The Ultimate Guide To Robot Vacuum

The Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner

Robot vacuums can make the chore of vacuuming less painful. Modern models can also mop, and climb (small) steps.

Some have a small trash bin that they empty by themselves. Others are controlled with an app on your smartphone instead of the physical remote. Some come with mapping features to aid in navigation.

1. Power

With an impressive 8,000Pa of suction, our top pick for robot vacuums is durable enough to handle the worst hairs and dirt. Its ultra-thin square design allows it to slide underneath furniture such as beds and sofas and its Dual-Laser LiDAR technology allows for precise navigation and obstacle avoidance. It's also great at cleaning baking powder, pet hair and other messes around baseboards and corners.

In addition to the DEEBOT X2 OMNI bot, other high-powered bots on this list include the iRobot Roomba J7+ and the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra. The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra has docking stations that automatically handles maintenance. It also comes with mopping capabilities. Its powerful suction system, along with its effective mopping, ensured my floors were free of pet hair, muddy prints and other debris on every type of floor we test.

A model that has 2500Pa suction should be sufficient for the majority of homes in the lower price range. They are also quieter, which makes them a better choice for people who have sensitive hearing. They're still not quiet, but they're just about the same as a normal conversation at home.

Consider your budget and cleaning requirements to determine the best combination of power and efficiency. Frequent light-duty tidying requires a longer runtime and a lower suction, while weekly heavy-duty cleaning demands maximum power. Then assess your flooring, layout of your home, and cleaning schedules to choose the right model for your needs. We suggest looking through our full list of robot vacuum reviews and ratings for more information on the latest models available. Many customers report that their carpets and floors look cleaner after using a robot automatic vacuum and mop robot.

2. Navigation

A robot vacuum won't be able to do its job well if it doesn't know how to navigate around your home. The best robots use sophisticated navigation technologies to scan rooms and create a map, ensuring thorough cleaning without getting stuck or hitting obstacles. There are three types of robot navigation: LiDAR, camera and sensor.

The most expensive models employ LiDAR to create a digital map of the room. This model offers the highest level of accuracy and efficiency. Less expensive models depend on bump sensors, which can be more inaccurate and are more likely to miss many debris in dark spaces. Many robots also have cliff sensors to prevent them from falling down stairs or other falls.

Many of the robots I tested utilized object recognition to efficiently navigate around things such as fake cords and dog turds, but the most effective was the Eufy X10. It was equipped with powerful oscillating mop heads, a user friendly app and a superb mapping capability.

Other features worth a look include floor type sensors that can detect carpets that are hard and soft, automatically boosting suction power when necessary. Some robots, such as the Roborock mops, use a mopping pad lift to reach corners and eliminate dried spills. Many hybrids can apply cleaning solution to stubborn stains.

A smaller bin means less frequent emptying, however, a larger one can save you money on replacements. The cheapest robotic cleaners usually employ a tiny disposable dust bag, while most mid-range models have larger 3L dustbins that can last for ages. Certain high-end robots, such as the EcoVACS DEEBOT OMNI station, will automatically empty their bins and fill their water tanks to provide convenience without hands.

3. App control

The top robot vacuums have an app that lets you monitor cleaning progress and schedule sessions and can connect to your smart home devices for hands-free control. Most also can sync with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for control via voice. Some have a dedicated remote control that allows you to start, pause and return to dock. Select a model with a larger dustbin and can self-empty, rather than one that needs manual emptying.

Certain robovacs have mapping technology that helps them remember obstacles, such as stairs, and avoid getting into furniture. Certain robovacs permit you to designate no-go zones and specific rooms so that they only clean areas that require it the most. They also have a cliff detector to prevent them from falling, which is beneficial in multi-level homes.

If you are planning to utilize your robot vacuum to clean your rugs, opt for one that can perform both dry mopping and wet. You'll be able to get better results from a robot vac that can remove its own mop pad, too, which you can then wash and reattach when it's time for another cleaning cycle. Look for robots with the rubber roller. This is less likely to become tangled from pet hair or other debris. It's recommended to inspect the robot's brushroll as well as side brushes for debris that has gotten stuck every once or twice per week, too. If you notice that they're beginning to clog, it might be time to buy replacement parts.

4. Collection of debris

As the name implies robot vacuums are made to remove dust and other debris from your floors. The best robot vacuums can collect tiny particles, such as baking soda and sand and larger ones like metal screws, orzo, and pet hair. They also provide better results on low pile carpets than many manual vacuums.

The top-performing robots across all flooring types had a pickup score over 95 percent. The two top-performing robots in this category were the ECOVACS DEEBOT X2 OMNI and the Roborock Q Revo. Both are highly automated and feature robust docking stations that do maintenance on their own, and app features that make them incredibly user-friendly.

Both have self-emptying bins that take the contents of the wastebasket, and clean the washboard while mowing. They also feature 8,000Pa suction, smart mapping technology, and advanced obstacle avoidance that can help them navigate even the most difficult spaces. The ECOVACS robot is among the few that can clean carpet and remove the mop pads. This makes it a perfect option for people who need to switch between mopping and vacuuming frequently.

If you want a cheaper option, we recommend the Roomba Combo J7 from iRobot+, our budget-friendly pick. It features LIDAR navigation and decent debris pickup capabilities for the price. It's a bit slow to map out rooms and can be prone to hitting obstacles but it's less expensive than our other top choices.

5. Battery life

The best robot vacuum cleaners best vacuums are designed to let you move to work while they keep your floors in tip-top span. While you'll still have to give your home a manual sweeping every now and again Robotic vacuums can help maintain a standard of tidiness and even clean even when you're away.

Look for a robovac with long-lasting batteries to get the most of it. A good rule of thumb is to expect a model to last for around two cleaning sessions if you use it on the highest power setting. This is smaller than a larger vacuum but should be sufficient to clean most homes. If you don't want to sit around waiting for your robovac is charging, you can also select one that will automatically make its return to the base station to recharge.

If you are looking for a robovac that does a bit of everything, think about an all-in-one model that is able to mop as well. Eufy's X10 is the top model in this class and includes self-emptying, self-draining and self-refilling of the dust bin, water tank and mop pad. It can be programmed to refill and wash its mops as soon as they run out.

Its dependable carpet and hard floor pick-up as well as its excellent hair pickup and tangle-free, and a close to perfect auto empty scores make it the clear winner of our test scores. It's expensive and, unless you live in a an apartment that is small and has no pets, it could be too costly for some. The Dreametech D10+ is the second choice and has the same performance, but costs around 25 percent less.