Best Rated Robot Vacuum and Mop

Eufy's top-rated robot vacuum and mop takes some of the burden of keeping your floors spotless. It is able to replenish its own water tank and empty its tower bin. It also has the ability to change its dust bag.

Advanced models can map your home and take note of furniture placement. They also can detect obstructions and avoid dangers such as loose charging cables and loose socks.

Object Avoidance

Object avoidance helps your robot vacuum cleaners reviews to avoid hitting objects like cords, toys, and clothing that could be caught in the vacuum. These features are particularly crucial if you have pets or children who may leave items on the floor for your robot to find.

Based on the model you select the robot you choose may come with a variety of sensor options to help it navigate around obstacles. A few popular ones include crossed IR sensors that focus beams of infrared light across the room to spot things like furniture legs and door frames. This technology is widely used by numerous robots available and you can get it in top models that are priced higher than other models.

Other technology for avoiding objects are typically found in higher-end robots include 3D Structured Light, which utilizes 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 objects, to determine the distance to them. They aren't as common, but can be an excellent addition to your robot, in case you're looking to add security.

Most of the top-rated robots are also able to mop your floors. Some robots have their very own water tanks that allow them to clean up messes and spills. You'll need to clean the robot's dust bin and clean its cameras and sensors in between cleaning sessions.

Mapping

Mapping capabilities are crucial in robot vacuums because they help them recognize your home's layout, and prevent them from bumping into objects like walls. Without mapping, they might get tripped up by furniture, cords, or pet toys, and end up taking less space from your space. Most robots employ sensors to map your home and navigate around obstacles. They can clean the floor in fewer passes and make it easier for you to save time. Many of the top rated robot vacuums can also use this feature to create no-go zones, which allows you to designate areas that you do not want the robot to enter.

Robots with a built-in LIDAR system use this technology to create a map of your home quickly and efficiently. During 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 cheaper models we tested that utilized an in-front bump sensor. This was a more precise way to navigate my home and was simple to control via the on-device application.

While there are no robot vacuums that can scale stairs, the top models do come with mapping and obstacle avoidance features. These tools help to remove debris from hard floors and low-pile carpets and also to prevent falling down the steps. Some have cliff sensors that stop them from crossing over the edge of the stairs and others have boundary strips that keep them away from certain areas.

Some robots have a large tower base which holds their dirt and debris, reducing the amount of dust and allergens released into your home. These bases can last for several weeks or even months without emptying, and are particularly useful if you suffer from allergies. Alternatively, some models have self-emptying mechanisms that let you empty their dust bins without having to manually open or 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 the physical remote. Those models are more expensive but can save you time by allowing you to plan cleaning time on a weekly, daily or even monthly basis. These models also let you modify floor maps, save them and offer different cleaning patterns.

Dual sensors are used by the most modern robot vacuums. They combine with a LIDAR mapping system with a structured-light sensor which can detect and block out objects, even if they're hidden beneath furniture or power cables. Those features allow your robot to get into narrow spaces like the nook under the kitchen cabinets or beneath sofas, where many other robots struggle. They also are faster to get around obstacles, and have longer runtimes, and bigger dust bins. This makes them ideal for large homes compared to 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 mess. They also are quiet, making them an excellent choice for homes with pets as well as young children. Most robot vacuum users have told us that they enjoy the convenience of having their floors cleaned with minimal effort. This is especially true if they are used frequently. And with proper maintenance (cleaning the rotating brushes and keeping an eye on replacement parts) robots can last longer than a traditional full-size vacuum cleaner. PCWorld offers a useful guide that provides techniques to keep your machine running in good shape for the years to come.

Larger Dust Bags

While a robotic automatic vacuum cleaner might not be as effective as a canister or upright model, it is excellent in removing dust and debris that regular vacuuming leaves behind. It is a great tool for quick repairs to floors that are not clean and can also traverse around cords or other household obstacles. You can use a robot to clean your floors on a schedule if you don't have time to do it yourself.

The top rated robot vacuums have huge dust bags that are easy to empty. They hold more than a single room's worth of dirt. This can help save time and money in the form of bags that can be replaced. Several of the models on our list include this feature, including the top choice one, the Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo. This all-in one robovac is a high-performance robovac and has a self-emptying bin. It comes with a mopping function and a streamlined navigation. It's a close contest between this and the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+, that has smart mapping and avoidance technology. The robovac is more expensive, however it has a larger capacity.

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

The most recent robots are outfitted with sensors that can detect dirt and other debris on carpets and they are more adept at removing pet hair. Some even have a dedicated 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 pets and children.

Maintenance

A robot vacuum will help you keep up with your home. The best robot vacuum models can pick up more surface dirt, pet hair, and lint than the broom that is used on low-pile or hard flooring. They also have navigational features to help them avoid getting stuck on power cords, rug fringes or furniture.

Based on the model, a top-rated robotic vacuum is also able to run several times per day or allow you to view it at work via an app. However, these useful machines are also susceptible to clogging and require frequent maintenance, such as 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 vacuum will last for three to five years or more if it receives regular maintenance and care. She suggests emptying the bin and the brush roll regularly, cutting free hair that gets caught in the brushes, and then regularly rinsing and drying the filter if your robot is also a mop. It is a good idea to wipe the sensors and charging contacts on the dock or the robot with a soft, clean cloth every now and then. Then simply recharge and refill the robot whenever you need to for the next time you clean.