Best Rated Robot Vacuum Cleaner

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

Your robot will last longer if it is maintained with regular maintenance. This includes replacing filters, cutting hairs that have become tangled off brushes and emptying the dustbin.

Battery Life

Most robot vacuums are equipped to handle a few cleaning sessions without needing to be charged. The runner-up in our top picks is the Ecovacs Deebot Q30S Combo is rated to last up to 180 minutes (3,230 square feet) of cleaning time on a single charge. This is enough to clean most smaller homes with the combination of hard floors and carpets with low pile or a bigger home where the rooms are roughly the same size.

A longer battery life means the robot will spend less time charging and more time cleaning. You should choose the model with an automatic emptying bin. These models are more efficient at collecting debris and then returning back to the dock to recharge. It's important to clean or replace filters and clean the sensors and the camera regularly so that they can see clearly.

Smart mapping technology is a beneficial feature, as it allows you to program your robot to ensure that it only cleans certain rooms or areas it's likely to crash into furniture and other obstacles. It's also beneficial for ensuring your robot is able to go under and around beds, sofas and other tall furniture. Some robovacs are inexpensive and have boundary strips that you can use to block off specific areas. Other models of higher quality rely on sensors and cameras.

Even the best roborock vacuum robot vacuums aren't able to substitute a traditional vac when it comes heavy-duty dirt and debris. It is recommended to keep a standard power vac in reserve for these tasks, and to schedule robot vacuums regularly for cleaning up light chores throughout the week.

Navigation

A robot should be capable of navigating your home without getting caught or running into things such as metal screws pet hair, sand or. In our tests, we use a tracking device to follow the robot as it moves through a multiroom lab and maps out its surroundings. We also check how well the robot avoids obstacles such as power cords, furniture leg and pet waste.

The best auto vacuum robots are able to identify multiple floors and recognize landmarks, like windows and doors. The most advanced robots, like the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra have a dual sensor navigation system that uses an LIDAR to create a floor plan and a structured-light camera on the front to spot objects in real-time. The S8 can avoid obstacles like power cords as well as legs of furniture. It can also store up to four floor maps.

Most affordable robot vacuum models use bump sensors, which aren't as accurate. In my tests they were able to detect dog poop and cords as well as a pair shoes placed in the middle. The Dreametech D10+ is the best value pick. It is a great carpet and hard floor pickup, great hair and tangle pickup and an auto empty score.

A large onboard dustbin which does not need to be empty manually is another feature that is essential. For models that mop the floor, this tank can hold enough water for several weeks of cleaning sessions. The Karcher RCV 5 has this and a big enough footprint that it can go under furniture but not so big that it can't fit into the nook between your bathtub and toilet.

Apps

Robot vacuums are like their upright counterparts and require an array of technologies to keep them current. The result is a pretty mature market full of options. Even the top models require interaction from their users particularly when it comes time to plan cleaning schedules, design the floor plan of your home and set up virtual barriers.

To reduce the impact of this interaction, consider looking for a model that has its own app to identify the location of your home, and save those settings for the future. This will allow the robot vacuum to continue where it began in subsequent runs, rather than having the mapping process restarted every time.

You should also look for models that offer zones or spot cleaning. You can instruct the robot vacuum cleaner to focus on a specific area, for example, under the table after a large family meal. You can usually choose to do this via the app or by voice commands.

The ability to avoid objects is another option that is available on many models. It allows the robot to see something in its path, for instance a box of shoes or a crate full of dog toys, and then guide itself around it. This will prevent it from crashing into objects that could harm its sensors or cause jams.

Some of the most expensive models we tested come with this feature. However, they typically rely on bump sensors for this, and they weren't always able to avoid obstacles in my test homes.

Pet Hair

When you're looking to remove pet hair, look for one that is specifically designed to handle this kind of debris. The best models will have the highest suction, a brush that keeps hair from tangling and an automated emptying mechanism. Some are also able to detect dirt levels and adjust the intensity of cleaning accordingly. They are also able to detect objects that aren't part of your flooring in your home, such as furniture, toys and food bowls.

Certain robot vacuums come with pet-friendly features, like small water dispensers that can be used to mop floors, and a HEPA filter that can help reduce allergens such as pet dust. They may also offer an operation that is quieter, which can minimize the amount of noise generated during cleaning.

Robot vacuums that include the ability to map are a great option for pet owners, since they're engineered to assess your home and develop plans of attack in accordance with the layout and obstructions in each room. For example the Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum is a smart vacuum that has an impressive capability to map a room and navigate around furniture and other obstructions with accelerometer and gyroscope smart sensors that work in conjunction to learn the layout of your home.

Other advanced models allow you to set no-go zones, which are areas that the robot is supposed to avoid, such as items that are fragile or pet feeding areas--by altering settings through an app. This feature is especially useful for households with busy schedules, as it allows you to plan your cleaning schedule and adjust settings without having to be in the same room with the vacuum. Spot cleaning is another great feature. You can instruct the vacuum cleaner to clean a spot that is particularly dirty or filled with pet hair.

Dust Bin

Unless you're looking for something tiny You should pick an item that can carry at least a large bag of garbage from one cleaning session. We recommend picking the one with an enormous bin or a bin that automatically emptys. The first will let you keep up with the process of emptying your bin regularly enough to maintain its performance. The latter will help you save time and effort by automatically emptying the contents into an internal container after every cleaning.

Look for models that have smart mapping capabilities that permit them to "learn" the layout of your home and plan more efficient routes. They can also sense and avoid objects that could hinder their routes (like shoelaces or tangled charging cables). Look for models with intelligent mapping capabilities, which allow them to "learn" the structure of your home and design more efficient routes, robotic vacuums and ones that are able to detect and avoid objects that could block their paths (like shoelaces or tangled charging cables).

Some models also provide spot cleaning, which allows users to select specific areas of your home for thorough cleaning. In our tests, we discovered that the top models can take out small particles like sand, baking soda, orzo, metal screws and pet hair, as well heavier debris like oatmeal, orzo, and screws made of metal.

According to the manufacturer, robots can last years and perform well, as long as they are maintained. For instance, cleaning tangled hair out of brushes, emptying dust bins after each use, and wiping cameras and sensors down when needed. The best robots are also more modular. This makes it easier to replace or repair components like wheels and batteries when they get worn out.