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.

While they can't perform as well as an ordinary vacuum cleaner, they have made significant progress in the last few years. They're more sophisticated and more powerful, as well as (marginally better) at avoiding chair leg.

Smart Mapping

Robot vacuum cleaners employ navigation tools like lasers and sensors to navigate around your home. They collect pet hair, crumbs and dirt from hard floors like tile, wood, and laminate, and low-pile area rugs and carpets. Robots that are the most sophisticated map your home, so they know where they've been and how to avoid bumping into obstacles such as couches, chairs, and bookshelves. You can make use of your smartphone app to create no-go zones, which tell your robot not to enter rooms you don't want it to clean.

Robots that have advanced mapping capabilities, such as the Roomba J7, make use of an onboard camera and processor-powered intelligence to see and avoid obstructions. This means you can let it to do a thorough cleaning without having to constantly check the status of your floorplan or manually move obstacles out of the robot's path. The TP Link Tapo RV30 Plus is a robotic device that combine vacuuming and mopping. It's a one-stop solution to keep your home tidy. It has great suction and works with Alexa and Google Assistant. It has a self-emptying function and is also able to be used as a surveillance camera.

A cheaper robot that vacuums, mop and can even be used as a robotic trashcan, the Roborock Q Revo is a excellent choice for homes that don't need the advanced features of higher-end models. It does have some disadvantages when compared to the Roomba S8 and j7. For one, it has one rubber brush instead of the dual roller brushes of the others and it may not be as effective at picking up larger debris such as shoes and socks. It doesn't have AI obstacle avoidance, so you might need to get rid of the clutter prior to running.

The iLife A4s Pro is a basic robot that's ideal for those who prefer simplicity and competence. It costs less than $200 and offers consistent, solid suction on both hardwood and carpets with low pile and avoids tangles with rug threads. It doesn't include any advanced features, but it does the job very well. It is also compatible with voice commands. You can set it up to run a program, or create zones that are not allowed to be used using the app.

Object Detection

The use of object-avoidance technology can make or break the ability of a robot vacuum navigate around your home. Some models on our list contain sensors (or even cameras) which help your robo-cleaner avoid common traps for robots, such as cords, kids' toys and pet messes. IRobot's Roomba J7 is among the most impressive examples of this kind of technology in action. It also comes with a sleek base that automatically empties the garbage bin, so you don't have to.

In our testing, we set this robotic cleaner up in a large house and were impressed by the speed and efficiency with which it cleared floors without getting bogged down. It's extremely maneuverable and can reach places that most standup vacuums cannot be, such as under beds and couches. It comes with a 500-ml dustbin, a powerful suction system and a running time of more than two hours. It's just not equipped with the ability to create no-go zones within the app and its detection of objects is a bit hit-or-miss, meaning we saw it bump into things occasionally during our tests (resulting in a few tipped vase).

It's important to keep in mind that no matter how smart the robot vacuum is it won't substitute for your upright or canister vacuum. It's not equipped to handle heavily soiled carpets, it won't be able to reach every corner, and it won't reach your ceilings or other difficult to reach areas. It's an excellent addition to your regular cleaning routine for getting rid of hair, and pet dander.

Sensor systems are integrated into many robot vacuums, allowing them to navigate around stairs and obstacles. They are able to tell the moment they're about to fall down the stairs, for instance, and can also recognize areas that are cluttered and move around them. If you're not careful your robot cleaner could become stuck on a cord, shoe or any other object.

Some of the more advanced robot vacuums have mapping capabilities, which allow them to create an outline of your home and locate themselves within it. This lets them know which areas they've cleaned before and avoid the hassle of going over the same areas. This allows them to resume the same place they left off in the event that they have to return to the charging dock.

Self-Emptying

A vacuum cleaner that automatically emptys its bins of dust once it's full is a great convenience. Some models also have a window that lets you see when the bin has to be empty. This is a great feature for those who have children or pets who tend to make lots of mess than adults.

The majority of robot vacuums let you select whether the machine is controlled by an app, a remote on your smartphone or voice commands. They also have a variety of digital functions, including maintenance and scheduling suggestions. You can program your robot to clean on every week or on a regularly, using the right settings. You can also program it to map and clean certain areas of your house.

Some of the most intelligent robot vacuums we've tested come with built-in cameras and sensor technology that lets them create maps of your home. You can save these maps in the robot's app to quickly navigate around your home. Some of these systems can even keep track of furniture placement and even note transitions from hard floors to carpet.

Smart vacuums help you save time by cleaning entire homes automatically and keeping detailed records about the cleaning sessions that have occurred previously. You can access these records via an app on your tablet or phone. Most of them can be connected to your smart speaker, so that you can control them via voice commands.

TP-Link's Tapo RV30 Plus is an affordable, self-emptying robotic vacuum that provides high performance for the money. It can clean hardwood floors and carpets with low pile, and also remove pet hair and other particles. It's not as sophisticated as the other robots we've reviewed, however it does the job well.

The model's tanks-like wheels allow it to roll over obstacles such as cords that get caught up and high transitions in between rooms. It comes with a large bin that doesn't have to be empty manually, and can recharge itself and restart cleaning when it runs out power. It's a bit more expensive than the other robotic vacuums we've tested however it combines powerful suction with simple controls to provide a fantastic value.

Voice Control

The majority of robot vacuums can be controlled by a remote or an app on a smartphone. Some also connect to smart speakers such as Amazon Echo or Google Home, allowing you to run them using voice commands. This is useful if your robot needs to clean and you have pets or small children that could interfere.

Many models have an automatic mode that operates without your input. The robot can be started by pressing a button in the app or on the robot. These robots can be programmed to clean up on a regular basis, which is ideal for those who want to set it and forget it.

Some of the more expensive models have an advanced feature that uses artificial intelligence to scan your home and detect obstacles. These models can recognize things like furniture, stairs power cords, even different kinds of flooring. This can help to avoid the dangers which is particularly useful in larger homes with lots of carpets and flooring materials that are difficult for robots to navigate.

Other robots have more basic ability to detect objects however they still manage to get the job done. One example is the TP-Link Tapo RV30 plus, that has the sleek elegant, easy-to-use design of a WiFi hub but boasts a lot of the capabilities of a top-of-the-line robot. It is extremely suction-driven and handles dirt and debris from carpets and hardwood floors with ease. Its squat, short side brushes are less likely to be stuck in stray shoes or cords and its hybrid roller brush utilizes bristles and plastic instead of a traditional bristle brush best robot vacuum for hardwood floors for an even more thorough cleaning.

This model is pricier than other mid-range robots but it does everything you'd expect from mopping and vacuuming robots. It can map and build a cleaning schedule and has virtual keep-out zones and is compatible with voice assistants. It doesn't offer the same room-scanning feature and obstacle avoidance as the j7 and the s8.