How to Choose the Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner

A robot vacuum will save you lots of time and hassle when it comes to regular cleaning. Top performers are good at cleaning up dust light debris, cords and dust.

The ones that are more expensive will even sweep your floor, but they can't climb up the stairs. Choose models that have intelligent mapping, real-time hazard avoidance, and roomy self-emptying bins.

Best Overall

The top robots in our testing are efficient and user-friendly, and able to keep up with the everyday messes. You'll need a model with decent carpet-picking capability and the ability to handle stairs. If you're looking for extra features, you may be interested in a robot equipped with smart mapping technology or an app that lets you control the robot remotely.

Camryn Rabideau, a contributing shopping writer at PEOPLE and a product reviewer who has tried dozens robotic vacuums, is credited with testing dozens of robot vacuums. She's a fan of the robotic vacuums that offer the greatest convenience, including self-emptying dustbins and charging docks that automatically empty and fill water tanks for mopping robots. She also likes robots that can recognize landmarks such as furniture legs and power cables so that they won't get tripped up when climbing stairs.

This robot from Black and Decker has a lower score for navigation and has less object-avoidance technology than the most expensive robot vacuum popular models. It does however have an enormous dust bin that doesn't need frequent emptying and a long battery life. In addition, it has a feature that allows you to schedule cleaning sessions and return to the location where it last stopped which makes it easier to cover larger spaces. This model is also a good choice for pet owners because it can spot and avoid tangled hair and fallen food particles.

In our tests, we observed that the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra combined a LIDAR (light) sensor that can identify rooms and obstacles with a structured-light sensor to detect objects and detect edges. This combination lets it stay clear of stairs, drops of liquid and furniture legs with ease and save up to four floor maps for future references. It can also stop the cleaning process at any point and pick up where it left off, so you can do chores while the robot works. The included app provides a 3D representation of your home, room labels, and advanced cleaning options.

Although this model isn't able to clean as well as our top-rated models but it excels in removing fine debris like baking soda and sand and heavier items like orzo pasta and metal screws. The only downsides are that it cannot mop and that its navigation system is a little less impressive.

The best combo vacuum for Carpet

If you have carpeting in your home, search for a robot vacuum with excellent pickup and good robot vacuum maneuverability scores on carpets and rugs. A lot of models are adept at picking up dust in low-pile rugs. Some can be quite effective in cleaning up larger debris, such as orzo pasta and screws made of steel. They can't take in fine particles like an upright or canister, and they may miss dirt close to thresholds or baseboards.

The best option for carpeted areas is a 2-in-1 robot vacuum/mop, which allows you to swap out an empty bin for cleaning and a damp mopping pad. The Roborock Q Revo is a 2-in-1 robotic vacuum/mop that is able to clean and mop simultaneously with circular pads spinning at 200 revolutions per minute. It recognizes and raises its pads when they come into contact with carpet, which prevents the flooring from becoming wet. You don't have remove them or replace them every time. The Q Revo is also superior to other robot vacuums and mops in staying clear of obstacles and rugs, while also getting close to them and thresholds, and eliminating obstacles.

Another option that is worth considering is the iRobot Roomba Combo i5, which did exceptionally well in our tests and can be scheduled through the app to clean while you're away from home. It can also be set to mop only, and we liked its impressive navigation on both bare floors and rugs, as well as its ability to climb over and up onto furniture. The Combo i5 has a long runtime and excellent path planning for a device of this size.

If you're looking for a top-of-the-line vacuum Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum & Mop is a fantastic alternative. It has a large dock that can last for weeks without having to be empty. It also has impressive capability to auto-empty carpets and floors that are not cleaned. It also has a smart-mapping feature and the Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner can be programmed to only be operational during certain times of the day (a useful feature that can keep mischievous kids and dextrous pets from causing chaos). The Shark isn't as powerful than some other robot vacuum/mop combos however it's still effective in removing hair and pet hair. It is the most affordable of our top picks.

Best for Hard Floors

Robot vacuums are the best choice for floors made of hardwood, since they can maneuver around obstacles without causing damage to the surfaces that are not. They are excellent at of picking up dust and crumbs, but they struggle with pet hair and other larger particles. They lack the suction power of an expensive upright or canister vacuum, meaning they're not the ideal option for rooms with carpets or upholstery that requires deep cleaning.

The best smart vacuum robots are two-in-one, combining mop and vacuum to do a complete job in one step. If you have mixed flooring choose a model equipped with an onboard sensor that detects any changes in floor texture and adjusts suction accordingly. This feature is available on the ECOVACS Deebot T9+ and allows it to effortlessly transition from hard carpeting to soft carpeting.

If you have lots of hardwood flooring in your home, you might want to consider a robot mop and vacuum combination like the Eufy S1 Pro. This model uses an efficient robot vacuum with smart navigation to clean hardwood floors and other hard surfaces. Additionally, it can mop too. Its sensors let it avoid hazards such as stairs.

The eufy S1 Pro mop is designed to clean hardwood floors using downward pressure, not simply swab them in order to remove dirt and dust. Its reusable pads reduce waste and help to spread less germs. They can also be cleaned in docking stations to help save time. They are also able to be washed, dried and reused.

Both the robovac as well as the mop are both controlled by your smartphone to make it easier to manage the device. For instance, you can make use of the app to designate a zone that the vacuum cannot enter or mark rooms as separate or schedule cleaning sessions for specific areas. The eufy S1 Pro has an auto-emptying port that collects the debris via a trapdoor, and stores it into a bagless or disposable bin. This means that you won't need to empty the bin manually as often as you do with other models.

Best for Small Spaces

As the name suggests that these robots are suited for small spaces. They have smaller bins that can hold less garbage, and are more efficient than the larger models when it comes to navigating tight corners. They can also be placed under furniture where larger robots have difficulty reaching. They are also less expensive than more expensive models, but you'll need to empty their dirt bins manually at the end each cleaning session.

A couple of years ago, robotic vacuum cleaner sale vacuums went through a major change when manufacturers started adding sensors to help navigate around and avoid household objects that traditional sensors would be stuck on or over. These improvements reduced the number times that our testers were required to clean up after a robot accident.

However, the new sensors haven't resolved all of the issues these machines face. The cheapest models still struggle with the same obstacles that the older models faced and, in addition, they need a certain amount of illumination to be able see where they're headed. If you reside in a dark area or have lots of furniture that is low-profile, think about buying a model that utilizes a top-mounted spinning LIDAR unit to map your area, as our top overall and runner-up picks do. This lets them work in darkness and avoid obstacles like stairs.

In addition being capable of working in the dark they can also be configured to use their cliff sensors only when they're close to or on the floor, not when they're above them. It's essential to cover mirrors to prevent this from occurring. The lasers used by LIDAR-based models could bounce off reflective surfaces, which makes the robot think it's in a different space.

A few of the models we recommend also let you set up virtual no-go zones in areas where you do not want the robot go, which can be beneficial if you have small children or pets. These features aren't on all models we test. Read our full reviews before deciding.