Best Rated Robot Vacuum and Mop
Eufy's top-rated robot vacuum and mop takes some of the burden of keeping your floors clean. It is able to refill its own water tank, self-empty its larger tower bin and swap out the dust bag.
More advanced models are smart enough to draw a map of your home and take note of the furniture's position. They can also identify hazards and avoid them, such as loose charging cables or loose socks.
Object Avoidance
Object avoidance features enable your robot to avoid crashing into things like toys, power cords and clothes that get caught up in the vacuum. These features are especially important if you have pets or children who may leave items on the floor for your robot to search.
Depending on which model you choose the robot you choose may come with various sensors to assist it in its quest to avoid obstacles. Some of the most popular include crossed IR sensor beams, which are focused infrared lights which scan the room looking for things like furniture legs or door frames. Many robots have embraced this technology, and you can find it in the most expensive models that cost more.
Other technology for avoiding objects that is available in more expensive robots is 3D Structured Light which uses cameras and crossed IR sensor to map the surroundings and detect obstacles. Time of Flight (ToF) sensors that measure and emit the amount of time that it takes the light to reflect off of an object to determine its distance, are available. While these are less common but they could be a great addition to your robot if it needs peace of mind knowing that it will avoid getting stuck on power cords or socks when cleaning.
Apart from collecting dust and debris from hard floors Most of the top-rated robots can also mop your floors as well. Some come with their own water tanks, which allow them to wash away water-based spills and messes. You'll have to empty your robot's onboard dust bin and wipe down the cameras and sensors in between cleaning sessions, but these chores will not take a lot of your time.
Mapping
The ability to map is essential in robot vacuums as they enable them to recognize your home's layout, and avoid bumping into things like walls. Without mapping, they could be tripped over by furniture, cords or pet toys, and end up cleaning less of your space. Most robots employ sensors to map your home and navigate around obstacles. This allows them to clean the entire floor in fewer passes, thereby saving you time. A lot of the top-rated robot vacuums can also use this feature to create no-go zones, allowing you to set specific rooms that you don't want the robot to enter.
Robots equipped with LIDAR utilize this technology to map your home efficiently and quickly. In 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 cheaper models we tested, which used a front bump sensor. This was a much more precise method of navigating my home and was simple to control via the on-device app.
While no robot vacuum is able to climb stairs yet, most of the top-rated models come with obstacle avoidance and mapping capabilities. These tools let them collect dirt from low-pile or hard floors, and avoid falling down stairs. Some have cliff sensors to stop them from crossing over the edge of stairs and some also have boundary strips that can stop them from entering certain areas.
Some robots come with a massive tower base which holds their dirt and debris, reducing the amount of dust and allergens emitted into your home. These bases can be left for weeks or months without having to be cleaned which is particularly beneficial if you suffer from allergies. Additionally, some models come with self-emptying systems that allow you to empty their dust bins without having to manually open and close them.
Wi-Fi enabled
Some robot vacuums use Wi-Fi to communicate with their apps and allow you to control them using your smartphone rather than (or in addition to) the physical remote. These models are more expensive however they can save you time as they can schedule cleaning times daily, weekly or even monthly. These models also let you modify floor maps, save them and offer alternate cleaning schedules.
The most advanced robot vacuums utilize dual sensors, combining a LIDAR system to map your area with a structured light sensor that can detect objects and avoid them, even if they're under furniture or power cords. Those features make it easier for your robot to maneuver into tight spaces such as the nook underneath your kitchen cabinets and under sofas, where other robots have difficulty. They also have a faster speed to maneuver around obstacles, and have longer runtimes, and bigger dust bins. This makes them more suitable for large homes than entry-level robots.
The top-rated robot vacuums tend to be swift, intelligent and powerful and can clean up all kinds of floor debris, including pet hair, kitty litter, and other mess. They can also be quiet, making them an ideal choice for homes with young children and pets. Most robot vacuum users have told us that they enjoy the convenience of having their floor cleaned without much effort. This is particularly true when they are used regularly. And with proper maintenance (cleaning the rotating brushes and keeping tabs on replacement parts) robots can last as long as a conventional full-size vacuum cleaner. PCWorld offers a useful guide that outlines some essential tips to help you keep your machine running efficiently for many long time to come.
Larger Dust Bags
While a robotic vacuum may not clean as well as a canister or upright model, it's great in removing dirt and dust that regular vacuuming leaves behind. It can also be used for quick touch-ups on bare floors, and it can also navigate around cords and other household obstacles. You can use robots to clean your floors on a regular basis if you don't have time to do it yourself.
The top-rated robot vacuums have large easy to empty dust bags that can hold more dirt than one room. This can help save time and money in the form of replacement bags. This feature is available on several models which includes our top model which is the Ecovacs T30S Combo. This all-in-one robovac has an impressive performance score and has self-emptying bin. It also comes with mopping capabilities and efficient navigation. It is a close call between this and the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+, which has smart mapping and avoidance technology. This robovac has a larger capacity, but is slightly more expensive.
Another big difference between these two models is the way they handle hair that is long that 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 top hair pickup and tangle-avoidance scores, along with great auto empty results and excellent path planning. The Eufy and Shark Matrix Plus are also good choices with respectable hair pickup and tangle avoiding, but not as much path-planning or auto empty.
The latest robots come with sensors that can detect dirt and debris in the carpet, and they're better at removing loose pet hair. Some robots come with mopping modes which allows them to use the water reservoir in order to get rid of stuck-on messes and spills. This feature is a must for families with pets and children.
Maintenance
A robot vacuum can help keep up with your home. While no robot can replace an upright or canister vacuum for deep cleaning, the top rated models pick up pet hair, lint and other surface dirt on hard floors and low-pile carpets and pick up more than you could with a vacuum. They have navigational features that help them avoid getting stuck on power cords, rug fringe, or furniture.
According to the model, you can schedule the robot vacuum to run multiple times a day or watch it in action using an app. These machines are useful, but they can also be clogged and require regular maintenance. This involves emptying the onboard dust bin (or in some cases, the base's bigger bin) and checking the brushes for fur that is tangled, and periodically rinsing the filters and allowing them to dry in accordance with 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 if it receives regular maintenance and care. She suggests emptying the bin and brush roll often, cutting free hairs that get caught in the brushes, and then regularly cleaning and drying the filter if your machine is a mop as well. It's also recommended to wipe down the sensors and charging contacts on the dock or robot every now and then with a soft cloth. You can recharge and refill your robot before the next clean-up session.