The Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner
Robot vacuums can make the task of vacuuming a bit less painful. Today's models also mop and can even climb (small) stairs.
They have a tiny dustbin which they empty themselves and some are operated by a smartphone app instead of an actual remote. Some models have mapping capabilities to aid in navigating your home with greater efficiency.
1. Power
With 8,000Pa of suction power, our top pick for robot vacuums is powerful enough to handle the worst hairs and dirt. The ultra-thin design of the square allows it to slide beneath furniture such as beds and sofas, and its Dual-Laser LiDAR technology supports precise navigation and accurate obstacle avoidance. It also does an excellent job of cleaning pet hair baking soda, sand, and other debris near the baseboards as well as in corners.
Aside from the DEEBOT X2 OMNI, other powerful bots in this list include the IRobot Roomba J7+ as well as the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra. The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra has docking station that automates maintenance. It also comes with mopping capabilities. Its powerful suction and effective mopping kept my floors free of pet hair and muddy footprints and other debris throughout every flooring type test we conducted.
In the lower price range, a unit with a suction capacity of around 2,500Pa is sufficient for the majority of homes. These units are quieter and are therefore a better choice for those with sensitive ears. These units are not silent but they're not as loud as normal conversations at home.
Consider your budget and cleaning requirements to find the right combination of power and efficiency. For regular light-duty cleaning you will require a longer time-to-run and a lower suction is required. For heavy-duty cleaning, weekly runs require the maximum power. Consider your flooring, layout of your home and cleaning schedules in order to determine the best model to meet your needs. Take a look at our comprehensive list of robot vacuum reviews and ratings for more information about the latest models. Many users have reported that their carpets and bare floors appear cleaner after using a robotic vacuum.
2. Navigation
A robot vacuum isn't able to perform its task without knowing how to navigate around your home. Because of this, the most effective robots depend on sophisticated navigation systems that consistently scans rooms and then creates maps to ensure thorough cleaning without getting lost or hitting obstacles. There are three kinds of robot navigation including LiDAR, camera, and sensor.
The most expensive models employ LiDAR to create a virtual map of the room, delivering the highest levels of accuracy and efficiency. Cheaper models rely on bump sensors, which are more prone to error and are more likely to miss many debris in dark spaces. The majority of robots have cliff sensors to stop them from falling down stairs or other drops.
Several robots I tested used object recognition to navigate around things like fake dog turds. But the Eufy X10 was the best. It was a fantastic mapping device with powerful oscillating mops, a user-friendly app and the ability to clean a specific zones, rooms or even the all of the house.
Consider features such as sensors that detect floors that automatically boost suction power when required. Some robots, such as the Roborock mops, use a mopping pad lift to get into corners and clean up dried spills. Many hybrids can even apply cleaning solutions to stubborn staining.
A smaller bin will require less frequent emptying while bigger ones can save money on replacements. Most low-cost robotic cleaners use a small, disposable dust bag. However, the majority of middle-priced models have larger dustbins of 3L that last for a long period of time. Some of the top models, like the ECOVACS DEEBOT OMNI station, can self-empty their trash bins and refill their water tanks to provide hands-free convenience.
3. App control
The top robot vacuums have an application that lets you track cleaning progress and schedule sessions and connect to smart home devices for hands-free control. They also sync with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for control via voice. Some models have a separate remote control that lets you start, pause and return to dock. Find My Source with a bigger dustbin that can self-empty, rather than one that requires manual emptying.
Some robots are equipped with technology for mapping to help them avoid obstacles like stairs and furniture. Certain robovacs permit you to define no-go zones and rooms to clean those areas which need the most. They also have cliff sensor to stop them from falling, which is especially beneficial in multi-level homes.
If you intend to use your robot vacuum to clean your rugs pick a model that can do both dry mopping as well as wet. You'll have better results cleaning if your robot vacuum can remove its mop pad. Clean it and reattach it when you need to conduct a clean-up cycle. Also, look for a model that has a rubber roller that is less prone to tangles due to pet hair and other debris than a bristle roll that is found on less expensive models. It's a good idea inspect the robot's brushroll as well as side brushes for stuck-on debris once or twice a week, too. If you notice that they're starting to clog, it might be time to buy replacement parts.
4. Debris collection
As the name implies robot vacuums are created to collect dust and other debris from your floors. The best robot vacuums will collect tiny particles like baking soda and sand, and larger ones such as metal screws, orzo, and pet hair. They also have better pickup results on carpets with low piles than most manual vacuums.
Across all flooring types, the top robots had pickup scores of over 95 95%. Our two best-performing robots in this category were the ECOVACS DEEBOT X2 OMNI and the Roborock Q Revo. Both are highly automated, equipped with docking stations that perform maintenance on their own, and app features which make them extremely user-friendly.
They both have self-emptying bins that automatically collect the waste from the wastebasket, and clean the washboard while you mow. They also come with an 8,000Pa vacuum, intelligent mapping technology and advanced obstacle avoidance that helps them navigate even the most difficult areas. The ECOVACS model is also the only robots we tested that could remove its mop pads and vacuum carpet which makes it the ideal option for those who need to switch between vacuuming and mopping frequently.
If you want a cheaper option, we recommend the iRobot Roomba Combo J7+, our budget choice. It has LIDAR navigation and decent debris pickup performance for the price. It is slow at mapping out rooms and is susceptible to bumping into obstacles, but the cost is less than the other choices.
5. Battery life
The best robot vacuums are made 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 vacuum every now and then Robotic vacuums can help maintain a standard of cleanliness and even keep your home clean when you're away.
Choose a robovac that has long-lasting batteries to get the most use of it. A good rule of thumb is to expect a model to last about two complete cleaning sessions when you run it on the highest power setting. This is less than a full-sized vacuum cleaner, but it should be enough to cover most homes. If autonomous vacuum don't want to sit while your robovac charges you can select a model that automatically returns to the base station to charge.
If you're looking for a robovac with a variety of features in it, you should consider an option that also mop. Eufy's X10 is the most effective model of this category comes with self-emptying and self refilling for the dust bin and the water tank and mop pad. It can be programmed to automatically refill and wash its mop pads once they are out.
Its high-quality carpet and hard floor pickup as well as its excellent hair pickup and tangle-free, and a near-perfect auto empty score make it the clear winner of our test scores. It's expensive and unless you have the space of a small home with no pets, it might be too costly for some. The Dreametech D10+ is the second choice and has the same performance, but it costs 25 percent less.