The Best Robot Vacuums

A good robot vacuum will do the bulk of the work and removes pet hair, lint and surface dirt before it can stick to furniture or be sucked into carpets. Many robot vacuums work with smart assistants such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to provide a hands-free clean experience.

Many models have the ability to map, allowing them to create an interactive map of your house. This allows them to avoid falling off ledges or moving through clusters if the cords for your device are.

What to look for

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

Look for a model with broad brushes that can clean up large pieces of debris and one that's small enough to fit under furniture. Make sure the robot vacuum is able to clean different kinds of floors without having to change the suction settings or brushes. This can decrease the effectiveness of cleaning and reduce its life span.

The top robot vacuums are equipped with high-quality filters that can catch fine particles and safeguard your home. They also come with an enormous easy-to-access collection bin that allows you to empty it frequently. Certain robot vacuums come with an additional side brush to sweep up pet hair and debris from hard-to reach places, such as under and behind furniture. They also usually have a clean dustbin door which allows you to keep an eye on the amount of dirt buildup so you know when it's time to empty.

You can also use the app to set boundaries around furniture and rooms you don't want it to enter. Some models are also able to detect the type of flooring and alter their brush and vacuum settings to match.

There are robots that recharge and continue cleaning where they left off when their battery runs out. Certain robot vacuums have cameras that allows you to see the route that your robot has taken and the information it has collected.

Some robots are controlled by voice commands however, not all. Check that the model you select is compatible with the voice assistant you prefer and test it out to see how well the robot responds to different commands before buying. Some robots are able to automatically empty their bins of dust and clean their docking stations, which can reduce the chores you have to do a bit. But this feature comes at a premium, as does the capacity of the bin and a faster charging speed.

Cleaning Performance

While robots can't replace a full-on vacuum or broom, they provide a practical and efficient alternative to the daily chore of cleaning your floors. Whether you need to keep track of dirt as well as pet hair and crumbs or nab bigger debris like wood shavings and metal screws, most top-rated robotic cleaners are adept at picking up different types of debris on the first pass and doing so without damaging the flooring or furniture.

In most cases, they'll be able to detect the type of surface they're cleaning and adjust their suction or brush features in accordance with the type of surface to more effectively clean your floors. This is especially important if your home is made up of different types of flooring. A lot of models come with many options for setting up virtual boundaries, allowing you to tell the robot to stay clear from certain areas of your home. This is helpful for protecting your pets or children from getting into areas they shouldn't be, and also helps ensure that your entire house is cleaned at the end of each scheduled session.

Think about how much autonomy your robot can enjoy. Certain models require your presence and attention while others function on their own with the capability to alter cleaning schedules and cleaning modes via a mobile app or voice commands via an integrated smart assistant. Some models can map and understand good robot vacuum your space and allow you to set up zones and tell the robot to clean certain areas of your home on a daily or weekly basis.

In our tests, the iRobot+ proved to be the top robot to "set it and leave it". It was better in mapping virtual boundaries, making virtual borders and avoiding obstacles than any of the other robots we evaluated. It also has the ability to empty itself so you aren't required to manually do it. The side brushes help sweep debris from corners and edges which a vacuum can't reach.

Its slim profile and infrared sensors also allow it to get under and behind furniture for more thorough cleaning than other robots, while its advanced navigation system is more efficient in cleaning the entire level of your home in one charge than other models we've tried. It's difficult to beat, especially at its affordable price.

Battery Life

A quality shark i robot vacuum vacuum will help keep your floors tidy and feel less like a chore, and more like a luxury. The distinction between a clean home and one that is dirty can be achieved by getting rid of dirt that has been tracked in, as well as crumbs pet hair, and other particles. While a simple robot can handle most cleaning tasks, those seeking a bit more of a hands-free experience should consider models that double as a mop.

The Ecovacs Deebot T10 OMNI is one the best models for both, since it is extremely efficient in both its mop and vacuuming modes and can easily handle dirt debris, pet hair and even cat litter. The feature to avoid objects is awe-inspiring, allowing it to avoid objects and avoid getting stuck on them.

It also has a long battery lifespan and a large dust bin that allows it to cover a decent amount of space in one session. It also functions as a smart vacuum, meaning it can make maps of your home and use apps, like the ones offered by Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant to allow you to use voice commands to control it.

The app that comes with the robot is simple and straightforward to use and allows you to set schedules, assign rooms to be cleaned, or stop and resume sessions. It can even alert you to the moment that its battery is low and then return to its docking station to recharge.

Another good thing about this robot is that it can differentiate between hard floors and carpets and adjust its settings accordingly, which helps keep the machine from becoming bogged down in one type of surface or accidently tearing up furniture. It is not able to detect high-pile carpeting or seams in rooms, therefore it's important to be careful when picking up large objects.

All robot vacuums require some amount of maintenance, like removing hair from brushes and emptying (and sometimes, rinsing) the trash bin after each cleaning session. Also, wiping down sensors or cameras between uses to keep them in top shape. The manufacturer will give specific instructions for these actions and others, which can vary depending on the model.

Cost

The top robot vacuums are not cheap, but they're far cheaper than a professional carpet cleaner or even an entire stand-up vacuum. They require less maintenance than traditional vacuums, since they only require you to empty and clean their dust bins after every cleaning session.

Many robot vacuums have clever features that make them more effective for your home, such as mapping technology which lets you instruct the vacuum to follow the layout of your space by using an app, so it knows not to run over the stairs or underneath the furniture, where there might be the possibility of a mess. Other models can determine the flooring type they are working on, and they can alter their suction and brush features for the most effective results.

Some models come with object avoidance. The system uses sensors (or a camera) that detect toys and other items lying on the floor. The robot is then instructed to avoid them, instead of running into them. This is a great solution if your children or pets are known to leave toys all over the home.

One other smart feature that might be important to you is voice control which allows you to operate your robot using your voice instead of using the buttons on the board. This can be beneficial if you have little ones who aren't yet old enough to be able to use the controls, or if you just want a hands-free option.

How often you should use your robot will be contingent on the amount of dirt or debris is accumulating on your floor. The majority of experts recommend using your robot vacuum at least every week to keep your floors clean and to remove pet hair, lint, and dirt on the surface.

If you have limited floor surfaces and don't plan to utilize your robot for other tasks, a budget model such as our top pick, the Eufy 11S, is a good choice. It's affordable, easy to set up and use, and does the job without causing any noise disruption while you work or watch TV.