Best Rated Robot Vacuum and Mop
Eufy's top-rated robot mop and vacuum takes a lot of the work of keeping your floors tidy. It can replenish its own water tank and empty its tower bin. It can also change the dust bag it uses.
Advanced models can map your home and note furniture arrangement. They also can detect dangers and avoid them, such as loose charging cables or loose socks.
Object Avoidance
Object avoidance features allow your robot to avoid hitting things like toys, power cords and clothes that can get caught up in the vacuum. This is especially important if you have kids or pets who are prone to leaving objects on the floor, where your robot could discover them.
Depending on which model you select depending on the model you select, your robot could have several sensor options to aid in navigating around obstacles. Some of the most popular are crossed IR sensors that beam focused beams of infrared light across the room to spot things like furniture legs and door frames. This technology is used by numerous robots available, and you can also find it in flagship models that cost more than other models.
Other technology for avoiding objects can be found in more expensive robots include 3D Structured Light, which uses cameras and crossed IR sensors to map the surrounding area and identify 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. While these are less common however, they are beneficial 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 even have their own water tanks, allowing them to remove the stains and spills that are wet. You'll need to empty the robot's dust bin and clean its sensors and cameras in between cleaning sessions.
Mapping
Robot vacuums should be able to map. This allows them to navigate your home and avoid bumping against things like walls. Without mapping, they could be tripped by furniture, cords or pet toys and end up taking less space from your space. The majority of robots utilize sensors to map your home and navigate around obstacles. This allows them to sweep your floors in fewer passes, thereby saving you time. A lot of the top robot vacuums also come with this feature, which allows you to create areas of no-go.
Robots with a built-in LIDAR use this technology to map your home quickly and efficiently. In our tests, the Eufy Clean robot made use of this feature to divide my room into different areas and clean each one independently, which was a huge improvement over the less expensive models we tested that just had a front bump sensor. This was a much more accurate way of navigating my home and was also easy to control with the on-device app.
Although no robot vacuum has the ability to climb stairs, the majority of the top-rated models have good obstacle avoidance and mapping features. These tools allow them to collect dirt from low-pile or hard floors, and avoid falling down the stairs. Some tools have sensors that stop them from falling over the edge of stairs. Some have boundaries to keep them out.
Some robots have large towers on the base that can collect dirt. This helps reduce the amount of dust or allergens that are released within your home. They can be kept for weeks or months without having to be cleaned, which is especially helpful for those who suffer from allergies. Some models have self-emptying dust bins that can empty without opening or closing them manually.
auto vacuum -Fi enabled
Some robot vacuums utilize Wi-Fi to communicate with their apps and allow you to control them using your smartphone instead of (or in addition to) the physical remote. They are more expensive, but they save you time by letting you schedule cleaning times on a daily, weekly or even a monthly basis. These models also allow you to edit floor maps, save them and offer different cleaning schedules.
Dual sensors are utilized by the most advanced robot vacuums. They combine the LIDAR mapping system with a structured-light sensor that can detect and block out objects, even when they're hidden under furniture or power cables. These features let your robot reach tight areas, like the kitchen's nook under cabinets or under your sofas. Some robots have difficulty in these kinds of spaces. They're also quicker to get around obstacles and have longer run times with larger dust bins, making them ideal for larger homes than the entry-level robots.
The best rated robot vacuums are fast, smart and powerful and can clean up all kinds of floor debris such as pet hair, kitty litter, and other mess. They also are quiet, which makes them an excellent option for homes with pets as well as young children. Many of the robot vacuum owners we've spoken to report that they enjoy the convenience of having their floors spotless with minimal effort, particularly when they are used frequently. Robots can last just as long as traditional vacuum cleaners, provided they have the proper maintenance (cleaning rotating brushes and keeping the track of spare parts). PCWorld offers a manual that offers some useful tips to keep yours running smoothly.
Larger Dust Bags
Although a robot vacuum may not be as effective as an upright or canister model, it is great in picking up dust and other debris that regular vacuuming leaves behind. It can be used to do quick repairs to floors that are not clean and can also navigate around cords or other obstacles in your home. You can use a robot to clean your floors on a schedule when you don't have the time to do it yourself.
The top-rated robot vacuums have large dust bags that are easy to empty and can hold more than one room's worth of dirt. This will help you save time and money on bags that need to be replaced. Many of the models we've listed feature this feature, including the top pick, the Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo. This all-in one robovac is a high-performance robovac that includes a self-emptying bin. It also has mopping functions and effective navigation. It is a close race between the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+ and this model, which utilizes the latest technology for avoidance and smart mapping. The robovac is more expensive, however it has more capacity.
Another big difference between these two models is how well they deal with hair that is long and human which can get caught in the rollers on some robots. The Roborock Q5 Max+, SwitchBot K10S Plus and Roborock Q5 Max+ are the most efficient models. They all have outstanding 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 great options, with decent hair pickup and tangle avoiding, but not as much path-planning or auto empty.
The newest robots have sensors that detect dirt and debris on the carpet, and are better at removing hairs that have fallen off of pets. Some models even have a mopping mode that uses the water reservoir to remove spills and messes that have gotten stuck. This feature is essential for families with children as well as pets.
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 top models that are rated highly pick up pet hair, lint and other dirt on carpets with low pile and hard floors and pick up more than you would find with a Broom. They also have navigational features to keep them from getting stuck on power cords, rug fringes or furniture.
According to the model, you can set up the robot vacuum to run several times per day, or observe it in action with an app. They are convenient however they can be clogged and require regular maintenance. This includes emptying the onboard dust bin (or in certain cases, the base's bigger bin) and checking the brushes for tangled fur, and a regular cleaning of the filters and allowing them to dry according to the manufacturer.
Vacuum expert Emily Rairdin, a store owner apprentice at University Vacuum + Sewing, says a high-quality robot vacuum will last for three to five years or more with regular maintenance and care. She recommends emptying the bin and brush roll often cutting out hairs that get caught in the brushes, and regularly rinsing and drying the filter if your machine is a mop as well. It's also a good idea to wipe down the sensors and charging contacts on the dock or robot often with a soft, clean cloth. Then, simply refill and recharge the robot whenever you need to for the next time you clean.