The Best Robot Vacuum 2023

Robot vacuums can help you clean your floors more easily. The best robot mop and vacuum combo robot vacuums are able to clean up dirt, crumbs, pet hair, and more.

While they're still unable to perform as well of a job as a traditional vacuum cleaner, they've come a long way over the last few years. They're smarter and powerful, and (marginally better) at avoiding chair leg.

Smart Mapping

Utilizing navigational tools like lasers and sensors, robot vacuum cleaners navigate through your home, sucking pet hair, crumbs and dirt into their bins from hard floors like wood, tile and laminate and low-pile carpets and area rugs. The most advanced robots can map your home to help them keep track of where they've been and avoid hitting obstacles like sofas, chairs and bookshelves that you might want to keep out of the way. You can make use of your smartphone app to create no-go zones, which tell your robot to stay out of rooms you don't want it to clean.

Robots with advanced mapping abilities like the Roomba J7, make use of an onboard camera and processor-powered intelligence to see and avoid obstructions. This means you can leave it to do an efficient cleaning without having to continually monitor the state of your floorplan, or manually remove obstacles from the robot's path. The TP-Link Tapo RV30 Plus is a robot that combines mopping and vacuuming, so it's an all-in-one solution to keep your home tidy. It's got great suction, and it works with Alexa and Google Assistant. It is self-emptying and can also function as a surveillance camera.

Roborock Q Revo, a cheaper robot that vacuums, mops and is also an automated trashcan, is a good option for homes that don't have the need for more advanced features. However, it has some disadvantages when compared to Roomba S8 and j7. It's got a single brush instead of dual roller brushes, meaning it may not be as effective at removing larger debris such as shoes and socks. It also lacks AI obstacle avoidance, which means it could be necessary to get rid of any clutter prior to running it.

The iLife A4s Pro is a basic robot that's perfect for those who prioritize simplicity and efficiency. It's priced at less than $200 and delivers consistent, strong suction both on hardwood and low-pile rugs while avoiding knots. It doesn't have any advanced features, but it does the job very well. It also works with voice commands, which means you can set it up on schedule or create zones that aren't allowed to be entered through the app.

Object Detection

Object-avoidance technology can make or break the ability of a robot vacuum to navigate your home. Some models on this list include sensors (or cameras) to assist your robot vacuum in avoiding common robot traps such as cords, toys for kids and pet mess. IRobot's Roomba j7 is one of the best robot vacuum cleaner for pet hair examples of this type of smart technology in action. It also features a chic clean base that fills the trash bin automatically so that you don't have to.

In our testing, we set up this robotic cleaner in a huge home and were impressed with how quickly and thoroughly floors were cleaned without becoming a mess. It is very maneuverable and can reach places that stand-up vacuums can't, such as under couches and under beds. It has a 500ml dustbin, great suction and a running time of more than two hours. However, it isn't equipped with the ability to create no-go zones in the app and its detection of objects is somewhat erratic which means that we saw it bump into things occasionally during our tests (resulting in a few toppled vases).

It's important to keep it in mind that, regardless of how intelligent a robot vacuum is it isn't going to replace your upright or canister vacuum. It's not equipped to clean carpets with a lot of dirt. It won't reach ceilings or other difficult-to-reach areas. However, to keep your floors clear of pet hair, crumbs and other particles it's an excellent addition to your cleaning routine.

Most robot vacuums have sensor systems that help them navigate through obstacles and steps. They can tell the moment they're about to fall down the stairs, for instance, best robot vacuum cleaner for pet hair and can also recognize messy spaces and maneuver around them. If you're not careful your robo-cleaner may become stuck on a cord, shoe or another object.

Some robot vacuums are equipped with mapping capabilities that allow them to make an accurate floor plan of your home and pinpoint themselves. This lets them know which areas they've cleaned before and avoid spending time cleaning the same areas. This allows them to continue where they left off, should they need to return to the charging dock.

Self-Emptying

A robot vacuum that automatically empty its bin after it is full is an excellent convenience. Some models even have a window to let you know when the bin has to be emptied. This is an excellent option for anyone with pets or children who tend to make more mess than adults.

Most robot vacuums let you choose whether the machine is controlled by an app, a remote on your smartphone or voice commands. They also come with a variety of digital features, such as maintenance and scheduling. You can program your robot to clean your house on an annual or a regularly, using the right settings. You can also program it to map and clean certain areas of your house.

Some of the most intelligent robot vacuums we've tested are equipped with built-in cameras and smart sensor technology that allows them to create maps of your home. These maps can be saved to the robot's application so that you can easily navigate to specific rooms or areas of your home. Some of these systems can even keep track of the furniture's placement and transitions between hard floors and carpet.

The best smart vacuums can save you time by automatically mapping and cleaning entire homes and keeping precise records of previous cleaning sessions. You can access the records via an app that you can install on your tablet or smartphone. Most can also connect to your smart speaker so you can control them with voice commands.

TP-Link Tapo RV30+ is a self-emptying robot that offers outstanding performance for a reasonable cost. It can clean hardwood floors and low-pile carpets, and remove pet hair and other messes. It's not as advanced as some of the other robots we've reviewed, however, it does what does very well.

The tank-like wheels on this model allow it to glide across the gaps between rooms and obstacles such as tangled cords for devices that can cause problems for other robots. It has a large bin that does not need to be empty manually and it can charge itself and restart cleaning when it's running out of power. It's more expensive than other robotic vacuums we've tried, but it combines powerful suction and easy controls to provide excellent 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 can be controlled by voice commands through smart speakers, such as Amazon Echo or Google Home. This can be helpful when you have children or pets who could hinder your cleaning session or if you're exhausted to manage the robot manually.

The majority of models come with an automatic mode which works without your input. The robot can be started by pressing a button on the app or on the robot. They can also be programmed to clean up on a regular basis and is perfect for those who wish to set it and forget it.

Some of the more expensive models come with an advanced feature that uses artificial intelligence to scan your home and detect obstacles. These models can identify things like power cords, stairs and furniture, and even identify different types of floors. This helps them avoid these hazards which is particularly useful in homes with a lot of rugs and other flooring coverings that are difficult for robots to navigate.

Some robots come with less basic abilities for object detection however they still manage to accomplish the task. The TP-Link Tapo RV30 Plus, for example is similar to an internet router, but has the performance of a premium bot. It has excellent suction and can handle dirt and debris on hardwood floors and rugs with medium pile effortlessly. Its squat, short side brushes are less likely to become tangled in stray shoes and cords and its hybrid roller brush makes use of bristles and plastic, rather than the traditional bristle brush to provide a more thorough cleaning.

The model is more expensive than other models in the middle-end but it has everything you would expect from mop and vacuum robots. It can create and map a cleaning schedule and has virtual keep-out zones and is compatible with voice assistants. It doesn't have the same room-scanning and obstacle avoidance as the j7 or s8.