Best Rated Robot Vacuum and Mop

Eufy's top-rated robot mop and vacuum takes a lot of the hands-off work out of keeping your floors clean. It is able to refill its own water tank as well as empty its tower bin. It also has the ability to change the dust bag it uses.

Advanced models are able to draw a map of your home and take note of the furniture's position. They can also detect hazards and navigate around them, like loose charging cables or loose socks.

Object Avoidance

Object avoidance functions allow your robot to avoid running into things such as power cords, toys and clothes that get caught up in the vacuum. These features are especially crucial if you have pets or children that could leave things on the floor for your robot to find.

Based on the model you choose the robot you choose may come with a variety of sensor options to help it navigate around obstacles. Some of the most popular include crossed IR sensor beams that are infrared-focused lights which scan the room looking for things like furniture legs or door frames. A lot of robots have adopted this technology, and you'll see it in the most expensive models that cost more.

Other object avoidance technology that is available in more expensive robotics includes 3D Structured Light which uses cameras and a crossed IR sensor to map the surrounding area and detect obstacles. Time of Flight (ToF), sensors that measure and emit the duration it takes for the light to reflect off an object to determine its distance, are also available. While they are not as popular, they can be an excellent addition to your robot if it needs extra peace of mind that it will avoid getting hung up on cords or socks when cleaning.

Most of the top-rated robots can also clean your floors. Some even come with their own water tanks that allow them to wash away wet spills and messes. It is necessary to clean the robot's dust bin and clean its cameras and sensors between cleaning sessions.

Mapping

The ability to map is essential in robot vacuums since they enable them to keep track of your home's layout and prevent them from bumping into objects like walls. Without mapping, they may get tripped up by furniture, cords, or pet toys and end up cleaning less of your space. Using sensors, most robots map your home to track any obstacles and help them navigate around them. This way, they're able to sweep your floors with fewer passes, saving your time. Many of the top rated robot vacuums can also utilize this feature to create no-go zones, permitting you to define areas that you do not want the robot to enter.

Robots with a built-in LIDAR utilize this technology to map your home quickly and efficiently. In our tests with the Eufy Clean robot vacuum cleaners reviews made use of this feature to divide my room into different areas and clean each independently this was a significant improvement over the cheaper models we tested, which utilized an in-front bump sensor. This was a far more precise way to navigate my home and was also easy to control with the on-device app.

While no robot vacuum is able to climb stairs yet, the majority of the top-rated models have good obstacles avoidance and mapping features. These tools let them collect debris from low-pile and hard floors, and prevent falling down stairs. Certain tools come with sensors that stop them from falling over the edge of the stairs. Others have boundary strips to keep them away.

Some robots have large towers on the base that collects dirt. This helps reduce the amount of dust or allergens that are released in your home. They 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 take out the dust bins without needing to open and close them.

Wi-Fi enabled

Some robot vacuums connect via Wi-Fi with their apps. This allows you to operate them with your smartphone instead of (or in addition) to the physical remote. They are more expensive but can save you time by letting you schedule cleaning sessions on a daily, weekly or even monthly basis. These models also allow you to edit floor maps and save them, as well as provide alternative cleaning patterns.

The most advanced robot vacuums utilize dual sensors, which combine with a LIDAR system to map your area with a structured light sensor that is able to see objects and avoid them even if they're hidden under furniture or power cords. These features let your robot reach tight areas, such as the space under your kitchen cabinets or under sofas. Other robots struggle to reach these kinds of spaces. They're also faster to get around obstacles and have longer running times thanks to larger dust bins, making them ideal for larger homes than entry-level robots.

The top rated robot vacuums tend to be swift, intelligent and powerful cleaning up all kinds of floor debris such as pet hair, cat litter, and other mess. They also are quiet, which makes them a great choice for homes with pets as well as young children. Many of the robot vacuum owners we've talked to have reported that they appreciate the convenience of keeping their floors spotless with minimal effort, particularly if they use it frequently. With proper maintenance (cleaning the rotating brushes and keeping tabs on the parts that need replacement) robots can last as long as a conventional full-size vacuum cleaner. PCWorld offers a guide with helpful suggestions to ensure your machine is running smoothly.

Dust Bags Larger

While a robotic vacuum might not be as effective as an upright or canister model, it is great in picking up dust and other debris that regular vacuuming leaves behind. It can also be used for quick repairs to floors and can navigate around cords and other obstacles in the home. If you don't want to do the deep cleaning yourself, a robot vacuum can be sent out to scour your floors on a regular basis.

The top rated robot vacuums have large, easy-to-empty dust bags that hold more than a single room's worth of dirt. This will save you time and money on bags that need to be replaced. A number of the models we've listed include this feature, including the most popular model, the Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo. This all-in-one robovac has an excellent performance score and has an auto-emptying bin. It also has mopping capabilities and efficient navigation. This is a close race between the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+ and this one, which is equipped with smart mapping and avoidance technologies. This robovac is more expensive, however it has a bigger capacity.

The two models also differ in how they handle long hair, which may get caught in the rollers of some robots. The top-performing models, the Roborock Q5 Max+ and SwitchBot K10S Plus, both have outstanding hair pickup and tangle avoidance scores, along with great path planning and near perfect auto empty results. The eufy and Shark Matrix Plus are also good choices with respectable hair pickup and tangle avoidance but not as much path planning or auto empty.

The latest robots are fitted with sensors that can detect dirt and debris on carpets, and they are better at picking up pet hair. Some robots have mopping modes which allows them to use the water reservoir in order to remove stuck-on mess and spills. This feature is essential for families with pets as well as children.

Maintenance

A robot vacuum can help keep up with your home. While no robot is able to substitute an upright or canister vacuum for deep cleaning, the highest rated models pick up pet hair, lint and other surface dirt on carpets with low pile and hard floors which can pick up more than you can with the vacuum. They also have navigational features to help them avoid getting stuck on power cords, rug fringe, or furniture.

According to the model, you can schedule a robot vacuum to run several times per day, or watch it in action using an app. These machines are useful however they can get clogged and require regular maintenance. This means emptying the onboard dust bin (or in certain cases, the base's larger bin) as well as checking the brushes for tangled fur and a regular cleaning of the filters and drying them according to the manufacturer.

Vacuum expert Emily Rairdin, a store owner apprentice at University Vacuum + Sewing, says a good best robot vacuum that mops vacuum will last for three to five years or more with regular care and attention. She suggests regularly emptying the brush roll and bin, cutting out any hair that is tangled in the brushes, and regularly washing and drying the filter in the event that your robot acts as a mop. It's also recommended to wipe down the sensors and charging contacts on the robot or dock occasionally with a soft cloth. Then simply refill and recharge the robot vacuums best as needed for the next time you clean.