Best Rated Robot Vacuum and Mop

Eufy's top-rated robot vacuum and mop takes some of the burden of keeping your floors clean. It can re-fill its own water tank, and self-empty its larger tower bin and then change out the dust bag.

Advanced models can map your home and record furniture placement. They can also identify hazards and help you avoid them, like loose charging cables or unintentional socks.

Object Avoidance

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

Based on the model you pick, your robot may have a variety of sensor options to help it navigate around obstacles. Some of the most popular include crossed IR sensor beams, which are a focused infrared light that scan the room looking for things like furniture legs or door frames. Many robots have embraced this technology, and you'll find it in the most expensive models that cost more.

Other technology for avoiding objects are typically found in more expensive robots are 3D Structured Light, which makes use of cameras and crossed IR sensors to map the surroundings and detect obstacles; and Time of Flight (ToF) sensors that emit light and measure the time it takes for light to reflect off of objects to determine the distance to them. While they are not as popular but they could be a great addition to your robot if it needs extra peace of mind that it won't get hung up on power cords or socks when cleaning.

Besides collecting dust and debris on hard floors, most of the best robot vacuum cleaner and mop-rated robots can sweep your floors as well. Some come with their own water tanks, which allow them to remove the stains and spills that are wet. You will need to clean the robot's dust bin and clean its sensors and cameras in between cleaning sessions.

Mapping

Robot vacuums should have mapping capabilities. This lets them navigate around your home and avoid bumping against things like walls. Without mapping, they could get tripped up by cords, furniture or pet toys and end up removing less of your space. The majority of robots utilize sensors to map your home and navigate around obstacles. They can clean your floors in fewer passes, and make it easier for you to save time. Many of the top robotic vacuums also come with this feature, which enables you to create areas of no-go.

Robots with built-in LIDAR system make use of this technology to map out your home quickly and efficiently. The Eufy Clean robot divided my room into separate areas and cleaned each independently during our tests. This was an enormous improvement over other models that rely on a front-bumper sensor. This was a much more precise method of navigating my home, and it was easy to control using the app on the device.

Although no robot automatic vacuum cleaner has the ability to climb stairs, the majority of the best rated models have good obstacle avoidance and mapping capabilities. These tools let them collect debris from low-pile and hard floors, and prevent falling down the stairs. Some tools are equipped with sensors to stop them from falling over the edge of stairs. Others have boundary strips to keep them away.

Certain robots have a large base tower that is able to collect dirt. This decreases the amount of dust or allergens released in your home. These bases can go several weeks or even months without emptying, which is especially beneficial for those with allergies. Certain models come with self-emptying dust bins that can empty without opening or closing them manually.

Wi-Fi Enabled

Some robot vacuums communicate via Wi-Fi with their apps. This allows you to operate them with your smartphone instead of (or in addition) to an actual remote. These models are more expensive, but they can save you time because you can schedule cleaning sessions daily, weekly or monthly. These models also let you edit floor maps and save them, as well as provide alternate cleaning schedules.

The most advanced robot vacuums employ dual sensors, combining a LIDAR system to map your area with a structured light sensor that can detect objects and avoid them even if they're buried under furniture or power cords. Those features make it easier for your robot to maneuver into narrow spaces such as the nook underneath the kitchen cabinets or beneath sofas, where other robots struggle. They are also faster to get around obstacles, have longer runtimes, and bigger dust bins. This makes them ideal for large homes compared to entry-level robots.

The top-rated robot vacuums tend to be fast, smart and powerful, picking up most kinds of floor debris, such as pet hair, cat litter, and other mess. They are also quite quiet, which makes them an excellent choice for homes that have pets and young children. Most robot vacuum owners we've spoken to say they appreciate the convenience of having their floors clean without much effort, particularly when they are used frequently. Robots can last as long as traditional vacuum cleaners, provided they have the right maintenance (cleaning rotating brushes and keeping the track of spare parts). PCWorld offers a helpful guide that outlines some essential tips to help you keep your robot running efficiently for many years to come.

Dust Bags Larger

A robotic vacuum isn't as good in cleaning as an upright or canister vacuum, but it's fantastic at picking up dust and dirt that regular vacuuming leaves behind. It is a great tool for quick touch-ups of bare floors and can also navigate around cords or other obstacles in your home. If you don't want to perform the deep cleaning yourself, a robot cleaner will let you send it out to sweep your floors on a regular schedule.

The top rated robot vacuums have huge dust bags that are easy to empty. They can hold more than one room's worth of dirt. This can help you save time and money on bags that need to be replaced. This feature is available on many models, including our top model, the Ecovacs T30S Combo. This all-in one robovac is a high-performance robovac that has a self-emptying bin. It has a mopping feature and efficient navigation. It's a close match between this and the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+, that has the ability to avoidance and smart mapping. This robovac has more capacity, but is slightly more expensive.

Another significant difference between these two models is how they deal with hair that is long and human which can get caught in the rollers of certain robots. The best-performing models, the Roborock Q5 Max+ and SwitchBot K10S Plus, both have superb 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 pickup and tangle avoidance but not as much path planing or auto empty.

The latest robots are fitted with sensors that can identify dirt and debris on carpets, and they're better in removing pet hair. Some robots have mopping mode, which allows them to use the water reservoir in order to clean up stuck-on debris and spills. This feature is a must-have for families with pets as well as children.

Maintenance

A robot vacuums best vacuum can be a huge aid in keeping up with your home. While no robot is able to replace an upright or canister vacuum for deep cleaning, the top models that are rated highly pick up pet hair, lint and other surface dirt on carpets with low pile and hard floors which can pick up more than you could using the Broom. They have navigational features that prevent them from getting stuck on power cords, rug fringe or furniture.

According to the model, you can schedule a robot vacuum to run several times per day or even observe it in action with an app. They are convenient, but they can also be clogged and require regular maintenance. This includes emptying the dust bin that is onboard (or in certain cases, the base's bigger bin) and checking the brushes for tangled fur, and periodically rinsing the filters and drying them according to the manufacturer.

Vacuum expert Emily Rairdin, a store owner apprentice at University Vacuum + Sewing, says that a quality robot vacuum will last for three to five years or more with regular care and attention. She recommends regularly emptying the brush roll and bin, cutting out hair that's tangled up in the brushes and regularly cleaning and drying the filter when your robot vacuum that vacuums and mops is also used as a mop. It's also recommended to clean the sensors and charging contacts on the dock or robot cleaner the robot every now and then with a soft cloth. You can then recharge and refill your robot prior to the next cleaning session.