Best Rated Robot Vacuum and Mop

Eufy's top-rated robot vacuum and mop takes a bit of the burden of keeping your floors spotless. It is able to replenish its own water tank as well as empty its tower bin. It can also change its dust bag.

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

Object Avoidance

Object avoidance features enable your robot to avoid running into things such as power cords, toys and clothes that get caught up in the vacuum. These are especially important if you have children or pets who may be likely to leave items on the floor where your robot will discover them.

Based on the model you pick the robot you choose may come with various sensors to help it navigate around obstacles. A few popular ones include crossed IR sensors that send focused beams of infrared light throughout the room to spot things like furniture legs and door frames. A lot of robots have adopted this technology, and you'll find it in the top models that are more expensive.

Other technology for avoiding objects you might find in more expensive robots are 3D Structured Light, which utilizes cameras and crossed IR sensors to map the surrounding area and identify obstacles; and Time of Flight (ToF) sensors that emit and measure the time it takes for light to reflect off objects, to determine the distance between them. They aren't as common, but could be a great option for your robot in case you're looking to add peace of mind.

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

Mapping

Robot vacuums should be able to map. This allows them to navigate your home and avoid bumping against things like walls. Without mapping, they might be tripped by cords, furniture or pet toys and end up cleaning less of your space. By using sensors, many robots map out your space to identify any obstacles and assist them to navigate around them. This way, they're able to sweep the entire floor with fewer passes, saving you time. Many of the top-rated robot vacuums also have this feature to create zones that are not allowed, allowing you to set specific areas that you do not want the robot to enter.

Robots that have built-in LIDAR utilize this technology to map your home efficiently and quickly. During our tests, the Eufy Clean robot utilized this feature to divide my home into different areas and clean each independently it was a major improvement over the less expensive models we tested that had the front bump sensor. This was a much more precise way to navigate my home, and it was simple for me to control via the app that came with the device.

While there aren't any robotic vacuums that can climb stairs, the most effective models have mapping and obstacle avoidance features. These tools allow them to pick up debris from carpets with low pile and hard floors and also to prevent falling down the steps. Some have cliff sensors to stop them from crossing the edge of stairs and others have boundary strips that prevent them from certain areas.

Certain robots have a large base tower that can collect dirt. This reduces the amount of dust or allergens released within your home. These bases can last for several weeks or even months without emptying, and are particularly beneficial for those with allergies. Alternatively, some models have self-emptying mechanisms that let you take out the dust bins without having to manually open or close them.

Wi-Fi Enabled

Some robot vacuums utilize Wi-Fi to connect with their apps, allowing you to control them using your smartphone rather than (or in addition to) the physical remote. These models are more expensive but can save you time by letting you plan cleaning time on a daily, weekly or even a monthly basis. They also permit you to modify and save floor maps and offer alternative cleaning schedules.

The most advanced robot vacuums employ dual sensors, which combine a 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 allow your robot to access tight areas, such as the space under your kitchen cabinets or underneath sofas. Other robots struggle to reach these spaces. They also have a faster speed to get around obstacles, and have longer runtimes, and bigger dust bins. This makes them more suitable for large homes compared to basic robots.

The most effective robot vacuums are quick and efficient. They are also intelligent and powerful. They can pick up many kinds of floor debris, including pet hair, kitty-litter and other messes. They can also be quite quiet making them a good option for homes with young kids and pets. Many of the robot vacuum owners we've spoken to say they appreciate the ease of keeping their floors cleaned with little effort, particularly if they use it often. Robots can last as long as traditional vacuum cleaners if they are given the proper maintenance (cleaning rotating brushes and keeping the track of spare parts). PCWorld offers a manual that offers some useful tips to keep yours running smoothly.

Dust Bags Larger

Although a robot vacuum may not be as efficient as a canister or upright model, it's great in picking up dust and other debris that regular vacuuming leaves behind. It is a great tool for quick repairs to floors that are not clean and is able to traverse around cords or other obstacles in your home. If you don't wish to do the deep cleaning yourself, a robotic cleaner will let you send it out to sweep your floors on a regular schedule.

The top rated robot vacuums come with large, easy-to-empty dust bags that can hold more than one room's worth of dirt. This can save you time and money on new bags. A number of the models we've listed include this feature, including the most popular, the Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo. This robovac all-in-one is a high-performance robovac and comes with a self emptying bin. It comes with a mopping function and an efficient navigation. This is a close race between the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+ and this model, which utilizes smart mapping and avoidance technologies. This model has a greater capacity, but it is a bit more expensive.

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

The newest robots have sensors that detect dirt and debris on the carpet, and they're better at picking up hairs that have fallen off of pets. Some robots feature a mopping mode where they can use the water reservoir in order to clean up stuck-on debris and spills. This feature is a must-have for families with pets as well as children.

Maintenance

Having a robot vacuum is a great aid in keeping up with your home. While no Robot Vacuum Mops can replace an upright or canister vacuum for deep cleaning, the top rated models pick up pet hair, lint, and other dirt on carpets with low pile and hard floors which can pick up more than you would find using the broom. They come with navigational features that prevent them from getting stuck on power cords, rug fringe or furniture.

According to the model, you can program the robot vacuum to run several times a day or watch it in action using an app. They are convenient, but they can also be clogged and require regular maintenance. This involves emptying the dust bin that is onboard (or in some cases, the base's larger bin) as well as checking the brushes for tangled fur, and a regular cleaning of the filters and drying them in accordance with the manufacturer.

Vacuum expert Emily Rairdin, a store owner apprentice at University Vacuum + Sewing, says a high-quality robot vacuum can last from three to five years or more with regular maintenance and care. She suggests emptying the bin and the brush roll regularly cutting out any hair tangled in the brushes, and frequently rinsing and drying the filter if your robot is a mop as well. It's a good idea to clean the sensors and charging contacts of the dock or robot with a soft clean cloth every now and then. Then, simply recharge and refill the robot when needed for your next cleaning session.