Best Rated Robot Vacuum and Mop

Eufy’s top-rated robotic vacuum and mop takes some of the burden of keeping your floors tidy. It can refill its own water tank, empty its tower bin that is larger and change out the dust bag.

The most advanced models are smart enough to trace your home’s layout and note furniture placement. They can also spot obstacles and avoid hazards like charging cables that are loose and unintentional 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. These are particularly important if you have children or pets who may be inclined to leave objects on the floor where your robot can find them.

Based on the model you select depending on the model you choose, you may have an array of different sensor options available to help your robot navigate through obstacles. Some of the most popular include crossed IR sensor beams, which are a focused infrared light which scan the room to look for furniture legs or door frames. Many robots have embraced this technology, and you’ll see it in the flagship models that cost more.

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 environment and detect 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 between them. These aren’t very common but can be an excellent addition to your robot, in case you’re looking to add security.

The majority of the top-rated robots are also able to mop your floors. Some robots come with their very own water tanks that enable them to clean up spills and messes. You will need to empty the robot’s dust bin onboard and clean its cameras and sensors between cleaning sessions.

Mapping

Mapping capabilities are crucial in robot vacuums as they enable them to remember your home’s layout and prevent them from bumping into objects like walls. Without mapping, they may get tripped up by cords, furniture or pet toys and end up taking less space from your space. By using sensors, many robots map out your space to keep track of any obstacles and assist them to navigate around them. This way, they’re able to clean the entire floor in fewer passes, thereby saving you time. A lot of the top robot vacuums also have this feature, which enables you to designate areas that are not accessible.

Robots with a built-in LIDAR utilize this technology to map your home efficiently and quickly. In our tests, the Eufy Clean robot used this feature to separate my room into various areas and clean each independently it was a major improvement over the lesser models we tested that just utilized a front bump sensor. This was a much more precise way to navigate my home, and it was easy for me to control using the app that came with the device.

Although there aren’t any robot vacuums that can climb stairs, top models do come with mapping and obstacle avoidance features. These tools allow to remove debris from carpets with low pile and hard floors and also to keep them from falling down the steps. Some have cliff sensors to stop them from going over the edge of stairs and others have boundary strips that keep them away from certain areas.

Some robots have a large tower base that holds the dirt they collect, minimizing the amount of dust and allergens emitted into your home. The bases can be kept for weeks or months without emptying which is particularly beneficial for those who suffer from allergies. Some models have self-emptying dust bins which you can empty without opening or closing them manually.

Wi-Fi enabled

Some robot vacuums connect via Wi-Fi to their apps. This allows you to control them with your smartphone instead (or in addition) to a physical remote. These models are more expensive, however, they can save time since you can schedule cleaning sessions every day, weekly, or monthly. These models also let you modify floor maps and save them, as well as provide different cleaning patterns.

Dual sensors are used by the most advanced robot vacuums. They combine a LIDAR mapping system with a structured-light sensor which can detect and avoid objects, even if they’re hidden under furniture or power cables. These features allow your robot to get into narrow spaces like the nook under the kitchen cabinets or beneath sofas, areas where other robots have difficulty. They are also more efficient in getting over obstacles and have longer running times thanks to larger dust bins, which makes them more suitable for large homes than entry-level robots.

The top rated robot vacuums tend to be quick, efficient and effective cleaning up all kinds of floor debris, including pet hair, cat litter and other messes. They can also be quiet, making them an ideal option for homes with young children and pets. Most robot vacuum owners we’ve talked to have reported that they appreciate the convenience of having their floors spotless with minimal effort, particularly if they use it often. Robots can last just as long as traditional vacuum cleaners with the right maintenance (cleaning rotating brushes and keeping an eye on replacement parts). PCWorld offers a manual with helpful suggestions to ensure your machine is running smoothly.

Larger Dust Bags

A robotic vacuum may not be as good in cleaning as an upright or canister vacuum, but it is excellent at removing dust and other debris that regular vacuuming leaves behind. It can be used to perform quick touch-ups of bare floors, and can maneuver around cords and other household obstacles. You can use robotics to sweep your floors according to a schedule if you don’t have time to do it yourself.

A few of the top-rated robotic vacuums have large, easy to empty dust bags which can hold more dirt than a room. This can help you save time and money on new bags. A number of the models we’ve listed have this feature, including the top choice model, the Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo. This robovac all-in-one has an excellent performance score and comes with an auto-emptying bin. It comes with a mopping function and a streamlined navigation. This is a close race between the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+ and this one, which uses smart mapping and avoidance technologies. vacuum bot is more expensive, but it has more capacity.

The two models also differ in the way they handle long hair, which can get tangled up 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 top hair pickup and tangle avoidance scores, as well as excellent auto empty results and great path planning. The eufy and Shark Matrix Plus are also excellent options with respectable hair pickup and tangle avoiding, but not as much path-planning or auto empty.

The latest robots are fitted with sensors that detect dirt and other debris on carpets and they are more adept at removing pet hair. Some have a mopping mode that can use the water reservoir to remove spills and messes that have gotten stuck. This feature is crucial for families with children and pets.

Maintenance

A robot vacuum is a great aid in keeping a close eye on your home. While no robot can replace an upright or canister vacuum for deep cleaning, the highest models are rated to remove pet hair, lint and other dirt on hard floors and low-pile carpets and pick up more than you can using the Broom. They have navigational features that keep them from getting stuck on power cords, rug fringes or furniture.

Depending on the model, a highly rated robot vacuum can also be scheduled to run several times per day or allow you to watch it in action via an app. These devices are convenient but they also get clogged and require regular maintenance. This means emptying the onboard dust bin (or in certain cases, the base’s bigger bin) and checking the brushes for fur that is tangled, and periodically rinsing the filters and drying them according to the manufacturer.

Emily Rairdin is a vacuum expert and store owner apprentice from University Vacuum + Sewing. She says that a robot vacuum can last from three to five years with proper maintenance. She suggests regularly emptying the brush roll and bin and cutting out any hair that is tangled up in the brushes and frequently washing and drying the filter, in the event that your robot acts as mop. It is a good idea to clean the sensors and charging contacts of the dock or robot with an easy, clean cloth every now and then. You can then refill and recharge your robot prior to the next cleaning session.