The Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner
Robot vacuums can make the task of vacuuming a little less painful. Modern models can mop, and climb (small) steps.
They have a small trash bin which they empty themselves and some of them can be operated by a smartphone app instead of an actual remote. Some models have mapping capabilities to help them navigate your home more efficiently.
1. Power
Our top pick for robotic vacuums comes with a suction force of 8000Pa, which is strong enough to get rid of even the most stubborn hairs and dirt. Its super-thin square design allows it to slide underneath furniture like sofas and beds and its Dual-Laser LIDAR technology supports intelligent navigation and accurate obstacle avoidance. It's also great for cleaning baking powder, pet hair and other messes around corners and baseboards.
Apart from the DEEBOT X2 OMNI bot, other powerful bots in this list include the IRobot Roomba J7+ and the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra. The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra includes docking station that automatically handles maintenance. It also comes with mopping capabilities. Its powerful suction and efficient mopping helped keep my floors clear of pet hair, muddy paw prints, and other debris throughout every floor type test we ran.
A model that has 2,500Pa suction will suffice for the majority of homes in the lower price range. They are also quieter and therefore a better option for those with sensitive ears. They're not silent but they're not about the same as normal conversations at home.
Consider your budget and cleaning needs to find the perfect combination of power and convenience. For frequent light-duty cleaning, a longer runtime with less suction is recommended. Weekly heavy-duty cleaning requires the most power. Then assess your flooring, layout of your home and cleaning schedules in order to choose the right model for your needs. Take a look at our comprehensive list of robot vacuum reviews and ratings for more details about the most current models. Many customers report that their carpets and bare floors appear cleaner after using a robot vacuum.
2. Navigation
A robot vacuum won't be able to do its job effectively without knowing how to navigate around your home. The most advanced robots utilize sophisticated navigation technologies to scan rooms and build maps, ensuring thorough cleaning without getting stuck or hitting obstacles. There are three major types of robot navigation: LiDAR-based, camera-based and sensor-based.
The most expensive models use LiDAR to build a virtual map of the room. This model offers the highest level of accuracy and efficiency. Bump sensors are used in lower-end models, however they can be inaccurate and miss a lot of debris when working in dark environments. Many robots also have cliff sensors to stop them from falling down stairs or other drops.
A variety of robots I tested used object recognition to deftly navigate objects such as fake cords and dog turds but the most effective was the Eufy X10. It had superb mapping capabilities and powerful oscillating mops that could be used as an easy-to-use app, and the ability to clean a specific area, room or the whole home.
Other features worth considering include sensors for floors that can recognize hard floors and soft carpet, automatically boosting suction power when required. robot vacuum cleaner , like the Roborock mops, use mopping pad lifts to get into corners and eliminate dried spills. Some hybrids even apply cleaning solution to stubborn stains.
A smaller size of the bin will mean less frequent emptying and a larger one will save you money on replacements. The cheapest robotic cleaners typically employ a tiny disposable dust bag, while most mid-range models have larger 3L dustbins that last for many years. Certain high-end robots, such as the ECOVACS DEEBOT OMNI station, can self-empty their dustbin and refill their water tanks to provide hands-free convenience.
3. App control
The best robot vacuums come with an application that lets you track cleaning progress and schedule sessions, and most can connect to smart home devices to allow hands-free control. A lot of robot vacuums can be controlled using voice commands, such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Some have a dedicated remote control that allows you to start, pause and return to dock. Find a model with a bigger dustbin that can self-empty, as opposed to one that requires manual emptying.
Some robovacs come with mapping technology that allows them to remember obstacles, such as the stairs, and also avoid hitting furniture. Others let you designate no-go zones and targeted rooms, so that they only clean the areas that require it the most. They also have cliff sensors to stop them from falling down stairs, which is particularly beneficial in multi-level homes.
If you want to use your robot vacuum for cleaning rugs, choose one that can be used both for dry and wet mopping. You'll get better cleaning results by having your robot vacuum also take off its mop pad. Clean it and attach it again when you are ready to run a new cleaning cycle. Also, look for a model that has a rubber roller that is less susceptible to knots caused by pet hair and other debris than a bristle roll like those found on less expensive models. It's a good idea examine the robot's brushroll and side brushes for stuck-on debris every week or once, too. If you notice they are starting to clog up it could 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 ones are able to pick small particles such as baking soda and sand as in larger pieces of metal screws, orzo pasta, and pet hair. They also provide better results on low pile carpets than many manual vacuums.
The top-performing robots across all flooring types had scores greater than 95 percent. The ECOVACS DEEBOT X2 OMNI and the Roborock Q Revo were two of our most efficient bots in this class. Both are highly automated, with docking stations that can do maintenance on their own and app features which make them extremely user-friendly.
They both come with self-emptying bins which 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 through even the most difficult spaces. The ECOVACS robot is among 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 want a cheaper alternative, we suggest the iRobot Roomba Kombo J7+, our budget-friendly pick. It has LIDAR navigation and decent performance in the field of debris pickup for the price. It can be a bit slow when it comes to mapping rooms and is susceptible to hitting obstacles, but it is less than the other choices.
5. Battery life
The most effective robot vacuums are made to let you get moving with your day while keeping your floors looking spick and clean. While you'll still need to give your home a manual vacuum every now and then, robovacs can help you maintain a standard of tidiness and even clean when you're away.
To maximize the time you can use your robovac, choose a model with excellent battery life. A good guideline is to expect a model to last for around two complete cleaning sessions if you run it at the highest power setting. This is smaller than a large vacuum but it should be sufficient to keep most homes clean. If you don't want to wait while your robovac recharges you can opt for an option that automatically returns to the base station for charging.
If you're looking for a robot that does a little amount of everything, you should consider an all-in-one model that is able to mop as well. robot hoover is the top model in this class and provides self-emptying, auto-draining and self-refilling of the dust container and mop pad. It is also programmable to automatically refill and wash its own mops when they're low.
The clear winner of our tests is the Dyson V810, due to its outstanding carpet and hard floor pickup, outstanding hair pickup, tangle-free performance, and an almost perfect auto empty score. It's not cheap, however and unless you live in an apartment with no pets, it could be too expensive for some. The second choice one, the Dreametech D10+, has the same performance, but costs about 25 percent less.