Five Lessons You Can Learn From Robot Vacuum Cleaner Best
How to Choose the Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner
A robot vacuum will help you save time and hassle in the case of regular touch-ups. The best ones are adept at getting rid of dust as well as light debris and cords.
The more expensive models even clean your floors, though they aren't able to climb stairs. Look for models that have smart mapping, real-time hazard avoidance and large self-emptying bins.
Best Overall
The top robots that we tested are efficient and user-friendly, and able to keep up with everyday debris. You'll also want a robot that can take on stairs and that has decent ability to pick up carpets. And, if you're looking for additional features, you might be interested in a model that uses smart mapping technology, or an app that lets you control the robot remotely.
Camryn Rabideau is a contributing reviewer and writer for shopping at PEOPLE who has tried dozens of robotic vacuums. She's a huge fan of robotic vacuums that offer the greatest convenience, including self-emptying dustbins and charging docks that automatically empty and fill the water tanks used by mopping robots. She also likes robots that recognize landmarks such as furniture legs and power cables, so they don't fall when climbing steps.
This robot from Black and Decker has a lower score on navigation and less object-avoidance tech than the best-rated models. It comes with a large non-refillable dustbin as well as a long battery. In addition, it has the ability to schedule cleaning sessions and return to the location where it stopped last, making it easier to clean larger areas. This model is also a great choice for pet owners because it is able to identify and avoid tangled hair and fallen food particles.
In our tests, we found that the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra combined with a LIDAR (light) sensor that can map rooms and detect obstacles with a structured-light sensor to detect objects and detect edges. The combination allows it to avoid steps, drops of liquid, and furniture legs easily and save up to four floor maps to be used in the future for reference. It can also stop the cleaning process at any point and pick up where it left off so that you can complete chores while the robot works. The app comes with the 3D image of your home, room labels, and more advanced cleaning options.
Although this model isn't able to clean as well as our top-rated models, it excels in removing small particles like baking soda and sand as well as larger objects, like orzo pasta and screws made of metal. The only drawback is that it can't mop and has a less effective navigation system.
Best for Carpet
If you have carpeting in your home, you should look for a robot vacuum with excellent pickup and good maneuverability scores on carpets and rug. Many models are good at picking up dust in low-pile carpets, and some can be quite effective in picking up heavier debris like orzo pasta and metal screws. However, they can't handle fine particles like canister or upright vacuums and can be unable to pick up dirt in the vicinity of baseboards and thresholds.
The best choice for most carpeted homes is a two-in-one robot vacuum and mop that allows you to swap between an empty bin for cleaning and mopping pad with damp. The Roborock Q Revo is a 2-in-1 robotic vacuum/mop that is able to clean and mop at the same time with circular pads that spin at 200 rotations a minute. It automatically detects and lifts the pads when it encounters carpet to avoid wetting the floor, and you don't have to take them off or replace them after each use. The Q Revo is also better than other robot vacuum/mops at keeping away from obstacles such as rugs and thresholds, and eliminating obstacles.
The iRobot Roomba Combo i5 is another option worth considering. It performed well in our tests, and you can schedule it to clean your home when you are away. It can be set up to mop only. We loved its navigation on floors with no flooring and rug. The Combo i5 also has a very long run time and excellent path planning for such a small device.
If you want a more modern model, you can look at the Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 Self-Empty Robot Vacuum & Mop. It has a huge charging dock that can last for several weeks without having to be emptied and boasts impressive navigation skills and auto-emptying on both bare floors and carpets. It's also got an intelligent mapping system that can be programmed to only be operational during certain times of the day (a useful feature that can keep children and pets who are prone to mischief from causing havoc). The Shark isn't as powerful than some other robot vacuums and mops but it's effective in removing hair and pet hair and is the best value of our top choices.
Best for Hard Flooring
Robot vacuums are the ideal option for hardwood floors since they can easily maneuver around obstacles and not damage the floor's surface. They are fantastic at picking up dust and crumbs, but they struggle with pet hair or larger debris. They lack the suction power of the top canister or upright vacuum, making them a poor choice for deep cleaning upholstery or carpeted areas.
The most effective robots are two-in-one, combining mop and vacuum to do a complete job in one step. Look for models that have an onboard sensor to detect any changes in the flooring and adjust suction accordingly. The ECOVACS DEEBOT T9+ for example, has this feature and can go seamlessly from hard to soft carpeting.
If you have a lot of hardwood flooring in your home you might want to consider a robotic mop and vacuum combo like the Eufy S1 Pro. This model uses an efficient robot vacuum with intelligent navigation to clean hardwood and other hard surfaces, and it can mop too. The sensors in it allow it to avoid dangers like stairs.
When it comes to mop pads the eufy S1 Pro is designed to actually wash hardwood floors with downward pressure, rather than wipe them over to remove dust and dirt. Its pads that can be reused reduce waste and spread fewer germs. They can also be cleaned at docking stations to reduce time. The mop pads can also be dried, washed and reused.
Both the robovac and mop can be controlled by your smartphone to make it easier to manage the device. For instance you can make use of the app to designate an area where the vacuum can't go, label separate rooms, or schedule cleaning sessions for specific areas. The eufy S1 Pro has an auto-emptying port that collects debris through a trapdoor, and stores it into a bagless or disposable bin. This means that you won't need to empty the bin manually as often as you do with other models.
Best for Small Spaces
As the name implies the robots are best suited for small spaces. They have smaller bins which hold less garbage. They are also more efficient in moving around corners more efficiently over larger models. They can also fit under furniture, whereas larger robots struggle to get in. best vacuums Robot Vacuum Mops are also cheaper than higher-end models, but you will need to empty their dirt bins manually at the end of each cleaning session.
A couple of years ago, robotic vacuums underwent a significant change as manufacturers began adding sensors to help navigate and avoid household objects that traditional sensors would get stuck on or run over. This has 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 issues that these devices have, however. The cheaper models are still unable to navigate the same obstacles as older models, and require some level of illumination to see where they are moving. If you reside in a dark area 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 top overall and runner-up picks do. This lets them work in darkness and avoid obstacles like stairs.
In addition to being capable of working in dark they can also be programmed to use their cliff sensors only when they're on or near the floor, not when they're above them. It's important to cover mirrors in order to stop this from happening. The lasers used by LIDAR-based models may bounce off reflective surfaces, which makes the robot think it's in a different space.
Some of the models that we recommend will allow you to create virtual no-go areas for areas you don't want the robot to go to. This is helpful if you have pets or small children. These features aren't on all models we test. Read our full reviews before deciding.