Best Rated Robot Vacuum and Mop

Eufy's robotic mop and vacuum is among the top-rated product in its class. It takes a lot of the work out of cleaning your floors. It is able to refill its own water tank, and self-empty its tower bin, and then change out the dust bag.

Advanced models can map your home and note furniture placement. They can also spot obstacles and navigate around hazards like loose charging cables and loose socks.

Object Avoidance

Object avoidance functions allow your robot to avoid hitting things such as power cords, toys and even clothes that could get caught up in the vacuum. This is especially important if you have kids or pets that are likely to leave items on the floor, which your robot could find them.

Depending on the model you select, your robot may have several sensor options to assist it in its quest to avoid obstacles. Some of the most popular include crossed IR sensors that focus beams of infrared light across the room to identify things like furniture legs and door frames. Many robots have embraced this technology, and you'll find it in the top models that cost more.

Other technologies for avoiding objects that can be found in higher-end robots include 3D Structured Light, which utilizes cameras and crossed IR sensors to map the surrounding area 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. They aren't as common, but could be a great option to add to your robot should you want to have more peace of mind.

Most of the top-rated robots can also clean your floors. Some robots come with their very own water tanks that allow them to clean up messes and spills. You'll need to empty the dust bin and clean its cameras and sensors between cleaning sessions.

Mapping

The ability to map is essential in robot vacuums since they help them recognize your home's layout, and avoid hitting things like walls. They could be tripped by pet toys, cords, or furniture without mapping. This results in them removing less space. The majority of robots utilize sensors to map your home and navigate around obstacles. This allows them to sweep the entire floor in fewer passes, thereby saving your time. A lot of the top robot vacuums also come with this feature, which allows you to designate areas that are not accessible.

Robots with a built-in LIDAR use this technology to map your home quickly and effectively. During our tests, the Eufy Clean robot used this feature to divide my home into distinct areas and clean each one independently this was a significant improvement over the lesser models we tested, which utilized the front bump sensor. This was a much more precise method of navigating my home and was easy for me to control using the app on the device.

While there aren't any robotic vacuums that can climb stairs, best models do have obstacles avoidance and mapping features. These tools allow them to pick up 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 come with an enormous base tower that collects dirt. This decreases the amount of dust or allergens released within your home. The bases can be left for weeks or even months without being emptied, which is especially helpful when you suffer from allergies. Some models come with self-emptying dust bins which you can empty without opening or closing them manually.

Wi-Fi enabled

Some robot vacuums communicate via Wi-Fi to their apps. This lets you operate them with your smartphone instead of (or in addition) to a physical remote. They are more expensive, but they can save you time by letting you plan cleaning time on a daily, weekly or even a monthly basis. They also permit you to modify and save floor maps, and offer different cleaning routines.

The most advanced robot vacuums utilize dual sensors, which combine a LIDAR system to map your area with a structured light sensor that can see objects and avoid them, even if they're under furniture or power cords. These features make it easier for your robot to enter tight spaces like the nook under your kitchen cabinets and under sofas, where many other robots have trouble. They're also faster to get over obstacles and have longer running times thanks to larger dust bins, which makes them ideal for larger homes than the entry-level robots.

The most effective robot vacuums are quick efficient, smart and powerful. They are able to pick up a wide range of floor debris such as pet hair, kitty litter and other messes. They can also be quite quiet making them a good option for homes with young kids and pets. The majority of robot vacuum users we've spoken with say that they love the convenience of having their floors cleaned with little effort. This is especially true when used regularly. With proper maintenance (cleaning the rotating brushes and keeping tabs on replacement parts) robots can last as long as a conventional full-size vacuum cleaner. PCWorld offers a useful guide that outlines some essential tips to help you keep yours running efficiently for many years to come.

Dust Bags Larger

A robotic vacuum is not as efficient at cleaning like an upright or canister vacuum, but it's fantastic at picking up dust and dirt that regular vacuuming has left behind. It can be used to do quick repairs to floors that are not clean, and can navigate around cords or other household obstacles. You can employ 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 can hold more than one room's worth of dirt. This can help save time and money through replacement bags. Several of the models we've listed feature this feature, including our most popular one, the Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo. This robovac all-in-one has an impressive performance score and includes self-emptying bin. It also has a mopping feature and a streamlined navigation. It is a close call between this and the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+, that has smart mapping and avoidance technology. The robovac is more expensive but has a bigger capacity.

The two models also differ in their handling of long hair, which could get caught in the rollers of certain robots. The top-performing models are the Roborock Q5 Max+ and SwitchBot K10S Plus, both have superb hair pickup and tangle avoidance scores, along with fantastic path planning and close to perfect auto empty results. The Shark Matrix Plus and eufy are also excellent options, with decent hair pick-up and tangle avoidance, however they don't have as much path planning or auto empty.

The latest robots are fitted with sensors that detect dirt and other debris on carpets and they're better in removing pet hair. Some robots come with mopping mode, where they can use the reservoir of water to get rid of stuck-on messes and spills. This feature is essential for families with children as well as pets.

Maintenance

Having a robot vacuum can be a huge aid in keeping up with your home. While no robot can replace an upright or a canister vacuum for deep cleaning, the highest models that are rated highly pick up pet hair, lint, and other dirt that accumulates on carpets and floors with low pile which can pick up more than you can with the broom. They also come with navigation features which prevent them from getting stuck on rug fringe or power cords and are able to glide effortlessly under furniture.

Based on the model, a highly rated robot vacuum can also be scheduled to run several times per day or allow you to view it in action using an app. However, these useful devices can also be prone to clogging, and require regular maintenance such as emptying the onboard bin (or the base's larger dust bin in some instances) and checking the brushes for tangled hair, and then periodically washing and allowing the filters to dry according to the manufacturer.

Vacuum expert Emily Rairdin, a store owner apprentice at University Vacuum + Sewing, says a high-quality robot vacuum can last from three to five years or more with regular care and attention. She recommends emptying the bin and the brush roll regularly and cutting off hair that gets caught in the brushes, and frequently rinsing and drying the filter, especially if it is a mop as well. It's also recommended to clean the sensors and charging contacts on the dock or robot occasionally with a soft cloth. Then simply refill and recharge the robot when needed for the next time you clean.