Kasey Garvey

Best Rated Robot Vacuum and Mop

Eufy's top-rated robotic vacuum and mop takes some of the work of keeping your floors clean. It has the ability to replenish its own water tank as well as empty its tower bin. It also has the capability to change the dust bag.

Advanced models can map your house and record furniture positioning. They also can detect obstacles and avoid hazards like charging cables that are loose and stray socks.

Object Avoidance

Object avoidance features enable your robot to avoid running into things like toys, power cords and even clothes that could get caught up in the vacuum. These are especially important if you have children or pets who are inclined to leave objects on the floor, which your robot will discover them.

Depending on the model you pick depending on the model you choose, you may have a variety of sensors to help your robot navigate around obstacles. A few popular ones include crossed IR sensors that focus beams of infrared lights across the room to identify things like doors and furniture legs. Many robots have embraced this technology, and you'll find it in the top models that cost more.

Other object avoidance technologies that can be found in higher-end robots include 3D Structured Light, which utilizes cameras and crossed IR sensors to map the surroundings and identify obstacles; and Time of Flight (ToF) sensors that emit and measure the time it takes for light to reflect off of objects to determine the distance between them. While these are less common however, they are a great addition to your robot if you need peace of mind knowing that it won't get hung up on cables or socks while cleaning.

Apart from cleaning up dust and other debris from hard floors, most of the best-rated robots can sweep your floors as well. Some robots come with very own water tanks that allow them to clean up messes and spills. You will need to empty the robot's dust bin and clean its sensors and cameras between cleaning sessions.

Mapping

Mapping capabilities are essential in robot vacuums since they enable them to recognize your home's layout, and avoid bumping into things like walls. They could be tripped by pet toys, cords or furniture that are not marked. This can result in them taking up less space. The majority of robots utilize sensors to map your home and navigate around obstacles. This allows them to sweep your floors in fewer passes, thereby saving you time. A lot of the top-rated robot vacuums can also utilize this feature to create no-go zones, allowing you to set specific rooms that you don't want the robot to get into.

Robots with a built-in LIDAR use this technology to map your home quickly and efficiently. In our tests with the Eufy Clean robot used this feature to divide my room into various areas and clean each independently this was a significant improvement over the less expensive models we tested, which used a front bump sensor. This was a more precise way to navigate my home, and it was easy to control via the app on the device.

While no robot vacuum and mop vacuum can climb stairs yet, the majority of the top-rated models come with good obstacle avoidance and mapping features. These tools allow them to collect dirt from low-pile or hard floors, and to avoid falling down stairs. Certain tools come with sensors that make sure they don't fall over the edge of stairs. Some have boundary strips to keep them away.

Some robots have a large tower base that holds their dirt and debris, reducing the amount of dust and allergens that are released into your home. These bases can last for several months or even weeks between emptying, which is especially beneficial if you have allergies. Additionally, some models come with self-emptying mechanisms that let you take out the dust bins without having to manually open and close them.

Wi-Fi enabled

Some robot vacuums communicate via Wi-Fi with their applications. This allows you to control them with your smartphone instead of (or in addition) to an actual remote. These models are more expensive however they can save you time since you can schedule cleaning time each week, daily or even monthly. They also often allow users to edit and save floor maps and offer different cleaning patterns.

Dual sensors are used by the most modern robot vacuums. They combine the LIDAR mapping system with a structured-light sensor that can detect and avoid objects, even when they're hidden beneath furniture or power cables. These features allow your robot to get into narrow spaces like the nook beneath your kitchen cabinets and beneath sofas, areas where other robots have trouble. They're also faster to get over obstacles and have longer running times thanks to larger dust bins, making them more suitable for large homes than entry-level robots.

The top-rated robot vacuums are swift, intelligent and powerful and can clean up all kinds of floor debris, such as pet hair, cat litter, and other messes. They are also quite quiet, making them a great choice for homes that have pets and young children. The majority of robot vacuum owners we've talked to have reported that they appreciate the convenience of having their floors clean without much effort, particularly when they are used often. With proper maintenance (cleaning the rotating brushes and keeping an eye on the replacement parts) robots can last as long as a traditional full-size vacuum cleaner. PCWorld offers a helpful guide that covers some important techniques to keep your robot running smoothly for years to come.

Larger Dust Bags

A robotic vacuum isn't as efficient at cleaning like an upright or canister vacuum, but it's great at picking up the dust and dirt that regular vacuuming leaves behind. It is a great tool for quick touch-ups of bare floors and can also traverse around cords or other obstacles in your home. It is possible to use robots to clean your floors according to a schedule in case you don't have the time to do it yourself.

The top-rated robot vacuums have large dust bags that are easy to empty. They hold more than a single room's worth of dirt. This will save you time and money on new bags. Many of the models on our list have this feature, including the top choice, the Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo. This all-in one robovac is a high-performance robovac and includes a self-emptying bin. It has a mopping feature and efficient navigation. It's a close contest between the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+ and this one, which uses intelligent mapping and avoidance technology. This model has a greater capacity, but is slightly more expensive.

Another major difference between the two models is how they deal with long human hair, which can tangle in the rollers of some robots. The Roborock Q5 Max+, SwitchBot K10S Plus and Roborock Q5 Max+ are the best automatic vacuum performing models. They all have top hair pickup and tangle avoidance scores, together with excellent auto empty results and excellent path planning. The eufy and Shark Matrix Plus are also great options, with respectable hair pickup and tangle avoidance, but not as much path planning or auto empty.

The most recent robots have sensors that can spot dirt and other debris in the carpet, and are better at picking up loose pet hair. Some even have a dedicated mopping mode that makes use of the water reservoir to remove spills and messes that have gotten stuck. This feature is essential for families with pets and children.

Maintenance

A robot vacuum can help keep up with your home. The best models can remove more dirt pet hair and lint than the broom that is used on low-pile or hard floors. They also have navigation features which prevent them from getting caught in power cords or rug fringe and can glide easily under furniture.

Based on the model, a top-rated robot vacuum is also able to run multiple times per day or allow you to view it in action using an app. However, these convenient devices can also be prone to clogging, and require regular maintenance, such as emptying the bin onboard (or the base's larger dust bin in some instances) and checking the brushes for hair that is tangled, and Robot mop 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 a high-quality robot automatic vacuum cleaner and mop can last from three to five years or more with regular maintenance and care. She recommends regularly emptying the brush roll and bin and cutting out hair that's tangled in the brushes, and frequently washing and drying the filter in the event that your robot acts as a mop. It's also an excellent idea to clean the charging contacts and sensors on the robot or dock every now and then with a soft cloth. You can then refill and recharge your robot before the next clean-up session.