How to Choose the Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner
A robot vacuum will help you save time and effort when it comes to regular touch-ups. Top performers are good at cleaning up dust light debris, cords and dust.
The higher-end models even sweep your floors--though they still can't climb the stairs. Look for models with intelligent mapping, real-time hazard avoidance, and roomy self-emptying bins.
Best Overall
The best robots we tried were reliable, user-friendly, and able keep up with daily debris. You'll want a robot with decent carpet-picking power and the ability to handle stairs. If you're looking for a robot with additional features, think about a model that has smart mapping technology or an app that allows you to control it remotely.
Camryn Rabideau is a contributing shopping writer and product reviewer at PEOPLE who has tested numerous robotic vacuums. She's a fan of the robovacs that offer the most convenience, including self-emptying dustbins and charging docks that automatically empty and refill the water tanks used by mopping robots. She's also a fan of the robots that can detect landmarks such as furniture legs and power cords to ensure they don't get tripped up when climbing the stairs.
This robot from Black and Decker has a lower score for navigation and less object-avoidance tech than the most popular models. It does however have an ample dust bin that doesn't need frequent emptying and a long battery life. It also has the ability to schedule cleaning times and return to where it stopped last, making it easier to take care of larger areas. This model is also a great option for pet owners since it can spot and eliminate hair tangled and fallen food particles.
In our tests, the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra combines with a LIDAR sensor that is able to map rooms and identify obstacles using a structured light sensor to identify objects and detect edges. It is able to avoid liquid droplets, stairs, and furniture legs easily with this combination. It is also able to save up to four floor plans to be used in the future. It can also stop the cleaning process at any point and return to where it stopped and let you do chores while the robot works. The included app offers the 3D image of your home, room labels, and more advanced cleaning options.
This robot is not as effective at cleaning as our top models, however it excels at picking up heavier items like orzo pasta, metal screws, and even fine particles like sand. The only drawbacks are that it cannot mop and that its navigation system is a little less impressive.
Best for Carpet
If you have carpeting, choose one that has a high score for rug and carpet mobility and pickup. A lot of models are adept at picking up dust in low-pile rugs, and some can be quite effective in sweeping up heavier debris, such as orzo pasta and metal screws. However, they can't handle fine particles as well as canister or upright vacuums and can not pick up dirt that is ground-in close to baseboards and thresholds.
The best option for carpeted areas is a 2-in-1 robot vacuum/mop. It allows you to swap out an empty bin for cleaning and mopping pad with damp. The Roborock Q Revo is a 2-in-1 robot vacuum and mop that can clean and mop at the same time with circular pads spinning at 200 rotations a minute. It detects and lifts the pads when it encounters carpet, preventing it from soaking the floor. Additionally, you don't need to remove or replace them after every use. The Q Revo is also more efficient than other robot vacuum/mops in avoiding obstacles and being close to carpets and thresholds.
The iRobot Roomba Combo i5 is another option worth considering. It performed well in our tests and you can program it to sweep your home while you are away. It can be set to mop only and we loved its impressive navigation on both bare floors and rugs, as well as its ability to get over and up onto furniture. The Combo i5 also has a extremely long run time and a great path-planning feature for such a small device.
If you're looking for a advanced model, look into the Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 Self-Empty Robot Vacuum & Mop. It comes with a huge dock that can last for weeks and not need to be cleaned. It also has amazing ability to navigate and auto-empty on carpets and floors that are not cleaned. It also has a smart-mapping feature and can be programmed to operate at certain times of the day (a useful feature to keep children and pets who are prone to mischief from causing chaos). The Shark isn't as powerful as other mop/robot combination models however, it still picks hair and pet hair with a high degree of accuracy. It's also the highest value of our top choices.
Best for Hard Flooring
Robot vacuums are best for floors made of hardwood, since they can navigate around obstacles easily without damaging the surfaces that are not. They are excellent at of removing crumbs and dust, but they aren't able to handle pet hair and other larger particles. They don't have the suction of an upright or a top-quality canister vacuum, which makes them a poor choice for deep cleaning carpeted or upholstery areas.
The most effective robots are two-in-one, combining a vacuum with a mop to complete the task in one go. If you have mixed flooring you should look for one equipped with an onboard sensor that detects any changes in floor texture and adjusts suction to match. This feature is available on the ECOVACS Deebot T9+ and lets it effortlessly transition from hard carpeting to soft carpeting.
If you have a lot of hardwood flooring in your home, you may want to consider a robot mop and vacuum like the Eufy S1 Pro. This model features a powerful robotic vacuum that has smart navigation to clean hardwood and other hard surfaces, and it has the ability to mop as well. Its sensors assist it in avoiding the stairs and other hazards, so you don't have to worry about the bot plummeting down the stairs and breaking your hardwood.
When you need mops the Eufy S1 Pro is designed to actually wash hardwood floors with downward pressure, rather than wipe them to remove light dust and dirt. The mop pads that are reusable reduce the amount of waste and reduce the spread of germs and can be cleaned in the docking station, saving you time. The mops can also be washed and dried to prevent the spread of mold.
Both the robovac and mop are both controlled by your smartphone to make it easier to manage the device. For instance, you can make use of the app to create no-go zones where the vacuum cannot be allowed to enter, label different rooms or schedule specific cleaning times. The eufy S1 Pro also has an auto-emptying dock that collects debris through a trapdoor and stores it in a disposable or bagless bin, meaning you don't have to manually empty the bin every time as you would with other models.
Best for Small Spaces
As the name suggests that these robots are suited for small spaces. They have smaller bins that can hold less garbage, and are more efficient than larger models when it comes to navigating tight corners. They can also fit under furniture, where the larger robots are unable to reach. best robot floor cleaner tend to be cheaper than the pricier picks, however, you'll need to empty them manually from their dirt storage compartments at the end of each cleaning session.
A few years ago robot vacuums underwent a major change. Manufacturers began adding sensors that could help them navigate around and avoid household items that their traditional sensors could become stuck on or run across. These improvements reduced the number times that our testers were required to clean up after a robotic accident.
The new sensors haven't eliminated all the issues with these devices however. The cheaper models are still not able to traverse the same obstacles as older models, and they require some level of illumination to see where they are moving. You should consider one that has a spinning LIDAR unit placed on top of the model to trace the space. Our top models and runners-up models do this. This lets them avoid stairs and other barriers when working in darkness.
In addition being capable of working in dark, these models can be set to use their cliff sensors only on or near the floor, not when they're above them. It's essential to cover mirrors to prevent this from happening. The lasers used by LIDAR-based models may bounce off reflective surfaces, making the robot think it's in another room.
Some of the models we recommend will allow you to create virtual no-go areas for areas that you don't want the robot to visit. This can be helpful if you have pets or children who are small. Those features aren't available on all the models we've tested and recommend that you review our full reviews of the models below before you make a purchase.