The Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner
Vacuuming is a major cause of a lot of people's lives However, robot vacuums make it a little easier. Modern models mop and can even climb (small) stairs.
Some have a smaller bin that they empty on their own. Others can be controlled via an app on your smartphone instead of the physical remote. Some of them have mapping capabilities that aid in navigating your home with greater efficiency.
- Power
With an impressive 8,000Pa of suction Our top pick for robot vacuums is durable enough to handle the worst hairs and dirt. The ultra-thin design of the square allows it to slide underneath furniture like sofas and beds and its Dual-Laser LiDAR technology supports intelligent navigation and accurate obstacle avoidance. It is also great at cleaning baking powder, pet hair, and other debris near corners and baseboards.
Apart from the DEEBOT X2 OMNI, other top-of-the-line bots on this list include the Robot Roomba J7+ and the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra. The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra comes with a docking station which automatically performs maintenance. It also comes with mopping capabilities. Its powerful suction system, along with its effective mopping, ensured my floors were free of pet hair, muddy prints and other messes on all floors we tested.
In the lower price range, a unit with around 2,500Pa of suction is more than enough for the majority of homes. They are also quieter and, therefore, a better choice for those who have sensitive ears. These units are not silent but they're not as loud as normal conversations at home.
To get the most effective mix of performance and convenience, consider your cleaning needs and budget. For light-duty cleaning that is frequent you will require a longer time-to-run and less suction is needed. Cleaning that is heavy-duty every week requires maximum power. Consider your flooring, layout of your home, and cleaning schedules to select the best model for your requirements. We recommend checking out our entire list of robot vacuum reviews and ratings to get more information on the latest models available. Many users report that their carpets and floors look cleaner after using a robot vacuum.
- Navigation
A robot vacuum cannot do its job without knowing how to navigate around your home. The best robots use sophisticated navigation technologies to scan rooms and create an outline map, which allows for thorough cleaning without getting stuck or hitting obstacles. There are three types of robot navigation: LiDAR, camera and sensor.
LiDAR is employed by the most expensive models to create a virtual space map, which provides the highest levels of precision and efficiency. Cheaper models depend on bump sensors which can be more inaccurate and can miss many debris in dark spaces. Most robots also feature cliff sensors to stop them from falling down stairs or other drops.
Several robots in my tests employed object recognition to skillfully navigate around things such as fake cords and dog turds, but the most effective was the Eufy X10. It had excellent mapping capabilities with powerful oscillating mops, an easy-to-use app, and the ability to clean a specific zones, rooms or even the entire home.
Other features worth considering include floor type sensors that recognize carpets that are hard and soft and automatically boost suction power when needed. Some robots, such as the Roborock mops, use a mopping pad lift to get into corners and tackle dried spills. Many hybrids are able to apply cleaning solutions to staining that is difficult to remove.
A smaller bin will require less frequent emptying, while larger ones will cost less to replace. The majority of low-cost robotic cleaners utilize the smallest disposable dust bag. However, robotvacuummops the majority of mid-range models come with larger 3L dustbins which last for a long time. Certain premium robots such as the EcoVACS DEEBOT OMNI Station can self-empty and fill up their water tank for hands-free convenience.
- App control
The top robot vacuums have an app that lets you monitor cleaning progress and schedule your sessions, and most can connect to your smart home devices for hands-free control. A lot of robot vacuums can be controlled using voice commands, such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Some have a remote control that lets you start the process, pause it and then return to dock. Look for a model with larger dustbins that self-empty, as opposed to one that requires manual emptying.
Some robovacs come with mapping technology that helps them recognize obstacles, such as staircases, and prevents them from getting into furniture. Certain robovacs permit you to define no-go zones and rooms to clean areas that require the most. They also come with cliff sensors to keep them from falling down stairs, which is particularly useful in multi-level homes.
If you are planning to utilize your robot vacuum to clean your rugs pick one that is capable of both dry mopping as well as wet. You'll get better cleaning results when your vacuum can also remove its mop pad. Rinse it, and then reattach it when you need to run a new cleaning cycle. Look for robots with the rubber roller. This is less likely to tangle from pet hair or other debris. It's a good idea to check the robot's brushroll and side brushes for debris stuck on every week or once, too. If you notice they are beginning to get clogged up, it may be time to replace parts.
- Debris collection
As the name implies, robot vacuums are designed to collect dust and debris from your floors. The most effective ones can pick fine particles such as baking soda and sand as larger pieces such as orzo pasta, screws made of metal, and pet hair. They also deliver better results on low pile carpets than manual vacuums.
The top-performing robots across all flooring types had pickup scores higher than 95 percent. The two top performers in this category were the ECOVACS DEEBOT X2 OMNI, and the Roborock Q Revo. Both are highly automated with docking stations that do maintenance on their own and app features which make them extremely user-friendly.
They both have self-emptying bins that eliminate the contents of the wastebasket. They also have the ability to clean the washboards as they mowing. They also have an 8,000Pa vacuum, intelligent mapping technology and advanced obstacle avoidance to help them navigate even the most difficult spaces. The ECOVACS robot is among the few that can vacuum carpet and remove the mop pads. This makes it a great option for people who need to switch between mopping and vacuuming regularly.
If you're looking for a less expensive option, we suggest the Roomba Combo J7 from iRobot+, our budget-friendly pick. It offers LIDAR navigation for reasonable prices and decent performance in the collection of debris. It's not the fastest to map out rooms and can be prone to hitting obstacles but it's less expensive than our other top-rated picks.
- Battery life
The best robot vacuums are designed to let you move to work while they keep your floors clean and spick and span. You'll still have to manually vacuum your home every so often however, robovacs can aid in maintaining a certain level of cleanliness, and will even keep your home clean when you're away.
To maximize the time you can use your robovac, make sure you choose an advancé with a long battery life. A good rule of thumb is to expect a robovac to last for around two cleaning sessions when you run it at the maximum power setting. This is smaller than a larger 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 to charge.
If you are looking for a robovac that does a little bit of everything, think about an all-in-one model that is able to mop as well. Eufy's X10 is the top model in this class and includes self-emptying, self-draining and self-refilling of the dust container, water tank and mop pad. It can even be programmed to automatically refill and wash mops when they're empty.
Its high-quality carpet and hard floor pick up excellent hair pickup, tangle avoidance, and close to perfect auto empty scores makes it the clear winner of our test scores. It's not cheap, however and unless you live in the smallest of homes without pets, it may be too expensive for some. The Dreametech D10+ is the second-placed model and offers the same performance, but costs around 25 percent less.