The Best Robot Vacuums

A quality robot vacuum does most of the work and nabs pet hair, lint and dirt before it can stick to furniture or be sucked into carpets. Many robot vacuums integrate with smart assistants like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to provide a hands-free clean experience.

A lot of models come with maps that allow them to create an interactive map of your house. This allows them to avoid falling off ledges and navigating around clusters of devices if cords are.

What to Find

Certain robots come with advanced features, allowing users to control them with voice assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant. Smart mapping, zone cleaning and object avoidance are just a few of the features. These machines may also have larger dust bins as well as longer-lasting batteries.

Select a model with an extensive brush that can sweep up large debris, and that is slim enough to fit under furniture. Check if the robot vacuum is able to clean various kinds of floors without changing brushes or suction settings. This could reduce its effectiveness in cleaning and decrease its lifespan.

The most effective robot vacuums feature high-quality filters that sift out fine particles to protect the inside of your home and an ample, accessible collection bin that allows you to empty it frequently. Some come with an additional side brush for sweeping up pet hair and other debris in difficult-to-access places such as under and behind furniture. The bins are typically transparent, allowing you to see how much dirt is in the bin and when you should empty it.

In addition to scheduling your robot vacuum for times when you're likely to be at home, you can use the app to create a boundary around your furniture and areas that you want it to avoid. Certain models also recognize the kind of floor and adjust their brush and vacuum settings to match.

There are also robots that can recharge and resume cleaning exactly where they left off in case their battery is low. And some have a built-in camera that lets you see your robot vacuum's route and even see what it's collected.

Certain robots can be controlled via voice commands, but not all. Check that the model you select is compatible with the voice assistant of your choice and test it out to see how well the robot responds to commands before buying. Some robots can even self-empty their dustbins and clean their docking stations, which can reduce the chores you have to do a bit. However, this feature comes at a premium, as does the capacity of the bin and a faster charging speed.

Cleaning Performance

While robots cannot replace a traditional vacuum or broom, they can provide a practical and efficient alternative to the routine of keeping floors clean. The most effective robotic cleaners pick up small debris such as dust, pet hair, and crumbs, or bigger items such as metal shavings or wood shavings. They do this without damaging the flooring or furniture.

Most of the time, they'll detect the type of surface they're cleaning and adjust their suction or brush functions accordingly to more thoroughly clean your floors. This is especially important if your home is made up of various types of flooring. A lot of models have the option to set virtual boundaries. This allows you to tell your robot to stay out of certain areas in your home. This can help keep your pets or children from entering areas they shouldn't. It helps ensure that your home is kept clean during every scheduled session.

Think about the amount of autonomy your robot will have. Certain models require your presence and attention while others work on their own and can change cleaning modes and schedules through a mobile app or voice commands through an integrated smart assistant. Some models map and learn your home's space, and allow you to create zones, and instruct the robot only to clean certain areas in your home on a weekly or daily basis.

In our tests, the iRobot J7+ proved to be the most effective robot to "set it and forget it". It was the best at mapping, creating virtual boundaries and eliminating obstacles better than the other robots we tried. It can also completely empty itself so you don't need to do that manually and has side brushes that can help sweep debris away from corners and edges where the vacuum isn't able to reach.

Its slim profile and infrared sensors allow it to get under and behind furniture for a deeper clean than most robots. Its advanced navigation system allows it to be more capable of cleaning the entire area of your home in a single charge than other models we've tested. It's a tough one to beat, even at its affordable price.

Battery Life

A robot vacuum can make cleaning your floors feel like less of a chore and more like a treat. Promptly nabbing tracked-in dirt, crumbs, and shed pet hair can make all the difference in how clean your home is on a daily basis. While a basic robot can keep up with most cleaning tasks, those seeking a bit more of a hands-off experience should look for a model that doubles as a mop.

Ecovacs Deebot T10 OMNI is a top performer in both vacuuming and mopping modes. It can take care of pet hair, wirecutter robot vacuum dirt and even cat litter. Its object avoidance function is remarkable. It allows it to keep away from objects and avoid getting caught on them.

It also comes with a long battery life and a large bin for dust which allows it to cover a considerable amount of space in just one session. It's also a smart cleaner, which means that it can track your home, and it can be used with apps like those provided by Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to allow you to control the vacuum using voice commands.

The app that comes along with the robot vacuum mops allows you to set up schedules, designate specific rooms for cleaning, or pause/resume sessions. It will also notify you when its battery is running low and then return to its docking station to recharge.

The robot is also able to distinguish between carpets and hard floors and adjust its settings according to the type of floor. This helps to prevent the machine from squeezing on one type of floor and causing damage to furniture. However, it isn't yet able to discern high pile carpeting or the seams of rooms, so you'll still need to be vigilant about picking up large items.

All robot vacuums require a degree of maintenance, for example brush hair removal and emptying (and sometimes rinsing) the dust bin after each cleaning session and cleaning sensors or cameras between use to keep them in top shape. The manufacturer will give specific instructions for these steps and others, which can vary depending on the model.

Cost

The best robot vacuums are not inexpensive, but they're cheaper than a professional carpet cleaner or even an entire stand-up vacuum. They require less maintenance than traditional vacuums, as they require that you empty and rinse their dust bins following each cleaning session.

Many robot vacuums are equipped with smart features that can help them be more effective in your home, such as mapping technology that allows you to instruct the vacuum on the layout of your room through an app so it is aware not to go into the stairs or under the furniture, where there might be a mess. Other models can determine the flooring type they are working on, allowing them to alter their suction or brush features to get the best results.

Some models have object avoidance, which uses sensors (or even a camera) to identify objects and toys on the floor. They then instruct the robot to go around them, rather than running over them. This is a great option for families with pets or children who are prone to leaving toys all over the home.

Voice control is another smart feature you might find useful. It allows you to operate your robot with your voice, instead of the buttons on the board. This is a great option if you have little ones who aren't quite old enough to be able to use the controls or simply want a hands-free solution.

How often you should use your robot will be contingent on the amount of dirt or debris has accumulated on your floor. The majority of experts suggest using your robot vacuum at least once per week in order to keep your floors spotless and to remove pet hair, lint and dirt on the surface.

If you're limited with floor surfaces and don't plan to use your wirecutter Robot Vacuum for other tasks, a budget model like our top choice, the Eufy 11S, is a great option. It's affordable, easy to install and operate, and gets the job done with minimal noise disturbance while you work or watch TV.