The Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner
Vacuuming is the bane of a lot of people's lives, but robot vacuums make it a little more enjoyable. Today's models also mop and even climb (small) steps.
Some have a small trash bin that they empty by themselves. Others are controlled with a smartphone app rather than the physical remote. Some models have mapping features that assist in navigation.
1. Power
Our top pick for robotic vacuums has a suction power of 8,000Pa, which is powerful enough to remove even the most difficult dirt patches and hairs. Its super-thin square design allows it to slide under furniture such as beds and sofas and its Dual-Laser LiDAR technology allows for precise navigation and accurate obstacle avoidance. It also does a great job at cleaning up pet hair baking soda, other debris near the baseboards as well as in corners.
Aside from robotvacuummops.uk X2 OMNI, the other top-of-the-line bots on this list include the IRobot Roomba J7+ as well as the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra. The latter comes with a robust docking station that is able to perform maintenance and has mopping functionality as well. Its powerful suction and effective mopping made sure my floors were free of pet hair as well as muddy paw prints and other debris throughout every floor type test we ran.
In the lower cost range, a model with around 2,500Pa of suction is more than enough for the majority of homes. These models are quieter, making them the ideal choice for people with sensitive hearing. They're still not quiet, but they're just as loud as a normal conversation at home.
To find the ideal balance of usability and power take into consideration your cleaning needs and budget. Regular light-duty cleaning requires a longer time to run and lower suction, while weekly heavy-duty cleaning requires the most power. Assess your flooring, home layout, and cleaning schedules before selecting the best model. We suggest looking through our full list of robot vacuum reviews and ratings to get more details about the latest models available. Many users have reported that their carpets and bare floor look cleaner after using a robot vacuum.
2. Navigation
A robot vacuum can't perform its task if it does not know how to navigate your home. For this reason, the best robots use sophisticated navigation technology that reliably scans rooms and then creates an outline map to ensure thorough cleaning without getting lost or hitting obstacles. There are three types of robot navigation including LiDAR, camera, and sensor.
The most expensive models use LiDAR to build a virtual map of the room, delivering the highest levels of precision and efficiency. Cheaper models depend on bump sensors, which are less accurate and tend to miss many debris in dark areas. Most robots are equipped with cliff sensors, which keep them from falling off stairs or other drops.
Several robots in my tests utilized object recognition to efficiently navigate things like fake cords and dog turds, but the best was the Eufy X10. It had excellent mapping capabilities and powerful oscillating mops that could be used as an easy-to-use app, and the ability to clean a specific area, room or the entire home.
Consider features such as floor type sensors that automatically increase suction power when needed. Certain robots, like the Roborock mop, make use of mopping pad lifts to reach corners and eliminate dried spills. Many hybrids can apply cleaning solution to staining that is difficult to remove.
A smaller size of the bin will mean less frequent emptying and a larger one will save you money on replacements. The most affordable robotic cleaners generally use a small disposable dust bag, while most mid-range models have larger 3L dustbins that last for many years. Some of the top models, like the ECOVACS DEEBOT OMNI station, can self-empty their dustbin and refill their water tanks for convenience without hands.
3. App control
Most robot vacuums come with an app to monitor the progress of cleaning and schedule sessions. They also connect to smart home devices. They also connect to Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for control via voice. Certain models come with a remote control that allows you to begin, pause, and return to dock. Choose a model that has a larger trash bin and can self-empty, rather than one that needs manual emptying.
Certain robovacs come with mapping technology to help them avoid obstacles such as stairs and furniture. Others let you designate no-go zones and targeted rooms, so they only clean areas that require it the most. They also have cliff sensor to keep them from falling, which is especially beneficial in multi-level homes.
If you intend to make use of your robot vacuum for cleaning carpets, select one that can be used both for dry and wet mopping. You'll be able to get better cleaning results if your robot vacuum can remove its mop pad. Rinse it and then reconnect it when you want to run another cleaning cycle. Find robots that have a rubber roller. This is less likely to become tangled from pet hair or other particles. It's recommended to examine the robot's brushroll and side brushes for debris that has gotten stuck once or twice a week as well. If you notice that they're beginning to get blocked, it could be time to replace parts.
4. Debris collection
Robot vacuums are made according to the name to remove dust and other debris on your floors. The best robot vacuums can pick up tiny particles like baking soda and sand, and larger ones such as metal screws orzo, pet hair. They also have better results on carpets with low pile than manual vacuums.
In all flooring types, the top performing robots had pick-up scores of more than 95 95%. The ECOVACS DEEBOT X2 OMNI and the Roborock Q Revo were the two top-performing robots in this category. Both are highly automated, with docking stations that do maintenance on their own and app features which make them extremely user-friendly.
They both have self-emptying bins that eliminate the contents of the wastebasket. They also have the ability to clean the washboards as they mowing. They also have an 8,000Pa vacuum, smart mapping technology, and advanced obstacle avoidance technology to help them navigate through even the most difficult spaces. The ECOVACS model is also among the few robots we tested that can take its mop pads and vacuum carpet, which makes it the ideal choice for those who have to change between mopping and vacuuming frequently.
If you're looking for a less expensive option, look into the iRobot Roomba Combo J7 Plus, our budget choice. It has LIDAR navigation and decent debris pickup capabilities for the price. It can be a bit slow in mapping rooms and has a tendency of bumping into obstacles, but the cost is less than our other picks.
5. Battery life
The best robot vacuums let you go about your day while keeping your floors in perfect in good condition. You'll still need to manually clean your home on a regular basis but robovacs can assist you in maintaining a minimum standard of cleanliness, and even clean while you're away.
To maximize the time you can get out of your robovac, look for an advancé with a long battery life. A good rule of thumb is to expect a robovac to last for about two complete cleaning sessions when you run it at the highest power setting. This is smaller than a full-sized vacuum, but it should be sufficient to clean most homes. If you don't wish to wait for your robovac to recharge you can opt for a model that automatically returns to the base station to charge.
If you're looking for a robovac with a bit of everything in it, then think about an option that also mop. Eufy's X10 is the best model in this class and includes self-emptying, self-draining and self-refilling of the dust container as well as the mop pad. It is also programmable to automatically re-fill and wash its own mop pads when they're empty.
Its respectable carpet and hard floor pick up, great hair pickup and tangle-free, and a an almost perfect auto empty score make it the clear winner of our test scores. It's not cheap and, unless you live in a an apartment that is small and has no pets, it might be too costly for certain. The runner-up is the Dreametech D10+, has the same performance, but costs about 25% less.