Alissa Loyau

How to Choose the Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner

Robot vacuums can help you save time and effort when it comes to regular cleaning. Top performers are good at picking up dust, light debris and cords.

The pricier ones even mop your floors, though they aren't able to climb the stairs. Find models that feature smart mapping, real-time hazard avoidance, and spacious self vacuum near me-emptying bins.

Best Overall

The top robots we tested were reliable, user-friendly, and able keep up with the daily messes. You'll also need a robot that can take on stairs and has good cleaning power for carpets. If you're looking for additional features, you might be interested in a model with smart mapping technology or an app that lets you control it remotely.

Camryn Rabideau, a contributing shopping writer at PEOPLE and a reviewer of products who has tested several robotic vacuums, has been acknowledged for her work in testing numerous robot vacuums. She's a fan of the robot vacuums that provide the greatest convenience, such as self-emptying bins and charging docks that automatically empty and refill water tanks for mopping robots. She also likes the robots that can recognize landmarks like furniture legs and power cords, so they don't trip when climbing steps.

In comparison to the top-rated models, this Black and Decker robot vacuum has less object-avoidance technology and its score for navigation is lower. However, it does have an enormous dust bin that doesn't require frequent emptying and a long battery life. It also comes with an option that allows you to schedule cleaning times and then return to where it stopped last, making it easier for you to clean larger areas. This model is also a great option for pet owners since it can spot and eliminate hair tangled and fallen food particles.

In our tests we tested the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra combines with a LIDAR sensor that can map rooms and identify obstacles using an organized light sensor to identify objects and detect edges. The combination allows it to avoid stairs, droplets of liquid, and furniture legs easily and save up to four floor washing robot maps for future reference. It is also able to stop the cleaning process at any moment and return to where it stopped and let you do chores while the robot is working. The app comes with a 3D representation of your home, room labels, and advanced cleaning options.

This robot is not as effective at cleaning like our top models, however it is great in picking up larger items like orzo pasta, metal screws, and fine particles such as sand. The only downside is that it can't mop and has a slightly less efficient navigation system.

The Best Roborock Vacuum for Carpet

If you have carpeting in your home, you should look for a robotic vacuum that has excellent pickup and good maneuverability scores on carpet and rugs. Many models do a good job of removing dust embedded in low-pile carpet, and several are capable of cleaning up larger debris such as orzo pasta, metal screws, and pet hair. They aren't able to pick up small particles like an upright canister, and could miss dirt close to baseboards or thresholds.

The best option for carpeted homes is a 2-in-1 robot vacuum/mop. It allows you to swap between a cleaning bin and a damp mopping pad. The Roborock Q Revo is a 2-in-1 robotic vacuum/mop that is able to clean and mop simultaneously with circular pads that spin at 200 revolutions per minute. It detects and raises the pads when it is in contact with carpet, preventing it from soaking the floor, and you don't have to take them off or replace them after each use. The Q Revo is also more efficient than other robot vacuums/mops when it comes to the absence of obstacles and in getting close to rugs and thresholds.

Another solid option is the iRobot Roomba Combo i5, which performed very well in our tests and can be scheduled via the app to clean your home when you're away from home. It can be set up to only mop. We were impressed by its ability to navigate on floors that are not bare and rug. The Combo i5 also has a extremely long run time and excellent path planning for a device of this size.

If you're looking for a more modern model, you can look at the Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 Self-Empty Robot Vacuum & Mop. It comes with a large dock that can last for weeks without needing to be empty. It also has amazing navigation and auto-emptying capabilities on carpets and floors that are not cleaned. It also has a smart-mapping system and can be programmed to only operate during certain hours of the day (a useful feature that can keep children and pets who are prone to mischief from causing havoc). The Shark has less powerful suction than some other robot vacuum/mop combos but it's effective in removing hair and pet hair and is the best robot vacuum for large house value of our top choices.

Best for Hard Flooring

Robot vacuums are ideal for floors made of hardwood, since they can navigate around obstacles easily without damaging bare surfaces. They are fantastic in removing dust and crumbs but struggle with pet hair and larger debris. They don't have the suction of a high-end canister or upright vacuum, making them a poor choice for deep cleaning carpeted or upholstery areas.

The best two-in-1 robots combine mopping and vacuum, taking care of the entire chore in one sweep. If you have floors that are mixed, look for one with an onboard sensor which detects changes in the floor's texture and adjusts suction to match. This feature is available on the ECOVACS Deebot T9+ and allows it to effortlessly transition from hard carpeting to soft carpeting.

If you have a lot of hardwood floors in your home, you might want to consider a robot mop and vacuum combination like the Eufy S1 Pro. This model uses an efficient robot vacuum with smart navigation to clean hardwood and other hard surfaces, plus it has the ability to mop as well. Its sensors assist it in avoiding staircases and other hazards, so you don't need to worry about the robot falling down the stairs and breaking your hardwood.

The eufy S1 Pro mop is designed to clean hardwood floors by applying downward pressure, instead of simply swab them to remove dust and dirt. Its reusable mop pads reduce the amount of waste, and reduce the spread of germs and can be cleaned in the docking station to save your time. The mops can also be washed and dried to avoid spreading mold.

Both the robovac and mop are both controlled by your smartphone, making it easier to manage the device. For instance, you can make use of the app to designate an area that the vacuum won't enter, label separate rooms, or schedule cleaning sessions for specific areas. The Eufy S1 Pro also has an auto-emptying dock that collects debris through a trapdoor and stores it in a bagless or disposable bin, which means you don't have to manually empty the bin every time as you would with other models.

Ideal for small Spaces

As the name suggests, these robots are best suited for small areas. They have smaller bins that contain less garbage, and are more efficient than larger models in navigating tight corners. They can also fit underneath furniture that larger robots have difficulty reaching. They are also less expensive than more expensive models, but you'll need to empty their dirt compartments manually at the end each cleaning session.

A few years ago, robot vacuums underwent a significant change as manufacturers began adding sensors to help them navigate around and avoid household objects that traditional sensors would be stuck on or over. This has decreased the amount of times our testers had to clean up after a robotic snag whether it was an electrical cord, toy, or piece of pet waste.

However, the new sensors haven't solved all of the problems these machines have. The most affordable models struggle with the same obstacles that the older ones faced, and many of them require a certain amount of light to see where they're going. Consider getting a model that uses an LIDAR spinning unit that is mounted on top to create maps of the area. Our top overall models and runners-up models do this. This lets them work in darkness and avoid obstacles such as stairs.

In addition being capable of working in dark, these models can be configured to use their cliff sensors only when they're on or near the floor, not when they're above them. You'll still want to cover any mirrors that might interfere with this function however, since the lasers used by a LIDAR-based model could bounce off reflective surfaces, causing the robot to think it's in another room.

Some of the models that we recommend allow you to create virtual no-go areas for areas that you don't want the robot to go to. This is helpful when you have small children or pets. These features aren't available on all models we test. Read our full reviews before making your choice.