Best Rated Robot Vacuum and Mop

Eufy's top-rated robot vacuum and mop takes some of the work of keeping your floors spotless. It can replenish its own water tank as well as empty its tower bin. It also has the ability to change the dust bag.

The most advanced models are smart enough to draw a map of your home and take note of furniture placement. They can also spot obstacles and avoid hazards such as loose charging cables and stray socks.

Object Avoidance

Object avoidance helps your robot to avoid hitting things like cords, toys, and clothing that could be caught in the vacuum. These are especially important if you have children or pets who are prone to leaving objects on the floor, which your robot can find them.

Depending on the model you pick the robot you choose may come with several sensor options to help it navigate around obstacles. Some of the most sought-after include crossed IR sensor beams, which are focused infrared lights that scan the room looking for things like furniture legs or door frames. This technology is widely used by a variety of robots that are available, and you can also find it in flagship models that are priced higher than others.

Other object avoidance technology that is available in more expensive robotics includes 3D Structured Light which uses cameras and crossed IR sensor to map the environment, and identify obstacles. Time of Flight (ToF), sensors that measure and emit the amount of time that it takes for the light to reflect off of an object to determine its distance, are also available. While they are not as popular however, they are an excellent addition to your robot if it needs peace of mind knowing that it won't get caught up in cords or socks when cleaning.

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

Mapping

Robot vacuums must include mapping capabilities. This allows them to navigate around your home and avoid getting caught up against walls. Without mapping, they may be tripped by furniture, cords or pet toys, and end up removing less of your space. Using sensors, most robots map out your space to keep track of any obstacles and assist them to navigate around them. They can clean the floor in fewer passes, and make it easier for you to save time. Many of the top robotic vacuums also come with this feature, which enables you to create areas of no-go.

Robots that have a built-in LIDAR system use this technology to map out your home quickly and efficiently. During our tests, the Eufy Clean robot utilized this feature to divide my room into various areas and clean each one independently, which was a huge improvement over the lesser models we tested that just utilized an in-front bump sensor. This was a much more precise way to navigate my home, and it was easy to control using the app that came with the device.

While there are no robot vacuums that can climb stairs, the best rated robot vacuum models do have obstacles avoidance and mapping features. These tools allow them to collect dirt from low-pile or hard floors, and prevent falling down stairs. Some have cliff sensors that prevent them from crossing the edge of the stairs, and some have boundary strips that keep them away from certain areas.

Certain robots have large towers on the base that is able to collect dirt. This reduces the amount of dust or allergens that are released in your home. These bases can go weeks or even months between emptying and are especially beneficial if you have allergies. Some models come with self-emptying dust bins which you can empty without opening and closing them manually.

Wi-Fi enabled

Some robot vacuums connect via Wi-Fi with their apps. This lets you operate them with your smartphone instead (or in addition) to a physical remote. Those models are more expensive, but they save you time by letting you schedule cleaning times on a daily, weekly or even a monthly basis. They also often allow you to modify and save floor maps and offer different cleaning patterns.

The most advanced robot vacuums utilize dual sensors, combining with a LIDAR system to map your space using a structured light sensor that is able to see objects and avoid them even if they're buried under furniture or power cords. These features allow your robot to enter small spaces, like the nook beneath the kitchen cabinets or beneath sofas, where other robots have difficulty. They also have a faster speed to maneuver around obstacles, have longer runtimes and larger dust bins. This makes them more suitable for large homes compared to entry-level robots.

The top-rated robot vacuums are quick, efficient and effective cleaning up all kinds of floor debris such as pet hair, kitty litter, and other dirt. They are also quiet, making them an ideal choice for homes with children and pets. The majority of robot vacuum users have told us that they enjoy the convenience of having their floors cleaned with little effort. This is particularly true when they are used regularly. With proper maintenance (cleaning the rotating brushes and keeping an eye on the replacement parts) robots can last longer than a traditional full-size automatic vacuum cleaner cleaner. PCWorld offers a manual with helpful suggestions to ensure your machine is running smoothly.

Larger Dust Bags

While a robotic vacuum may not be as effective as an upright or canister model, it is excellent in removing dust and other debris that regular vacuuming leaves behind. It can be used to do quick repairs to floors that are not clean and is able to maneuver around cords and other household obstacles. If you don't want to perform the deep cleaning yourself, a robot cleaner can be sent out to scour your floors on a regular basis.

A few of the top-rated robotic vacuums come with big, easy to empty dust bags that can hold more dirt than a room. This can save you time and money on bags that need to be replaced. This feature is available on many models which includes our top model one, the Ecovacs T30S Combo. This all-in one robovac is a high-performance robovac and comes with a self emptying bin. It also comes with mopping functions and effective navigation. This is a close race between the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+ and this one, which uses smart mapping and avoidance technologies. The robovac is more expensive, but it has a larger capacity.

Another major difference between the two models is how they deal with long human hair that can get caught in the rollers on some robots. The top-performing models, the Roborock Q5 Max+ and SwitchBot K10S Plus, both have excellent hair pickup and tangle avoidance scores, along with great path planning and near perfect auto empty results. The eufy and Shark Matrix Plus are also excellent options with respectable hair pickup and tangle avoidance, but not as much path planning or auto empty.

The latest robots are fitted with sensors that detect dirt and debris on carpets, and they're better in removing pet hair. Some have a mopping mode that makes use of the reservoir of water to eliminate spills and messes that have gotten stuck. This feature is a must for families with pets and children.

Maintenance

A robot vacuum will help you keep up with your home. While no robot is able to substitute an upright or canister vacuum for deep cleaning, the best robot vacuum cleaner and mop rated models pick up pet hair, lint, and other dirt on hard floors and low-pile carpets which can pick up more than you would find using the Broom. They come with navigational features that keep 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. However, these convenient devices can also be prone to clogging and require regular maintenance such as emptying the onboard bin (or the base's bigger dust bin in some cases), checking brushes for hair that has become tangled and periodically rinsing and allowing the filters to dry according to the manufacturer.

Vacuum expert Emily Rairdin, a store owner apprentice at University Vacuum + Sewing, says that a quality robot vacuum should last three to five years or more with regular maintenance and care. She recommends emptying the bin and brush roll often and cutting off hair that gets caught in the brushes, and regularly washing and drying the filter if your machine is a mop as well. It's also an excellent idea to wipe down the charging contacts and sensors on the dock or the robot often with a soft, clean cloth. Then simply recharge and refill the robot when needed for the next time you clean.