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How to Choose the Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner

Robot vacuums will save you time and effort when it comes to cleaning. The best ones are adept at cleaning up dust light debris, cords and dust.

The more expensive ones will even sweep your floor, but they can't climb up the stairs. Find models that feature intelligent mapping, real-time hazard avoidance, and spacious self-emptying bins.

Best Overall

The best robots we tested were efficient, easy-to-use and able to keep up with daily debris. You'll also want a robot that can take on stairs and that has decent cleaning power for carpets. If you're looking for a model that has additional features, you should consider one that comes with smart mapping technology, or an app to control it remotely.

Camryn Rabideau is a contributing reviewer and writer for shopping at PEOPLE who has tested many robotic vacuums. She's a fan of the robotic vacuums that offer the greatest convenience, such as self-emptying bins and charging docks that automatically empty and refill the water tanks used by mopping robots. She's also a big fan of the robots that are able to recognize landmarks like furniture legs and power cords, so they don't get tripped up when climbing stairs.

Compared with the top-rated models this Black and Decker vacuum isn't as advanced in its object-avoidance capabilities and its navigation score is lower. However, it does have an ample dust bin that doesn't need frequent emptying, and has a long battery life. It also comes with a feature which allows you to schedule cleaning sessions, and then return to the place it stopped at the last point, making it easier to cover larger spaces. This model is a great choice for pet owners, since it is able to avoid the tangles of fur and food particles.

In our tests, the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra combines an LIDAR sensor that maps rooms and detect obstacles, with a structured light sensor that can identify objects and detect edges. This combination lets it avoid stairs, droplets of liquid and furniture legs with ease and save up to four floor maps for future use. It can also pause the cleaning process at any point and resume where it left off so that you can complete chores while the robot works. The included app offers a 3D representation of your home, room cleaning robot labels and advanced cleaning options.

This model isn't as effective at cleaning as our top models, however it excels in removing heavier objects like orzo pasta, metal screws, and fine particles such as sand. The only drawback is that it can't mop and has a less effective navigation system.

Best for Carpet

If you have carpeting in your home, search for a robot vacuum with excellent pickup and good maneuverability scores on carpet and rug. Many models are good at cleaning dust from low-pile carpets, and some are capable of picking up heavier debris like orzo pasta and screws made of metal. They can't take in fine particles like an upright or canister, and they may be unable to pick up dirt close to thresholds or baseboards.

For most carpeted homes, a 2-in-1 robot mop/vacuum is the best option. It is possible to swap out an empty bin for a moist mopping mat. The Roborock Q Revo, for example, vacuums and mops wet with circular pads that spin at a rate of 200 rotations per minute. It automatically detects and lifts the pads when it encounters carpet, preventing it from soaking the floor, and you don't need to remove or replace them after every use. The Q Revo is also superior to other robot vacuums and mops in keeping away from obstacles such as rugs and thresholds and staying clear of obstacles.

Another option that is worth considering is the iRobot Roomba Combo i5, which performed very well in our tests and can be scheduled using the app to clean when you're away from home. It can be set up to only mop. We loved its navigation on floors that are not bare as well as rugs. The Combo i5 has a long runtime and excellent path-planning for a device of this size.

If you want a more advanced model, look into the Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 Self-Empty Robot Vacuum & Mop. It has a huge charging dock that can run for several weeks without having to be empty and boasts amazing navigation capabilities and auto-emptying on both bare floors and carpets. It also has an intelligent mapping system that can be programmed to be operational during certain times of the day (a useful feature that can keep children and pets who are prone to mischief from causing chaos). The Shark has less suction power than other robot vacuum/mop combos but it's good at picking up hair and pet hair and is the best value of our top robot vacuum cleaner choices.

Best for Hard Floors

Robot vacuums are ideal for floors made of hardwood, since they can maneuver through obstacles with ease without causing damage the surfaces that are not. They do an excellent job of picking up dust and crumbs, however they struggle with pet hair and larger debris. They also lack the suction power of a high-end upright or canister vacuum, so they're not an ideal option for rooms with carpets or upholstery that needs deep cleaning.

The most effective two-in-one robots incorporate mopping and vacuum and take care of an entire task in one sweep. Find models that have an onboard sensor that detects any changes in the flooring and adjust suction in line with the changes. This feature is available on the ECOVACS Deebot T9+ and allows it to effortlessly switch from hard carpeting to soft carpeting.

If your home is mostly composed of hardwood floors, you should consider an automated vacuum and mop combo like the Eufy S1 Pro. This model uses a powerful robot vacuum with intelligent navigation to clean hardwood and other hard surfaces, and it has the ability to mop as well. Its sensors allow it to avoid hazards such as stairs.

The Eufy S1 Pro mop is designed to wash hardwood floors using downward pressure, instead of simply swab them to get rid of dust and dirt. The pads that are reusable reduce waste and help to spread less germs. They can also be cleaned at the docking stations to save time. They are also able to be dried, washed and used again.

The robovac is controlled via your smartphone, making it easier to use. You can, for example make use of the app to create no-go zones that the remote vacuum cleaner won't enter, label different rooms and schedule specific cleaning sessions. The eufy S1 Pro has an auto-emptying port that collects debris through trapdoors and then puts it in a bag-less or disposable bin. This means that you won't have to empty the bin manually as often as you do with other models.

Ideal for small Spaces

As the name implies that these robots are to be used in small areas. They have smaller bins that can hold less waste, and they're more efficient than larger models when it comes to navigating tight corners. They can also fit underneath furniture where larger robots aren't able to reach. They are also less expensive than higher-end models, however you will have to empty their dirt compartments manually at the end of each cleaning session.

A few years back robotic vacuum cleaners vacuums experienced an important change. Manufacturers began to add sensors that helped them avoid household items that traditional sensors could be stuck on or across. These improvements reduced the number times our testers were required to clean up after a Robot vacuum cleaner best snag.

The new sensors haven't eliminated all the problems with these devices, however. The lower-end models are not able to tackle the same obstacles as the older models, and require some level of illumination to be able to know where they are going. If you live in a dark house or have a lot of furniture with low-profiles, consider getting one that uses a top-mounted spinning LIDAR unit to map your area, like our best overall and runner-up picks do. This will allow them to stay clear of stairs and other obstacles while working in the dark.

In addition being capable of working in the dark and in the dark, these models can be programmed to use their cliff sensors only on or near the floor, not when they're above them. It's important to cover mirrors in order to stop this from happening. The lasers used by LIDAR-based models may bounce off reflective surfaces, causing the robot to think it's in a different space.

Some of the models we recommend let you create virtual no-go areas for areas you don't want the robot to visit. This can be helpful when you have pets or small children. These features aren't offered on all the models we test so make sure to go through our complete reviews of the choices below before you make a purchase.