Best Rated Robot Vacuum and Mop

Eufy's top-rated robot vacuum and mop takes some of the burden of keeping your floors spotless. It can re-fill its own water tank, empty its larger tower bin and change out the dust bag.

Advanced models can map your home and record furniture arrangement. They can also identify hazards and help you 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 even clothes that could get caught up in the vacuum. This is especially important if you have kids or pets who are inclined to leave objects on the floor, where your robot could be able to locate them.

Depending on the model you pick depending on the model you select, your robot could have various sensors to aid in navigating around obstacles. Some of the most sought-after include crossed IR sensor beams, which are focused infrared lights that scan across the room for things like furniture legs or door frames. This technology has been widely adopted by numerous robots that are available and you can find it in flagship models that are priced higher than other models.

Other technologies for avoiding objects that can be found in more expensive robots include 3D Structured Light, which utilizes 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 they are not as popular, they can be an excellent addition to your robot if you need additional security knowing that it will avoid getting hung up on power cords or socks when cleaning.

Besides picking up dust and debris on hard floors Most of the top-rated robots can sweep your floors as well. Some come with their own water tanks that allow them to remove water-based spills and messes. You'll have to empty your robot's dust bin and wipe down the cameras and sensors in between cleaning sessions, but these tasks should not take a lot of time.

Mapping

Robot vacuums need to be able to map. This lets them navigate around your home and avoid getting caught up against walls. Without mapping, they might be tripped 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 way, they're able to sweep the entire floor with fewer passes, saving you time. A lot of the top robot vacuums also have this feature, which allows you to create no-go areas.

Robots with a built-in LIDAR system use this technology to create a map of your home quickly and efficiently. During our tests of the Eufy Clean robot vacuum cleaners reviews made use of this feature to divide my room into various areas and clean each one independently, which was a huge improvement over the less expensive models we tested, which used the front bump sensor. This was a more accurate method of navigating my home and was simple for me to control via the app on the device.

While there aren't any robotic vacuums that can scale stairs, the best robot vacuum models do have mapping and obstacle avoidance features. These tools allow them to collect dirt from low-pile or hard floors, and avoid falling down stairs. Some tools have sensors that make sure they don't fall over the edge of stairs. Others come with boundary strips to keep them out.

Certain robots have a huge tower base that houses their dirt and debris, reducing the amount of dust and allergens that are released into your home. These bases can go weeks or even months between emptying, and are particularly useful if you suffer from 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 to their apps. This allows you to control them with your smartphone instead (or in addition) to an actual remote. They are more expensive, but they can save you time by letting you schedule cleaning times on a daily, weekly or even monthly basis. They can also allow you to edit and save floor maps and offer alternative cleaning patterns.

The most advanced robot vacuums utilize dual sensors, combining a LIDAR system to map your space with a structured light sensor that can see objects and avoid them, even if they're hidden under furniture or power cords. These features allow your robot to reach tight areas, like the kitchen's nook under cabinets or under your sofas. Other robots struggle to reach these kinds of spaces. They are also faster to get around obstacles, have longer runtimes, and bigger dust bins. This makes them more suitable for homes with large spaces compared to basic robots.

The best rated robot vacuums are swift, intelligent and powerful, picking up most kinds of floor debris such as pet hair, cat litter and other mess. They are also quite quiet, making them a great option for homes with pets as well as young children. The majority of robot vacuum users have told us that they enjoy the convenience of having their floor cleaned with minimal effort. This is particularly true when they are used regularly. Robots can last just as long as traditional vacuum cleaners with the proper maintenance (cleaning rotating brushes and keeping the track of spare parts). PCWorld offers a helpful guide that provides tips to keep yours running efficiently for many years to come.

Larger Dust Bags

While a robotic vacuum may not be as effective as an upright or canister model, it's great in removing dust and debris that regular vacuuming leaves behind. It can also be used for quick repairs to floors and can maneuver through cords and other obstacles in the home. You can use robots to clean your floors on a regular basis if you don't have time to do it yourself.

Some of the best rated robot vacuums come with large, easy-to-empty dust bags that hold more than a single room's worth of dirt. This will help you save time and money on new bags. This feature is available on a variety of models, including our top pick one, the Ecovacs T30S Combo. This all-in-one robovac boasts an excellent performance rating and has a self-emptying bin. It also has a mopping feature and a streamlined navigation. It is a close call between this and the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+, which has smart mapping and avoidance technology. This robovac has more capacity, but it is a bit more expensive.

The two models also differ in the way they handle long hair, which may become tangled in the rollers of a few robots. The Roborock Q5 Max+, SwitchBot K10S Plus and Roborock Q5 Max+ are the top performing models. They all have outstanding hair pickup and tangle avoidance scores, together with excellent auto empty results and great path planning. The Shark Matrix Plus and eufy are also good options with decent hair pickup and tangle avoidance, but they don't have as much path planning or auto empty.

The latest robots come with sensors that detect dirt and debris in the carpet, and are better at removing hairs that have fallen off of pets. Some even have a dedicated mopping mode that uses the water reservoir to remove the stains and spills. This feature is a must for families with pets as well as children.

Maintenance

A robot vacuum will help you keep up with your home. The top models can pick up more dirt from the surface pet hair, and lint than the broom that is used on low-pile or hard flooring. They come with navigational features that keep them from getting stuck on power cords, rug fringe, or furniture.

According to the model, you can schedule a robot vacuum to run multiple times a day or observe it in action with an app. These devices are convenient but they also clog and require regular maintenance. This includes emptying the dust bin that is onboard (or in certain cases, the base's larger bin), checking brushes for tangled fur and regularly washing the filters and allowing them to dry according to the specifications of the manufacturer.

Emily Rairdin is a vacuum expert and store owner apprentice from University Vacuum + Sewing. She claims that a robot vacuum can last from three to five years with proper maintenance. She suggests emptying the bin and brush roll often, cutting free hair that gets caught in the brushes, and frequently washing and drying the filter if your robot is a mop as well. It's also an excellent idea to clean the charging contacts and sensors on the dock or the robot cleaner with mop every now and then with a soft cloth. Then simply recharge and refill the robot whenever you need to for your next cleaning session.