Best Rated Robot Vacuum and Mop

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

The most advanced models are able to map your home and note the furniture's position. They can also detect hazards and help you avoid them, like loose charging cables or unintentional socks.

Object Avoidance

Object avoidance features allow your robot to avoid running into things like toys, power cords and clothes that get caught up in the vacuum. These features are especially crucial if you have pets or children that could leave items on the floor for your robot to discover.

Depending on the model you pick the robot you choose may come with various sensors to assist it in its quest to avoid obstacles. Some of the most sought-after include crossed IR sensor beams that are focused infrared lights that scan across the room to look for furniture legs or door frames. A lot of robots have adopted this technology, and you'll see it in the most expensive models that cost more.

Other technology for avoiding objects you might find in higher-end robots include 3D Structured Light, which uses cameras and crossed IR sensors to map the surroundings and detect obstacles; and Time of Flight (ToF) sensors that emit and measure the time it takes for light to reflect off objects, to determine the distance between them. They aren't as common, but can be an excellent option for your robot in case you're looking to add peace of mind.

Besides picking up dust and debris on hard floors, most of the best-rated robots can mop your floor as well. Some come with their own water tanks, which allow them to remove water-based spills and messes. You'll need to empty your robot's onboard dust bin and wipe down the cameras and sensors in between cleaning sessions, but these chores will not take a lot of your time.

Mapping

Robot vacuums must be able to map. This lets them navigate around your home and avoid getting caught up against walls. They can be tripped up by cords, pet toys, or furniture without mapping. This results in them cleaning less space. The majority of robots utilize sensors to map your home and navigate around obstacles. This allows them to sweep the entire floor with fewer passes, saving you time. A lot of the top robot vacuums also come with this feature, which allows you to designate areas that are not accessible.

Robots that have a built-in LIDAR system make use of this technology to map your home quickly and efficiently. In our tests, the Eufy Clean robot made use of this feature to separate my room into distinct areas and clean each independently, which was a huge improvement over the lesser models we tested that just had the front bump sensor. This was a more precise method of navigating my home and was also easy to control using the on-device application.

While no robot vacuum is able to climb stairs yet, the majority of the best rated models come with obstacle avoidance and mapping features. These tools assist them to remove dirt from carpets with low pile and hard floors and also to prevent falling down the stairs. Some have cliff sensors that prevent them from going over the edge of the stairs and others have boundary strips that stop them from entering certain areas.

Some robots have large towers on the base that is able to collect dirt. This helps reduce the amount of dust or allergens released within your home. These bases can go weeks or even months between emptying and are especially useful if you suffer from allergies. Some models have self-emptying dust bins that you can empty without opening and closing them manually.

Wi-Fi enabled

Some robot vacuum with mop vacuums make use of Wi-Fi to communicate with their apps, allowing you to control them using your smartphone instead of (or in addition to) a physical remote. These models are more expensive, however, they can save time as they can schedule cleaning times each week, daily or monthly. These models also let you edit floor maps and save them for later use. They also offer alternate cleaning schedules.

Dual sensors are employed by the most modern robot hoover and mop vacuums. They combine the LIDAR mapping system with a structured-light sensor which can detect and block out objects, even if they're hidden under furniture or power cables. These features make it easier for your robot to get into tight spaces such as the nook underneath your kitchen cabinets and beneath sofas, where other robots struggle. They're also quicker to get over obstacles and have longer run times due to larger dust bins, which makes them ideal for larger homes than entry-level robotics.

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're also quiet, making them an excellent option for homes with pets as well as young children. Most robot vacuum owners we've talked to say they appreciate the convenience of keeping their floors spotless with minimal effort, particularly when they are used often. And with proper maintenance (cleaning the rotating brushes and keeping track on the replacement parts) robots can last as long as a traditional full-size vacuum cleaner. PCWorld has a helpful guide that provides tips to keep your robot running in good shape for the long time to come.

Larger Dust Bags

While a robotic vacuum may not be as effective as a canister or upright model, it's great in removing dirt and dust that regular vacuuming leaves behind. It can also be used for quick touch-ups on bare floors and can maneuver through cords and other obstacles in the home. You can use a robot to clean your floors on a regular basis if you don't have time to do it yourself.

A few of the top-rated robotic vacuums come with large dust bags which can hold more dirt than a room. This will save time and money through bags that are replaced. This feature is available on many models, including our top pick, the Ecovacs T30S Combo. This robovac all-in-one is a high-performance robovac that has a self-emptying bin. It has a mopping feature and efficient navigation. This is a close race between the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+ and this one, which uses intelligent mapping and avoidance technology. This model is more expensive, however it has a larger capacity.

The two models also differ in the way they handle long hair, which may become tangled in the rollers of certain robots. The most efficient models, the Roborock Q5 Max+ and SwitchBot K10S Plus, both have superb hair pickup and tangle avoidance scores with excellent path planning and near perfect auto empty results. The Shark Matrix Plus and eufy are also excellent options, with decent hair pickup and tangle avoidance, but not as much path planing or auto empty.

The most recent robots that vacuum and mop are outfitted with sensors that detect dirt and other debris on carpets and [empty] they are better in removing pet hair. Some robots come with mopping mode, which allows them to use the water reservoir in order to clean up stuck-on debris and spills. This feature is essential for families with pets and children.

Maintenance

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

Based 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 using an app. However, these useful machines are also susceptible to clogging and require regular maintenance such as emptying the onboard bin (or the base's bigger dust bin in some instances) as well as checking the brushes for hair that is tangled, and then periodically washing and allowing the filters to dry as recommended by the manufacturer.

Vacuum expert Emily Rairdin, a store owner apprentice at University automatic vacuum and mop + Sewing, says a good robot vacuum can last from three to five years or more if it receives regular care and attention. She suggests regularly emptying the brush roll and bin and cutting off hair that's tangled up in the brushes and regularly washing and drying the filter, if your robot also acts as a mop. It's also recommended to wipe down the sensors and charging contacts on the dock or robot every now and then with a soft cloth. You can recharge and refill your robot for the next clean-up session.