The Best Robot Vacuum 2023

Robot vacuums can make cleaning your floors a breeze. The best robot vacuums are able to pick up tracked-in dirt and pet hair, crumbs, and more.

While they can't perform the same way as the regular vacuum cleaner, they've made significant progress in the last few years. They're more sophisticated and more powerful, as well as (marginally better) in avoiding chair leg.

Smart Mapping

Robot vacuum cleaners use tools for navigation, such as sensors and lasers to navigate your home. They collect pet hair, crumbs, and dirt from hard floors, like wood, tile and laminate, as well as low-pile area rugs and carpets. The most advanced robots map your home, to help them keep track of where they've been and avoid hitting obstacles like chairs, sofas and bookshelves that you may want to keep out of the way. You can also use your smartphone app to set up zones that prohibit your robot not to enter rooms you don't want it to clean.

Robots that have advanced mapping capabilities, such as the Roomba J7, make use of an the onboard camera and processor-powered intelligence to avoid and detect obstacles. This means you can let it alone to get an efficient cleaning without having to continuously be checking the status of your floorplan, or manually move obstacles out of the robot's path. The TP-Link Tapo RV30 Plus is a robotic that does mopping and vacuuming, so it's an all-in-one solution for keeping your home clean. It has a fantastic suction and works with Alexa or Google Assistant. It has a self-emptying function and can also be used as a security camera.

Roborock Q Revo, a cheaper robot that vacuums, mops and is also an automated trashcan is a great option for homes that do not require for more advanced features. However, it has a few disadvantages compared to the Roomba j7 and S8. It has a single rubber brush instead of the dual roller brushes that the other models have which means it won't be as effective at picking up larger debris such as shoes and socks. Also, it doesn't include AI obstacle avoidance technology, so you might need to get rid of clutter prior to running it.

The iLife A4s Pro is a basic robot that's perfect for those who value simplicity and proficiency. It's less than $200, and offers consistent, solid suction on both hardwood and carpets with low pile, while avoiding tangles with rug threads. It doesn't come with any advanced features, however it does its job well. It is also compatible with voice commands. You can set it to run on a schedule or create zones that are not allowed to be used using the app.

Object Detection

The use of object-avoidance technology can affect the ability of a robot vacuum to navigate through your home. Certain models on our list include sensors (or even cameras) that help your robo-cleaner avoid common traps for robots such as cords, toys for children and pet messes. iRobot Roomba J7 is one of the most impressive examples of intelligent technology in motion, is an excellent example. It also comes with a sleek clean base that emptys the dustbin automatically so you don't need to.

During testing the robotic cleaner up in a large house and were impressed by the speed and efficiency with which it cleaned up floors without getting bogged down. It is extremely maneuverable and can get to places that most stand-up vacs cannot can, like couches and under beds. It also has excellent suction, a huge 500-milliliter dustbin and over two-hour running time. However, it lacks the ability to set no-go zones within the app and its object detection is a little hit-or-miss and we did see it bump into things occasionally during our tests (resulting in the tumbling of a few vase).

It's important to remember that, no matter how intelligent a robot vacuum may be, it won't completely replace your regular canister or upright vacuum. It's not able to clean carpets with a lot of dirt. It can't reach the ceiling or other difficult-to-access areas. It can be an effective addition to your routine cleaning for removing crumbs, pet dander, and hair.

Sensor systems are integrated into most robot vacuums, allowing them to navigate around obstacles and stairs. They are able to tell the moment when they're going to fall down the stairs, for instance, and they also detect areas of clutter and move around them. If you're not careful your robot-cleaner could get stuck on a shoe, cord, or other object.

Some of the smarter robot vacuums come with mapping capabilities, which allow them to design an outline of your home and cheaper then locate themselves within it. They will then be able to identify the areas they have cleaned and can reduce time by not having to go over the same areas. It also allows them to resume where they left off if they have to return to their charging dock.

Self-Emptying

A vacuum cleaner that automatically emptys its bins of dust once it gets full is a huge benefit. Some models even have a window to let you know when the bin has to be emptied. This is a great feature for those with children or pets, who are likely to create a lot more mess than adults.

Most robot vacuums let you choose whether the machine is controlled by a remote control, an app for your smartphone or voice commands. They offer a range of digital functions, including scheduling and maintenance tips. You can program your robot to clean your house on an annual or a regularly, using the right settings. You can also program the robot to mark out and clean specific areas of your home.

Some of the most advanced robot vacuums we've tested come with built-in cameras as well as smart sensor technology that allows them to create maps of your home. You can save these maps to the robot app to easily navigate through your home. Some of these systems can even keep track of the furniture's arrangement and the transitions between hard floors and carpet.

The best smart vacuums can help you save time by automatically mapping and cleaning entire houses and keeping precise records of previous cleaning sessions. You can access these records via an app that you can install on your phone or tablet. Many can also connect to your smart speaker so you can control them using voice commands.

TP-Link's Tapo RV30 Plus is an affordable, shark self emptying robot vacuum-emptying robotic vacuum that provides good performance for the money. It can clean floors and sweep up pet hair and other debris from low-pile and hardwood rugs. It's not as advanced as some of the other robots we've reviewed, however, it does what does very well.

The wheels that resemble a tank on this model permit it to glide across the high gaps between rooms and obstacles like tangled device cords that trip up other robots. It also has a large dust bin that doesn't need to be emptied manually, and it's able to recharge and continue cleaning when it's power-depleted. It's more expensive than other robotic vacuums we've tested however it has powerful suction and easy controls to give you a great value.

Voice Control

The majority of robot vacuums can be controlled by a remote control or an app for a smartphone. Some can also integrate with smart speakers such as Amazon Echo or Google Home, allowing you to control them using voice commands. This is useful when you have pets or children who might interfere with your cleaning routine, or if you're too exhausted to control the robot by hand.

The majority of models come with an automatic mode that works without input. You can start the robot by pressing a button within the app or on the robot. The robots can be programmed to clean in accordance with the schedule, which makes them ideal for those who just need to set and forget.

Some of the more expensive models have an advanced feature that uses artificial intelligence to look around your home and identify obstacles. These models can identify things like stairs, furniture power cords, and even different kinds of flooring. This can help them avoid these hazards which is especially helpful in larger homes that have lots of carpets and flooring coverings that are difficult for robots to navigate.

Other robots have more basic ability to detect objects but they are able to accomplish the task. One example is the TP-Link Tapo RV30 plus, which has the clean elegant, easy-to-use design of a WiFi hub, but offers the performance of a top-notch bot. It has a powerful suction and can handle dirt and debris on medium-pile rugs and hardwood floors. Its short, squat-shaped side brushes are less likely to become stuck in stray shoes or cords and its hybrid roller brush uses bristles and plastic rather than bristles in traditional form for better cleaning.

This model is pricier than other mid-range models, but it can do everything you need from mopping and vacuuming with a robot. It can create and map a cleaning schedule and has virtual keep-out zones, and is compatible with voice assistants. However, it does not have the ability to scan rooms or avoid obstacles like the j7 and S8.