The Best Robot Vacuums

A good robot vacuum does the majority of the work for you and removes pet hair, lint and surface dirt before it adheres to furniture or get ground into carpets. Some also integrate with smart assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant to offer an unrestricted experience.

Many models have the ability to map, which allows them to draw a map of your home. This allows them to avoid falling off ledges and navigating around cords that connect devices.

What to Do You Look For?

Some robots come with advanced features that let you control them using apps and voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant. These include smart mapping as well as cleaning zones and spots, and object avoidance. These machines may also have larger dust bins and longer-lasting batteries.

Choose a model that has an extensive brush that can clean up large debris and that is slim enough to fit under furniture. Check if the robot vacuum can clean different types of floors without having to change the suction settings or brushes. This can reduce its cleaning efficiency and shorten its lifespan.

The best robot vacuums have high-quality filters that trap fine particles to protect the interior of your home and an ample, easy-to-access bin that you can clear it frequently. Some models come with an additional side brush that can be used to sweep up pet hair and debris in hard-to-reach places behind and under furniture. They also have a clean dustbin door that helps you keep an eye on the amount of dirt buildup so you know when it's time to empty.

You can also use the app to set the boundaries of furniture and rooms that you do not want it to enter. Certain models also recognize the kind of floor and adjust their vacuum and brush settings accordingly.

There are also robots that will recharge and continue cleaning exactly where they left off in case their battery runs low. Some robot vacuums come with cameras that allows you to see the path taken by your robot and the information it has collected.

Some robots also allow you to control them with your voice, though not all do so as effortlessly as other models. Make sure that the model you select is compatible with the voice assistant you prefer and then test it to see how well the robot responds to commands before buying. Some robots can even self-empty their dustbins and clean their docking stations, which can reduce your list of chores a bit. This is a costly feature, as are a larger collection container and faster charging speed.

Cleaning Performance

While robots aren't able to substitute for a full-on vacuum cleaner or broom, they offer a reliable and effective alternative to the routine of cleaning floors. The best robotic cleaners can remove small particles like dust, pet hair and crumbs, or bigger objects like metal shavings and wood shavings. They do this without damaging the floor or furniture.

They will often register the type of floor they are cleaning and adjust their suction/brush settings in order to clean your floors more thoroughly. This is particularly important if you have different flooring types across your home. A lot of models have the option of setting virtual boundaries. This lets you tell your robot to stay out of certain areas in your home. This helps to keep your pets and children from entering areas they shouldn't. It helps ensure that your house is cleaned at the end of each scheduled session.

You should also consider how much autonomy you're comfortable giving your robot. Certain models require your attention and presence while others operate independently and can change the cleaning mode and schedule using a mobile application or voice commands via an integrated smart assistant. Some models will map and learn your space and allow you to create zones and instruct the robot to only clean specific areas of your home on a daily or weekly basis.

In our tests, the iRobot j7+ was the best "set it and forget it" robot. It excelled in mapping, creating virtual boundaries and getting around obstacles better than the other robots we tried. It can also empty itself so you don't need to manually do it. Additionally, the side brushes help sweep debris from corners and edges which a vacuum can't reach.

Its slim profile and infrared sensors allow it to get under and behind furniture for a deeper clean than most robots, while its advanced navigation system makes it more capable of cleaning the entire level of your home in one charge than other models we've tried. It's difficult to beat, especially at its affordable price.

Battery Life

A good robot vacuum can make keeping your floors clean feel less like a chore, and more like a treat. Quickly removing dirt, crumbs and shedding pet hair can make a huge difference in how clean your home is on a daily basis. While a robot of a basic design can handle most cleaning tasks, those who want more of a hands-off experience should look for one that doubles as mop.

The Ecovacs Deebot T10 OMNI is among the top models for both, since it is extremely efficient in both its mop vacuum robot and vacuuming modes and can easily handle dirt, debris, pet hair and even cat litter. The feature to avoid objects is awe-inspiring, allowing it to steer clear of objects and not get stuck on them.

It has a large dust bin and an extremely long-lasting battery, which means it can cover a large amount of space in one session. It's also a smart vacuum, which means that it can track your home and works with apps such as those provided by Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to allow you to control the vacuum using voice commands.

The app that comes along with the robot allows you to set up schedules, designate specific rooms for cleaning, or suspend or resume sessions. It can even warn you the moment its battery is low and return to its docking station to recharge.

Another good thing about this robot is the ability to distinguish between carpets and hard floors and adjust its settings accordingly, which helps keep the machine from being caught up in one type of surface or accidently tearing up furniture. It's not able to detect high-pile carpeting or seams in rooms, therefore it is important to be cautious when grabbing large objects.

To keep robot vacuums in top condition, they require maintenance. This includes cleaning the brushes of hair and emptying the dust bin (and sometimes washing it) after each cleaning session. Cameras and sensors should be cleaned after each use. The manufacturer will give specific instructions for these actions and other steps, «link» which may differ depending on the model.

Cost

The top robot vacuums may not be expensive, but they are far cheaper than a professional carpet cleaner or even a stand-up one. They require less maintenance than traditional vacuums, since most only require that you empty and occasionally rinse their dust bins after every cleaning session.

Many robot vacuums are equipped with smart features that can help them be more effective in your home, like mapping technology, which allows you to guide the vacuum on the layout of your home by using an app, so it knows not to run over the stairs or underneath the furniture where there could be an issue. Others can identify what floor type they are working on, allowing them to adjust their suction or brush functions for the best results.

Some models feature object avoidance, which uses sensors (or even cameras) to spot objects and toys on the floor and instruct the robot to move around them, rather than running into them. This is a great benefit when you have children or pets that tend to scatter toys all over the home.

Another feature that may be important to you is voice control, which lets you operate your robot using your voice instead of using the buttons on the board. This is a great option when you have children who aren't quite old enough to operate the controls or if you simply want a hands-free solution.

How often you should use your wirecutter robot vacuum will be contingent on the amount of dirt or debris has accumulated on your floor. Most experts suggest using your Wirecutter robot Vacuum vacuum at least once per week to keep your floors spotless and to remove pet hair, lint and surface dirt.

If you're working with limited flooring and don't intend to utilize your robot for other purposes, a budget model like our top choice, the Eufy 11S, is a great option. It's simple to use, affordable, and does the job without causing any noise when you're working or watching television.