The Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner
Vacuuming is a major cause of many lives However, robot vacuums make it a little less tedious. Modern models mop and can even climb (small) stairs.
Some have a small trash bin that they empty on their own. Others are controlled with an app on your smartphone instead of the physical remote. Some have mapping capabilities that assist in navigating your home with greater efficiency.
1. Power
With 8,000Pa of suction power Our top choice for robot vacuums is powerful enough to handle the worst dirt patches and hairs. Its slim square shape enables it to slide beneath furniture, such as sofas and beds. Dual-Laser LIDAR technology offers precise obstacle avoidance as well as intelligent navigation. It's also great at cleaning pet hair, baking powder, and other debris near corners and baseboards.
Other powerful robots in this list besides the DEEBOT X2 OMNI, include the iRobot Roomba j7+ as well as the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra. It comes with a sturdy docking station that automatically performs maintenance and has mopping functionality as well. Its powerful suction and efficient mopping helped keep my floors clear of pet hair as well as muddy paw prints and other debris throughout every floor type test that we conducted.
A model that has 2500Pa suction should be sufficient for the majority of homes in the lower price range. They are also quieter and, therefore, a better choice for those who have sensitive ears. They're not quiet, but they're not about the same as normal conversations at home.
Consider your budget and cleaning needs to determine the best combination of power and usability. For light-duty cleaning that is frequent it is recommended to have a longer runtime and a lower suction is required. For heavy-duty cleaning, weekly runs require the most power. Take a look at your flooring, layout of your home and cleaning schedules to select the best robotic mop and vacuum model to meet your requirements. We suggest looking through our complete list of robot vacuum reviews and ratings for more information on the latest models available. Many customers report that their carpets and floors appear cleaner after using a robotic vacuum.
2. Navigation
A robot vacuum can't do its job properly if it doesn't know how to navigate your home. This is why the best robots rely on sophisticated navigation technology that reliably scans rooms and creates maps to ensure thorough cleaning without being lost or hitting obstacles. There are three kinds of robot navigation: LiDAR, camera and sensor.
The most expensive models use LiDAR to build a virtual map of the room, delivering the highest levels of accuracy and efficiency. Bump sensors are used in lower-end models, however they can be inaccurate and miss a lot debris when working in dark places. Most robots are equipped with cliff sensors to keep them from falling off stairs or other drops.
Many of the robots I tried used object recognition to navigate around things such as cords and fake dog turds. However, the Eufy X10 was the Best robot vacuum cleaner UK. It had powerful oscillating mop heads, a user friendly app with excellent mapping capabilities.
Other features worth a look include floor type sensors that recognize carpets that are hard and soft, automatically boosting suction power when needed. Some robots, such as the Roborock mop utilize mopping pads lift to reach into corners and clean dry spills. Many hybrids are able to apply cleaning solutions to staining that is difficult to remove.
A smaller bin will mean less frequent emptying while a bigger one can save you money on replacements. The majority of robotic cleaner and mop cleaners that are low-cost use a small, disposable dust bag. However, the majority of mid-range models come with larger 3L dustbins that last a long time. Some premium robots, like the EcoVACS DEEBOT OMNI station, will self-empty their bins and fill their water tanks, allowing hands-free convenience.
3. App control
The top robot vacuums have an application that lets you track the progress of cleaning and schedule sessions and connect to your smart home devices for hands-free control. Many robot vacuums can also be controlled using voice commands, such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Some have a dedicated remote control that lets you start the process, pause it and then return to dock. Pick a model that comes with a larger trash bin and can self-empty, rather than one that requires manual emptying.
Some robots are equipped with mapping technology that helps them remember obstacles, like stairs, and avoid hitting furniture. Some allow you to designate no-go zones and targeted rooms, so they only clean areas that need it most. They also have cliff sensor to stop them from falling, which is particularly beneficial in multi-level homes.
If you are planning to make use of your robot vacuum to clean rugs choose a model that can do dry mopping as well as wet. You'll get better results from the robot vacuum that can remove its own mop pad as well, which you can then rinse and reattach when it's time to do another cleaning cycle. Find robots that have an elastomer roller. It will be less likely to get caught from pet hair or other particles. Check the robot's side brushes and brushroll for any debris that has become stuck on. Do this at least twice a week. If you notice that they are starting to clog up it could be time to buy replacement parts.
4. Collection of debris
As the name implies, robot vacuums are designed to collect dust and other debris from your floors. The best robot vacuums can take small particles such as sand and baking soda, in addition to larger ones like metal screws orzo, as well as pet hair. They also have better pickup results on low-pile carpets than manual vacuums.
The top-performing robots across all flooring types had pickup scores over 95 percent. The ECOVACS DEEBOT X2 OMNI and the Roborock Q Revo were two of our top-performing robots in this category. Both are highly automated with docking stations that perform maintenance on their own, and apps that make them extremely user-friendly.
They both have self-emptying bins that automatically take the contents of the wastebasket, and clean the washboard while mowing. They also come with an 8,000Pa vacuum cleaner, smart mapping technology, and advanced obstacle avoidance to help them navigate even the most difficult of spaces. The ECOVACS model is also among the few robots that we tested that can remove its mop pads and vacuum carpet which makes it the ideal choice for users who need to switch between mopping and vacuuming frequently.
If you're looking for a cheaper option, look into the Roomba Combo J7 from iRobot Plus, our budget choice. It comes with LIDAR navigation and decent performance in the field of debris pickup for the price. It's not the fastest to map rooms and can be prone to hitting obstacles however, it's cheaper than our other best-buy choices.
5. Battery life
The most effective robot vacuums are designed to let you get moving with your day while they keep your floors clean and spick and span. While you'll still need to give your home a manual vacuum every now and again robot vacuums can help you maintain a standard of cleanliness and even keep your home clean even when you're away.
Choose a robovac that has long-lasting batteries to get the most out of it. If you select the highest power setting, a model should last two cleaning sessions. This is smaller than a full-sized vacuum, but it should be sufficient to clean most homes. If you don't want to wait around while your robovac is charging you, you can opt for one that will automatically make its way back to the base station to recharge.
If you're looking for a robot that does a little bit of everything, consider an all-in-one machine that can mop too. Eufy's X10 is the most effective model in this category and provides self-emptying, auto-draining and self-refilling of the dust bin and mop pad. It can even be programmed to automatically refill and wash its own mop pads when they're running low.
The clear winner in our tests is the Dyson V810, due to its outstanding carpet and hard floor pickup, superb hair pickup, tangle-free performance and a near perfect auto empty score. It's not cheap, however and unless you live in an apartment with no pets, it could be too pricey for some. The second-placed model, the Dreametech D10+, has identical performance, Best Automatic Vacuum but is priced 25% less.