Best Rated Robot Vacuum and Mop

Eufy's top-rated robot vacuum and mop takes some of the hands-off work out of keeping your floors clean. It is able to refill its own water tank as well as empty its tower bin. It also has the capability to change its dust bag.

Advanced models can map your house and take note of furniture arrangement. They can also spot obstacles and navigate around hazards like loose charging cables and stray socks.

Object Avoidance

Object avoidance features enable your robot to avoid crashing into things like power cords, toys and clothes that can get caught up in the vacuum. This is especially important if you have children or pets who are inclined to leave objects on the floor, which your robot can discover them.

Based on the model you select depending on the model you select, your robot could have several sensor options to assist it in its quest to avoid obstacles. Some of the most popular include crossed IR sensor beams, which are a focused infrared light that scan across the room looking for things like furniture legs or door frames. This technology is used by a variety of robots on the market and you can see it in the top models that cost more than others.

Another object avoidance technology can be found in more expensive robotics includes 3D Structured Light which uses cameras and crossed IR sensors to map the environment, and detect obstacles. Time of Flight (ToF), sensors that measure and emit the time it takes for the light to reflect off of an object to determine its distance, is also available. These aren't very common but can be an excellent option for your robot in case you're looking to add security.

The majority of the top-rated robots can also clean your floors. Some even come with their own water tanks that allow them to remove water-based spills and messes. You will need to empty the robot's dust bin onboard and clean its sensors and cameras between cleaning sessions.

Mapping

Robot vacuums should be able to map. This allows them to navigate around your home and avoid bumping against things like walls. Without mapping, they could be tripped over by furniture, cords, or pet toys and end up cleaning less of your space. Most robots use sensors to map your home and navigate around obstacles. This allows them to sweep the entire floor with fewer passes, saving you time. A lot of the top-rated robot vacuums also have this feature to create zones that are not allowed, permitting you to define areas that you do not want the robot vacuum cleaner reviews to enter.

Robots equipped with LIDAR use this technology to map your home efficiently and quickly. The Eufy Clean robot separated my room into different areas and cleaned each separately during our tests. This was a vast improvement over the cheaper models that only had the front bumper sensor. This was a more accurate method of navigating my home, and it was easy to control using the app on the device.

Although no robot vacuum has the ability to climb stairs yet, most of the top-rated models come with good obstacles avoidance and mapping features. These tools let them collect debris from low-pile and hard floors, and to avoid falling down stairs. Some tools are equipped with sensors to prevent them falling over the edge of stairs. Others have boundaries to keep them out.

Certain robots have an enormous base tower that collects dirt. This helps reduce the amount of dust or allergens released within your home. These bases can last for several weeks or even months without emptying and are especially useful if you suffer from allergies. Additionally, some models come with self-emptying systems that allow you to take out the dust bins without needing to open and close them.

Wi-Fi Enabled

Some robot vacuums utilize Wi-Fi to communicate with their apps, allowing users to control them with your smartphone rather than (or in addition to) the physical remote. They are more expensive but can save you time by allowing you to schedule cleaning times on a daily, weekly or even a monthly basis. These models also allow you to modify floor maps and save them, as well as provide alternative cleaning patterns.

The most advanced robot vacuums utilize dual sensors, combining a LIDAR system to map your area with a structured light sensor that can see objects and avoid them even if they're under furniture or power cords. These features make it easier for your robot to maneuver into tight spaces like the nook under your kitchen cabinets and under sofas, where many other robots struggle. They're also faster to get over obstacles and have longer running times thanks to larger dust bins, making them more suitable for large homes than the entry-level robots.

The best robot cleaner rated robot vacuums are swift, intelligent and powerful cleaning up all kinds of floor debris, such as pet hair, kitty litter and other dirt. They are also quite quiet, making them an ideal choice for homes with pets and young children. The majority of robot vacuum users we've spoken with say that they enjoy the convenience of having their floors cleaned with minimal effort. This is especially true when used regularly. And with proper maintenance (cleaning the rotating brushes and keeping tabs on the replacement parts) robots can last as long as a conventional full-size automatic vacuum cleaner and mop cleaner. PCWorld provides a guide that offers some useful suggestions to ensure your machine is running smoothly.

Larger Dust Bags

While a robotic vacuum might not be as efficient as an upright or canister model, it is great at picking up dirt and dust that regular vacuuming leaves behind. It can also be used for quick repairs to floors and can maneuver through cords and other household obstacles. If you don't want to do the deep cleaning yourself, a robot cleaner can be set to send it out to sweep your floors on a regular schedule.

The top-rated robot vacuums have large dust bags that can store more dirt than a room. This can help you save time and money on bags that need to be replaced. This feature is available on several models, including our top pick which is the Ecovacs T30S Combo. This robovac all-in-one has an excellent performance score and includes an auto-emptying bin. It comes with a mopping function and an efficient navigation. It is a close race between the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+ and this one, which is equipped with the latest technology for avoidance and smart mapping. This robovac has more capacity, but is slightly more expensive.

Another major difference between the two models is how they deal with long human hair, which can tangle in the rollers of some robots. The best-performing models, the Roborock Q5 Max+ and SwitchBot K10S Plus, both have superb hair pickup and tangle avoidance scores with great path planning and close to perfect auto empty results. The Shark Matrix Plus and eufy are also great options with respectable hair pick-up and tangle avoidance but not as much path planning or auto empty.

The latest robots are fitted with sensors that can identify dirt and other debris on carpets and they are better at removing pet hair. Some models even have a mopping mode that can use the water reservoir to remove spills and messes that have gotten stuck. This feature is crucial for families with children and pets.

Maintenance

Having a robot vacuum can be a great help in keeping up with your home. The most effective models pick up more dirt pet hair and lint, than the broom that is used on low-pile or hard flooring. They also come with navigation features that ensure they don't get stuck on rug fringe or power cords and are able to slide easily under furniture.

According to the model, you can program a robot vacuum to run multiple times per day, or watch it perform its duties using an app. However, these useful devices can also be prone to clogging and require frequent maintenance like emptying the bin onboard (or the base's bigger dust bin in some instances), checking brushes for hair that is tangled, and regularly rinsing and allowing the filters to dry as recommended 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 maintenance. She suggests regularly emptying the bin and brush roll, cutting out any hair that is tangled in the brushes, and regularly washing and drying the filter, in the event that your robot acts as mop. It's also a good idea to clean the charging contacts and sensors on the robot or dock often with a soft, clean cloth. Then, refill and recharge the robot when needed for your next cleaning session.