Best Rated Robot Vacuum and Mop

Eufy's top-rated robot cleaner vacuum and mop takes some of the burden of keeping your floors tidy. It can replenish its own water tank as well as empty its tower bin. It also has the ability to change its dust bag.

Advanced models can map your house and record furniture positioning. They can also detect hazards and avoid them, like loose charging cables or loose socks.

Object Avoidance

Object avoidance helps your robot to avoid hitting objects like toys, cords, and clothes that could get caught in the vacuum. These features are particularly crucial if you have children or pets that may leave objects on the floor for your robot to search.

Depending on which model you select, your robot may have a variety of sensor options to aid in navigating around obstacles. Some of the most popular are crossed IR sensors that focus beams of infrared light across the room to spot things like doors and furniture legs. This technology is used by a variety of robots on the market, and you can also see it in the top models that cost more than other models.

Another object avoidance technology can be found in more expensive robots is 3D Structured Light which uses cameras and crossed IR sensor to map the environment, and identify obstacles. Time of Flight (ToF) sensors that measure and emit the time that it takes for the light to reflect off an object, to determine its distance, are also available. While they are not as popular however, they are an excellent addition to your robot if you need extra peace of mind that it will avoid getting caught up in power cords or socks when cleaning.

Besides picking up dust and debris on hard floors, most of the best-rated robots can sweep your floors as well. Some come with their own water tanks, which allow them to wash away the stains and spills that are wet. You'll need to empty your robot vacuum that vacuums and mops's onboard dust bin and wipe down the cameras and sensors in between cleaning sessions, but these tasks should not take a lot of time.

Mapping

Robot vacuums must be able to map. This allows them to navigate your home and avoid getting caught up against walls. They may be tripped by pet toys, cords or furniture that are not marked. This results in them taking up less space. By using sensors, many robots map your home to track any obstacles and help them navigate around them. This allows them to sweep your floors using fewer passes, which saves your time. A lot of the top robot vacuums also have this feature, which allows you to create areas of no-go.

Robots with built-in LIDAR system make use of 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 one independently during our tests. This was a huge improvement over cheaper models that rely on sensors on the front of the vehicle. This was a more accurate method of navigating my home and it was easy to control with the app on the device.

While no robot vacuum is able to climb stairs yet, most of the best robot cleaner rated models have good obstacle avoidance and mapping features. These tools allow them to remove dirt from carpets with low pile and hard floors and also to prevent falling down the steps. Certain tools come with sensors that stop them from falling over the edge of stairs. Others come with boundaries to keep them from getting in.

Some robots come with large towers on the base that can collect dirt. This reduces the amount of dust or allergens that are released within your home. The bases can be left for weeks or months without having to be cleaned and are particularly helpful for those who suffer from allergies. Certain models come with self-emptying dust bins that you can empty without opening or closing them manually.

Wi-Fi enabled

Some robot vacuums make use of Wi-Fi to communicate with their apps and allow users to control them with your smartphone rather than (or in addition to) the physical remote. These models are more expensive, however, they can save time because they can schedule cleaning times every day, weekly, or monthly. These models also let you edit floor maps, save them and offer alternate cleaning schedules.

Dual sensors are used by the most advanced robot vacuums. They combine a LIDAR mapping system with a structured-light sensor which can detect and avoid objects, even if they're hidden under furniture or power cables. These features make it easier for your robot to enter tight spaces like the nook beneath your kitchen cabinets and under sofas, areas where other robots struggle. They're also faster to get over obstacles and have longer running times thanks to bigger dust bins, making them more suitable for large homes than entry-level robots.

The best rated robot vacuums tend to be swift, intelligent and powerful and can clean up all kinds of floor debris such as pet hair, cat litter and other mess. They can also be quiet which makes them a great choice for homes with children and pets. The majority of robot vacuum owners we've spoken to report that they enjoy the ease of keeping their floors clean without much effort, particularly if they use it frequently. Robots can last just as long as traditional vacuum cleaners with the right maintenance (cleaning rotating brushes and keeping an eye on replacement parts). PCWorld provides a guide that offers some useful tips to ensure that your robot is running smoothly.

Dust Bags Larger

A robotic vacuum is not as effective in cleaning as an upright or canister vacuum, but it's great at picking up the dust and other debris that regular vacuuming leaves behind. It can be used to perform quick touch-ups of bare floors, and can traverse around cords or other obstacles in your home. You can employ robots to clean your floors according to a schedule in case you don't have the time to do it yourself.

Some of the best rated robot vacuums come with large, easy-to-empty dust bags that hold more than a single room's worth of dirt. This can save time and money through replacement bags. This feature is available on several models including our top model, the Ecovacs T30S Combo. This all-in-one robovac is a high-performance robovac that comes with a self emptying bin. It also has mopping functions and effective navigation. It is a close race between the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+ and this model, which utilizes smart mapping and avoidance technologies. This robovac is more expensive but has a larger capacity.

Another major difference between the two models is how well they handle hair that is long which can get caught in the rollers of 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 great path planning and close to perfect auto empty results. The Shark Matrix Plus and eufy are also great options with decent hair pickup and tangle avoidance but they don't have as much path planning or auto empty.

The latest robots are equipped with sensors that detect dirt and debris on carpets and they are more adept in removing pet hair. Some have a mopping mode that can use the reservoir of water to eliminate the stains and spills. This feature is crucial for families with children as well as pets.

Maintenance

A robot vacuum can help keep up with your home. The top models can remove more surface dirt, pet hair and lint than the broom that is used on low-pile or hard flooring. They also come with navigation features which prevent them from getting caught in power cords or rug fringe and are able to slide easily under furniture.

Based on the model, a top-rated robotic vacuum can also be scheduled to run multiple times a day or may allow users to observe it in action using an app. They are convenient, but they can also clog and require regular maintenance. This means emptying the onboard dust bin (or in some cases, the base's bigger bin) and checking the brushes for fur that is tangled, and regularly washing the filters and drying them according to the specifications of the manufacturer.

Emily Rairdin is a vacuum expert and store owner apprentice from University Vacuum + Sewing. She says that a robot vacuum can last for three to five years with proper maintenance. She suggests regularly emptying the brush roll and bin and cutting off any hair that has gotten caught up in the brushes and frequently washing and drying the filter, in the event that your robot acts as mop. It's a good idea to clean the charging contacts and sensors on the dock or the robot with an easy clean cloth every now and then. Then, recharge and refill your robot prior to the next cleaning Robot mop and vacuum session.