Best Rated Robot Vacuum and Mop

Eufy's top-rated robotic mop and vacuum takes a lot of the work of keeping your floors tidy. It can refill its own water tank, empty its tower bin, and then change the dust bag.

Advanced models can map your home and record furniture positioning. They can also spot obstructions and avoid dangers such as loose charging cables and unintentional socks.

Object Avoidance

Object avoidance allows your robot to avoid hitting things like toys, cords, and clothing that could be caught in the vacuum. These features are particularly important if your family has pets or children who may leave things on the floor for your robot to search.

Depending on which model you select the robot you choose may come with a variety of sensor options to help it navigate around obstacles. Some of the most popular include crossed IR sensor beams that are infrared-focused lights that scan across the room to look for furniture legs or door frames. This technology is widely used by a variety of robots available, and you can also get it in top models that cost more than others.

Other technology for avoiding objects that is available in higher-end robotics is 3D Structured Light which uses cameras and a crossed IR sensors to map the surroundings and identify obstacles. Time of Flight (ToF), sensors that measure and emit the amount of time it takes for the light to reflect off of an object, to determine its distance, are available. They aren't as common, but can be an excellent option for your robot if you're looking for extra security.

Most of the top-rated robotics can also mop your floors. Some robots have their own water tanks which enable them to clean up messes and spills. You'll need to empty the 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

Robot vacuums need to be able to map. This lets them navigate around your home and avoid bumping against things like walls. Without mapping, they could be tripped over by cords, furniture or pet toys and end up taking less space from your space. Most robots employ sensors to map your home and navigate around obstacles. This way, they're able to sweep the entire floor with fewer passes, saving your time. Many of the top robotic vacuums also come with this feature, which enables you to create no-go areas.

Robots with built-in LIDAR system make use of this technology to map out your home quickly and efficiently. During our tests with the Eufy Clean robot utilized this feature to separate my room into distinct areas and clean each one independently, which was a huge improvement over the lesser models we tested, which used an in-front bump sensor. This was a much more accurate way of navigating my home, and it was easy to control via the app on the device.

Although no robot vacuum has the ability to climb stairs, the majority of the top-rated models come with good obstacle avoidance and mapping capabilities. These tools allow them to remove dirt from hard floors and low-pile carpets and also to keep them from falling down the steps. Some tools have sensors that prevent them falling over the edge of the stairs. Others have boundaries to keep them out.

Some robots have large towers on the base that can collect dirt. This helps reduce the amount of dust or allergens released in your home. They can be kept for weeks or months without having to be cleaned which is particularly beneficial when you suffer from allergies. Some models also have self-emptying systems that allow you to dump out their onboard dust bins without having to manually open and close them.

Wi-Fi enabled

Some robot vacuums connect via Wi-Fi with their applications. This lets you control them using your smartphone instead of (or in addition) to an actual remote. These models are more expensive, but they save you time by letting you schedule cleaning sessions on a weekly, daily or even monthly basis. These models also allow you to modify floor maps and save them for later use. They also offer alternate cleaning patterns.

The most advanced robot vacuums use dual sensors, combining the LIDAR system to map your space with a structured light sensor that is able to see objects and avoid them, even if they're hidden under furniture or power cords. Those features make it easier for your robot to enter small spaces, such as the nook underneath your kitchen cabinets and under sofas, where many other robots struggle. They are also more efficient in getting over obstacles and have longer running times thanks to larger dust bins, which makes them better suited for large homes than entry-level robots.

The top rated robot vacuums are quick, efficient and effective cleaning up all kinds of floor debris, including pet hair, kitty litter, and other mess. They're also quiet, making them an excellent choice for homes with pets and young children. Many of the robot vacuum owners have told us that they enjoy the convenience of having their floors cleaned with minimal effort. This is especially true when used regularly. With proper maintenance (cleaning the rotating brushes and keeping tabs on the parts that need replacement) robots can last as long as a conventional full-size vacuum cleaner. PCWorld provides a guide with helpful suggestions to ensure your machine is running smoothly.

Larger Dust Bags

A robotic vacuum may not be as good in cleaning as an upright or canister vacuum, but it's fantastic at picking up dust and dirt that regular vacuuming leaves behind. It is also a great tool for quick touch-ups on floors and can maneuver through cords and other household obstacles. If you don't want to do the deep cleaning yourself, a best robot vacuum cleaner can be set to send it out to scour your floors on a regular basis.

The top rated robot vacuums with mop vacuums come with large dust bags that are easy to empty and can hold more than one room's worth of dirt. This can save you time and money on new bags. This feature is available on a variety of models which includes our top model which is the Ecovacs T30S Combo. This all-in-one robovac is a high-performance robovac that has a self-emptying bin. It also has a mopping feature and efficient navigation. It's a close match between this and the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+, that has the ability to avoidance and smart mapping. This robovac has more capacity, but it is a bit more expensive.

Another big difference between these two models is how well they deal with long human hair that can get caught in the rollers of some robots. The top-performing models are the Roborock Q5 Max+ and SwitchBot K10S Plus, both have outstanding hair pickup and tangle avoidance scores, along with excellent path planning and close to perfect auto empty results. The Shark Matrix Plus and eufy are also excellent options, with decent hair pickup and tangle avoidance but not as much path planing or auto empty.

The newest robots have sensors that detect dirt and debris on the carpet, and are better at removing hairs that have fallen off of pets. Some robots have a mopping mode that makes use of the reservoir of water to remove stuck-on mess and spills. This feature is essential for families with pets and children.

Maintenance

A robot autonomous vacuum will help you keep up with your home. While no robot can replace an upright or a canister vacuum for deep cleaning, the highest rated models pick up pet hair, lint and other dirt that accumulates on carpets with low pile and hard floors and pick up more than you can with a broom. They come with navigational features that prevent them from getting stuck on power cords, rug fringe or furniture.

According to the model, you can schedule a robot automatic vacuum cleaner and mop to run several times per day or even watch it perform its duties using an app. These machines are useful however they can be clogged and require regular maintenance. This includes emptying the onboard dust bin (or in some cases, the base's larger bin), checking brushes for tangled fur, and a regular cleaning of the filters and allowing them to dry according to the specifications of the manufacturer.

Emily Rairdin is a best automatic vacuum expert and store owner apprentice from University Vacuum + Sewing. She claims that a robot vacuum can last for three to five years with proper maintenance. She recommends emptying the bin and brush roll frequently cutting out hair that gets caught in the brushes, and regularly washing and drying the filter, especially if it is also a mop. It's a good idea clean the charging contacts and sensors on the robot or dock with a soft, clean cloth every now and again. You can then refill and recharge your robot prior to the next clean-up session.