Are Robot Vacuum Cleaner Best The Best Thing There Ever Was?

How to Choose the Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner

A robot vacuum will help you save time and hassle in the case of regular touch-ups. The best models do a great job picking up dust and lightweight debris, and most allow you to create no-go zones for pets or power cords.

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

Best Overall

The top robots we tested were reliable, user-friendly and able to cope with the daily messes. You'll need a model with adequate carpet-picking capabilities and the ability to handle stairs. If you're looking for additional features, you might be interested in a robot equipped with smart mapping technology or an app that lets you control it remotely.

Camryn Rabideau, a contributing shopping writer for PEOPLE and a product reviewer who has tried dozens robotic vacuums, is credited with testing dozens of robot vacuums. She's a fan of the robotic vacuums that offer the greatest convenience, such as self-emptying dustbins and charging docks that automatically empty and fill the water tanks used by mopping robots. She's also a fan of robots that recognize landmarks such as furniture legs and power cords, so they don't get caught when climbing the stairs.

This Black and Decker robot has a lower score for navigation and has less object-avoidance technology than the top-rated models. It does however have an enormous dust bin that doesn't require frequent emptying, and has a long battery life. It also comes with an option that allows you to schedule cleaning sessions and then return to where it stopped last, making it easier for you to cover larger spaces. This model is also a good 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 maps rooms and detect obstacles, with an organized light sensor to identify objects and detect edges. The combination allows it to avoid stairs, droplets of liquid, and furniture legs easily and save up to four floor maps to be used in the future for reference. It can also pause the cleaning process at any point and resume where it left off, so you can do chores while the robot does its work. The app includes an interactive 3D model of your home with room cleaning robot labels and advanced cleaning options.

While this robot can't clean as well as our top robot vacuum cleaner-rated models, it is superior in removing small particles such as baking soda and sand and heavier items, such as orzo pasta and metal screws. Its only downsides are that it cannot mop, and its navigation system is less impressive.

The best option for Carpet

If you have carpeting, pick an automatic vacuum that scores high for carpet and rug maneuverability and pickup. Many models do a good job of picking up dust that has been embedded in carpets with a low pile and a few are capable of sweeping up heavier debris like orzo pasta, metal screws, and pet hair. However, they can't handle fine particles as well as canister or upright vacuums and may also be unable to pick up dirt in the vicinity of baseboards and thresholds.

The best inexpensive robot vacuum option for carpeted areas is a 2-in-1 robot vacuum and mop that allows you to swap between the cleaning bin as well as mopping pad with damp. The Roborock Q Revo, for instance, vacuums and a mops wet with circular pads that rotate at a rate of 200 rotations per minute. It detects and lifts its pads when it comes into contact with carpet, which prevents the flooring from becoming wet. You don't need remove them or replace them each time. The Q Revo also performs better than other robot vacuums/mops when it comes to the absence of obstacles and in getting closer to carpets and thresholds.

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 your home when you're away from home. It can be set to only mop and we were impressed by 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 very long runtime and great path planning for a device of this size.

If you're looking to buy robot vacuum cleaner a high-tech vacuum, the Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum & Mop is a great alternative. It comes with a large dock that can last for weeks and not need to be cleaned. It also features impressive ability to navigate and auto-empty on carpets and bare floors. It's also got an intelligent mapping system that can be programmed to only operate at certain times of the day (a useful feature to keep the sly kids and pets from running it amuck). The Shark has less suction power than other mop/budget robot vacuum combos, but its still very good at picking up hair and pet hair. It is the best value among our top picks.

Best for Hard Floors

Robot vacuums are a great choice for hardwood floors as they can easily maneuver around obstacles without damaging bare surfaces. They are capable of removing dust and crumbs, but they struggle with pet hair and other larger particles. They lack the suction power of an expensive upright or canister vacuum, which is why they're not an ideal choice for carpeted rooms or upholstery that requires deep cleaning.

The most effective robots are two-in-one, which combine mop and vacuum to do a complete job in one go. If you have floors that are mixed choose models with an onboard sensor which detects changes in the floor's texture and adjusts suction accordingly. The ECOVACS DEEBOT T9+, for example, has this feature and can move effortlessly from hard to soft carpeting.

If you have a lot of hardwood flooring in your home you may want to consider a robotic mop and vacuum combo like the Eufy S1 Pro. This model uses an efficient robot vacuum cleaner top 10 vacuum with intelligent navigation to clean hardwood and other hard surfaces, and it has the ability to mop as well. Its sensors let it stay clear of hazards like stairs.

The eufy S1 Pro mop is designed to clean hardwood floors using downward pressure, not simply swab them to get rid of dust and dirt. Its reusable mop pads reduce the amount of waste and make it less likely to spread germs, and can be cleaned in the docking station to save you time. The mops are also able to be washed, dried and reused.

The robovac can be controlled by your smartphone, making it easier to use. For instance, you can utilize the app to create zones that the vacuum won't enter, label different rooms or schedule specific cleaning times. The Eufy S1 Pro also has an auto-emptying dock that sucks debris through a trapdoor and puts it in a disposable or bagless bin, which means you don't need to empty the bin manually every time as you would with other models.

Ideal for small Spaces

These robots are made for small spaces. They have smaller bins, that can store less debris. They are also more efficient in maneuvering around tight corners as opposed to larger models. They can also fit under furniture, where the larger robots struggle to get in. They are generally less expensive than the more expensive models, however, you'll need to empty their dirt compartments at the end of each cleaning session.

A few years ago, robot vacuums underwent a significant change as manufacturers began adding sensors to help them navigate and avoid household objects that their traditional sensors would become stuck on or over. These advances reduced the number of times our testers had to clean up after a robotic snag, whether it was an electrical cord, toy or pet waste.

The new sensors aren't completely eliminating all the problems with these machines however. The cheapest models still struggle with the same obstacles that the older ones did and most require a certain amount light to be able see where they're headed. You should consider one that has a spinning LIDAR unit placed on top of the model to create maps of the area. Our top overall model and the runners-up have this feature. This lets them avoid stairs and other barriers when working in darkness.

In addition being able to work in the dark they can also be set to use their cliff sensors only close to or on the floor, not when they're above them. You'll still want to shield any mirrors that might interfere with this function, though, as the laser used by a laser-based model could bounce off reflective surfaces and cause the robot to think it's in a different room.

Some of the models that we recommend allow you to create virtual no-go zones for areas you don't want the robot to go to. This is helpful when you have pets or children who are small. These features aren't on all models we test. Check out our complete reviews before deciding.