Best Rated Robot Vacuum Cleaner

While robot vacuums are fantastic at keeping your floors clean however, they're not able to replace a large-sized vacuum. Even the best robots aren't able to get deep into rugs and carpets, and they can get tangled in cords and socks.

Your robot will last longer if you perform routine maintenance. This includes replacing filters, cutting hairs that have become tangled off brushes and emptying the dustbin.

Battery Life

Most robot vacuums are able to handle a few cleaning sessions without having to be charged. The runner-up in our top picks, the Ecovacs Deebot Q30S Combo, has a battery capable of lasting up to 180 minutes (3,230 square feet) of cleaning time on one charge. The runtime is enough to clean the majority of smaller homes that have carpets that are hard and carpets with low pile, or a larger home where the rooms are roughly the same size.

A longer battery life means that the robot will be able to spend less time charging and more time cleaning. It's recommended to select models that have a self-emptying dust bin, as these models are more efficient in collecting debris and returning to the dock for recharging. It is also essential to empty or replace the filter and wipe down cameras and sensors regularly so that they can clearly see your home.

Smart mapping technology can be a valuable feature, since you can program your robot to ensure that it only cleans specific rooms or stays clear of areas where it's likely to bump into furniture and other obstacles. This feature is also helpful to ensure that your robot is able to get under and around furniture, such as beds, sofas and other large objects. A few robovacs that are cheap come with boundary strips you can use to block off certain areas. Other models of higher quality rely on sensors and cameras.

Even the best robot floor cleaner robot robotic vacuums aren't able to replace a traditional vacuum when it comes to heavy-duty large-pile dirt and other debris. It's recommended to have a power vacuum on hand for these tasks and schedule robot vacs for light cleanings throughout the week.

Navigation

A robot should be able to navigate around your home without getting stuck or crashing into things like metal screws, loose pet hair, or sand. In our tests, we employ a tracking device to track the robot as it goes through a multiroom lab and shows its surroundings. We also check how well the robot is able to avoid obstacles such as power cords, furniture leg, and pet waste.

The top robots are able to map out multiple floors, and recognize landmarks such as doors and windows. The most advanced ones, like the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra, feature a dual-sensor navigation system which uses an LIDAR sensor to map out the room and a structured light camera at the front of the robot to detect objects in real time. This allows the S8 to stay clear of common obstacles like furniture legs and power cords and can store up to four different floor maps in its internal memory.

Cheaper models don't come with this type of object detection and rely on bump sensors which aren't as accurate. In my tests they were able detect dog poop through cords, as well as a pair shoes placed in the middle. The Dreametech D10+ is the most value-for-money option. It is a great carpet and hard floor, tangle and hair pickup. It also has a near-perfect auto empty score.

A large onboard dustbin, that doesn't need to be empty manually, is also a feature that's important. If you have models that mop the floor, this tank will hold enough water to last for several weeks of cleaning sessions. Karcher's RCV 5 is a great illustration of this. It has a large enough footprint to fit under furniture but not so big that it can't fit into the nook between your toilet and tub.

Apps

Robot vacuums are similar to their upright counterparts and require lots of technology to keep them up-to-date. The result is a mature market full of options. But even the best models require interaction with their users, particularly when cleaning schedules are being planned, establishing a home floor plan and setting up virtual barriers.

To reduce the impact of this interaction, consider looking for a model that uses its own app to identify the location of your home, and save the settings for the future. This will let the robot vacuum begin where it left off in subsequent runs, without having to restart the mapping process every time.

It is also recommended to look for models that offer spot or zone cleaning. You can tell the automatic hoover robot vacuum cleaner to focus on a specific area, such as under the table after a large family meal. You can do this using the app or by voice commands.

Avoidance of objects is a different option that is available on numerous models. It permits the robot, when it comes across objects in its path such as a box of shoes or a crate filled with dog toys, to guide itself around. This will keep it from running into things that could damage its sensors or cause jams.

This feature is offered on some of the more expensive models we tested. They rely on bump sensor technology for this, but they didn't always avoid things in my test home.

Pet Hair

When it comes to removing pet hair, you should choose a model that's designed specifically to handle this type of debris. The most effective models will have an extremely high suction, a brush which keeps hair from tangling and an automated emptying mechanism. Some can also detect dirt levels and adjust the intensity of cleaning in line with the level of dirt. They can even spot items that aren't part of your flooring like furniture, toys, food bowls, cords, and more.

Some robot vacuums include additional features that are pet-friendly. They include a water dispenser which is used to mop floors and a HEPA filtering system that helps to reduce allergens like pet dust. They might also offer a quieter operation that can reduce the amount of noise generated during cleaning sessions.

Robot vacuums with mapping capabilities are a great option for pet owners. They're designed to assess your home, and create an strategy based on the layout of each room as well as obstacles. For instance, the Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 Robot robotic vacuum cleaner best is a smart vacuum that has the amazing ability to map the room and navigate around furniture and other obstructions with accelerometer and gyroscope sensors that work in conjunction to learn the layout of your space.

Other models that are more advanced let you define no-go zones that are areas that the robot is supposed to avoid, such as items that are fragile or pet feeding spots. You can adjust these settings through an app. This feature is especially beneficial for households with busy schedules, as it allows you to schedule cleaning sessions without having to be in the space where the vacuum is. Spot cleaning is another excellent feature. You can direct the vacuum cleaner to clean a spot that is particularly dirty or stuffed with pet hair.

Dust Bin

If you don't want anything small, consider a robot with a large bin, or even a self-emptying bin. We recommend going for a model with an enormous bin or a self-emptying dustbin. The former will help you keep up with cleaning the bin regularly enough to keep track of its performance while the latter will save you time and effort by automatically dumping the contents into an internal container every few cleanings.

Look for models with smart mapping capabilities that permit them to "learn" the layout of your home and devise more efficient routes. They also detect and avoid objects that may block their paths (like shoelaces or tangled charging cables). Make sure you choose models with intelligent mapping capabilities. This allows them to "learn the layout of your house and devise a an efficient route.

Some models also offer spot cleaning, which allows users to select a particular area of your house for intensive cleaning. We've found that most of the top performers in our tests can pick up fine particles like baking soda and sand along with heavier debris such as oatmeal orzo pasta, metal screws and pet hair.

Depending on the brand, most robots can last for a long time and continue to perform well so long as you are on top of maintenance tasks, such as cleaning hair that is tangled from brushes, emptying the dust bin after each use and cleaning cameras and sensors as required. The best robots are also more adaptable. This makes it easier to repair or replace parts like batteries and wheels, when they wear out.