The best rated robot vacuum Robot Vacuums

A quality robot vacuum does most of the work and removes pet hair, lint and dirt before it adheres to furniture or be sucked into carpets. Many robot vacuums work with smart assistants such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to provide a hands-free cleaning experience.

A lot of models come with maps that allow them to create an interactive map of your home. This allows them to avoid falling off ledges and traversing the cords of devices.

What to look for

Some robots come with advanced features that let you control them through the app and voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant. Smart mapping, zone cleaning and object avoidance are just a few of the features. They might also have longer battery lives and larger dust collection bins.

Choose a model with a a wide brush that can clean large particles and one that's slim enough to be able to fit under furniture. Make sure the robot vacuum can clean different types of floors without altering brushes or suction settings. This can reduce the effectiveness of cleaning and reduce its lifespan.

The top robot vacuums come with high-quality filters that trap small particles to guard the inside of your home and an easy-to-access collection bin that you can clear it frequently. Some robot vacuums come with an additional side brush to sweep up pet hair or other debris in hard-to reach places like under and behind furniture. They also typically have a clean dustbin door, which helps you keep an eye on the level of dirt accumulation so you know when it's time for you to empty.

You can also make use of the app to set the boundaries of furniture and rooms that you do not want it to enter. Certain models can also detect the kind of floor they're cleaning, and automatically adjust their brush and suction settings to suit the floor.

There are robotics that recharge and continue cleaning where they left off when their battery runs out. There are some that have an inbuilt camera that lets you track the route of your robot vacuum and even see what it's collected.

Some robots are controlled by voice commands but not all. Check that the model you choose is compatible with the voice assistant you prefer and test it out to see how well the robot responds to different commands before buying. Some robots will even empty their trash bins and clean their docking stations, making the chores you have to do a bit. This is a costly feature and comes with a bigger collection container and faster charging speed.

Cleaning Performance

While robots aren't able to substitute for a full-on vacuum cleaner or broom, they can offer a reliable and effective alternative to the everyday chore of cleaning floors. The most effective robotic cleaners remove small particles such as pet hair, dust and crumbs, or larger items like metal shavings and wood shavings. They can do this without harming the flooring or furniture.

Most of the time, they'll detect what type of surface they're cleaning and adjust their suction or brush functions accordingly to more effectively clean your floors. This is particularly important if you have different flooring types across your home. A lot of models come with an array of options for setting up virtual boundaries, allowing you to instruct the robot to stay clear from certain areas of your home. This helps prevent your children or pets from getting in areas they shouldn't. It also ensures that your entire house is cleaned at the end of each scheduled session.

Consider the amount of autonomy your robot will enjoy. Some models require your attention and presence while others work independently, with the ability to change cleaning modes and schedules via a mobile app or voice commands via an integrated smart assistant. Some will map and learn your space, allowing you to define zones and instruct the robot to clean specific areas of your home on a weekly or daily basis.

In our tests, the iRobot j7+ proved to be the most effective robot to "set it and forget it". It was more adept at mapping virtual boundaries, making virtual borders and eliminating obstacles than any of the other robots that we test. It also has the ability to empty itself so you don't need to do it manually. Additionally, the side brushes are used to sweep debris from edges and corners that a vacuum cannot reach.

Its slim profile and infrared sensors permit it to go behind and under furniture to provide a deeper clean than most robots, while its advanced navigation system allows it to be more efficient in cleaning the entire level of your home in one charge than other devices we've tested. It's a tough one to beat even at its affordable robot vacuum price.

Battery Life

A robot vacuum can make cleaning your floors feel like less of a chore, and more of an enjoyable experience. The difference between a clean home and a dirty one is made by getting rid of dirt that has been tracked in, Best budget robot vacuum mop and crumbs, pet hair, and other messes. While a simple robot can keep up with most cleaning tasks, those looking for a bit more of a hands-free experience should choose a model that doubles as a mop.

Ecovacs' Deebot T10 OMNI offers excellent performance in both vacuuming and mopping modes. It is able to handle pet hair, dirt, and even cat litter. The feature to avoid objects is particularly impressive, enabling it to avoid objects and not get stuck on them.

It also has a long battery lifespan and a large dust bin that allows it to cover a considerable amount of space in just one session. It is also smart vacuum, which means it can make maps of your home and integrate with applications, such as those offered by Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant that let you use voice commands to control it.

The app that comes with the robot allows you to create schedules, assign specific rooms for cleaning, or the ability to pause and resume sessions. It will also notify you when its battery is running low and return to its docking station to recharge.

The robot can also differentiate between hard floors and carpets, and adjust its settings accordingly. This will prevent the machine from becoming stuck on a particular type of surface and accidentally tearing your furniture. However, it is not yet able to detect high pile carpeting or the seams of rooms, so you'll still need to be vigilant about picking up large objects.

All robot vacuums require some amount of maintenance, for example removing hair from brushes and emptying (and sometimes, rinsing) the dust bin after each cleaning session. Also, wiping down cameras or sensors between uses to ensure they are in good shape. The manufacturer will offer specific guidelines for these and other steps to maintain that may differ based on the particular model.

Cost

The top robot vacuums aren't cheap, but they're far cheaper than a professional carpet cleaner or even a full-size stand-up vac. They require less maintenance than traditional vacuums, since they only require you to empty and occasionally rinse their dust bins following each cleaning session.

Many robot vacuums come with smart features that make them more efficient in your home. For example, mapping technology lets you inform the vacuum of where to go via an app, which means it doesn't get stuck in stairs or under furniture, where there may be a mess. Other robot vacuums are able to detect the type of floor they are cleaning so they can alter their suction and brush functions to achieve the most effective results.

Some models feature object avoidance. This uses sensors (or cameras) that can detect toys and other items lying on the floor. The robot is instructed to avoid them, instead of running into them. This is a great benefit if you have kids or pets who throw toys around the house.

Another feature that may be important to you is voice control, which lets you operate your robot with your voice instead of using the on-board buttons. This can be helpful for children who aren't quite old enough to use the controls, or if you just want a hands-free option.

The frequency at which you use your robot will depend on how much dirt or debris is accumulating on your floor. The majority of experts recommend using your robot vacuum at least every week to keep your floors spotless and to get rid of pet hair, lint and dirt from the surface.

If you have only a small amount of space on your floor and do not plan to make use of the robot for other purposes and you're looking for a budget model, like our top pick Eufy 11S is a great option. It's easy to use cost-effective, and can do the job without making any noise when you work or watching television.