How to Choose the Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner
A robot vacuum will help you save time and hassle when it comes to regular touch-ups. The best models do a great job of removing dust and light debris and allow you to designate no-go zones in pet areas or power cords.
The most expensive models will even sweep your floor but they aren't able to climb stairs. Look for models with intelligent mapping, real-time hazards avoidance, and spacious self-emptying bins.
Best Overall
The top robots that we tested are efficient and user-friendly, and are able to cope with the everyday messes. It is also important to choose a model that can handle stairs and that has decent pick-up power on carpets. If you're looking for a model with additional features, think about an option that incorporates smart mapping technology, or an app to control it remotely.
Camryn Rabideau is a contributing shopping writer and product reviewer at PEOPLE who has tried many robotic vacuums. She prefers the ones with the most features such as ones that have self-emptying bins and charging stations that automatically empty and refill water tanks to mop robotic vacuums. She also likes robots that can recognize landmarks such as furniture legs and power cables, so they won't get tripped up when climbing stairs.
The Black and Decker model has a lower score on navigation and has less technology for avoiding objects than the best-rated models. However, it has an ample dust bin that doesn't need regular emptying and has a lengthy battery life. It also has an option that allows you to schedule cleaning sessions, and then return to the place it stopped last, making it easier to cover larger areas. This model is also a good option for pet owners since it is able to spot and eliminate hair tangled and fallen food particles.
In our tests, we observed that the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra combined with a LIDAR (light) sensor which can identify obstacles and map rooms by using a structured-light sensor to identify objects as well as detect edges. The combination allows it to avoid steps, drops of liquid, and furniture legs easily and save up to four floor maps for future reference. It can also stop the cleaning process at any point and pick up where it left off, so you can do chores while the robot works. The included app provides an interactive 3D model of your home, room labels and more advanced cleaning options.
The robot isn't as efficient in cleaning like our top models, however it is great in removing heavier objects 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 less impressive.
Best for Carpet
If you have carpeting, choose a robot vacuum with a high rating for rug and carpet ability to maneuver and pick up. Many models do a good job of removing dust that has been embedded in carpets with a low pile, and several do a decent job at picking up heavier debris such as orzo pasta, metal screws and pet hair. They don't pick-up fine particles like an upright or canister, and could miss dirt close to baseboards or thresholds.
The best option for carpeted homes is a two-in-one robot vacuum/mop. It lets you swap in an empty bin for cleaning and a damp mopping pad. 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 automatically detects and lifts the pads when it comes into contact with carpet to prevent wetting the floor, and you do not need to take them off or replace them after every use. The Q Revo is also superior to other robot vacuum/mops at avoiding obstacles and rugs, while also getting close to them and thresholds, and avoiding obstacles.
Another good option is the iRobot Roomba Combo i5, which performed very well in our tests and can be scheduled through the app to clean when you're away from home. It can also be set to only mop and we were impressed by its excellent navigation on rug and floor surfaces, as well as its ability to go over and up onto furniture. The Combo i5 has a long runtime and excellent path planning for an item of this size.
If you're looking for a more high-tech model, consider the Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 Self-Empty Robot Vacuum & Mop. It comes with a huge dock that can last for weeks without having to be empty. It also has impressive capability to auto-empty carpets and floors that are not cleaned. 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 children and pets who are prone to mischief from running it amuck). The Shark has less suction power than other robot vacuums and mops but it's effective in removing hair and pet hair and is the most affordable of our top choices.
Best for Hard Floors
Robot vacuums are the best choice for hardwood floors as they are able to easily maneuver around obstacles and not damage the floor's surface. They are fantastic at picking up dust and crumbs, but struggle with pet hair and larger debris. They don't have the suction power of a high-end upright or canister vacuum, so they're not the ideal choice for carpeted areas or upholstery that requires deep cleaning.
The best robots are two-in-one, which combine the power of a mop with a vacuum to do a complete job in one go. Look for a model that has an onboard sensor that can detect changes in the floor texture and adjust suction to match. simply click for source is available on the ECOVACS Deebot T9+ and lets it effortlessly transition from hard carpeting to soft carpeting.
If you have lots of hardwood floors in your home, you might want to think about a robotic mop and vacuum combo like the Eufy S1 Pro. This model is a powerful robotic vacuum with smart navigation that can clean hardwood floors and other surfaces. It can also mop. The sensors help it avoid the stairs and other hazards, so you don't have to worry about the robot falling down the stairs and damaging your hardwood.
The Eufy S1 Pro mop is designed to wash hardwood floors using downward pressure, rather than simply swab them to remove dirt and dust. The mop pads that are reusable reduce the amount of waste, and make it less likely to spread germs, and can be cleaned in the docking station to save your time. The mop pads can also be washed and dried to avoid spreading mold.
Both the robovac as well as the mop can be controlled by your smartphone to make it easier to manage the device. For instance, you can use the app to set up a no-go zone that the vacuum won't enter or label rooms separately, or schedule cleaning times for certain areas. The eufy S1 Pro has an auto-emptying port that collects debris through trapdoors and then puts it in a bagless or disposable bin. This means you don't need to empty the bin manually as often as other models.
Best for Small Spaces
As the name implies that these robots are suited for small spaces. They have smaller bins which can hold less garbage. They are also more efficient in moving around corners more efficiently over larger models. They can also fit underneath furniture that larger robots have difficulty reaching. They tend to be cheaper than the higher-end models as well, but you'll have to empty their dirt storage compartments at the end of each cleaning session.
A couple of years ago, robotic vacuums underwent a significant change when manufacturers started adding sensors to help them navigate and avoid household objects that their traditional sensors would get stuck on or run over. This improved the number of times our testers had to clean up after a robot incident.
The new sensors aren't completely eliminating all issues that these devices have, however. The lower-end models are not able to traverse the same obstacles as older models, and they need some level of illumination to know where they are moving. You should consider an option that incorporates a spinning LIDAR device that is mounted on top to trace the space. Our best overall models and runners-up models do this. This allows them to work in the dark and avoid obstacles like stairs.
In addition to being able to work in the dark and in the dark, these models can be programmed to use their cliff sensors only near or on the floor, not when they're above them. It is still recommended to cover any mirrors that could hinder this function, however, since 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 we recommend allow you to create virtual no-go zones for areas you don't want the robot to go, which can be useful if you have pets or children. These features aren't on all models we test. Check out our complete reviews before making your choice.