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 tidy. It can re-fill its own water tank, self-empty its tower bin, and then change the dust bag.

More advanced models are able to map your home and note furniture placement. They also can detect obstacles and avoid hazards like charging cables that are loose and unintentional socks.

Object Avoidance

Object avoidance helps your robot to avoid hitting objects like toys, cords, and clothes that could get caught in the vacuum. This is especially important if you have kids or pets that are likely to leave items on the floor, which your robot can discover them.

Depending on which model you pick, your robot may have several sensor options to aid in navigating around obstacles. Some of the most popular include crossed IR sensors that beam focused beams of infrared light across the room to detect things like doors and furniture legs. This technology is widely used by many robots available, and you can also find it in flagship models that are priced higher than others.

Other technologies for avoiding objects that are typically found in more expensive robots include 3D Structured Light, which utilizes cameras and crossed IR sensors to map the environment and detect 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. Although they aren't as common, they can be an excellent addition to your robot if you need additional security knowing that it will avoid getting stuck on cords or socks when cleaning.

In addition to cleaning up dust and other debris from hard floors, most of the best-rated robots can sweep your floors as well. Some even have 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 clean the cameras and sensors in between cleaning sessions, but these tasks will not take a lot of your time.

Mapping

Robot vacuums should have mapping capabilities. This allows them to navigate your home without getting caught up against walls. They could be tripped by pet toys, cords or furniture that are not marked. This can result in them cleaning less space. With sensors, the majority of robots map out your home to keep track of any obstacles and help navigate around them. This allows them to sweep your floors with fewer passes, saving you time. Many of the best robot vacuums also have this feature, which enables you to create areas of no-go.

Robots that have a built-in LIDAR system use this technology to create a map of your home quickly and efficiently. During our tests with the Eufy Clean robot utilized this feature to divide my room into distinct areas and clean each independently it was a major improvement over the less expensive models we tested that just utilized the front bump sensor. This was a more precise way to navigate my home and was easy for me to control using the app on the device.

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

Certain robots have a large base tower that can collect dirt. This helps reduce the amount of dust or allergens that are released in your home. They can be left for weeks or months without having to be cleaned which is particularly beneficial when 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 utilize Wi-Fi to communicate with their apps which allows users to control them with your smartphone instead of (or in addition to) a physical remote. Those models are more expensive but can save you time by allowing you to schedule cleaning sessions on a daily, weekly or even a monthly basis. They also often allow users to edit and save floor maps, and provide alternative cleaning schedules.

The most advanced robot vacuums use dual sensors, combining a LIDAR system to map your space using a structured light sensor that can see objects and avoid them even if they're buried under furniture or power cords. These features allow your robot to enter tight spaces like the nook under your kitchen cabinets and beneath sofas, areas where other robots have difficulty. They are also more efficient in getting around obstacles and have longer run times with larger dust bins, which makes them better suited for large homes than the entry-level robots.

The top-rated robot vacuums tend to be fast, smart and powerful and can clean up all kinds of floor debris such as pet hair, kitty litter, and other dirt. They're also quiet, making them an excellent choice for homes with pets as well as young children. Many of the robot vacuum owners we've interviewed say they appreciate the convenience of keeping their floors clean without much effort, particularly if they use it frequently. With proper maintenance (cleaning the rotating brushes and keeping tabs on the replacement parts) robots can last longer than a traditional full-size vacuum cleaner. PCWorld offers a useful guide that provides tips to help you keep your robot running efficiently for many long time to come.

Larger Dust Bags

A robotic vacuum may not be as efficient at cleaning as an upright or canister vacuum, but it's excellent at removing dust and dirt that regular vacuuming has left behind. It is also a great tool for quick touch-ups on floors, and it can also navigate around cords and other obstacles in the home. If you don't want to do the deep cleaning yourself, a robotic cleaner can be set to send it out to scour your floors on a regular basis.

Some of the top-rated robot vacuums have large, easy to empty dust bags that can store more dirt than a room. This will help you save time and money on replacement bags. This feature is available on a variety of models, including our top choice one, the Ecovacs T30S Combo. This all-in-one robovac boasts an excellent performance score and has self-emptying bin. It comes with a mopping function and a streamlined navigation. It's a close match between this and the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+, which has smart mapping and avoidance technology. This robovac has a larger capacity, but it is a bit more expensive.

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

The most recent robots are outfitted with sensors that can detect dirt and other debris on carpets and they are more adept at picking up pet hair. Some have a mopping mode that makes use of the water reservoir to remove spills and messes that have gotten stuck. This feature is crucial for families with children as well as pets.

Maintenance

Having a robot vacuum is a great aid in keeping up with your home. The best models can pick up more dirt, pet hair, and lint than the broom that is used on low-pile or hard flooring. They also have navigation features which prevent them from getting stuck on power cords or rug fringe and are able to glide effortlessly under furniture.

Based on the model, a top-rated robot vacuum can be scheduled to run multiple times a day or allow you to view it in action via an app. However, these useful devices can also be prone to clogging, and require regular maintenance such as emptying the bin onboard (or the base's bigger dust bin in some cases), checking brushes for hair that is tangled, and periodically rinsing and letting the filters dry as suggested 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 care. She recommends regularly emptying the brush roll and bin and cutting off any hair that has gotten caught in the brushes, and regularly cleaning and drying the filter, if your robot also acts as mop. It is a good idea to wipe the charging contacts and sensors on the robot or dock with a soft clean cloth every now and again. You can then recharge and refill your robot before the next clean-up session.