Best Rated Robot Vacuum Cleaner

While robot vacuums are fantastic at keeping your floors clean however, they're not able to replace a large-sized vacuum. Even the most advanced robots aren't able to get deep into carpets and rugs, and they can get tangled up in cords and socks.

Your robot will last longer if it is maintained with routine maintenance. This includes replacing filters, cutting the tangled hairs from brushes, and emptying the dust bin.

Battery Life

Most robot vacuums are able to handle a couple of cleaning sessions without needing to be charged. The runner-up of our overall picks, the Ecovacs Deebot Q30S Combo, has a battery that is designed to last for up to 180 minutes (3,230 square feet) of cleaning time on a single charge. That amount of runtime is more than enough time to clean the majority of smaller homes that have the combination of hard floors and low-pile carpets or a larger house in which the rooms are about the same size.

A longer battery lifespan also means that the robot is able to spend more time cleaning, and less time charging on its dock. You should choose the model with a self-emptying bin. These models are more efficient in collecting debris and then returning to docks to recharge. It is important to clean or replace filters and wipe down sensors and camera regularly so they can see clearly.

Smart mapping technology is a useful feature to look out for since it permits you to program your robot to clean specific rooms or areas that it's likely to bump into furniture or other obstacles. This feature is also helpful to ensure that your robot can reach under and around furniture like beds, sofas and other tall items. A few robovacs are cheap and have boundary strips you can place on the floor to block off areas, and other models with higher-end features utilize sensors and cameras for this purpose.

Even the best robot vacs can't replace a conventional vacuum when it comes to heavy-duty large-pile dirt and debris. It's advisable to keep a traditional power vac in reserve to handle these chores, and to schedule robot vacs regularly for cleaning up light chores throughout the week.

Navigation

A robot should be capable of navigating your home without getting caught or crashing into objects like metal screws or pet hair, or sand. In our tests, we employ an instrument to track the robot as it travels through a multiroom lab. It determine its surroundings. We also look for the extent to which it can avoid obstacles like furniture legs, power cords and pet waste.

The best robots can map out multiple floors and can recognize landmarks such as doors and windows. The most advanced robots, such as the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra have a dual sensor navigation system, which uses a LIDAR to draw a room's layout and a structured-light camera mounted on the front to spot objects in real-time. The S8 is able to avoid obstacles such as power cords and furniture legs. It can also store up to four automatic floor cleaners maps.

Most affordable models rely on bump sensors which aren't as precise. In my tests they were able detect dog poop and cords, as well as a pair of shoes placed in the middle. The Dreametech D10+ is the most value-for-money option. It has excellent carpet, hard automatic floor cleaner, tangle and hair pickup. It also has a near-perfect auto empty score.

Another important feature is a large onboard dustbin that doesn't require manually empty. It also has, for those models that mop, a tank of water which can store weeks of mopping. The Karcher RCV 5 has this, automated vacuum cleaner and a large enough footprint that it can be placed under furniture, but not so large that it doesn't fit into the nook between your toilet and bathtub.

Apps

Robot vacuums are like their upright counterparts and require lots of technology to keep them current. The result is a mature market with plenty of options. However, even the most advanced models require interaction with their users - especially when it comes to scheduling cleanings and establishing a floor plan and setting up virtual barriers.

To lessen the chance of this interaction, consider looking for a model with its own app to identify the location of your home, and save those settings for the future. This will allow the robot vacuum to continue where it began in subsequent runs, rather than having the mapping process restarted each time.

Also, look for models that offer zones or spot cleaning. They let you tell the robot vacuum to concentrate on a specific spot like under the dining table following a big family meal. You can typically do this via the app or by voice commands.

Avoidance of objects is a different feature that's available with several models. It lets the robot detect objects in its path, like the shoe box or a crate of dog toys, and then guide itself around it. This will stop it from running into objects that could damage its sensors or cause jams.

This feature is available on some of the more expensive models we tried. They rely on bump sensor technology to do this however they weren't always able to keep things out of my test home.

Pet Hair

Find a vacuum cleaner that is specifically designed to remove hair from pets. The most effective models will feature a high suction, a brush that keeps hair from tangling and an automated emptying mechanism. Some models can also determine dirt levels and adjust cleaning intensity in line with the level of dirt. They are also able to detect objects that aren't part of your flooring at home, such as toys, furniture and food bowls.

Some robot vacuums have extra features that are pet-friendly, such as a small water dispenser that can be used to mop floors and an HEPA filter that can reduce allergens such as pet dander. They could also provide the option of a quieter operation, which will reduce the amount of noise generated during cleaning.

Robot vacuums that include mapping capabilities are an excellent option for pet owners, as they are designed to analyze your home and develop an action plan based on the layout and the obstacles in each room. Shark Matrix Plus is a 2-in-1 robot vacuum that can map a room, and navigate around furniture and other obstacles by using accelerometers and gyroscope sensors.

Other advanced models let you set no-go zones, which are areas that the robot is meant to avoid, such as items that are fragile or pet feeding spots--by adjusting settings through an app. This feature is especially useful for households with busy schedules, as you can schedule cleaning sessions without having to be in the room in which the vacuum is. Spot cleaning is another great feature. You can direct the Remote Vacuum cleaner to clean a spot that is especially dirty or is brimming with pet hair.

Dust Bin

If you're not searching for a small size it is recommended to select one that can carry at least a complete bag of garbage from a single cleaning session. We recommend choosing one with an enormous bin, or even a dustbin that self-empties. The one will let you keep up with the process of emptying your bin regularly enough to ensure its efficiency. The latter will save time and effort by automatically dropping the contents into an inner container every few cleanings.

Regardless of the size of your house the majority of robots are able to move around and up to furniture, and almost all are able to detect and navigate around household obstacles like shoes, loose cords and dog poop. Make sure you choose models with intelligent mapping capabilities. This allows them to "learn the layout of your house and devise a more efficient routes.

Certain models also offer spot cleaning, which lets users to select an area of your house for intensive cleaning. We've observed that the majority of the top performers in our tests are able to take in fine particles such as sand and baking soda, as well as heavier particles like oatmeal, orzo pasta, metal screws, and pet hair.

Depending on the brand, most robots will last for a long time and remain in good working order in the event that you maintain them with regular maintenance, such as cleaning tangled hair from brushes and emptying the dust bin after each use and cleaning robots cameras and sensors when needed. The best robots are also more adaptable. This makes it easier to replace or repair parts like batteries and wheels, as they wear out.