Alissa Loyau

How to Choose the Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner

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

The more expensive models even clean your floors--though they still can't climb the stairs. Make sure you choose models with smart mapping, real-time safety features, and large self-emptying bins.

Best Overall

The best robots we tested were user-friendly, efficient, and able keep up with daily debris. You'll need a robot vacuum cleaner best (skindoctors.Ru) that has decent carpet-picking capability and the ability to handle stairs. If you want a amazon robot vacuum that has additional features, you should consider 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 dozens of robotic vacuums. She prefers the robovacs with the most conveniences like those with self-emptying bins and charging stations that automatically empty and fill water tanks to mop robotic vacuums. She also likes the robots that can recognize landmarks like furniture legs and power cords so they don't get tripped up when climbing the stairs.

In comparison to the top-rated models, this Black and Decker vacuum has less object-avoidance technology, and its navigation score is lower. It comes with a huge dust bin that is non-refillable and an extended battery. It also comes with the ability to schedule cleaning sessions, and then return to the place it stopped at the last point, making it easier to cover larger homes. This model is a good choice for pet owners, as it can avoid the tangles of fur and food particles.

In our tests we tested the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra combines a LIDAR sensor that can map rooms and identify obstacles using a structured light sensor that can identify objects and detect edges. The combination lets it avoid steps, drops of liquid and furniture legs with ease and save up to four floor maps to be used in the future for references. It can also stop the cleaning process at any time and return to where it stopped so that you can complete chores while the robot vacuum cleaner ebay does its work. The app offers the 3D image of your home, complete with room labels and advanced cleaning options.

The robot isn't as effective at cleaning as our top models, but it is great in picking up larger items like orzo pasta, metal screws and fine particles such as sand. The only downsides are that it's not able to mop and that its navigation system is less impressive.

Best for Carpet

If you have carpeting in your home, search for a robot vacuum cleaner best buy vacuum with excellent pickup and good maneuverability scores on carpets and rugs. A lot of models do a great job of removing dust embedded in low-pile carpet and some are capable of picking up heavier debris such as orzo pasta, metal screws, and pet hair. However, they aren't able to pick up small particles as well as canister or upright vacuums and may also not pick up dirt that is ground-in close to thresholds and baseboards.

The best choice for most carpeted homes is a 2-in-1 robot vacuum and mop that lets you swap in a cleaning bin and mopping pad that is damp. The Roborock Q Revo is a 2-in-1 robot vacuum and mop that can clean and mop simultaneously with circular pads that spin at 200 rotations a minute. It is able to detect and lift its pads when it comes into contact with carpets, preventing the floor from getting wet. You don't need to take them off or replace them each time. The Q Revo is also superior to other robot vacuums/mops in keeping away from obstacles and rugs, while also getting close to them and thresholds and staying clear of obstacles.

The iRobot Roomba Combo i5 is another solid option. It was a great performer in our tests and you can set it up to schedule it to clean your home even when you're away. It can be set to mop only. We loved its navigation on floors that are not bare and rugs. The Combo i5 also has a very long run time and great path planning for such a small device.

If you're looking for a more advanced model, look into the Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 Self-Empty robot vacuum cleaner comparison Vacuum & Mop. It has a large dock that can last for weeks and not need to be emptied. It also has impressive navigation and auto-emptying capabilities on carpets and floors with no floor. It also comes with a smart mapping system that can be set to only run for certain times (a useful feature for keeping the sly children and animals from running amok). The Shark has less suction power than other robot vacuum/mop combos but it's efficient in removing hair and pet hair and is the best value among our top choices.

The best choice for hardwood floors

Robot vacuums are ideal for floors with hardwood floors because they can navigate around obstacles easily without damaging bare surfaces. They are great in removing dust and crumbs, but struggle with pet hair and larger debris. They lack the suction power of an expensive upright or canister vacuum, so they're not the ideal option for rooms with carpets or upholstery that requires deep cleaning.

The best two-in-one robots combine mopping and vacuum to complete the entire chore in one pass. Choose one that has an onboard sensor that can detect changes in the floor texture and adjust suction to match. This feature is available on the ECOVACS Deebot T9+ and allows it to effortlessly switch from hard carpeting to soft carpeting.

If you have lots of hardwood floors in your home, you might want to think about a robot mop and vacuum combination like the Eufy S1 Pro. This model is an efficient robot vacuum with intelligent navigation to clean hardwood floors and other hard surfaces, plus it can mop as well. Its sensors assist it in avoiding stairs and other hazards so you don't have to worry about the bot plummeting down the stairs and breaking your hardwood.

The Eufy S1 Pro mop is designed to clean hardwood floors by applying downward pressure, rather than simply swab them in order to remove dirt and dust. The mop pads that are reusable reduce the amount of waste and spread germs less and can be cleaned in the docking station, saving you time. The mop pads can also be washed, dried and used again.

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 make use of the app to designate an area 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 collects debris through a trapdoor, and puts it in a bagless or disposable bin, which means you don't need to manually empty the bin like you do with other models.

Best suited for small Spaces

These robots are designed to work in small spaces. They have smaller bins that hold less garbage, and are more efficient than larger models when it comes to maneuvering tight corners. They can also fit under furniture where larger robots can't reach. These robots are also cheaper than the more expensive models, however you will need to empty their dirt compartments manually at the end each cleaning session.

A few years ago, robot vacuums went through significant changes. Manufacturers started adding sensors that allowed them to navigate around and avoid household items that their traditional sensors might become stuck on or run across. These advances decreased the amount of times that our testers had to clean up after a robotic snag whether it was a power cord, toy or pet waste.

However, the latest sensors aren't solving all of the issues these machines face. The cheapest models still struggle with the same issues that the older ones faced and, in addition, they need a certain amount of light to see where they're going. You should consider an option that incorporates a spinning LIDAR device mounted on top to create maps of the space. Our top overall pick and runner-up models do this. This lets them avoid stairs and other barriers while working in the dark.

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

A few of the models we recommend let you create virtual no-go zones for areas you don't wish the robot to go to. This is a great option when you have pets or children who are small. These features aren't included on all of the models we test, so be sure to read our full reviews of the models below before making your purchase.