Best Rated Robot Vacuum and Mop

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

The most advanced models are able to trace your home's layout and note the location of furniture. They can also spot obstacles and avoid hazards like loose charging cables and unintentional socks.

Object Avoidance

Object avoidance helps your robot to avoid hitting things like toys, cords, and clothes that could get caught in the vacuum. These features are especially important if your family has pets or children who may leave things on the floor for your robot to find.

Based on the model you choose the robot you choose may come with several sensor options to assist it in its quest to avoid obstacles. A few popular ones include crossed IR sensors that beam focused beams of infrared light across the room to spot things like furniture legs and door frames. Many robots have adopted this technology, and you'll see it in the most expensive models that cost more.

Other technologies for avoiding objects that can be found in higher-end robots include 3D Structured Light, which makes use of cameras and crossed IR sensors to map the environment and detect obstacles; and Time of Flight (ToF) sensors that emit and measure the time it takes for light to reflect off of objects, to determine the distance between them. They aren't as common, but are a great option for your robot should you want to have more peace of mind.

Apart from collecting dust and debris from hard floors Most of the top-rated robots can mop your floor as well. Some robots come with their own water tanks that allow them to clean up spills and messes. It is necessary to empty the dust bin onboard and clean its sensors and cameras in between cleaning sessions.

Mapping

Mapping capabilities are crucial in robot vacuums as they enable them to remember your home's layout and avoid bumping into things like walls. Without mapping, they could be tripped over by cords, furniture or pet toys and end up removing less of your space. By using sensors, many robots map out your space to keep track of any obstacles and help them navigate around them. This way, they're able to sweep the entire floor in fewer passes, thereby saving you time. Many of the top rated robot vacuums also have this feature to create no-go zones, allowing you to set specific areas that you do not want the robot to get into.

Robots that have built-in LIDAR make use of this technology to map your home quickly and efficiently. During our tests, the Eufy Clean robot used this feature to divide my home into various areas and clean each independently, which was a huge improvement over the less expensive models we tested that had the front bump sensor. This was a much more accurate way of navigating my home and was also easy to control with the app on the device.

While there aren't any robotic vacuums that can climb stairs, the top models do come with obstacles avoidance and mapping features. These tools assist them to pick up debris from carpets and hard floors and also to prevent falling down the steps. Some have cliff sensors to stop them from crossing over the edge of stairs, and some have boundary strips that stop them from entering certain areas.

Some robots have a large tower base that houses their dirt and debris, reducing the amount of dust and allergens released into your home. The bases can be left for weeks or months without having to be cleaned and are particularly helpful when you suffer from allergies. Certain models come with self-emptying dust bins that can empty without opening or Best Rated Robot Vacuum closing them manually.

Wi-Fi enabled

Some robot vacuums connect via Wi-Fi with their apps. This lets you control them using your smartphone instead of (or in addition) to an actual remote. These models are more expensive however, they can save time since you can schedule cleaning time every day, weekly, or even monthly. These models also allow you to edit floor maps, save them and offer different cleaning schedules.

The most advanced robot vacuums employ dual sensors, combining a LIDAR system to map your area with a structured light sensor that is able to see objects and avoid them, even if they're hidden under furniture or power cords. These features allow your robot to reach into tight spaces, such as the kitchen's nook under cabinets or underneath sofas. Some robots have difficulty in these areas. They also have a faster speed to maneuver around obstacles, and have longer runtimes, and bigger dust bins. This makes them more suitable for large homes than basic robots.

The best rated robot vacuums are quick, efficient and effective and can clean up all kinds of floor debris, including pet hair, kitty litter, and other messes. They also are quiet, which makes them an excellent choice for homes with pets as well as young children. The majority of robot vacuum owners we've interviewed have reported that they appreciate the convenience of keeping their floors clean without much effort, particularly if they use it often. And with proper maintenance (cleaning the rotating brushes and keeping tabs on replacement parts) robots can last as long as a conventional full-size vacuum cleaner. PCWorld offers a helpful guide that provides tips to keep yours running smoothly for years to come.

Larger Dust Bags

While a robotic vacuum may not clean as well as a canister or upright model, it is great at picking up dirt and dust that regular vacuuming leaves behind. It is also a great tool for quick touch-ups on bare floors, and it can also navigate around cords and other obstacles in the home. If you don't want to do the deep cleaning yourself, a robotic cleaner will let you send it out to sweep your floors on a regular basis.

Some of the best rated robot vacuums come with large dust bags that are easy to empty and can hold more than one room's worth of dirt. This can save you time and money on bags that need to be replaced. This feature is available on a variety of models including our top pick, the Ecovacs T30S Combo. This all-in-one robovac has an excellent performance rating and comes with self-emptying bin. It also comes with a mopping function and efficient navigation. It's a close match between this and the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+, which has intelligent mapping and avoidance technology. This robovac is more expensive but has more capacity.

The two models differ in the way they handle long hair, which could become tangled in the rollers of certain robots. The Roborock Q5 Max+, SwitchBot K10S Plus and Roborock Q5 Max+ are the best performing models. They all have top hair pickup and tangle-avoidance scores along with great auto empty performance and great path planning. The eufy and best Rated robot Vacuum Shark Matrix Plus are also good choices with good hair pickup and tangle avoiding, but not as much path-planning or auto vacuum and mop empty.

The latest robots are equipped with sensors that can detect dirt and other debris on carpets and they're better at picking up pet hair. Some robots come with mopping mode, where they can use the reservoir of water to get rid of stuck-on messes and spills. This feature is a must-have for families with pets and children.

Maintenance

A robot vacuum can help keep up with your home. While no robot is able to replace an upright or canister automatic vacuum cleaner for deep cleaning, the top models that are rated highly pick up pet hair, lint and other dirt on carpets with low pile and hard floors, picking up much more than you could using the Broom. They also have navigation capabilities that prevent them from getting stuck on rug fringe or power cords and are able to glide effortlessly under furniture.

Depending on the model, a top-rated robot vacuum is also able to run multiple times per day or allow you to view it in action via an app. They are convenient, but they can also clog and require regular maintenance. This means emptying the dust bin onboard (or in some cases, the base's bigger bin), checking brushes for fur that is tangled, and regularly washing the filters and drying them according to the manufacturer.

Emily Rairdin is a vacuum expert and store owner apprentice from University Vacuum + Sewing. She claims that a robot vacuum can last from three to five years with proper care. She recommends regularly emptying the bin and brush roll and cutting off hair that's tangled in the brushes, and regularly cleaning and drying the filter if your robot vacuum best also acts as a mop. It's also recommended to clean the charging contacts and sensors on the robot or dock every now and then with a soft cloth. Then simply refill and recharge the robot as needed for your next cleaning session.