vacuum.
2. Navigation
A robot vacuum can't do its job well if it doesn't know how to navigate around your home. For this reason, the best robots use sophisticated navigation technology that reliably scans rooms and creates a map to ensure thorough cleaning without being lost or hitting obstacles. There are three kinds of robot navigation: LiDAR, camera and sensor.
LiDAR is used by the most expensive models to create a virtual space map, which provides the highest levels of accuracy and efficiency. Bump sensors are utilized in lower-end models, however they aren't always accurate and miss a lot of debris when working in dark areas. Most robots are equipped with cliff sensors, which keep them from falling down stairs or other drops.
Many of the robots I tried used objects recognition to navigate through things like cords and fake dog turds. However, the Eufy X10 was the best. It was a fantastic mapping device and powerful oscillating mops that could be used as an easy-to-use app, and the ability to clean by zone, room or whole home.
Other features worth looking into include sensors for floors that can recognize carpets that are hard and soft and automatically boost suction power when required. Certain robots, like the Roborock mop, utilize mopping pad lifts to reach corners and tackle dried spills. Many hybrids are able to apply cleaning solution to staining that is difficult to remove.
A smaller dustbin will mean less frequent emptying and a larger one will save you money on replacements. The majority of low-cost robotic cleaners utilize 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 will self-empty and fill up their water tank for hands-free convenience.
3. App control
Most robot vacuums come with an app to monitor cleaning progress, schedule sessions and connect to smart home devices. A lot of robot vacuums can be controlled using voice commands, such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Some models have a separate remote control that lets you start or pause, and then return to dock. Choose a model that has a bigger dustbin that can self-empty instead of one that requires manual emptying.
Some robovacs have technology for mapping to help them avoid obstacles like furniture and stairs. Others allow you to designate no-go zones and targeted rooms, so that they only clean areas that require it the most. They also have a cliff detector to prevent them from falling, which is especially useful in multi-level homes.
If you intend to use your robot vacuum to clean rug carpets, you should choose one that can be used for wet and dry mopping. You'll be able to get better cleaning results if your robot vacuum can remove its mop pad. Rinse it and then reconnect it when you want to run a new cleaning cycle. Also, look for a model that has a rubber roller that is less prone to knots caused by pet hair and other debris than bristle rollers that is found on less expensive models. Check good robot vacuum and brushroll for any debris that might have been stuck to them. Do this once or every week. If you notice that they are beginning to get clogged up, it may be time to replace parts.
4. Collection of debris
Robot vacuums are designed to, as the name suggests, to remove 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, screws made of metal and pet hair. They also deliver better results on carpets with a low pile than manual vacuums.
The top-performing robots across all flooring types had a pickup score greater than 95 percent. The ECOVACS DEEBOT X2 OMNI and the Roborock Q Revo were the two best-performing bots in this category. Both are highly automated, with docking stations that perform maintenance on their own, and app features which make them extremely user-friendly.
Both have self-emptying bins that automatically empty the wastebasket. They can also clean the washboard as they mowing. They also come with an 8,000Pa vacuum, intelligent mapping technology and advanced obstacle avoidance to help them navigate through the most difficult of spaces. The ECOVACS model is also the few robots that we tested that could remove its mop pads and vacuum carpet which makes it the best option for those who need to switch between mopping and vacuuming regularly.
If you're seeking a lower-cost alternative, take a look at the iRobot Roomba Combo J7 Plus, our budget-friendly pick. It features LIDAR navigation at reasonable prices and decent performance in the collection of debris. It's a bit slow to map out rooms and may be susceptible to hitting obstacles but it's less expensive than our other top picks.
5. Battery life
The most effective robot vacuums are made to let you move on with your life while keeping your floors in tip-top span. While you'll still need to give your home a manual sweeping every now and again Robotic vacuums can help maintain a baseline level of cleanliness and even keep your home clean while you're away from home.
Look for a robovac with a long-lasting battery to get the most use of it. If you choose to use the most powerful power setting, a model should last two cleaning sessions. This is not as long as a full-sized vacuum cleaner, but it will be sufficient to be sufficient for most homes. If you don't want to wait while your robovac recharges you can select an option that will automatically return to the base station for charging.
If you're looking for a robot that has a little bit of everything in it, then consider an option that also mop. Eufy's X10 is the most effective model in this class and provides self-emptying, auto-draining and self-refilling of the dust container and mop pad. It is also programmable to automatically re-fill and wash its own mops when they're running low.
Its respectable carpet and hard floor pickup, great hair pickup and tangle-free, and a close to perfect auto empty scores make it the clear winner of our test scores. It's expensive and, unless you live in a a small house with no pets, it could be too costly for some. The Dreametech D10+ is the second choice and has the same performance, but costs around 25% less.