The Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner

Robot vacuums can make the chore of vacuuming less painful. Modern models mop and even climb (small) steps.

Some have a small trash bin that they empty on their own. Others can be controlled via an app on your smartphone instead of a physical remote. Some have mapping capabilities that aid in navigating your home more efficiently.

1. Power

Our top pick for robotic vacuums has a suction power of 8,000Pa, which is powerful enough to eliminate even the most stubborn dirt patches and hairs. Its slim square shape enables it to slide under furniture such as beds and sofas. Dual-Laser LIDAR technology provides accurate obstacle avoidance and intelligent navigation. It also does an excellent job at cleaning up pet hair baking soda, sand, and other debris close to the baseboards as well as in corners.

Aside from the DEEBOT X2 OMNI, the other top-of-the-line bots on this list include the iRobot Roomba J7+ and the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra. The latter comes bundled with a robust docking station that automatically performs maintenance and has mopping functionality as well. Its powerful suction system, along with its efficient mopping, kept my floors clean of pet hair, muddy prints and other debris on every floor we test.

In the lower cost range, a model that has 2,500Pa of suction is more than enough for most homes. These units are quieter and therefore a better option for those who have sensitive ears. They're not silent but they are only as loud as normal conversations at home.

To find the ideal balance of power and usability, consider your cleaning needs and budget. A regular light-duty cleaning schedule requires longer runtime and lower suction, whereas weekly heavy-duty cleaning requires a lot of power. Consider your flooring, home layouts and cleaning schedules to choose the right model to meet your requirements. We suggest looking through our entire list of robot vacuum Cleaners best vacuum reviews and ratings to get more details about the latest models available. Many customers report that their carpets and Robot vacuum cleaners best bare floors look cleaner after using a robotic vacuum.

2. Navigation

A robot vacuum won't be able to do its job well if it doesn't know how to navigate around your home. Because of this, the best robots use sophisticated navigation technology that reliably scans rooms and then creates a map to ensure thorough cleaning without getting lost or hitting obstacles. There are three major kinds of good robot vacuum navigation: LiDAR-based, camera-based and sensor-based.

LiDAR is utilized by the most expensive models to create a virtual space map, offering the highest levels in precision and efficiency. Bump sensors are utilized in cheaper models, but they aren't always accurate and miss a lot of debris when working in dark areas. Most robots come with cliff sensors to keep them from falling off steps or other drops.

Several robots I tested used object recognition to navigate things like cords and fake dog turds. However, the Eufy X10 was the best robot vacuum and mop. It had superb mapping capabilities and powerful oscillating mops that could be used as a user-friendly app and the ability to clean a zones, rooms or even the entire house.

Other features worth looking into include floor type sensors that recognize carpets that are hard and soft, automatically boosting suction power when needed. Some robots, like the Roborock mop, utilize mopping pad lifts to get into corners and tackle dried spills. Many hybrids can even apply cleaning solutions to stubborn staining.

A smaller dustbin will mean less frequent emptying and a larger one will save you money on replacements. Most low-cost robotic cleaners use an inexpensive disposable dust bag. However, the majority of middle-priced models have larger 3L dustbins that last for a long time. Some of the top models, like the EcoVACS DEEBOT OMNI station, can self-empty their bins and fill their water tanks for convenience without hands.

3. App control

The top robot vacuums have an app that allows you to monitor the progress of cleaning and schedule sessions and can connect to smart home devices to allow hands-free control. A lot of robot vacuums can be controlled by voice using Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Some have a dedicated remote control that allows you to start the process, pause it and then return to dock. Choose a model that has a larger dustbin and can self-empty instead of one that needs manual emptying.

Some robovacs come with mapping technology that helps them remember obstacles, like staircases, and prevents them from hitting furniture. Others allow you to set no-go zones or targeted rooms, ensuring that they only clean the areas that require the most. They also have cliff sensors to stop them from falling down the stairs, which is particularly beneficial in multi-level homes.

If you plan to utilize your robot vacuum to clean rugs choose one that can perform both dry and wet mopping. You'll have better results cleaning if your robot vacuum can also remove its mop pad. Clean it and reattach it when you need to conduct a clean-up cycle. Also, look for a machine with a rubber roller that is less susceptible to knots caused by pet hair and other debris than bristle rollers like those found on cheaper models. Check the robot's side brush and brushroll for any debris that might have become stuck on. Do this at least every week. If you notice that they're starting to clog up it might be time to replace parts.

4. Collection of debris

robot vacuum cleaner reviews vacuums are designed to, as the name suggests, to collect dust and debris on your floors. The best ones are able to pick up fine particles like baking soda and sand as larger pieces such as orzo pasta, metal screws, and pet hair. They also have better pickup results on low-pile carpets than the majority of manual vacuums.

The top-performing robots across all flooring types had scores higher than 95%. The ECOVACS DEEBOT X2 OMNI and the Roborock Q Revo were two of our best-performing bots in this category. Both are highly automated, with docking stations that do maintenance on their own and apps that make them extremely user-friendly.

They both come with self-emptying bins which automatically collect the waste from the wastebasket and clean the washboard while mowing. They also feature 8,000Pa suction, smart mapping technology, and advanced obstacle avoidance that can help them find their way around even the most difficult of areas. The ECOVACS robot is among the few that can mop carpet and remove mop pads. This makes it a perfect option for those who need to switch between mopping and vacuuming regularly.

If you're seeking a lower-cost option, look into the iRobot Roomba Combo J7 Plus, our budget-friendly pick. It has LIDAR navigation and decent debris pickup performance for the price. It's a bit slow to map out rooms and may be susceptible to bumping into obstacles, but it's less expensive than our other top selections.

5. Battery life

The top robot vacuums are designed to let you move to work while keeping your floors clean and spick and clean. While you'll still have to give your home a manual vacuum every now and then, robovacs can help you maintain a baseline level of cleanliness, and even wash while you're away from home.

Find a robovac equipped with a long-lasting battery to get the most of it. If you select the highest power setting, the model should last for about two cleaning sessions. This is less than a larger vacuum but should be sufficient to clean most homes. If you don't want to wait while your robovac recharges, you can choose a model that automatically returns to the base station for charging.

If you're looking for a robot with a bit of everything in it, you should consider one that is able to mop. Eufy's X10 is the best model in this category and provides self-emptying, auto-draining and robot Vacuum cleaners best self-refilling of the dust bin as well as the mop pad. It can even be programmed to automatically refill and wash its own mops when they're empty.

Its respectable carpet and hard floor pick-up as well as its excellent hair pickup and tangle prevention, and its an almost perfect auto empty score make it the clear winner of our test scores. It's expensive and unless you have the space of a small home with no pets, it might be too costly for some. The second choice, the Dreametech D10+, has the same performance, but costs about 25% less.