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, self-empty its larger tower bin and change the dust bag.

Advanced models can map your house and note furniture positioning. They also can detect obstacles and navigate around hazards like loose charging cables and unintentional socks.

Object Avoidance

Object avoidance features enable your robot cleaner to avoid crashing into things like toys, power cords and clothes that can be caught in the vacuum. These are particularly important if you have kids or pets who may be likely to leave items on the floor where your robot can find them.

Depending on the model you pick the robot you choose may come with a variety of sensor options to help it navigate around obstacles. Some of the most popular include crossed IR sensors that beam focused beams of infrared light throughout the room to detect things like doors and furniture legs. This technology has been widely adopted by a variety of robots available, and you can also see it in the top models that are priced higher than others.

Other technology for avoiding objects can be found in more expensive robots are 3D Structured Light, which utilizes cameras and crossed IR sensors to map the surroundings and identify obstacles; and Time of Flight (ToF) sensors which emit and measure the time it takes for light to reflect off objects, to determine the distance to them. While these are less common, they can be an excellent addition to your robot if you need peace of mind knowing that it won't get stuck on cables or socks while cleaning.

In addition to collecting dust and debris from hard floors Most of the top-rated robots can mop your floor as well. Some even come with their own water tanks, which allow them to wash away wet 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 must have mapping capabilities. This lets them navigate around your home and avoid getting caught up against walls. They may be tripped by cords, pet toys or furniture that are not marked. This will result in them taking up less space. Using sensors, most robots map your home to identify any obstacles and help them navigate around them. They can clean the floor in fewer passes, and make it easier for you to save time. Many of the top robotic vacuums also come with this feature, which allows you to designate areas that are not accessible.

Robots that have built-in LIDAR use this technology to map your home efficiently and quickly. During our tests, the Eufy Clean robot utilized this feature to separate my room into distinct areas and clean each independently it was a major improvement over the less expensive models we tested, which used an in-front bump sensor. This was a much more precise method of navigating my home and was also easy to control via the app on the device.

While there aren't any robotic cleaner and mop vacuums that can climb stairs, the top models do come with mapping and obstacle avoidance features. These tools help them to remove dirt from carpets and hard floors and also to keep them from falling down the stairs. Some have cliff sensors that prevent them from crossing over the edge of stairs and others have boundary strips that stop them from entering certain areas.

Some robots have a large tower base which holds the dirt they collect, minimizing the amount of dust and allergens emitted into your home. They can be kept for weeks or months without being emptied and are particularly helpful if you suffer from allergies. Certain models come with self-emptying dust bins which you can empty without opening or closing them manually.

Wi-Fi enabled

Some robot vacuums make use of Wi-Fi to communicate with their apps which allows users to control them with your smartphone rather than (or in addition to) an actual remote. These models are more expensive however, they can save time since you can schedule cleaning time each week, daily or monthly. These models also allow you to edit floor maps and save them for later use. They also offer alternate cleaning patterns.

The most advanced robot vacuums employ dual sensors, which combine the LIDAR system to map your space using a structured light sensor that can detect objects and avoid them, even if they're hidden under furniture or power cords. These features make it easier for your robot to maneuver into narrow spaces like the nook under the kitchen cabinets or beneath sofas, areas where other robots have trouble. They are also more efficient in getting over obstacles and have longer run times with bigger dust bins, making them more suitable for large homes than the entry-level robots.

The top-rated robot vacuum and mop vacuums tend to be swift, intelligent and powerful cleaning up all kinds of floor debris such as pet hair, cat litter, and other dirt. They can also be quiet which makes them a great choice for homes with children and pets. The majority of robot vacuum users we've spoken to report that they appreciate the ease of having their floors cleaned with little effort. This is particularly true when they are used regularly. And with proper maintenance (cleaning the rotating brushes and keeping tabs on replacement parts) robots can last as long as a conventional full-size vacuum cleaner. PCWorld has a helpful guide that covers some important tips to keep your machine running in good shape for the long time to come.

Larger Dust Bags

Although a robot vacuum may not be as effective as a canister or upright model, it is great at picking up dust and other debris that regular vacuuming leaves behind. It can be used to perform quick repairs to floors that are not clean, and can traverse around cords or other obstacles in your home. You can use robots to clean your floors according to a schedule if you don't have time to do it yourself.

Some of the top-rated robot vacuums come with big easy to empty dust bags that can hold more dirt than a room. This will save you time and money on bags that need to be replaced. This feature is available on many models, including our top choice, the Ecovacs T30S Combo. This robovac all-in-one has an impressive performance score and comes with self-emptying bin. It comes with a mopping function and efficient navigation. This is a close race between the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+ and this model, which utilizes the latest technology for avoidance and smart mapping. This robovac is more expensive but has a bigger capacity.

Another major difference between the two models is how they handle long human hair that can get caught in the rollers of some robots. The Roborock Q5 Max+, SwitchBot K10S Plus and Roborock Q5 Max+ are the most efficient models. They all have top hair pickup and tangle-avoidance scores, along with great auto empty performance and great path planning. The Eufy and Shark Matrix Plus are also excellent options with respectable hair pickup and tangle avoidance but not as much path-planning or auto empty.

The latest robots come with sensors that can spot dirt and debris on the carpet, and they're better at removing hairs that have fallen off of pets. Some models even have a mopping mode that uses the reservoir of water to wash away spills and messes that have gotten stuck. This feature is crucial for families with children as well as pets.

Maintenance

A robot vacuum will help you keep up with your home. While no robot can replace an upright or canister vacuum for deep cleaning, the highest models are rated to remove pet hair, lint and other dirt that accumulates on carpets and floors with low pile and pick up more than you would find with a Broom. They have navigational features that help them avoid getting stuck on power cords, rug fringes or furniture.

Based on the model, a top-rated robot vacuum can be scheduled to run several times per day, or permit you to watch it in action using an app. However, these convenient vacuums are also prone to clogging and require regular maintenance such as emptying the onboard bin (or the base's bigger dust bin in certain cases) as well as checking the brushes for hair that has become tangled and periodically rinsing and allowing the filters to dry as suggested by the manufacturer.

Emily Rairdin is a vacuum expert and store owner apprentice from University Vacuum + Sewing. She says that a robot vacuum can last for three to five years with proper care. She recommends regularly emptying the bin and brush roll, cutting out any hair that has gotten caught up in the brushes and frequently washing and drying the filter, if your robot also acts as a mop. It's a good idea wipe the sensors and charging contacts on the robot or dock with a soft, clean cloth every now and again. Then, simply refill and recharge the robot when needed for the next time you clean.