Best Rated Robot Vacuum and Mop

Eufy's robot mop and vacuum is the top-rated product in its class. It takes a lot of the chore of cleaning your floors. It can refill its own water tank, and self-empty its tower bin that is larger and change out the dust bag.

Advanced models can map your home and record furniture placement. They also can detect dangers and help you avoid them, such as loose charging cables or unintentional socks.

Object Avoidance

Object avoidance features allow your robot to avoid crashing into things like toys, power cords and clothes that get caught up in the vacuum. This is especially important if you have children or pets who are prone to leaving objects on the floor where your robot could be able to locate them.

Depending on which model you select the robot you choose may come with various sensors to aid in navigating around obstacles. Some of the most well-known include crossed IR sensor beams that are focused infrared lights which scan the room to look for furniture legs or door frames. A lot of robots have adopted this technology, and you'll find it in the top models that cost more.

Another object avoidance technology can be found in more expensive robotics includes 3D Structured Light which uses cameras and a crossed IR sensors to map the environment, and identify obstacles. Time of Flight (ToF) sensors that measure and emit the duration that it takes the light to reflect off an object to determine its distance, is also available. These aren't very common but are a great option for your robot if you're looking for extra peace of mind.

The majority of the top-rated robots are also able to mop your floors. Some robots come with very own water tanks that let them clean up spills and messes. You will need to empty the dust bin and clean its cameras and sensors in between cleaning sessions.

Mapping

Robot vacuums need to include mapping capabilities. This lets them navigate your home and avoid hitting things like walls. They can be tripped up by cords, pet toys or furniture without mapping. This will result in them cleaning less space. Most robots employ sensors to map your home and navigate around obstacles. They can sweep the floor in fewer passes and help you save time. Many of the top-rated robot vacuums also have this feature to create zones that are not allowed, allowing you to set specific rooms that you don't want the robot to get into.

Robots that have a built-in LIDAR system use this technology to create a map of your home quickly and efficiently. The Eufy Clean robot divided my room into distinct areas and cleaned each in a separate manner during our tests. This was a huge improvement over cheaper models that only used sensors on the front of the vehicle. This was a more precise method to navigate my home, and it was simple for me to control via the app on the device.

While no robot vacuum that mops vacuum can climb stairs, the majority of the best rated models come with good obstacle avoidance and mapping features. These tools assist them to remove dirt from hard floors and low-pile carpets and also to prevent falling down the stairs. Some have cliff sensors that stop them from crossing the edge of stairs and some also have boundary strips that can stop them from entering certain areas.

Certain robots have a huge tower base that holds their dirt and debris, reducing the amount of dust and allergens emitted into your home. They can be left for weeks or months without emptying, which is especially helpful for those who suffer from allergies. Some models also have self-emptying mechanisms that let you take out the dust bins without having to manually open and close them.

Wi-Fi Enabled

Some robot vacuums communicate via Wi-Fi with their applications. This allows you to control them with your smartphone instead (or in addition) to an actual remote. These models are more expensive, however, they can save time because you can schedule cleaning time every day, weekly, or even monthly. They also often allow you to edit and save floor maps, and offer alternative cleaning patterns.

Dual sensors are used by the most modern robot vacuums. They combine a LIDAR mapping system with a structured-light sensor that can detect and avoid objects, even when they're hidden under furniture or power cables. These features let your robot reach tight areas, like the kitchen's nook under cabinets or under sofas. Other robots struggle to reach these spaces. They're also faster to get around obstacles and have longer run times with larger dust bins, which makes them better suited for large homes than entry-level robots.

The best robot hoover robot vacuums are swift efficient, smart and powerful. They are able to pick up an array of floor debris such as pet hair, kitty litter and other dirt. They also are quiet, which makes them an excellent choice for homes that have pets as well as young children. Most robot vacuum owners we've talked to report that they enjoy the convenience of having their floors clean without much effort, especially when used often. Robots can last just as long as traditional vacuum cleaners with the right maintenance (cleaning rotating brushes and keeping track of replacement parts). PCWorld has a helpful guide that outlines some essential tips to help you keep yours running smoothly for long time to come.

Larger Dust Bags

A robotic vacuum may not be as good at cleaning like an upright or canister vacuum, but it's fantastic at picking up dust and debris that regular vacuuming leaves behind. It can be used to do quick retouching of floors and can also navigate around cords or other household obstacles. If you don't want to do the deep cleaning yourself, a robot vacuum can be set to send it out to scour your floors on a regular schedule.

Some of the top-rated robot vacuums come with large easy to empty dust bags that can hold more dirt than a room. This will save you time and money on replacement bags. Several of the models we've listed feature this feature, including our top pick model, the Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo. This all-in-one robovac boasts an impressive performance score and has a self-emptying bin. It also has a mopping function and efficient navigation. It's a close contest between this and the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+, which has smart mapping and avoidance technology. This model has a greater capacity but is slightly more expensive.

Another major difference between the two models is the way they deal with hair that is long and human which can get caught in the rollers on some robots. The top-performing models include the Roborock Q5 Max+ and SwitchBot K10S Plus, both have excellent hair pickup and tangle avoidance scores along with fantastic path planning and close to perfect auto empty results. The Shark Matrix Plus and eufy are also great options with decent hair pick-up and tangle avoidance, however they don't have as much path planning or auto empty.

The most recent robots have sensors that detect dirt and debris in the carpet, and are better at removing hairs that have fallen off of pets. Some robots come with mopping modes where they can use the reservoir of water to clean up stuck-on debris and spills. This feature is essential for families with pets as well as children.

Maintenance

A robot vacuum can be a great aid in keeping a close eye on your home. While no robot can replace an upright or a canister vacuum for deep cleaning, the best models are rated to remove pet hair, lint and other surface dirt on hard floors and low-pile carpets, picking up much more than you could using the broom. They also have navigational features to help them avoid getting stuck on power cords, rug fringes or furniture.

Depending on the model, a highly rated robot vacuum can also be scheduled to run multiple times a day or may allow you to watch it in action using an app. These machines are useful however they can get clogged and require regular maintenance. This involves emptying the onboard dust bin (or in certain cases, the base's larger bin) and checking the brushes for tangled fur, and regularly washing the filters and allowing them to dry in accordance with the manufacturer.

Emily Rairdin is a vacuum expert and store owner apprentice from University Vacuum + Sewing. She believes that a robotic vacuum can last from three to five years if it is properly maintenance. She recommends regularly emptying the bin and brush roll and cutting out any hair that is tangled in the brushes, and regularly washing and drying the filter, if your robot hoover also acts as mop. It's a good idea clean the sensors and charging contacts of the dock or the robot with a soft clean cloth every now and then. You can recharge and refill your robot before the next cleaning session.