How to Choose the Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner

A robot vacuum can save you lots of time and effort when it comes to regular touch-ups. top robot vacuum cleaner performers do a good job of removing dust and robot vacuum Cleaner best light debris and many allow you to designate no-go zones in pet areas or power cords.

The more expensive ones can even mop your floor but they aren't able to climb up stairs. Find models that feature intelligent mapping, real-time hazards avoidance, and roomy self-emptying bins.

Best Overall

The best robots that we have tested are effective, easy to use, and are able to cope with the everyday messes. You'll also need a robot that can take on stairs and that has decent ability to pick up carpets. If you want a robot that has additional features, you should consider one that comes with smart mapping technology or an app that allows you to control it remotely.

Camryn Rabideau is a contributing reviewer and writer for shopping at PEOPLE who has tried numerous robotic vacuums. She's a huge fan of robotic vacuum cleaner sale vacuums that offer the greatest convenience, such as self-emptying bins and charging docks that automatically empty and fill water tanks for mopping robots. She's also a big fan of the robots that can recognize landmarks like furniture legs and power cords to ensure they don't trip when climbing the stairs.

This Black and Decker robot has a lower score for navigation and has less object-avoidance technology than the top-rated models. However, it does have a large dustbin that doesn't require frequent emptying and a long battery life. It also has an option that allows you to schedule cleaning sessions, and return to where it stopped at the last point, making it easier to take care of larger homes. This model is also a good option for pet owners since it can spot and eliminate hair tangled and fallen food particles.

In our tests, we found that the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra combined a LIDAR (light) sensor that can identify obstacles and map rooms using a structured-light sensor that can identify objects as well as detect edges. This combination lets it stay clear of stairs, drops of liquid, and furniture legs with ease and save up to four floor maps to be used in the future for references. It is able to stop and restart cleaning at any time, meaning you can continue to do chores while it works. The app offers a 3D view of your home, complete with room labels as well as advanced cleaning options.

Although this robot isn't able to clean as well as our top-rated models but it excels in removing fine debris like baking soda and sand and heavier items like orzo pasta and screws made of metal. Its only downsides are that it's not able to mop and that its navigation system is less impressive.

The best for Carpet

If you have carpeting in your home, you should look for a robotic vacuum that has excellent pickup and good robot vacuum maneuverability scores on carpet and rug. Many models are good at collecting dust from low-pile rugs. Some can be quite effective in cleaning up larger debris such as orzo pasta and metal screws. They don't pick-up fine particles like an upright or canister, and could miss dirt close to baseboards or thresholds.

The best option for carpeted homes is a two-in-one robot vacuum and mop that allows you to swap between the cleaning bin as well as a damp mopping pad. The Roborock Q Revo is a 2-in-1 robotic vacuum/mop that is able to clean and mop simultaneously with circular pads spinning at 200 revolutions per minute. It detects and raises the pads when it encounters carpet, preventing it from soaking the floor. You do not need to take them off or replace them after every use. The Q Revo is also superior to other robot vacuums/mops in staying clear of obstacles and rugs, while also getting close to them and thresholds, and staying clear of obstacles.

The iRobot Roomba Combo i5 is another option worth considering. It was a great performer in our tests and you can program it to tidy your home while you are away. It can be set to only mop and we were impressed by its excellent navigation on rug and floor surfaces, as well as its ability to get up and over furniture. The Combo i5 has a long time to run and excellent path planning for an item of this size.

If you're looking for a top-of-the-line vacuum that is high-tech, the Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum & Mop is a great option. It comes with a large dock that can last for weeks and not need to be empty. It also has amazing capability to auto-empty carpets and floors that are not cleaned. It also has a smart-mapping feature and can be programmed to operate at certain times of the day (a useful feature that can keep the sly kids and pets from causing havoc). The Shark isn't as powerful than other mop/robot combos but it's good at picking up hair and pet hair and is the most affordable of our top choices.

Best for Hard Flooring

Robot vacuum cleaner Best vacuums are best for floors made of hardwood, since they can navigate around obstacles easily without damaging floors that aren't. They are capable of removing dust and crumbs, however they aren't able to handle pet hair and other large debris. They don't have the suction power of a top-of-the-line upright or canister vacuum, meaning they're not an ideal option for rooms with carpets or deep cleaning upholstery.

The most effective robots come with two-in-one features, combining the power of a mop with a vacuum to complete the job in one move. If you have flooring that is mixed choose one equipped with an onboard sensor that detects changes in the floor's texture and adjusts suction accordingly. The ECOVACS DEEBOT T9+, for example, has this feature and can move seamlessly from hard to soft carpeting.

If you have lots of hardwood flooring in your home, you may want to consider a robot mop and vacuum combination like the Eufy S1 Pro. This model is an efficient robot vacuum with smart navigation to clean hardwood and other hard surfaces, plus it can mop too. Its sensors help it avoid the stairs and other hazards, so you don't have to be worried about the bot plummeting down the stairs and damaging your hardwood.

When it comes to mop pads, the Eufy S1 Pro is designed to actually clean hardwood floors using downward pressure, rather than wipe them clean to get rid of light dust and dirt. The pads that are reusable reduce waste and spread fewer germs. They can also be cleaned in the docking stations to save time. The mops can also be cleaned and dried to stop the spread of mold.

The robovac is operated by your smartphone, making it much easier to use. For instance, you can make use of the app to designate an area that the vacuum won't enter or mark rooms as separate or schedule cleaning sessions for specific areas. The eufy S1 Pro has an auto-emptying port that collects debris via trapdoors and then puts it in a bagless or disposable bin. This means that you don't need to empty the bin manually as often as you do with other models.

Best for Small Spaces

These robots are made for small spaces. They have smaller bins that can hold less garbage, and are more efficient than larger models in navigating tight corners. They can also fit underneath furniture that larger robots have difficulty reaching. They are also less expensive than higher-end models, however you will have to empty their dirt bins manually at the end of each cleaning session.

A few years ago robot vacuums underwent significant changes. Manufacturers started adding sensors that helped them avoid household items that their traditional sensors could be stuck on or across. This has have reduced the number of times that our testers had to clean up after a robotic snag, whether it was a power cord, a toy or pet waste.

The new sensors aren't completely eliminating all the problems with these machines however. The most affordable models struggle with the same issues that the older ones did and most require a certain amount light to see where they're going. If you live in a dark house cleaning robot or have lots of furniture that is low-profile, think about buying a model that utilizes a top-mounted spinning LIDAR unit to map your space like our best overall and runner-up choices do. This lets them stay clear of stairs and other obstacles while working in the dark.

They can be programmed to only utilize their cliff sensors when they are near or on the ground, and not when they are above it. It is still recommended to shield any mirrors that might interfere with this function however, since the laser used by a laser-based model can bounce off reflective surfaces, causing the robot to think it is in another room.

Some of the models we recommend allow you to create virtual no-go zones for areas that you don't want the robot to go to. This can be helpful when you have pets or children who are small. These features aren't present on all models we test. Read our full reviews before making your choice.