The Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner
Vacuuming is the bane of a lot of people's lives however, robot vacuums make it a little easier. Modern models mop and even climb (small) stairs.
Some have a small bin that they empty by themselves. Others can be controlled by a smartphone app rather than the physical remote. Some models have mapping capabilities to aid in navigating your home with greater efficiency.
1. Power
With an impressive 8,000Pa of suction, our top pick for robot vacuums is powerful enough to handle the worst hairs and dirt. Its ultra-thin square shape allows it to slide beneath furniture like couches and beds. Dual-Laser LIDAR technology offers accurate obstacle avoidance and intelligent navigation. It's also great at cleaning pet hair, baking powder, and other debris near corners and baseboards.
Other high-powered robots in this list apart from the DEEBOT X2 OMNI, are the IRobot Roomba J7+ as well as the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra. The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra comes with docking stations that automates maintenance. It also has mopping capabilities. Its powerful suction system, along with its efficient mopping, kept my floors clean of pet hair, muddy prints, and other messes on every type of floor we test.
A model that has 2,500Pa suction is sufficient for homes that are in the lower price range. These units are quieter, which makes them an ideal choice for people with hearing issues. They're not silent however they are not about the same as normal conversations at home.
Take into consideration your budget and cleaning requirements to find the right combination of power and convenience. Frequent light-duty tidying requires a longer runtime and a lower suction, while weekly heavy-duty cleaning demands maximum power. Then assess your flooring, home layouts, and cleaning schedules to choose the right model for your needs. Look through our entire list of robot vacuum ratings and reviews for more details about the most recent models. Many users report that their carpets and floors appear cleaner after using a robot vacuum.
2. Navigation
A robot vacuum cannot accomplish its task if it does not know how to navigate your home. The best robots employ sophisticated navigation technologies to scan rooms and build maps, ensuring thorough cleaning without getting stuck or hitting obstacles. There are three types of robot navigation: LiDAR, camera and sensor.
LiDAR is employed by the most expensive models to create a virtual room map, which offers the highest levels in precision and efficiency. Bump sensors are used in cheaper models, but they aren't always accurate and miss a lot debris when working in dark environments. Most robots come with cliff sensors to keep them from falling down stairs or other drops.
Several robots I tested used object recognition to navigate things like cords and fake dog turds. However, the Eufy X10 was the best. It was equipped with powerful mop heads that oscillate, a user friendly app, and superb mapping capabilities.
Other features worth looking into include sensors for floors that can recognize hard floors and soft carpet, automatically boosting suction power when needed. Some robots, such as the Roborock mop, utilize a mopping pad lift to reach corners and eliminate dried spills. Many hybrids are able to apply cleaning solutions to tough stains.
A smaller dustbin will require less frequent emptying, however, a larger one can save you money on replacements. The majority of low-cost robotic cleaners utilize an inexpensive, disposable dust bag. However, the majority of middle-priced models have larger dustbins of 3L that last a long time. Some premium robots, like the ECOVACS DEEBOT OMNI station, will automatically empty their trash bins and refill their water tanks for convenience without hands.
3. App control
The best robot vacuums come with an app that lets you monitor cleaning progress and schedule your sessions, and most can connect to smart home devices to allow hands-free control. They also can sync with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for voice-based control. Some models have an on-screen remote that lets you start the process, pause it, and return to dock. Pick a model that comes with an extra large dustbin and is able to self-empty, rather than one that requires manual emptying.
Certain robovacs come with mapping technology to help them avoid obstacles such as stairs and furniture. Others allow you to designate no-go zones and targeted rooms, ensuring that they only clean the areas that need it most. They also have cliff sensors to stop them from falling down the stairs, which is particularly beneficial in multi-level homes.
If you plan to use your robot vacuum to clean rug carpets, you should choose a model which can be used both for dry and wet mopping. You'll get better results from an vac that is able to remove its own mop pad, too, which you can then rinse and reattach when it's time to do another cleaning cycle. Look for robots with an elastomer roller. This is less likely to tangle from pet hair or other particles. It's recommended to check the robot's brushroll and side brushes for debris stuck on every once or twice per week, too. If you notice they are getting clogged it might be time to buy replacement parts.
4. Collection of debris
Robot vacuums are made, as the name suggests to remove dust and other debris on your floors. The best ones pick fine particles such as baking soda and sand as larger pieces such as metal screws, orzo pasta, and pet hair. They also provide better results on low pile carpets than manual vacuums.
The top-performing robots across all flooring types had scores over 95%. The ECOVACS DEEBOT X2 OMNI and the Roborock Q Revo were two of our best-performing bots in this category. Both are highly automated, with robust docking stations that do maintenance on their own and app features that make them extremely user-friendly.
Both have self-emptying bins that automatically empty the wastebasket. They also have the ability to clean the washboard as they mowing. They also feature 8,000Pa suction, smart mapping technology, and advanced obstacle avoidance technology that helps them navigate even the most challenging areas. The ECOVACS robot is one of the few that can vacuum carpet and remove mop pads. This makes it an ideal option for people who need to switch between mopping and vacuuming often.
If you're seeking a lower-cost option, check out the Roomba Combo J7 from iRobot Plus, our budget pick. It comes with LIDAR navigation and decent debris pickup capabilities for the price. It can be a bit slow at mapping out rooms and has a tendency of bumping into obstacles, but the price is lower than the other choices.
5. Battery life
The most effective robot vacuums let you get on with your day while keeping your floors in perfect in good condition. You'll still have to manually clean your home on a regular basis however, robovacs can assist you in maintaining a minimum level of cleanliness, and will even clean when you are away.
Look for a robovac with a long-lasting battery to get the most of it. cheap robot vacuum is to expect a model to last for around two full cleaning sessions when you run it on the highest power setting. This is less than a full-sized vacuum, but should be sufficient to keep most homes clean. If you don't wish to wait while your robovac recharges you can select one that automatically returns to the base station to charge.
If you're looking to buy a robovac with a bit of everything in it, you should consider an option that also mop. Eufy's X10 is the top model in this category. It includes self-emptying, self-draining and self-refilling of your dust bin as well as the mop pad. It is also programmable to automatically refill and wash its own mops when they're running low.
Its respectable carpet and hard floor pick-up, great hair pickup and tangle-free, and a near-perfect auto empty score makes it the clear winner of our test scores. It's not cheap, and unless you have an apartment that is small and has no pets, it might be too expensive for certain. The second-placed model one, the Dreametech D10+, has identical performance, but is priced 25% less.