The Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner

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

They have a small trash bin that they empty themselves, and some can be operated by a smartphone app instead of a physical remote. Some of them have mapping capabilities that help them navigate your home with greater efficiency.

1. Power

With the suction power of 8,000Pa Our top pick for robot vacuums is strong enough to handle the worst hairs and dirt. The ultra-thin shape of the square allows it to slide underneath furniture such as couches and beds. Dual-Laser LIDAR technology provides accurate obstacle avoidance and intelligent navigation. It is also great at cleaning baking powder, pet hair, and other debris near baseboards and corners.

Apart from the DEEBOT X2 OMNI, other high-powered bots on this list include the IRobot Roomba j7+ and the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra. The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra comes with a docking station which automates maintenance. It also comes with mopping capabilities. Its powerful suction, coupled with its efficient mopping, kept my floors clean of pet hair, muddy prints and other debris on all floors we tested.

A model with 2500Pa suction should be sufficient for homes that are in the lower price range. They are also quieter, which makes them a better option for people who have sensitive hearing. They're not silent but they are only the same volume as conversations at home.

For the best mix of power and usability take into consideration your cleaning needs and budget. A regular light-duty cleaning schedule requires longer runtime and lower suction, whereas weekly heavy-duty cleaning demands maximum power. Then assess your flooring, layout of your home and cleaning schedules in order to choose the right model for your needs. We suggest looking through our entire list of robot vacuum reviews and ratings to get more information on the latest models available. Many customers report that their carpets and bare floor look cleaner after using a robot vacuum.

2. Navigation

A robot vacuum can't do its job effectively if it doesn't know how to get around your home. For this reason, the best robots rely on sophisticated navigation technology that reliably scans rooms and then creates maps to ensure thorough cleaning without getting lost or hitting obstacles. There are three major types of robot navigation: LiDAR-based camera-based and sensor-based.

The most expensive models employ LiDAR to create a virtual map of the room, offering the highest levels of accuracy and efficiency. Bump sensors are used in less expensive models, but they can be inaccurate and miss a lot debris when working in dark places. Most robots also feature cliff sensors to keep them from falling down stairs or other drops.

Several robots I tested used object recognition to navigate things such as cords and fake dog turds. However, the Eufy X10 was the best. It had powerful mop heads that oscillate and a user-friendly app with excellent mapping capabilities.

Other features worth looking into include floor type sensors that recognize carpets with soft and hard floors, automatically boosting suction power when required. Certain robots such as the Roborock mop make use of mopping pad lift that allows you to get into corners and clean dried spills. Many hybrids can even apply cleaning solutions to tough staining.

A smaller dustbin will mean less frequent emptying while a bigger one can save you money on replacements. Most low-cost robotic cleaners use a small, disposable dust bag. However, the majority of mid-range models come with larger 3L dustbins that last for a long time. Some of the top models, like the ECOVACS DEEBOT OMNI station, will self-empty their dustbin and refill their water tanks to provide hands-free convenience.

3. App control

The best robot vacuums come with an app that allows you to monitor cleaning progress and schedule sessions and can connect to your smart home devices to allow hands-free control. Many also connect to Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for control via voice. Certain models come with an on-screen remote that lets you start the process, pause it, and return to dock. Pick a model that comes with a larger trash bin and can self-empty instead of one that needs manual emptying.

Some robovacs have technology for mapping to help them avoid obstacles like stairs and furniture. Some allow you to set no-go zones or targeted rooms, ensuring that they only clean areas that require it the most. They also have cliff sensors to stop them from falling down stairs, which is especially helpful in multi-level homes.

If you intend to utilize your robot vacuum mop cleaner robot for cleaning rugs, choose a model which can be used for wet and dry mopping. You'll get better results with a robot vac that can remove its own mop pad, as well, which you can then rinse and reconnect when it's time to do another cleaning cycle. Also, look for a machine that has a rubber roller that is less prone to knots caused by pet hair and other debris than bristle rollers that is found on smaller models. Examine the robot's side brushes and brushroll for any debris that may have gotten stuck on. Make sure to do this at least twice per week. If you notice they are starting to clog up it could be time to buy replacement parts.

4. Debris collection

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

The top-performing robots across all flooring types had a pickup score greater than 95%. The ECOVACS DEEBOT X2 OMNI and the Roborock Q Revo were our two best-performing bots in this category. Both are highly automated, equipped with docking stations that perform maintenance on their own, and apps that make them extremely user-friendly.

Both have self-emptying bins that automatically suck up the contents of the wastebasket, and clean the washboard while you mow. They also come with an 8,000Pa vacuum, smart mapping technology and advanced obstacle avoidance to help them navigate through even the most difficult areas. The ECOVACS robot is one of the few that can vacuum carpet and remove mop pads. This makes it an ideal choice for users who have to switch between mopping and vacuuming often.

If you're seeking a lower-cost option, check out the Roomba Combo J7 by iRobot Plus, our budget choice. It has LIDAR navigation and decent debris pickup performance for the price. It is slow in mapping rooms and is susceptible to bumping against obstacles, but the price is less than the other choices.

5. Battery life

The best robot hoover and mop vacuums let you get on with your day while keeping your floors in top in good robot vacuum condition. While you'll still have to give your home a manual vacuum every now and again, robovacs can help you keep a certain level of cleanliness, and even wash when you're away.

To maximize the amount of time you can get out of your robovac, look for a model with excellent battery life. A good rule of thumb is to expect a robovac to last about two full cleaning sessions when you run it at the maximum power setting. This is not as long as a full-sized automatic vacuum and mop robot cleaner, but it will be sufficient to cover most homes. If you don't wish to wait while your robovac charges you can select one that automatically returns to the base station to charge.

If you're looking to buy a robovac that has a little bit of everything in it, then consider one that is able to mop. Eufy's X10 is the most effective model in this category and includes self-emptying, self-draining and self-refilling of your dust bin and mop pad. It can also be programmed to automatically re-fill and wash mops when they're running low.

Its dependable carpet and hard floor pick-up as well as its excellent hair pickup and tangle-free, and a an almost perfect auto empty score makes it the clear winner of our test scores. It's not cheap, however and unless you live in the smallest of homes with no pets, it could be too pricey for some. The second choice one, the Dreametech D10+, has very similar performance but costs about 25% less.