15 Things You ve Never Known About Robot Vacuum Cleaner Best

How to Choose the Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner

A robot vacuum can save you lots of time and effort when it comes to regular touch-ups. Top performers are good at getting rid of dust, light debris and cords.

The higher-end models even sweep your floors, though they aren't able to climb stairs. Choose models that have intelligent mapping, real-time hazard avoidance, and spacious self-emptying bins.

Best Overall

The best robots we tried were reliable, user-friendly and able to keep up with the daily debris. You'll also want a robot cleaning machine that can handle stairs and has good cleaning power for carpets. If you want a robot with additional features, think about one that comes with smart mapping technology or an app to control it remotely.

Camryn Rabideau is a contributing reviewer and writer for shopping at PEOPLE who has tried dozens of robotic vacuum cleaner vacuums. She prefers the robovacs with the most conveniences like those with self-emptying bins and charging stations that automatically empty and refill the water tanks used to mop robotic floor scrubber vacuums. She's also a big fan of the robots that are able to detect landmarks such as furniture legs and power cords so they don't trip when climbing the stairs.

This robot vacuum cleaner from Black and Decker has a lower score for navigation and has less technology for avoiding objects than the top-rated models. It has a large non-refillable dustbin as well as a long battery. It also comes with a feature which allows you to schedule cleaning sessions, and then return to where it stopped at the last point, making it easier for you to take care of larger homes. This model is also a great option for pet owners as it can spot and avoid tangled hair and fallen food particles.

In our tests, 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 stairs, droplets of liquid, and furniture legs with ease and save up to four floor maps for future use. It can pause and resume cleaning at any time, meaning that you can continue doing chores while it does. The app provides an interactive 3D model of your home with room labels as well as advanced cleaning options.

Although this robot isn't able to clean as well as our top-rated models, it excels in removing small particles like sand and baking soda, as well as heavier items like orzo pasta and screws made of metal. The only downsides are that it isn't able to mop, and its navigation system is a little less impressive.

Best for Carpet

If you have carpeting in your home, search for a robotic vacuum cleaner comparison vacuum that has strong pickup and maneuverability scores on carpets and rug. A lot of models are adept at collecting dust from low-pile rugs. Some can be quite effective in cleaning up larger debris, such as orzo pasta and screws made of metal. However, they can't handle small particles as well as canister or upright vacuums, and they may miss ground-in dirt close to baseboards and thresholds.

The best choice for most carpeted areas is a 2-in-1 robot vacuum/mop, which allows you to swap between 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 at the same time with circular pads that spin at 200 revolutions per minute. It automatically detects and lifts the pads when it is in contact with carpet to avoid wetting the floor. Additionally, you don't need to remove or replace them after each use. The Q Revo is also better than other robot vacuums and mops in keeping away from obstacles, getting close to rugs and thresholds and eliminating obstacles.

The iRobot Roomba Combo i5 is another good option. It did well in our tests, and you can schedule it to tidy your home while you are away. It can also be set to mop only, and we liked its impressive navigation on both rug and floor surfaces, as well as its ability to get up and over furniture. The Combo i5 has a long runtime and excellent path planning for an item of this size.

If you're looking for a top-of-the-line vacuum that is high-tech, the Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum & Mop is a great option. It comes with a large dock that can last for weeks without needing to be cleaned. It also has impressive navigation and auto-emptying capabilities on carpets and floors with no floor. It also has a clever mapping system that can be programmed to only run for certain hours (a useful feature to stop mischievous children and dextrous animals from running wild). The Shark is less powerful than other mop/robot combinations, but it still manages to pick hair and pet hair extremely well. It's also the most affordable price of our top picks.

Best for Hard Flooring

Robot vacuums are the best choice for floors with hardwood floors because they can navigate around obstacles without causing damage to the surfaces that are not. They do an excellent job of picking up crumbs and dust, but they struggle with pet hair and larger debris. They don't have the suction power of an expensive upright or canister vacuum, meaning they're not the best choice for carpeted rooms or upholstery that requires deep cleaning.

The best two-in-1 robots combine mopping and vacuum, taking care of the entire chore in one sweep. Find models that have an onboard sensor to detect changes in the floor's texture and adjust suction accordingly. The ECOVACS DEEBOT T9+, for example, has this feature and can move seamlessly from soft to hard carpeting.

If you have lots of hardwood floors in your home, you might want to think about a robot mop and vacuum like the Eufy S1 Pro. This model features a powerful robot vacuum with smart navigation to clean hardwood floors and other hard surfaces. Additionally, 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 bot plummeting down the stairs and damaging your hardwood.

When you need mops, the eufy S1 Pro is designed to actually wash hardwood floors with downward pressure, rather than wipe them over to remove light dirt and dust. Its reusable mop pads reduce the amount of waste and spread germs less, and can be cleaned in the docking station, saving your time. The mop pads can also be dried, washed and reused.

The robovac can be controlled by your smartphone, making it easier to use. For instance, you can use the app to create a zone that the vacuum cannot enter or label rooms separately, or schedule cleaning sessions for certain areas. The eufy S1 Pro also has an auto-emptying dock, which collects debris through a trapdoor, and puts 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

Like the name suggests, these robots are best suited for small spaces. They have smaller bins, that can store less debris. They are also more efficient in moving around corners more efficiently over larger models. They can also be tucked under furniture, where the larger robots struggle to get in. These robots are also cheaper than higher-end models, but you'll need to empty their dirt bins manually at the end each cleaning session.

A couple of years ago, robotic vacuums went through a major change when manufacturers began adding sensors to help navigate around and avoid household objects that their conventional sensors would be stuck on or over. This improved the number of times our testers were required to clean up after a robotic snag.

The new sensors don't solve all the problems with these machines however. The cheaper models are still not able to traverse the same obstacles as older models, and require a certain level of light in order to know where they are going. If you are living in a dark space or have a lot of low-profile furniture, consider purchasing a top-mounted spinning LIDAR unit to map your area, like our best overall and runner-up choices do. This allows them to work in darkness and avoid obstacles like stairs.

They can be programmed to only use their cliff sensors when they are near or on the ground, and not when they are above it. You'll still need to cover any mirrors that may hinder this function, however, since the laser used by a laser-based model can bounce off reflective surfaces and cause the robot to believe it is in another room.

A few of the models we recommend also allow you to set up virtual no-go zones in areas where you don't want the robot to move, which is useful if you have children or pets. Those features aren't available on all of the models we test and recommend that you go through our complete reviews of each model below before making your purchase.