Best Rated Robot Vacuum and Mop

Eufy's robot mop and vacuum is among the top-rated product in its class. It takes a lot of the work out of cleaning your floors. It is able to refill its own water tank as well as empty its tower bin. It also has the capability to change its dust bag.

Advanced models can map your house and record furniture positioning. They can also detect obstacles and navigate around hazards like loose charging cables and unintentional socks.

Object Avoidance

Object avoidance allows your robot to avoid hitting things such as cords, toys and even clothes that might get caught in the vacuum. This is especially important if you have children or pets who are likely to leave items on the floor where your robot will discover them.

Based on the model you pick depending on the model you choose, you may have an array of different sensor options available to assist your robot in its journey around obstacles. Some of the most well-known include crossed IR sensor beams that are a focused infrared light which scan the room for things like furniture legs or door frames. This technology is used by many robots available, and you can also get it in top models that are priced higher than others.

Other technologies for avoiding objects that you might find in more expensive robots are 3D Structured Light, which uses cameras and crossed IR sensors to map the environment and detect obstacles; and Time of Flight (ToF) sensors which emit and measure the time it takes for light to reflect off of objects, to determine the distance between them. While these are less common however, they are a great addition to your robot if you want peace of mind knowing that it will avoid getting stuck on 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 which let them clean up messes and spills. It is necessary to clean the robot's dust bin onboard and clean its sensors and cameras between cleaning sessions.

Mapping

Mapping capabilities are crucial in robot vacuums since they enable them to keep track of your home's layout and avoid hitting things like walls. They may be tripped by pet toys, cords, or furniture without mapping. This will result in them taking up less space. Most robots employ sensors to map your home and navigate around obstacles. They can clean the floor in fewer steps and save you time. Many of the top-rated robot vacuums also have this feature to create zones that are not allowed, permitting you to define areas that you do not want the robot to get into.

Robots with a built-in LIDAR system use this technology to map your home quickly and efficiently. In our tests, the Eufy Clean robot vacuum that vacuums and mops utilized this feature to divide my home into distinct areas and clean each independently this was a significant improvement over the less expensive models we tested, which used a front bump sensor. This was a much more precise method of navigating my home, and it was easy to control using the app that came with the device.

While no robot vacuum is able to climb stairs yet, the majority of the top-rated models come with good obstacle avoidance and mapping capabilities. These tools let them collect dirt from low-pile or hard floors, and to avoid falling down stairs. Some have cliff sensors to stop them from crossing the edge of the stairs and some also have boundary strips that can prevent them from certain areas.

Certain robots have a huge tower base which holds their dirt and debris, reducing the amount of dust and allergens released into your home. These bases can last for weeks or even months between emptying, which is especially useful if you suffer from allergies. Certain models come with self-emptying dust bins that you can empty without opening or closing them manually.

Wi-Fi enabled

Some robot vacuums communicate via Wi-Fi with their apps. This lets you control them using your smartphone instead (or in addition) to the physical remote. These models are more expensive, but they can help you save time by allowing you to schedule cleaning sessions on a daily, weekly or even a monthly basis. These models also let you edit floor maps, save them and offer alternate cleaning schedules.

Dual sensors are employed by the most modern robot vacuums. They combine the LIDAR mapping system with a structured-light sensor that can detect and avoid objects, even when they're hidden under furniture or power cables. Those features allow your robot to enter tight spaces such as the nook underneath your kitchen cabinets and beneath sofas, where other robots have trouble. They're also quicker to get around obstacles and have longer run times due to bigger dust bins, making them ideal for larger homes than entry-level robotics.

The best robot vacuums are swift efficient, smart and powerful. They can pick up many kinds of floor debris, including pet hair, kitty-litter and other dirt. They can also be quite quiet making them a good choice for homes with children and pets. The majority of robot vacuum owners we've talked to have reported that they appreciate the convenience of keeping their floors spotless with minimal effort, particularly if they use it regularly. Robots can last just as long as traditional vacuum cleaners with the proper maintenance (cleaning rotating brushes and keeping the track of spare parts). PCWorld offers a guide that includes some helpful tips to keep yours running smoothly.

Larger Dust Bags

While a robotic vacuum might not be as efficient as a canister or upright model, it's great in picking up dirt and dust that regular vacuuming leaves behind. It is also a great tool for quick repairs to floors, and it can also navigate around cords and other obstacles in the home. If you don't wish to do the deep cleaning yourself, a robot cleaner can be sent out to sweep your floors on a regular schedule.

The top rated robot vacuums come with large dust bags that are easy to empty and can hold more than one room's worth of dirt. This can help you save time and money on bags that need to be replaced. This feature is available on many models which includes our top choice which is the Ecovacs T30S Combo. This robovac all-in-one is a top-performing robovac that comes with a self emptying bin. It also has a mopping function and efficient navigation. It's a close match between this and the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+, which has the ability to avoidance and smart mapping. This robovac has more capacity, but is slightly more expensive.

Another major difference between the two models is the way they deal with long human hair, which can tangle in the rollers of some robots. The most efficient models include the Roborock Q5 Max+ and SwitchBot K10S Plus, both have excellent hair pickup and tangle avoidance scores along with excellent path planning and near perfect auto empty results. The Eufy and Shark Matrix Plus are also good robot vacuum choices with decent hair pickup and tangle avoidance but not as much planning for paths or auto empty.

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

Maintenance

A robot vacuum can be a great aid in keeping a close eye on your home. The best robot vacuum models can pick up more dirt from the surface, pet hair and lint than a broom on low-pile or hard flooring. They also have navigation features that ensure they don't get caught in rug fringe or power cords and are able to glide effortlessly under furniture.

According to the model, you can set up the robot vacuum to run multiple times per day, or observe it in action with an app. However, these handy vacuums are also prone to clogging and require frequent maintenance, such as emptying the bin onboard (or the base's bigger dust bin in some cases), checking brushes for hair that has become tangled and periodically rinsing and letting the filters dry as suggested by 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 regularly emptying the brush roll and bin and cutting off 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's also recommended to wipe down the charging contacts and sensors on the robot or dock often with a soft, clean cloth. Then, simply refill and recharge the robot when needed for the next time you clean.