The Best Robot Vacuum 2023
Robot vacuums can make cleaning your floors easier. The most effective robot vacuums pick up tracked-in dirt and pet hair, crumbs, and more.
Although they're unable to do the same job as a traditional vacuum cleaner, they've come a long way in the past few years. They're smarter, more powerful and (marginally) better at avoiding chair legs.
Smart Mapping
Utilizing navigation tools such as sensors and lasers, robot vacuum cleaners navigate around your home, suctioning pet hair, crumbs, and dirt into their bins from hard floors such as wood, tile and laminate and area rugs and carpets with low pile. Robots that are the most advanced map your home to know where they've been, and can avoid bumping into obstacles like chairs, sofas and bookshelves. You can also set up no-go areas using your smartphone to alert your robot to avoid areas you don't want it to be able to keep.
Robots equipped with advanced mapping capabilities, like the Roomba j7, use onboard cameras and processor-powered intelligents to detect and avoid obstacles. Then, you can allow it to do a thorough job without having to continuously monitor the state of your floorplan or manually remove obstacles out of the way. The TP Link Tapo RV30 Plus is a robot that combines mopping with vacuuming. It's a single-stop solution to keep your home tidy. It has a fantastic suction feature and can be used with Alexa or Google Assistant. It can self-empty and can also be used as a surveillance camera.
A cheaper robot that vacuums, mop and can also be used as a robot trashcan, the Roborock Q Revo is a solid option for homes that don't require the advanced features of more expensive models. There are robotvacuummops in comparison to the Roomba S8 and J7. It has a single rubber brush instead of the dual roller brushes of the others which means it won't be as effective in cleaning up larger particles like shoes and socks. It doesn't come with AI obstacle avoidance so you may need to clear obstructions before you run.
The iLife A4s Pro is a basic robot that is ideal for those who value simplicity and competence. It's less than $200 and offers strong, consistent suction for hardwood as well as carpets that are low-pile, while avoiding tangles with rug threads. It doesn't include any fancy features, but it does its job well. It also works with voice commands. You can set it to run on a schedule or create no-go zones using the app.
Object Detection
Object-avoidance technology can be the difference between the robot's ability to navigate around your home. Certain models on this list include sensors (or cameras) to aid your robot vacuum to avoid common robot traps such as cords, toys for kids and pet mess. iRobot Roomba J7 is one of the most amazing examples of smart technology in action, is a great example. It also comes with a sleek base that automatically empties the dustbin so you don't need to.
During testing, we set this robotic cleaner up in a big home and were amazed by how quickly and thoroughly it cleaned up floors without getting sluggish. It's incredibly maneuverable and is able to reach places that stand-up vacuums are unable to reach, such as under sofas and under beds. It comes with a 500-ml dustbin, a powerful suction system and a runtime of over two hours. It's not able to create no-go zones and its object recognition isn't exactly reliable. We saw it crashing into objects on occasion during our tests which resulted in vessels falling over.
It's important to keep it in mind that, no matter how smart the robot vacuum is it won't replace your regular upright or canister vacuum. It won't be able to clean carpets with a lot of dirt. It can't reach the ceiling or other areas that are difficult to reach. It's an excellent addition to your regular cleaning routine for getting rid of hair, pet dander and other hair.
Most robot vacuums come with sensors that aid them to navigate around obstacles and stairs. They are able to tell when they are about to fall down the stairs, for instance and also detect areas that are cluttered and move around them. If you're not careful, your robot-cleaner could be stuck on a cord, shoe, or other object.
Some smarter robot vacuums have mapping capabilities that allow them to create an outline of your house and locate themselves within it. They can then know what areas they have already cleaned, and reduce time by not having to clean the same areas. It also allows them to resume where they left off if they need to return to their charging dock.
Self-Emptying
A vacuum cleaner that can automatically empty its dust bin once it is full is a great convenience. Certain models come with an indicator that allows you to observe when the bin has to be empty. This feature is ideal for people who have children or pets, who can create lots of mess than adults.
Most robot vacuums let you select whether the machine is controlled via a remote control or an app on your phone, or via voice commands. They also come with a variety of digital features, including scheduling and maintenance suggestions. You can program your robot to clean your house on an annual or a regularly, using the right settings. You can also program the robot to map out and clean specific areas of your home.
Some of the most advanced robot vacuums we've tested come with built-in cameras and smart sensor technology that lets them create maps of your home. You can save these maps in the robot app to easily navigate around your home. Some of these systems can even keep track of the furniture's placement and transitions between hard floors and carpet.
The most efficient smart vacuums help you save time by automatically mapping and cleaning whole homes, and also keeping detailed records of cleaning sessions. You can access these records via an app that you can install on your phone or tablet. They can also be connected to your smart speaker, so you can control them using voice commands.
TP-Link's Tapo RV30 Plus is an inexpensive, self-emptying robot vacuum that offers high performance for the money. It can clean hardwood floors as well as carpets with low pile, as well as remove pet hair and other debris. It's not as sophisticated as other robots that we've reviewed, however it does its job well.
The wheels that resemble a tank on this model permit it to glide across the transitions between rooms and obstacles such as tangled cords for devices that trip up other robots. It has a large bin that doesn't need to be emptying manually, and can recharge itself and resume cleaning if it is unable to continue cleaning. It's more expensive than other robotic vacuums we've tried, but it blends powerful suction and simple controls to deliver a great value.
Voice Control
Most robot vacuums can be controlled via a physical remote or an app on your phone. Some can also integrate with smart speakers like Amazon Echo or Google Home, allowing you to run them using voice commands. This is useful when your robot has to clean up and you have pets or small children who could be disruptive.
Most models also include an automatic mode that works without any input from you. Simply press a button on the robot or within the app, and it will start taking in food crumbs, and pet hair. They can be programmed to clean according to the schedule, which makes them ideal for people who simply want to set and forget.
Some of the more expensive models have an advanced feature that utilizes artificial intelligence to scan your home and detect obstacles. These models can identify things like stairs, furniture power cords, even different types of flooring. This helps robots avoid hazards. This is particularly useful in large homes with lots carpeting and other flooring coverings that are difficult for robots navigate.
Some 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 elegant, easy-to-use design of a WiFi hub but boasts a lot of the capabilities of a top-of-the-line robot. It has a powerful suction and can clean dirt and debris on medium pile rugs and hardwood floors. The short and squat-shaped side brush is less likely to be stuck in cords or shoes. The hybrid roller brush, that uses bristles, as well as plastic, gives an effective cleaning.
The model is more expensive than the other models in the middle-end however, it can do everything you would expect from a robot mop and vacuum. It can map and build a cleaning schedule, has virtual keep-out zones and is compatible with voice assistants. However, it doesn't have obstacles avoidance or room scanning like the S8 or j7.