The Best Robot Vacuum 2023

Robot vacuums can make cleaning your floors a breeze. The best robot vacuums are able to remove dirt, pet hair, crumbs, and more.

Although they're not as well as an ordinary vacuum cleaner, they have made significant progress in the past few years. They're more sophisticated and more powerful, as well as (marginally better) in avoiding chair leg.

Smart Mapping

Utilizing navigation tools such as lasers and sensors, robot vacuum cleaners navigate around your home, removing pet hair, crumbs and dirt into their bins from hard floors like laminate, wood and tile and also carpets and area rugs with low pile. The most advanced robots can map your house, to help them recall where they've been and avoid hitting obstructions like chairs, sofas and bookshelves that you might prefer to keep out of your way. You can also set up no-go zones on your smartphone to tell your deebot robot vacuum cleaner to stay clear of rooms that you don't want to clean.

Robots with advanced mapping capabilities, such as the Roomba J7, utilize an onboard camera and processor-powered intelligence to detect and avoid obstacles. You can then leave it to do a thorough job without having to constantly monitor the status of your floorplan or manually remove obstacles out of the way. The TP-Link Tapo RV30 plus is a robotic that does mopping and vacuuming, so it's an all-in-one solution to keep your home tidy. It has a powerful suction system and works with Alexa or Google Assistant. It can self-empty and can also function as a surveillance camera.

A less expensive bot that vacuums, mop and can be used as a robot trashcan, the Roborock Q Revo is a good choice for homes that don't need the more sophisticated features of the more expensive models. However, it does have some disadvantages when compared to Roomba S8 and j7. For one, it has only one rubber brush instead of the dual roller brushes of the other which means it won't be as effective in cleaning up larger particles like shoes and socks. It doesn't come with AI obstacle avoidance so it is possible that you will need to eliminate obstructions before you run.

The iLife A4s Pro is a basic robot that is ideal for those who prefer simplicity and efficiency. It's less than $200 and offers strong, consistent suction for hardwood as well as low-pile carpets and avoids tangles with rug threads. It's not a lot of technology however it's a good choice. It also works with voice commands, which means you can run it on a schedule or set up zones that aren't allowed to be entered using the app.

Object Detection

Object-avoidance technologies can affect the ability of a robot vacuum to navigate through your home. Some models on this list include sensors (or cameras) to help your robot vacuum avoid common robot traps such as cords, toys for children and pet mess. The iRobot Roomba j7 is one of the most impressive examples of this type of smart tech in action. It also has a stylish clean base that emptys the garbage bin automatically so you don't need to.

During testing we set up this robot cleaner in a large home and were amazed by how quickly and thoroughly the floors were cleaned without getting sluggish. It is extremely maneuverable and is able to reach places that most stand-up vacs cannot can, like couches and under beds. It also has great suction, a massive 500-milliliter dustbin and over two hours of runtime. It isn't able to set up no-go zones, and its recognition of objects is a bit iffy. We noticed it bumping into things at times during our tests, resulting in some vessels falling over.

It's important to keep in mind that no matter how intelligent a robot vacuum may be, it will not substitute for your upright or canister vacuum. It won't be able to clean carpets that have been heavily soiled. It won't reach ceilings or other difficult-to-reach areas. It's a great addition to your regular cleaning routine for removing crumbs, hair, and pet dander.

Sensor systems are integrated into the majority of robot vacuums, allowing them to navigate around stairs and obstacles. They can tell the moment they're about to fall down the stairs, for example, and can also recognize messy spaces and maneuver around them. If you're not vigilant the robo-cleaner may become stuck on a cord or shoe and require help.

Some robot vacuums are equipped with mapping capabilities that permit them to draw an precise floor plan of your house and pinpoint themselves. This lets them know which areas they've already cleaned and avoid the hassle of going over the same areas. This lets them resume the same place they left off in the event that they have to return to the charging dock.

Self-Emptying

A robot vacuum that will automatically empty its dust bin once it is full is an excellent convenience. Certain models come with an indicator that allows you to observe when the bin needs to empty. This feature is great for those who have pets or children, who are likely to create lots of mess than adults.

Most robot vacuums let you select whether the machine can be controlled by a remote, an app on your phone or via voice commands. They come with a variety of digital features, including scheduling and maintenance tips. With the correct settings, you can set your robot to clean at a set time or on a weekly basis. You can also program it to mark and clean specific areas of the house.

Some of the smartest robot vacuums we've tested come with built-in cameras and sensor technology that lets them create maps of your home. They can be saved to the robot's app, so you can quickly navigate to specific rooms or areas of your home. Some of these systems even remember furniture placement and even note the transitions from hard floors to carpet.

The best smart vacuums can save you time by automating the mapping and cleaning of entire houses and keeping detailed records of previous cleaning sessions. You can access these records using an app on your phone or tablet. The majority of them can be connected to your smart speaker, so you can control them using voice commands.

TP-Link's Tapo RV30 Plus is an inexpensive, self-emptying robot vacuum that provides excellent performance for the price. It can clean hardwood floors and carpets with low pile, as well as remove pet hair and other debris. It's not as sophisticated as some of the other robots we've reviewed, but it does what it does well.

The wheels that resemble a tank on this model permit it to move right over the gaps between rooms and obstacles such as tangled cords for devices which can cause a problem for other robots. It has a huge bin that doesn't need to be manually emptied and is able to recharge itself and resume cleaning if it is unable to continue cleaning. It's a bit more expensive than other robotic vacuums we've tried, but it blends powerful suction with simple controls to give you a good value.

Voice Control

Most robot vacuums are controlled by a remote control or an app on a smartphone. Some robot vacuums can be controlled via voice commands via smart speakers such as Amazon Echo or Google Home. This is a great option when you have children or pets who could get in the way of your cleaning routine or if you're exhausted to operate the robot manually.

Many models also come with an automatic mode that works without any input from you. The robot can be started by pressing a button within the app or on the robot. These robots can also be programmed to clean on a regular schedule and is perfect for those who prefer to program it to forget about it.

Certain models that are more expensive include a sophisticated feature that uses artificial intelligence to detect and scan the presence of obstacles in your home. These models can identify things like power cords, stairs and furniture, and even identify different types of flooring. This can help them avoid such hazards, which is especially useful in larger homes that have lots of carpets and flooring coverings that are difficult for robots to navigate.

Some robots come with less basic object detection capabilities however they still manage to accomplish the task. The TP-Link Tapo RV30 Plus, for example is a model that resembles WiFi routers, but it has the performance of a premium bot. It has excellent suction and handles dirt and debris from hardwood floors and rugs with medium pile easily. Its short, squat-shaped side brushes are less likely to get tangled in stray shoes and cords and its hybrid roller brush makes use of bristles and plastic rather than bristles in traditional form for an even more thorough cleaning.

The model is more expensive than other mid-range robots, however, it is able to do everything you'd expect from mopping and vacuuming with a robot. It can create and map a cleaning schedule as well as virtual keep-out zones and is compatible with voice assistants. It doesn't have the same room scanning and obstacles-avoiding features as the j7 and s8.