The Best Robot Vacuums

A robot vacuum will do most of the cleaning for you. It can remove pet hair, lint, and surface dirt from carpets and furniture before they can become stuck. Some also integrate with smart assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant to offer a hands-free experience.

Many models come with mapping capabilities, which allow them to create maps of your home. This can help them avoid falling off ledges or navigating clusters of device cords.

What to look for

Some robots have advanced features, allowing you to control them via voice assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant. These include smart mapping as well as spot and zone cleaning and the ability to avoid objects. These machines might also have larger dust bins and longer-lasting batteries.

Find a model that has a a wide brush that can clean up large pieces of debris and one that's small enough to be able to fit under furniture. Check if the robot vacuum is able to clean different kinds of floors without changing suction settings or brushes. This can reduce its cleaning efficiency and shorten its life span.

The best automatic vacuum and mop robot vacuums have high-quality filters that can trap fine particles and protect your home from damage. They also come with an ample, easily accessible bin for collecting so that you can empty it often. Some models come with an additional side brush that can be used to sweep up pet hair and other debris in difficult-to-access places such as behind and under furniture. The dustbins are usually transparent, so you can see how much dirt is in the bin and when you should empty it.

In addition to scheduling your robot vacuum to run at times when you're most likely to be at home, you can use the app to draw a boundary around your furniture and rooms that you want it to avoid. Some models also register what kind of floor they're cleaning and automatically adjust their suction and brush settings to match.

You can also find robots that will recharge and resume cleaning exactly where they left off when their battery is low. There are some that have an inbuilt camera that allows you to track the route of your robot vacuum and see what it has taken in.

Some robots are controlled via voice commands, but not all. Make sure that the model you pick is compatible with the voice assistant you prefer and test it out to see how the robot responds to different commands before you purchase. Some robots will even empty their dustbins or clean their docking station, which will help you reduce your chore list. However, this feature comes at a premium, as does the capacity of the bin and faster charging speed.

Cleaning Performance

Robots aren't the same as for a broom or vacuum. However they can be extremely efficient and effective in keeping your floors spotless. The best Robot Floor cleaner robotic cleaners can remove small particles like dust, pet hair and crumbs, or larger objects like metal shavings and wood shavings. They can 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 accordingly to clean your floors more thoroughly. This is especially important if your home has different types of flooring. A lot of models come with many options for setting virtual boundaries, which allows you to tell the robot to stay away from certain areas of your home. This can help 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 time.

It is also important to consider how much autonomy you're willing to give your robot. Certain models require your presence and attention while others operate on their own with the capability to change cleaning modes and schedules via a mobile app or voice commands through an integrated smart assistant. Some models map and learn your space and let you set up zones, and instruct the robot only to clean specific areas within your home on a daily or weekly basis.

In our testing the iRobot J7+ was the most efficient "set it and forget it" robot. It was better in mapping virtual boundaries, making virtual borders and avoiding obstacles than any of the other robots that we evaluated. It also has the ability to empty itself so you don't need to do it manually. Additionally, the side brushes can help clean debris from edges and corners which a vacuum can't reach.

Its slim design and Best Robot Floor Cleaner infrared sensor allow it to clean behind and under furniture, allowing it to do a better job than the majority of robots. And its advanced navigation system allows it to sweep the entire floor of your home on a single battery charge. For a price that is affordable, you'll find it tough to beat in everyday use.

Battery Life

A quality robot vacuum will help keep your floors tidy and feel less like a chore and more like a luxury. Quickly removing dirt, crumbs and shed pet hair can make a huge difference in how clean your home feels every day. While a robot of a basic design is able to handle the majority of cleaning tasks, those seeking more of a hands-free experience should choose a model that doubles as a mop.

Ecovacs Deebot T10 ONI is a top performer in both mopping and vacuuming modes. It can take care of dirt, pet hair, and even cat litter. The feature to avoid objects is particularly impressive, enabling it to avoid objects and avoid getting stuck on them.

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

The app that comes along with the robot allows you to create schedules, assign rooms to be cleaned or the ability to pause and resume sessions. It will also warn you the moment its battery is low and then return to its docking station to recharge.

This robot can also distinguish between carpets and hard floors and adjust its settings according to the type of floor. This will prevent the machine from getting stuck on one type of surface and causing damage to furniture. It's not able detect seams or carpeting with high pile in rooms, so it's important to be careful when picking up large objects.

To keep robot vacuums in good working order, they require maintenance. This includes cleaning brushes of hair, and emptying the dust bin (and sometimes washing it) after every cleaning session. Cameras and sensors must also be cleaned between each use. The manufacturer will provide specific instructions for these actions and other procedures, which will vary depending on the model.

Cost

The best home vacuum cleaner robot vacuums might not be expensive, but they are considerably less expensive than a professional carpet cleaning machine or even a stand-up vacuum. They also need less maintenance than traditional vacuums as they require that you empty (and sometimes rinse) their bins after each cleaning session, and often cleaning their sensors or cameras.

Many robot vacuums have clever features that make them more efficient within your home. For example mapping technology allows you to instruct the vacuum on where to go via an app, so it doesn't get stuck in stairs, or under furniture, where there could be a mess. Other robot vacuums are able to detect the type of floor they are cleaning so they can alter their suction and brush features to ensure the best results.

Some models come with objects avoidance. The system uses sensors (or cameras) that detect toys and other items lying on the floor. The robot is instructed to stay clear of them instead of running into them. This is a great solution for families with pets or children who are prone to leaving toys around the house.

Another smart feature that could be of interest to you is voice control that lets you control your robot with your voice instead of using the buttons on board. This is helpful if your children aren't old enough yet to operate the robot or if it's just convenient for you.

How often you have to use your robot depends on the amount of dirt and debris is normally found on your floors. Most experts recommend using a robotic vacuum at least once a week to keep your floors looking good and to remove pet hair, dust and dirt from the surface before it gets ground in or become more difficult to get rid of.

If you have limited flooring and don't intend to use your robot for other purposes, a budget model such as our top pick, the Eufy 11S, is a suitable option. It's inexpensive, simple to set up and use, and can complete the task with little noise interference while you work or watch TV.