The Best Robot Vacuum 2023

Robot vacuums can make cleaning your floors easier. The best ones nab tracked-in dirt, crumbs and shed pet hair and more.

Although they’re not the same way as a regular vacuum cleaner, they have made significant progress in the last few years. They’re smarter, more powerful and (marginally) better in avoiding the legs of chairs.

Smart Mapping

Utilizing navigational tools like lasers and sensors, robotic vacuum mop robot cleaners navigate around your home, suctioning pet hair, crumbs and dirt into their dustbins from hard floors such as wood, tile and laminate and 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 like sofas, chairs, 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 clean.

Robots that have advanced mapping capabilities, like the Roomba j7, use onboard cameras and processor-powered intelligents to detect and avoid obstacles. You can then leave it to perform the job without having to keep an eye on the state of your floorplan or Bagless robot vacuum manually remove obstacles from the robot’s way. The TP-Link Tapo RV30 Plus is a robot that combines vacuuming and mopping, so it’s a complete solution for keeping your home tidy. It has a great suction feature and can be used with Alexa or Google Assistant. It can self-empty and can also function as a security camera.

Roborock Q Revo, a cheaper robot that vacuums, mop and can be used as an automated trashcan, is a good option for homes without the need for more advanced features. However, it does have some disadvantages in comparison to the Roomba j7 and S8. It has one rubber brush instead of the dual roller brushes that the other models have, so it might not be as effective at picking up larger debris like socks and shoes. It also lacks AI obstacle avoidance, so it could be necessary to get rid of any clutter prior to running it.

The iLife A4s Pro is a basic robot that is ideal for those who value simplicity and proficiency. It’s less than $200, and offers consistent, solid suction for hardwood as well as carpets with low pile, while avoiding tangles with rug threads. It doesn’t have any advanced features, however it does the job very well. It is also compatible with voice commands. It can be set up on a schedule, or create zones of no-go zones with the app.

Object Detection

Object-avoidance technology can affect the ability of a robot vacuum to navigate around your home. Some of the models we’ve reviewed have sensors (or even cameras) that allow your robot cleaner to avoid common traps for robots, such as cords, kids’ toys and pet spills. The iRobot Roomba j7 is one of the most impressive examples of this type of smart tech in action. It also has a stylish base that automatically empties the garbage bin, so you don’t have to.

During testing the robot, we set the cleaner up in a huge house and were awed by how quickly and thoroughly it was able to clean floors without getting bogged down. It’s incredibly maneuverable and can reach places that stand-up vacuums are unable to can, like couches and under beds. It has a 500ml dustbin, a powerful suction system and a runtime of over two hours. It lacks the option to create no-go zones and its recognition of objects is a bit iffy. We observed it hitting objects on occasion during our tests and resulted in vessels falling over.

It is important to keep in mind that no matter how clever the robot vacuum is, it will not replace your upright or canister vacuum. It can’t deal with heavily soiled carpets, it won’t reach into every crevice, and it’s not able to reach your ceilings or other hard-to-reach areas. But for keeping your floors free of pet hair, crumbs and other particles it’s an ideal addition to your cleaning routine.

Most robot vacuums have sensor systems that help them navigate through obstacles and steps. They can tell when they’re about fall down the stairs, for example and can also identify areas that are cluttered and move around them. Nevertheless, if you’re not careful your robot-cleaner could be stuck on a cord or stray shoe and require assistance.

Some robot vacuums are equipped with mapping capabilities, which allow them to draw an accurate floor plan of your home and locate themselves. They can then know what areas they have cleaned and can reduce time by not having to clean the same spots. 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 emptys its bin when it is full is a wonderful convenience. Certain models come with a window that allows you to observe when the bin has to be empty. This is a fantastic feature for those with pets or children who make more mess than adults.

The majority of Bagless robot Vacuum vacuums let you select whether the machine will be controlled by a remote, an app on your phone, or via voice commands. They also have a variety of digital functions, including scheduling and maintenance suggestions. You can program your robot to clean your house on a weekly or regularly, using the right settings. You can also program the robot to mark out and clean specific areas of your home.

The smartest robot vacuums that we’ve tested come with sensors and cameras, which allow 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 can even keep track of the furniture’s placement and transitions between hard flooring and carpet.

Smart vacuums can save you time by mapping and cleaning entire houses automatically and keeping detailed records about previous cleaning sessions. You can access the records via an app that you can install on your tablet or smartphone. Most of them can be linked to your smart speaker, so that you can control them with voice commands.

TP-Link’s Tapo RV30 Plus is an affordable, self-emptying robotic vacuum that delivers excellent performance for the price. It is able to clean floors and sweep up pet hair and other debris from rugs made of wood and low pile. It’s not as sophisticated as the other robots we’ve reviewed but it does its job very well.

The model’s tanks-like wheels allow it to glide over obstacles such as tangled cords and high transitions between rooms. It has a huge bin that doesn’t need to be manually emptied and it can charge itself and resume cleaning if it runs out power. It’s a bit more expensive than some of the other robotic vacuums we’ve tried but it combines powerful suction and simple controls to give you a good value.

Voice Control

The majority of robot vacuums can be controlled via a physical remote or an app on your phone. Some models can also be integrated with smart speakers like Amazon Echo or Google Home, allowing you to operate them with voice commands. This is a great option for robots that need to clean up and you have pets or children that could interfere.

The majority of models come with an automatic mode that operates without your input. Simply press a button on the robot or within the app and it will begin sucking up food, dirt, crumbs, and pet hair. The robots can be programmed to clean according to a schedule, making them perfect for those who want to set and forget.

Some of the more expensive models come with an advanced feature that utilizes artificial intelligence to look around your home and identify obstacles. These models can recognize things like stairs, power cords and furniture, and can even distinguish between different types of flooring. This helps robots avoid hazards. This is especially helpful in homes with large areas of carpeting and flooring which are difficult for robots navigate.

Other robots are more basic in their object detection abilities, but they are still able to do the job. The TP-Link Tapo RV30 Plus, for instance, has the appearance of an internet router, but has the performance of a high-end bot. It has a strong suction and can handle dirt and debris on medium pile flooring and carpet. The short and squat-shaped side brush is less likely to be caught in shoes or cords. The hybrid roller brush, that uses bristles, as well as plastic, offers an effective cleaning.

This model is more expensive than other models in the mid-range but it has everything you’d expect from a robot mop and vacuum. It can map and build a cleaning schedule and has virtual keep-out zones and is compatible with voice assistants. However, it does not have the ability to scan rooms or avoid obstacles like the j7 and S8.