The Best Robot Vacuum 2023

Robot vacuums can help you clean your floors more easily. The best ones can remove tracked-in dirt, crumbs, shedding pet hair, and more.

Although they're not as well as the regular vacuum cleaner, they have made significant progress in the past few years. They're smarter, more powerful, and (marginally better) at avoiding the chair leg.

Smart Mapping

Using navigation tools like sensors and lasers, robot vacuum cleaners navigate around your home, removing pet hair, crumbs and dirt into their dustbins from hard floors such as laminate, wood and tile, as well as carpets and area rugs with low pile. Robots that are the most advanced maps your home so they know where they've been, and can avoid hitting obstacles such as chairs, sofas and bookshelves. You can also use your smartphone's app to set up no-go zones, which tell your robot to stay out of rooms it doesn't want to clean.

Robots with advanced mapping capabilities, like the Roomba j7, use onboard cameras and processor-powered intelligents to avoid obstacles and see them. This means that you can leave the robot to perform an effective cleaning without having to continually monitor the state of your floorplan, or manually move obstacles out of the robot's path. The TP-Link Tapo RV30 Plus is a robot that combines mopping and vacuuming, so it's an all-in-one solution to keep your home clean. It has great suction, and it works with Alexa and Google Assistant. It also has a useful self-emptying feature and can be used as a security camera.

A cheaper robot that vacuums, mops and can be used as a robot trashcan The Roborock Q Revo is a excellent choice for homes that don't need the more sophisticated features of the more expensive models. However, it has some disadvantages when compared to Roomba S8 and j7. It uses one brush instead of dual roller brushes, which means it might not be as effective at removing larger pieces of debris like shoes and socks. It doesn't come with AI obstacle avoidance, so you might need to get rid of obstructions before you run.

The iLife A4s Pro robot is an easy, reliable robot that is ideal for those who appreciate simplicity and competence. It's less than $200, and offers consistent, solid suction on both hardwood and carpets that are low-pile, while avoiding tangles with rug threads. It doesn't include any advanced features, but it does the job well. It also works with voice commands, which means you can run it on schedule or create zones that are not allowed to enter through the app.

Object Detection

Object-avoidance technology can be the difference between the ability of a robot vacuum to navigate around your home. Certain models on this list include sensors (or cameras) to assist your robot vacuum in avoiding common traps for robots like cords, toys for children and pet messes. iRobot Roomba j7, one of the most impressive examples of intelligent technology in action, is a great example. It also has a stylish base that automatically empty the garbage bin, so you don't need to.

In our testing, we set up this robot cleaner in a large home and were impressed with how quickly and thoroughly floors were cleaned without getting bogged down. It is very maneuverable and can reach areas that the majority of stand-up vacuums are unable to reach, like under couches and under beds. It also has a great suction, a huge 500 ml dustbin and an over two hours of runtime. However, it lacks the ability to set zones that are not allowed to be used and its object detection is somewhat erratic and we did see it hit things a few times during our tests (resulting in the tumbling of a few vases).

It's important to remember that, no matter how intelligent a robot vacuum may be, it won't completely replace your upright or canister vacuum. It's not able to deal with heavy stained carpets, it will not get into every crevice and it won't reach your ceilings or other difficult to reach spaces. But for keeping your floors free of pet hair, crumbs and other dander it's an excellent addition to your cleaning routine.

Sensor systems are integrated into the majority of robot vacuums to help them navigate around obstacles and stairs. They are able to tell the moment they're likely to fall down stairs for instance, and they can detect areas that are cluttered and maneuver around them. Nevertheless, if you're not careful your robot-cleaner could get stuck on a cord or stray shoe and require help.

Some robot vacuums are equipped with mapping capabilities that allow them to make an accurate floor plan of your home and locate themselves. They can then identify which areas they have already cleaned, and reduce time by not having to clean the same spots. It also allows them to resume where they left off in case they have to return to their charging dock.

Self-Emptying

A robot vacuum that automatically empty its dust bin when it gets full is an incredible convenience. Some models even have windows that lets you see the time when the bin must be emptied. This is a fantastic option for anyone with pets or children who make more mess than adults.

The majority of robot vacuums let you select whether the machine can be operated with the use of a remote, an app on your smartphone or voice commands. They come with a variety of digital features including scheduling and maintenance tips. With the correct settings, you can schedule your robot to clean at a set time or on a weekly basis. You can also program the robot to clean and map out specific areas of your home.

The smartest robot vacuums that we have tested are equipped with cameras and smart sensors, which enable them to create maps for your home. These maps can be saved to the robot's app, so you can easily navigate to specific rooms or areas of your home. Some of these systems will even remember furniture placement and transitions between hardwood floors and carpet.

The most efficient smart vacuums save you time by automatically mapping and cleaning entire houses and keeping precise records of previous cleaning sessions. You can access these records robot mop through an app on your tablet or phone. Most can also connect to your smart speaker, so you can control them via voice commands.

TP-Link's Tapo RV30 Plus is an inexpensive, self-emptying robot vacuum that provides good performance for the money. It is able to clean floors and sweep up pet hair and other particles from low-pile and hardwood rugs. It's not as sophisticated as other robots we've reviewed but it does the job well.

The model's tank-like wheels permit it to go over obstacles like tangled cords and high transitions in between rooms. It also comes with a large dust bin that doesn't need to be emptying manually, and it's also able to recharge and resume cleaning when it runs out of power. It's more expensive compared to other robotic vacuums that we've tested but it combines powerful suction and simple controls to give you a great value.

Voice Control

The majority of robot vacuums can be controlled via a remote control or an app for a smartphone. Some robot vacuums can be controlled via voice commands via smart speakers, such as Amazon Echo or Google Home. This can be helpful when you have pets or children that could interfere with your cleaning or if you're tired to manage the robot manually.

The majority of models have an automatic mode that operates without any input from you. Simply press a button on the robot or in the app, and it will start taking in food crumbs, and pet hair. The robots can be programmed to clean up on a regular basis, which is ideal for those who want to make it easy to set it and forget it.

Some of the more expensive models come with an advanced feature which uses artificial intelligence to detect and scan obstructions within your home. They can detect things like power cords, stairs and furniture, and can even discern between different kinds of flooring. This can help them avoid these hazards which is particularly useful in larger homes with lots of rugs and other flooring materials that are difficult for robots to navigate.

Other robots are more basic in their ability to detect objects however they can still get the job done. One example is the TP-Link Tapo RV30 plus, which has the clean, fuss-free appearance of a WiFi hub, but offers the capabilities of a top-of-the-line robot. It has a strong suction that can take care of dirt and debris from medium-pile flooring and carpet. Its squat, short side brushes are less likely to be tangled in stray shoes and cords, and its hybrid roller brush utilizes bristles and plastic rather than a traditional bristle brush for an even more thorough cleaning.

It's more expensive than other mid-range robots, but it can do everything you'd expect from mopping and vacuuming robots. It can create and map a cleaning schedule and has virtual keep-out zones, and is compatible with voice assistants. It doesn't offer the same room scanning and obstacle avoidance as the j7 and the s8.