The Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner
Robot vacuums can make the chore of vacuuming a bit less painful. Today's models also mop and can even climb (small) stairs.
They have a small dustbin which they empty themselves and some are operated by a smartphone app instead of a physical remote. Some of them have mapping capabilities that aid in navigating your home more efficiently.
1. Power
With the suction power of 8,000Pa Our top pick for robot vacuums is powerful enough to handle the worst dirt patches and hairs. The ultra-thin design of the square allows it to slide under furniture, such as beds and sofas and its Dual-Laser LIDAR technology provides precise navigation and obstacle avoidance. It's also great at cleaning pet hair, baking powder and other messes around corners and baseboards.
Other powerful robots in this list apart from the DEEBOT X2 OMNI, are the iRobot Roomba J7+ as well as the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra. The latter comes bundled with a robust docking station that is able to perform maintenance and has mopping functionality as well. Its powerful suction and efficient mopping made sure my floors were free of pet hair, muddy paw prints, and other debris during every floor type test we ran.
In the lower price range, a unit that has 2,500Pa of suction is sufficient for the majority of homes. They are also quieter, which makes them the ideal choice for people with sensitive hearing. They're still not silent, but they're only as loud as normal conversations at home.
Consider your budget and cleaning requirements to find the perfect combination of power and convenience. A regular light-duty cleaning schedule requires longer runtime and lower suction, while weekly high-volume cleaning requires a lot of power. Assess your flooring, layout of your home, and cleaning schedules before choosing the right model. Check out our complete list of robot vacuum ratings and reviews for more details about the most current models. Many users have reported seeing their carpets and bare floors appear cleaner after introducing a robotic vacuum into their home.
2. Navigation
A robot vacuum can't do its job if it does not know how to navigate around your home. This is why the best robots rely on sophisticated navigation systems that consistently scans rooms and creates an outline map to ensure thorough cleaning without being lost or hitting obstacles. There are three main types of robot navigation: LiDAR-based sensor-based, and camera-based.
LiDAR is employed by the most expensive models to create a virtual space map, which provides the highest levels of accuracy and efficiency. Bump sensors are employed in lower-end models, however they aren't always accurate and miss a lot of debris when working in dark areas. Most robots come with cliff sensors, which prevent them from falling off stairs or other drops.
A number of the robots I tested utilized object recognition to navigate around things such as cords and fake dog turds. But the Eufy X10 was the best. It had superb mapping capabilities, powerful oscillating mops, an easy-to-use app, and the ability to clean a specific zone, room or whole house.
Other features worth looking into include sensors for floors that can recognize hard floors and soft carpet automatically increasing suction power when necessary. Some robots, such as the Roborock mop utilize mopping pads lift to reach into corners and clean dried spills. Many hybrids can apply cleaning solution on staining that is difficult to remove.
A smaller dustbin will require less frequent emptying, while larger ones will save money on replacements. The cheapest robotic cleaners typically utilize a small 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 will self-empty and refill their water tank for hands-free convenience.
3. App control
The majority of robot vacuums have an app to monitor cleaning progress and schedule sessions. They also connect to smart home devices. A lot of robot vacuums can be controlled via voice using Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Certain models come with an on-screen remote that lets you start, pause, and return to dock. Look for a model with a bigger dustbin that can self-empty, rather than one that requires manual emptying.
Some robovacs have mapping technology that helps them avoid obstacles such as stairs and furniture. Others allow you to create no-go zones or specific rooms, so that they only clean the areas that need it most. They also have cliff sensors to prevent them from falling down the staircase, which is particularly helpful in multi-level homes.
If you plan to make use of your robot vacuum to clean carpets, select one that can be used both for wet and dry mopping. You'll be able to get better cleaning results by having your robot vacuum also remove its mop pad. Rinse it and then attach it again when you are ready to conduct a clean-up cycle. Also, look for a model that has a rubber roller that is less prone to tangles due to pet hair and other debris than a bristle roll like those found on smaller models. It's a good idea to inspect the robot's brushroll as well as side brushes for debris stuck on once or twice a week as well. If you notice that they're beginning to get clogged up it could be time to replace parts.
4. Collection of debris
As the name suggests robot vacuums are created to remove dust and other debris from your floors. The best robot vacuum s can collect tiny particles, such as baking soda and sand, as well as larger ones like metal screws, orzo, and pet hair. They also deliver better results on low pile carpets than manual vacuums.
In all flooring types, the top performing robots had pick-up scores of greater than 95 95%. The ECOVACS DEEBOT X2 OMNI and the Roborock Q Revo were our two most efficient bots in this class. Both are highly automated with robust docking stations that can perform maintenance on their own and app features that make them extremely user-friendly.
Both have self-emptying bins that automatically empty the wastebasket. They also have the ability to clean the washboards as they mow. They also feature 8,000Pa suction, smart mapping technology, and advanced obstacle avoidance that helps them navigate even the most difficult of spaces. The ECOVACS model is also the only robots we tested that can remove its mop pads and vacuum carpet, which makes it the best choice for those who have to change between mopping and vacuuming regularly.
If you want a cheaper option, we suggest the iRobot Roomba Combo J7+, our budget-friendly pick. It comes with LIDAR navigation and decent performance in the field of debris pickup for the price. It is slow when it comes to mapping rooms and is susceptible to hitting obstacles, but it is lower than the other choices.
5. Battery life
The most effective robot vacuums are designed to let you go on with your life while keeping your floors looking spick and span. It is still necessary to manually clean your home every so often, but robovacs will assist you in maintaining a minimum standard of cleanliness, and even clean when you are away.
Look for a robovac with a long-lasting battery to get the most of it. A good rule of thumb is to expect a model to last for around two full cleaning sessions if you run it at the highest power setting. This is not as long as a full-sized vacuum cleaner, but it will be sufficient to be sufficient for most homes. If you don't want to wait while your robovac charges you can select one that automatically returns to the base station to charge.
If you're looking to buy a robovac with a variety of features in it, then think about one that is able to mop. Eufy's X10, the best model of this category, offers self-emptying and self-refilling for the dust bin, the water tank, and the mop pad. It can even be programmed to automatically re-fill and wash mops when they're empty.
Its respectable carpet and hard floor pick up as well as its excellent hair pickup and tangle-free, and a close to perfect auto empty scores make it the clear winner of our test scores. It's not cheap and unless you have the space of a small home with no pets, it could be too expensive for some. The Dreametech D10+ is the second choice and has the same performance, but is priced around 25% less.