Best Rated Robot Vacuum and Mop

Eufy's top-rated robot mop and vacuum takes a lot of the work of keeping your floors tidy. It can refill its own water tank, empty its larger tower bin and swap the dust bag.

More advanced models are smart enough to map your home and note furniture placement. They can also identify hazards and navigate around them, like loose charging cables or unintentional socks.

Object Avoidance

Object avoidance helps your robot to avoid hitting things such as cords, toys and clothes that could get caught in the vacuum. These features are particularly important if you have children or pets that may leave things on the floor for your robot to find.

Depending on the model you pick You may have an array of different sensors that can aid your robot in navigating around obstacles. A few popular ones include crossed IR sensors that beam focused beams of infrared light throughout the room to spot things like furniture legs and door frames. Many robots have adopted this technology, and you can find it in the flagship models that cost more.

Other object avoidance technology that you may find in higher-end robotics is 3D Structured Light which uses cameras and a crossed IR sensor to map the surroundings and identify obstacles. Time of Flight (ToF), sensors that measure and emit the time that it takes the light to reflect off of an object, in order to determine its distance, are also available. While they are not as popular however, they are beneficial to your robot if you want additional security knowing that it will avoid getting stuck on cords or socks when cleaning.

The majority of the top-rated robots are also able to mop your floors. Some even have their own water tanks, which allow them to wash away water-based spills and messes. You'll need to clean the robot's dust bin and clean its sensors and cameras in between cleaning sessions.

Mapping

Robot vacuums should be able to map. This lets them navigate your home without getting caught up against walls. They can be tripped up by pet toys, cords, or furniture without mapping. This results in them cleaning less space. With sensors, the majority of robots map out your space to keep track of any obstacles and assist them to navigate around them. This way, they're able to clean the entire floor in fewer passes, thereby saving you time. A lot of the top-rated robot vacuums also have this feature to create no-go zones allowing you to set specific rooms that you don't want the robot to enter.

Robots that have a built-in LIDAR system use this technology to create a map of your home quickly and efficiently. The Eufy Clean robot separated my room into different areas and cleaned each in a separate manner during our tests. This was an enormous improvement over the cheaper models that rely on the front bumper sensor. This was a more precise way to navigate my home, and it was easy to control using the app that came with the device.

While there aren't any robotic vacuums that can climb stairs, the best models do have obstacles avoidance and mapping features. These tools help them to pick up debris from carpets and hard floors, and to avoid falling down the steps. Certain tools come with sensors that stop them from falling over the edge of stairs. Some have boundaries to keep them from getting in.

Some robots come with an enormous base tower that collects dirt. This helps reduce the amount of dust or allergens released in your home. These bases can last for weeks or even months between emptying, which is especially beneficial for those with allergies. Alternatively, some models have self-emptying systems that let you take out the dust bins without having to manually open or close them.

Wi-Fi enabled

Some robot vacuums connect via Wi-Fi with their apps. This allows you to control them using your smartphone instead (or in addition) to a physical remote. These models are more expensive however, they can save time because you can schedule cleaning time each week, daily or even monthly. These models also let you edit floor maps and save them, as well as provide alternate cleaning schedules.

The most advanced robot vacuums use dual sensors, which combine the LIDAR system to map your area with a structured light sensor that can detect objects and avoid them, even if they're buried under furniture or power cords. These features allow your robot to reach into tight areas, like the nook beneath your kitchen cabinets or under sofas. Some robots have difficulty in these spaces. They also are faster to navigate around obstacles, have longer runtimes and larger dust bins. This makes them more suitable for large homes compared to the smallest robots.

The top-rated robot vacuums tend to be quick, efficient and effective and can clean up all kinds of floor debris such as pet hair, kitty litter and other mess. They are also quite quiet, making them an excellent choice for homes with pets or young children. The majority of robot automatic vacuum cleaner and mop users we've spoken to report that they enjoy the convenience of having their floor cleaned with little effort. This is especially true if they are used frequently. Robots can last as long as traditional vacuum cleaners if they are given the right maintenance (cleaning rotating brushes and keeping an eye on replacement parts). PCWorld offers a guide that offers some useful suggestions to ensure your machine is running smoothly.

Larger Dust Bags

While a robotic vacuum may not clean as well as an upright or canister model, it is excellent in removing dirt and dust that regular vacuuming leaves behind. It is also a great tool for quick touch-ups on floors, and it can also navigate around cords and other obstacles that are common to household use. If you don't want to do the deep cleaning yourself, a robot cleaner can be sent out to scour your floors on a regular schedule.

Some of the best robot hoover rated robot vacuums have huge dust bags that are easy to empty. They can hold more than one room's worth of dirt. This can save you time and money on new bags. This feature is available on many models, including our top pick one, the Ecovacs T30S Combo. This robovac all-in-one is a high-performance robovac and comes with a self emptying bin. It has a mopping feature and a streamlined navigation. This is a close race between the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+ and this one, which is equipped with smart mapping and avoidance technologies. This robovac has a larger capacity, but it is a bit more expensive.

Another significant difference between these two models is how well they handle long human hair which can get caught in the rollers of certain robots. The best-performing models include the Roborock Q5 Max+ and SwitchBot K10S Plus, both have outstanding hair pickup and tangle avoidance scores along with excellent path planning and near perfect auto empty results. The Shark Matrix Plus and eufy are also great options with decent hair pick-up and tangle avoidance, but not as much path planning or auto empty.

The most recent robots have sensors that can detect dirt and debris in the carpet, and are better at removing loose pet hair. Some robots come with a mopping mode that makes use of the water reservoir in order to clean up stuck-on debris and spills. This feature is crucial for families with children as well as pets.

Maintenance

Having a robot vacuum can be a huge aid in keeping up with your home. While no robot can substitute an upright or canister vacuum for deep cleaning, the best automatic vacuum and mop models are rated to remove pet hair, lint, and other surface dirt on carpets and floors with low pile which can pick up more than you would find using the broom. They also have navigation features which prevent them from getting caught on rug fringe or power cords and are able to glide effortlessly under furniture.

Depending on the model, a top-rated robot vacuum is also able to run multiple times per day, or permit you to watch it in action using an app. However, these useful devices can also be prone to clogging and require regular maintenance such as emptying the onboard bin (or the base's bigger dust bin in certain cases) and checking the brushes for tangled hair, and regularly rinsing and allowing the filters to dry according to the manufacturer.

Vacuum expert Emily Rairdin, a store owner apprentice at University Vacuum + Sewing, says a high-quality robot vacuum can last from three to five years or more if it receives regular maintenance and care. She suggests regularly emptying the bin and brush roll and cutting out any hair that is tangled in the brushes, and regularly washing and drying the filter, if your robot also acts as a mop. It is a good idea to wipe the sensors and charging contacts of the dock or robot with an easy, clean cloth every now and again. Then, simply recharge and refill the robot as needed for the next time you clean.