The Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner
Robot vacuums can make the task of vacuuming a little less painful. Today's models also mop and climb (small) steps.
Some have a small bin that they empty on their own. Others are controlled with an app on your smartphone instead of the physical remote. Some of them have mapping capabilities that aid in navigating your home more effectively.
1. Power
With the suction power of 8,000Pa, our top pick for robot vacuums is powerful enough to take on the toughest hairs and dirt. Its super-thin square design allows it to slide under furniture like sofas and beds, and its Dual-Laser LiDAR technology allows for precise navigation and accurate obstacle avoidance. It also does a fantastic job at cleaning up pet hair baking soda, sand, and other debris near the baseboards and in corners.
In addition to the DEEBOT X2 OMNI bot, other powerful bots in this list include the Robot Roomba J7+ and the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra. best robot cleaner has docking stations that automates maintenance. It also comes with mopping capabilities. Its powerful suction, coupled with its effective mopping feature, ensured my floors were free of pet hair, muddy prints, and other debris on all floors we tested.
In the lower price range, a model with around 2,500Pa of suction is sufficient for the majority of homes. These units are quieter and therefore a better option for those with sensitive ears. They're still not quiet, but they're not the same volume as a normal conversation at home.
To find the ideal balance of usability and power take into consideration your cleaning needs and budget. Frequent light-duty tidying requires a longer runtime and a lower suction, while weekly heavy-duty cleaning requires a lot of power. Take a look at your flooring, layout of your home and cleaning schedules to determine the best model for your requirements. Take a look at our comprehensive list of robot vacuum ratings and reviews to learn more about the most recent models. Many customers report that their carpets and bare floors look cleaner after using a robot vacuum.
2. Navigation
A robot vacuum cannot perform its task if it does not know how to navigate your home. For this reason, 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 types of robot navigation: LiDAR, camera and sensor.
The most expensive models use LiDAR to build a virtual map of the room, offering the highest level of accuracy and efficiency. Bump sensors are utilized in less expensive models, but they can be inaccurate and miss a lot of debris when working in dark areas. The majority of robots have cliff sensors to keep them from falling down stairs or other drops.
Many of the robots I tried used object recognition to navigate things like fake dog turds. But the Eufy X10 was the best. It had powerful oscillating mop heads as well as a user-friendly application and a superb mapping capability.
Other features worth a look include sensors for floors that can recognize carpets with soft and hard floors and automatically boost suction power when necessary. Certain robots, like the Roborock mops, use mopping pad lifts to get into corners and clean up dried spills. Many hybrids can apply cleaning solution to staining that is difficult to remove.
A smaller size of the bin will mean less frequent emptying however, a larger one can save you money on replacements. Most low-cost robotic cleaners use the smallest disposable dust bag. However, the majority of mid-range models have larger 3L dustbins that last for a long period of time. Some of the top models, like the ECOVACS DEEBOT OMNI station, will automatically empty their bins and fill their water tanks for hands-free convenience.
3. App control
Most robot vacuums come with an app to monitor 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 have a remote control that lets you start the process, pause it and then return to dock. Find a model with a bigger dustbin that can self-empty, as opposed to one that requires manual emptying.
Some robots are equipped with mapping technology to help them avoid obstacles such as stairs and furniture. Others allow you to set no-go zones or 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 beneficial in multi-level homes.
If you plan to utilize your robot vacuum to clean your rugs choose one that is capable of dry mopping and wet. You'll get better cleaning results if your robot vacuum can also take off its mop pad. Rinse it, and then reconnect it when you want to run a new cleaning cycle. Also look for a robot with a rubber roller, which is less prone to knots caused by pet hair and other debris than a bristle roll, as found on some cheaper models. Check the robot's side brush and brushroll for any debris that has become stuck on. Do this at least twice per week. If you notice that they're beginning to get blocked, it could be time to buy replacement parts.
4. Collection of debris
Robot vacuums are designed according to the name to gather dust and debris on your floors. The best ones are able to pick up fine particles like baking soda and sand as well larger pieces such as orzo pasta, screws made of metal, and pet hair. They also get better pickup results on carpets with low pile than most manual vacuums.
Across all flooring types, the top-performing robots had pickup scores of greater than 95%. The two top-performing robots in this category were the ECOVACS DEEBOT X2 OMNI, and the Roborock Q Revo. Both are highly automated and feature robust docking stations that perform maintenance on their own and apps that make them extremely user-friendly.
They both have self-emptying bins that automatically suck up the contents of the wastebasket and clean the washboard while mowing. They also come with an 8,000Pa vacuum, intelligent mapping technology, and advanced obstacle avoidance technology to help them navigate through the most difficult areas. The ECOVACS model is also the few robots that we tested that can take its mop pads and vacuum carpet, making it the ideal choice for users who need to switch between vacuuming and mopping frequently.
If you're looking for a more affordable option, we recommend the Roomba Combo J7 from iRobot+, our budget choice. It offers LIDAR navigation for reasonable prices and decent debris collection performance. It's slow to map rooms and may be susceptible to hitting obstacles but it's less expensive than our other top-rated selections.
5. best automatic vacuum cleaner are designed to let you go moving with your day while keeping your floors looking spick and span. It is still necessary to manually vacuum your home on a regular basis however, robovacs can aid in maintaining a certain standard of cleanliness, and even keep your home clean when you're away.
To maximize the amount of time you can use your robovac, make sure you choose the model that has a high battery life. If you use the highest power setting, the model should last for about two cleaning sessions. This is less than a full-sized vacuum, however, it should be enough to get the job done in 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 for charging.
If you're looking for a robovac with a bit of everything in it, then think about a robot that can also mop. Eufy's X10 is the top model of this category comes with self-emptying and self refilling for the dust bin, the water tank, and mop pad. It can also be programmed to automatically refill and wash its own mop pads when they're running low.
Its respectable carpet and hard floor pickup, great hair pickup and tangle avoidance, and an almost perfect auto empty score makes it the clear winner of our test scores. It's expensive and unless you have a small house with no pets, it might be too costly for some. The Dreametech D10+ is the runner-up and has a similar performance, but is priced around 25% less.