The Best Robot Vacuum 2023

Robot vacuums can make cleaning your floors easier. The best ones nab tracked-in dirt, crumbs, shed pet hair and more.

While they can't perform like a regular vacuum cleaner, they have come a long ways in the past few years. They're more efficient, smarter and (marginally) better in avoiding the legs of chairs.

Smart Mapping

Utilizing navigation tools such as lasers and sensors, robotic vacuum cleaners move through your home, sucking pet hair, crumbs and dirt into their bins from hard floors like laminate, wood, and tile and low-pile carpets and area rugs. The most advanced robots can map your house, to help them recall where they've been and avoid bumping into obstacles like sofas, chairs and bookshelves that you might prefer to keep out of the way. You can make use of your smartphone's app to set up zones that prohibit your robot to stay out of rooms that you don't want to clean.

Robots equipped with advanced mapping capabilities, like the Roomba j7, use onboard cameras and processor-powered smarts to avoid obstacles and see them. This means that you can leave it to do an effective cleaning without having to continuously check the status of your floorplan or manually remove obstacles from the robot's path. 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 pure clean robot vacuum. It's got great suction and works with Alexa and Google Assistant. It also has a convenient self-emptying feature, and can be used as an alarm camera.

Roborock Q Revo, a less expensive robot that vacuums, mops and is also a trashcan that is robotic, is a good option for homes that don't have the need for more advanced features. However, it has a few disadvantages when compared to Roomba S8 and j7. For one, it has one rubber brush instead of the dual roller brushes of the others, so it might not be as effective at picking up larger debris like socks and shoes. It also doesn't have any AI obstacle avoidance technology, so you may need to get rid of clutter prior to running it.

The ilife robot vacuum A4s Pro is a basic robot that's perfect for those who value simplicity and efficiency. It's less than $200 and provides strong, consistent suction on hardwood as well as low-pile rug and avoids knots. It's not very advanced however it's a good choice. It also works with voice commands. It can be set up on a schedule, or create no-go zones using the app.

Object Detection

Object-avoidance technology can affect the ability of a robot vacuum to navigate through your home. Certain models in this list have sensors (or cameras) to assist your robot vacuum in avoiding common robot traps such as cords, toys for children and pet mess. iRobot's Roomba J7 is among the most impressive examples of this type of technology in action. It also comes with a sleek base that automatically emptys the trash bin so that you don't need to.

In our testing, we set up this robot cleaner in a huge home and were impressed with how quickly and thoroughly the floors were cleaned without getting sluggish. It is extremely maneuverable and can get to places that stand-up vacuums are unable to go, including under beds and sofas. It has a 500 ml dustbin, great suction and a runtime of over two hours. It's just not equipped with the ability to set no-go zones in the app and its object detection is a bit hit-or-miss and we did see it hit things a few times during our tests (resulting in the tumbling of a few vases).

It's important to keep it in mind that, no matter how smart the robot vacuum is it won't replace your upright or canister vacuum. It's not able to deal with heavy dirty carpets, it can't get into every crevice and it won't reach your ceilings or other difficult-to-access areas. However, to keep your floors clear of pet hair, crumbs and other dander it's an ideal addition to your routine of cleaning.

Sensors are integrated into most robot vacuums to assist them navigate around obstacles and stairs. They can usually sense the moment when they're going to fall down the stairs for instance, and they can also detect areas of clutter and move around them. If you're not careful your robot cleaner could become stuck on a cord, shoe or any other object.

Some robot vacuums come with mapping capabilities, which allow them to create an accurate floor plan of your house and pinpoint themselves. This lets them know what areas they've cleaned before and avoid wasting time going over the same spots. This lets them resume where they left off, if they have to return to the charging dock.

Self-Emptying

A vacuum cleaner that can automatically empty its dust bin once it is full is a great convenience. Some models have an indicator that allows you to know when the bin is due to be empty. This is a fantastic feature for those with pets or children who tend to create more mess than adults.

The majority of robot vacuums let you choose whether the machine is controlled via a remote control or an app for your smartphone or voice commands. They come with a variety of digital features, including scheduling and maintenance tips. You can program your robot to clean your house on a weekly or regular basis using the correct settings. You can also program it to clean specific areas of your home.

Some of the most advanced robot vacuums we've tested are equipped with built-in cameras and sensor technology that lets them create maps of your home. You can save these maps within the robot app to easily navigate around your home. Some of these systems even remember furniture placement and transitions between hardwood floors and carpet.

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

TP-Link's Tapo RV30 Plus is an inexpensive, self-emptying robot vacuum that offers good performance for the money. It can clean both floors and sweep up pet hair and other messes from low-pile and hardwood rugs. It's not quite as sophisticated as other robots that we've reviewed, but it does the job well.

This model's tank-like wheels allow it to roll over obstacles such as cords that are tangled and high transitions in between rooms. It also has a huge dust bin that doesn't need to be emptied manually, and it's able to recharge and continue cleaning when it's not able to continue cleaning. It's more expensive than other robotic vacuums we've tried however it combines powerful suction with simple controls to provide a fantastic value.

Voice Control

The majority of robot vacuums can be controlled via a physical remote or an app that you can install on your smartphone. Certain robot vacuums are operated by voice commands via smart speakers such as Amazon Echo or Google Home. This is a great option for families with small children or pets who could hinder your cleaning routine, or if you're too exhausted to operate the robot manually.

Most models have an automatic mode that operates without your input. Simply press a button on the robot or within the app and it will begin taking in food crumbs, and pet hair. They can be programmed to clean according to an established schedule, making them ideal for people who need to make a plan and forget.

Some of the more expensive models have an advanced feature that makes use of artificial intelligence to examine your home and find obstacles. These models can recognize things like stairs, furniture, power cords and even different kinds of flooring. This can help robots avoid dangers. This is especially useful in large homes that have lots of carpeting and flooring which are difficult for robots navigate.

Other robots have more basic ability to detect objects but they are able to complete the task. The TP-Link Tapo RV30 Plus, for instance is a model that resembles a wifi router but offers the performance of a high-end robot. It has excellent suction and handles dirt and debris from hardwood floors and medium-pile rugs with ease. The short and squat-shaped side brush is less likely to be caught in shoes or cords. The hybrid roller brush, which uses bristles, as well as plastic, offers an effective cleaning.

The model is more expensive than the other models in the middle-end however, it can do everything you want from a robot mop and vacuum. It can map out a cleaning schedule and create one. It also has virtual zones to keep out of. However, it doesn't have room-scanning or obstacle avoidance like the j7 and S8.