Genevieve Domingo

Best Rated Robot Vacuum and Mop

Eufy's top-rated robotic cleaner and mop mop and automatic vacuum cleaner takes a lot of the hands-off work out of keeping your floors clean. It can re-fill its own water tank, and self-empty its larger tower bin and swap out the dust bag.

Advanced models can map your home and record furniture positioning. They can also spot obstructions and avoid dangers such as loose charging cables and loose socks.

Object Avoidance

Object avoidance helps your robot to avoid hitting objects such as cords, toys and clothes that could get caught in the vacuum. These features are particularly important if you have pets or children that could leave objects on the floor for your robot vacuum with mop to discover.

Based on the model you pick depending on the model you select, your robot could have various sensors to assist it in its quest to avoid obstacles. Some of the most popular are crossed IR sensors that send focused beams of infrared lights across the room to detect things like doors and furniture legs. Many robots have embraced this technology, and you'll see it in the top models that cost more.

Other technologies for avoiding objects that are typically found in more expensive robots include 3D Structured Light, which makes use of cameras and crossed IR sensors to map the surrounding area and detect obstacles; and Time of Flight (ToF) sensors that emit light and measure the time it takes for light to reflect off of objects, to determine the distance between them. Although they aren't as common but they could be an excellent addition to your robot if you want peace of mind knowing that it won't get caught up in cords or socks when cleaning.

Besides cleaning up dust and other debris from hard floors, most of the best rated robot vacuum-rated robots can mop your floor as well. Some robots come with own water tanks which enable them to clean up messes and spills. It is necessary to clean the robot's dust bin onboard and clean its sensors and cameras in between cleaning sessions.

Mapping

Robot vacuums need to have mapping capabilities. This allows them to navigate your home without hitting things like walls. Without mapping, they could be tripped by cords, furniture or pet toys, and end up cleaning less of your space. By using sensors, many robots map out your home to track any obstacles and help them navigate around them. This way, they're able to sweep the entire floor using fewer passes, which saves your time. Many of the best robot vacuums also come with this feature, which enables you to create areas of no-go.

Robots that have built-in LIDAR make use of this technology to map your home quickly and efficiently. In our tests of the Eufy Clean robot utilized this feature to divide my home into various areas and clean each independently it was a major improvement over the less expensive models we tested that just used an in-front bump sensor. This was a more accurate method to navigate my home and it was simple for me to control via the app that came with the device.

While there are no robot vacuums that can climb stairs, the most effective models have mapping and obstacle avoidance features. These tools let them collect dirt from low-pile or hard floors, and prevent falling down the stairs. Some have cliff sensors that stop them from crossing over the edge of the stairs, and some have boundary strips that stop them from entering certain areas.

Certain robots have large towers on the base that is able to collect dirt. This decreases the amount of dust or allergens that are released within your home. They can last for several months or even weeks between emptying, and are particularly beneficial if you have allergies. Some models have self-emptying dust bins that can empty without opening and closing them manually.

Wi-Fi Enabled

Some robot vacuums use Wi-Fi to connect with their apps which allows you to control them using your smartphone instead of (or in addition to) the physical remote. These models are more expensive but can help you save time by letting you schedule cleaning sessions on a weekly, daily or even a monthly basis. They can also allow you to edit and save floor maps as well as offer alternative cleaning schedules.

Dual sensors are employed by the most modern robot vacuums. They combine a LIDAR mapping system with a structured-light sensor which can detect and avoid objects, even if they are hidden beneath furniture or power cables. These features allow your robot to access tight spaces, such as the kitchen's nook under cabinets or under sofas. Other robots struggle with these kinds of spaces. They are also faster to navigate around obstacles, and have longer runtimes, and bigger dust bins. This makes them ideal for homes with large spaces compared to basic robots.

The top-rated robot vacuums tend to be swift, intelligent and powerful cleaning up all kinds of floor debris such as pet hair, cat litter, and other dirt. They also are quiet, which makes them a great choice for homes that have pets or young children. Many of the robot vacuum owners we've spoken to report that they love the convenience of having their floors cleaned with little effort. This is especially true if they are used frequently. Robots can last as long as traditional vacuum cleaners with the proper maintenance (cleaning rotating brushes and keeping the track of spare parts). PCWorld offers a guide with helpful tips to keep yours running smoothly.

Dust Bags Larger

Although a robot vacuum may not be as efficient as an upright or canister model, it is great in removing dust and other debris that regular vacuuming leaves behind. It can also be used to provide quick repairs to floors, and it can also navigate around cords and other household obstacles. It is possible to use robots to clean your floors on a schedule if you don't have time to do it yourself.

Some of the best rated robot vacuums have huge dust bags that are easy to empty and hold more than a single room's worth of dirt. This will help you save time and money on bags that need to be replaced. A number of the models on our list include this feature, including the top pick one, the Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo. This all-in-one robovac has an excellent performance rating and includes an auto-emptying bin. It also has a mopping feature and efficient navigation. It's a close contest between this and the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+, which comes with the ability to avoidance and smart mapping. This robovac has more capacity but is slightly more expensive.

Another big difference between these two models is the way they deal with long human hair which can get caught in the rollers of some robots. The best-performing models are the Roborock Q5 Max+ and SwitchBot K10S Plus, both have excellent hair pickup and tangle avoidance scores with great path planning and close to perfect auto empty results. The Shark Matrix Plus and eufy are also good options with respectable hair pick-up and tangle avoidance but not as much path planing or auto empty.

The latest robots are equipped with sensors that can detect dirt and other debris on carpets and they are more adept in removing pet hair. Some models even have a mopping mode that makes use of the reservoir of water to wash away spills and stuck-on mess. This feature is essential for families with children as well as pets.

Maintenance

Having a robot vacuum can be a huge aid in keeping a close eye on your home. The top models can pick up more dirt from the surface, pet hair and lint, than the broom that is used on low-pile or hard flooring. They also have navigation capabilities that prevent them from getting caught in cords for power or rug fringe and can glide easily under furniture.

Depending on the model, a highly rated robot vacuum can also be scheduled to run several times per day or allow you to watch it in action using an app. However, these useful machines are also susceptible to clogging, and require regular maintenance like emptying the onboard bin (or the base's bigger dust bin in certain cases) and checking the brushes for tangled hair, and periodically rinsing and allowing the filters to dry as suggested by the manufacturer.

Vacuum expert Emily Rairdin, a store owner apprentice at University Vacuum + Sewing, says that a quality robot vacuums that mop vacuum can last from three to five years or more if it receives regular maintenance and care. She suggests regularly emptying the bin and brush roll and cutting off hair that's tangled up in the brushes and frequently washing and drying the filter when your robot is also used as mop. It's also recommended to wipe down the sensors and charging contacts on the dock or robot occasionally with a soft cloth. Then, simply recharge and refill the robot whenever you need to for the next time you clean.