The Unspoken Secrets Of Robot Vacuum Cleaner Best

How to Choose the Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner

A robot vacuum will save you lots of time and effort when it comes to regular touch-ups. The top rated robot vacuum models do a great job at removing dust and lightweight debris and allow you to create no-go zones for pet areas or power cords.

The higher-end models even sweep your floors--though they still can't climb the stairs. Find models that feature intelligent mapping, real-time hazards avoidance, and roomy self-emptying bins.

Best Overall

The best robots we tried were user-friendly, efficient, and able keep up with daily debris. You'll also want a robot floor cleaner that can take on stairs and has adequate pick-up power on carpets. If you're looking for extra features, you may be interested in a model with smart mapping technology or an application that allows you to control the robot remotely.

Camryn Rabideau, a contributing shopping writer at PEOPLE and a reviewer of products who has tested numerous robotic vacuums, is recognized for her testing of dozens of robot vacuums. She's a big fan of robot vacuums that provide the greatest convenience, including self-emptying dustbins and charging docks that automatically empty and fill water tanks for mopping robots. She's also a fan of robots that recognize landmarks such as furniture legs and power cords to ensure they don't get caught 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. It has a large, non-refillable dustbin and a long battery. Additionally, it has a feature that allows you to schedule cleaning sessions and return to the location where it last stopped and makes it much easier to cover larger areas. This model is an excellent option for pet owners, because it will prevent the tangles of fur and food particles.

In our tests, we observed that the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra combined a LIDAR (light) sensor that can map rooms and detect obstacles by using a structured-light sensor to identify objects as well as detect edges. The combination allows it to avoid stairs, droplets of liquid and furniture legs easily and save up to four floor maps for future use. It is able to stop and restart the cleaning process at any time, meaning that you can continue doing chores while it works. The app provides an interactive 3D model of your home with room labels and advanced cleaning options.

Although this robot isn't able to clean as well as our top-rated models, it is superior in picking up fine debris like sand and baking soda as well as larger items like orzo pasta and screws made of metal. The only drawback is that it's not able to mop, and has a less impressive navigation system.

Best for Carpet

If you have carpeting, pick a robot vacuum that has a high score for carpet and rug ability to maneuver and pick up. Many models do a decent job of removing dust embedded in low-pile carpet, and several do a good job of picking up heavier debris such as orzo pasta, metal screws and pet hair. But they don't pick up fine particles like canister or upright vacuums, and they may miss ground-in dirt close to thresholds and baseboards.

For carpeted homes, a 2-in-1 robotic vacuum/mop is the best robot vacuum for large house choice. It is possible to swap out an empty bin for a damp mopping mat. The Roborock Q Revo, for instance, vacuums and a mops with circular pads that rotate at 200 rotations per minute. It detects and lifts the pads when it comes into contact with carpet to avoid wetting the floor. You don't need to remove or replace them after each use. The Q Revo also performs better than other robot vacuums and mops in the absence of obstacles and in getting closer to carpets and thresholds.

The iRobot Roomba Combo i5 is another option worth considering. It did well in our tests and you can program it to sweep your home while you are away. It can also be set to mop only and we were impressed by its excellent navigation on bare floors and rugs as well as its ability to get up and over furniture. The Combo i5 also has a very long runtime and great path planning for a device of this size.

If you're looking for a high-tech vacuum that is high-tech, the Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum & Mop is a fantastic alternative. It has a large charging dock that can go weeks without needing to be emptied, and it has amazing navigation capabilities and auto vacuum cleaner-emptying on bare floors and carpets. It also has a smart-mapping system and can be programmed to operate at certain times of the day (a handy feature for keeping mischievous kids and dextrous pets from running it amuck). The Shark has less powerful suction than other robot vacuums and mops, but its still very good at picking up hair and pet hair. It is the most affordable of our top choices.

The best choice for hardwood floors

Robot vacuums are the best option for hardwood floors since they can easily navigate around obstacles without damaging surfaces that are not bare. They do an excellent job of removing crumbs and dust, but they aren't able to handle pet hair and other larger particles. They don't have the suction of the top canister or upright vacuum, which makes them unsuitable for deep cleaning upholstery or carpeted areas.

The best two-in-1 robots combine mopping and vacuum to complete a more complete chore in one pass. Choose a model that has an onboard sensor that can detect changes in the floor's texture and adjust suction in line with the changes. This feature is available on the ECOVACS Deebot T9+ and lets it effortlessly transition from hard carpeting to soft carpeting.

If your home is mostly made up of hardwood floors, consider a robotic vacuum and mop combo like the Eufy S1 Pro. This model features an efficient robot vacuum with intelligent navigation to clean hardwood floors and other hard surfaces. Additionally, it can mop as well. The sensors in it allow it to avoid hazards such as stairs.

When you need mops, the Eufy S1 Pro is designed to actually clean hardwood floors using downward pressure rather than wipe them over to get rid of light dust and dirt. The pads that are reusable reduce waste and help to spread less germs. They can also be cleaned in docking stations to help save time. The mop pads are also able to be dried, washed, and reused.

Both the robovac and the mop are both controlled by your smartphone to make it easier to manage the device. For instance you can use the app to create a zone where the vacuum can't go or label rooms separately, or schedule cleaning times for certain areas. The eufy S1 Pro also has an auto-emptying dock that sucks debris through a trapdoor, and is then stored in a disposable or bagless bin, meaning you don't need to manually empty the bin every time as you would with other models.

Ideal for small Spaces

These robots are made for small spaces. They have smaller bins that hold less debris, and they're more efficient than the larger models when it comes to navigating tight corners. They can also be placed under furniture where larger robots have difficulty reaching. They tend to be cheaper than the higher-end models too, although you'll need to empty them manually from their dirt storage compartments at the end of each automatic cleaning robot session.

A few years ago robotic vacuums experienced a major change. Manufacturers began to add sensors that helped them avoid household items that conventional sensors might be stuck on or across. This improved the number of times that our testers were required to clean up after a robot accident.

The new sensors haven't eliminated all issues with these devices however. The most affordable models struggle with the same obstacles that the older ones faced, and many of them require a certain amount light to be able see where they're headed. If you reside in a dark area or have a lot of furniture that is low-profile, think about getting one that uses a top-mounted spinning LIDAR unit to map your space like our best overall and runner-up picks do. This will allow them to avoid stairs and other barriers when working in darkness.

They can be programmed to only use their cliff sensors only when they are near or on the ground, but not when they are above it. It is still recommended to cover any mirrors that might hinder this function, however, because the laser used by a laser-based model could bounce off reflective surfaces, causing the robot to think it is in another room.

Some of the models we recommend allow you to create virtual no-go zones for areas that you don't want the robot to enter. This can be helpful for those with pets or children who are small. Those features aren't available on all of the models we test and recommend that you review our full reviews of each model below before you make a purchase.