Best Rated Robot Vacuum and Mop

Eufy's top-rated robotic vacuum and mop takes some of the work of keeping your floors tidy. It can refill its own water tank, self-empty its tower bin, and change out the dust bag.

Advanced models can map your house and take note of furniture positioning. They also can detect dangers and avoid them, such as loose charging cables or loose socks.

Object Avoidance

Object avoidance functions allow your robot to avoid running into things such as power cords, toys and clothes that be caught in the vacuum. This is especially important if you have children or pets who may be prone to leaving objects on the floor, which your robot could find them.

Depending on the model you pick, your robot may have a variety of sensor options to aid in navigating around obstacles. A few popular ones include crossed IR sensors that focus beams of infrared light throughout the room to identify things like doors and furniture legs. This technology is used by many robots on the market and you can find it in flagship models that are priced higher than other models.

Other object avoidance technologies that are typically found in higher-end robots include 3D Structured Light, which makes use of cameras and crossed IR sensors to map the environment and identify obstacles; and Time of Flight (ToF) sensors that emit and measure the time it takes for light to reflect off of objects to determine the distance to them. While these are less common but they could be beneficial to your robot if you need extra peace of mind that it will avoid getting caught up in cables or socks while cleaning.

Besides collecting dust and debris on hard floors, most of the best-rated robots can sweep your floors as well. Some come with their own water tanks that allow them to wash away the stains and spills that are wet. You'll need to empty the robot's dust bin and clean its cameras and sensors between cleaning sessions.

Mapping

The ability to map is essential in robot vacuums as they help them keep track of your home's layout and prevent them from bumping into objects like walls. Without mapping, they may be tripped by cords, furniture or pet toys, and end up taking less space from your space. The majority of robots utilize sensors to map your home and navigate around obstacles. They can sweep the floor in fewer steps and help you save time. Many of the top robotic vacuums also come with this feature, which allows you to designate areas that are not accessible.

Robots equipped with LIDAR make use of this technology to map your home quickly and effectively. During our tests, the Eufy Clean robot used this feature to divide my home into distinct areas and clean each one independently, which was a huge improvement over the lesser models we tested, which had a front bump sensor. This was a more accurate way to navigate my home and was easy for me to control via the app that came with the device.

While no robot vacuum is able to climb stairs yet, the majority of the best robot vacuum rated models have good obstacles avoidance and mapping features. These tools allow to remove debris from carpets with low pile and hard floors and also to keep them from falling down the steps. Some have cliff sensors to stop them from going over the edge of the stairs and some also have boundary strips that can prevent them from certain areas.

Certain robots have a huge tower base that houses their collected dirt, minimizing the amount of dust and allergens emitted into your home. These bases can go several months or even weeks between emptying and are especially beneficial for those with allergies. Some models have self-emptying dust bins that can empty without opening or closing them manually.

Wi-Fi Enabled

Some robot vacuums communicate via Wi-Fi with their apps. This allows you to operate them with your smartphone instead (or in addition) to the physical remote. They are more expensive, but they can help you save time by letting you schedule cleaning times on a daily, weekly or even a monthly basis. They also permit users to edit and save floor maps and offer alternative cleaning patterns.

Dual sensors are employed by the most modern robot vacuums. They combine a LIDAR mapping system with a structured-light sensor that can detect and avoid objects, even when they're hidden under furniture or power cables. These features allow your robot to reach into tight spaces, such as the kitchen's nook under cabinets or under sofas. Other robots struggle to reach these kinds of spaces. They're also faster to get over obstacles and have longer running times thanks to bigger dust bins, making them more suitable for large homes than entry-level robotics.

The best robot vacuums are swift, intelligent and powerful. They can remove a wide range of floor debris including pet hair, kitty litter and other messes. They also are quiet, which makes them an ideal option for homes with pets as well as young children. Most robot vacuum owners we've interviewed say they appreciate the convenience of having their floors cleaned with little effort, especially when used often. Robots can last just as long as traditional vacuum cleaners if they are given the right maintenance (cleaning rotating brushes and keeping the track of spare parts). PCWorld provides a guide with helpful tips to ensure that your robot is running smoothly.

Dust Bags Larger

A robotic vacuum isn't as good in cleaning as an upright or canister vacuum, but it's fantastic at picking up dust and dirt that regular vacuuming leaves behind. It is also a great tool for quick touch-ups on floors and can navigate around cords and other obstacles that are common to household use. You can use robots to clean your floors according to a schedule when you don't have the time to do it yourself.

The top-rated robot vacuums come with large, easy-to-empty dust bags that hold more than a single room's worth of dirt. This can help save time and money in the form of bags that are replaced. Many of the models on our list include this feature, including our top choice model, the Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo. This robovac all-in-one is a high-performance robovac that comes with a self emptying bin. It also has mopping functions and effective navigation. It's a close contest between the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+ and this one, which is equipped with the latest technology for avoidance and smart mapping. This robovac has a larger capacity, but it is a bit more expensive.

Another big difference between these two models is the way they handle long human hair, which can tangle in the rollers of some robots. The Roborock Q5 Max+, SwitchBot K10S Plus and Roborock Q5 Max+ are the best rated robot vacuum performing models. They all have outstanding hair pickup and tangle avoidance scores, together with excellent auto empty results and great path planning. The eufy and Shark Matrix Plus are also great options, with decent hair pickup and tangle avoidance, but not as much planning for paths or auto empty.

The most recent robots are outfitted with sensors that detect dirt and debris on carpets, and they're better at picking up pet hair. Some robots come with a mopping mode which allows them to use the reservoir of water to clean up stuck-on debris and spills. This feature is a must for families with pets and children.

Maintenance

A robot automatic vacuum cleaner is a great help in keeping up with your home. While no robot is able to substitute an upright or canister automatic vacuum and mop for deep cleaning, the highest models that are rated highly pick up pet hair, lint and other dirt on hard floors and low-pile carpets, picking up much more than you can using the Broom. They also come with navigation features which prevent them from getting caught in power cords or rug fringe and are able to slide easily under furniture.

Depending on the model, a top-rated robot vacuum can be scheduled to run multiple times a day or may allow you to view it at work via an app. These devices are convenient, but they can also get clogged and require regular maintenance. This means emptying the dust bin that is onboard (or in some cases, the base's bigger bin) and checking the brushes for fur that is tangled, and a regular cleaning of the filters and allowing them to dry in accordance with 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 maintenance. She suggests emptying the bin and brush roll often cutting out hair that gets caught in the brushes, and then regularly cleaning and drying the filter if your machine is a mop as well. It's also recommended to wipe down the sensors and charging contacts on the robot or dock every now and then with a soft cloth. Then, recharge and refill your robot for the next clean-up session.