The Best Robot Vacuum 2023

Robot vacuums can help you clean your floors more easily. The best ones will remove dirt, crumbs, shed pet hair and more.

While they can't perform like the regular vacuum cleaner, they have come a long ways in the past few years. They're smarter, more powerful and (marginally) better at avoiding chair legs.

Smart Mapping

Robot vacuum cleaners utilize navigation tools such as sensors and lasers to navigate around your home. They remove pet hair, crumbs, and dirt from floors made of hard materials such as tile, wood, and laminate, and carpets and area rugs with low piles. Robots that are the most sophisticated map your home, so they know where they've been and can avoid hitting obstacles like chairs, sofas, and bookshelves. You can make use of your smartphone app to set up no-go zones that tell your robot to stay out of rooms it doesn't want to clean.

Robots that have advanced mapping capabilities, such as the Roomba J7, make use of onboard cameras and processor-powered smarts to detect and avoid obstacles. You can then leave it to do a thorough job without having to constantly monitor the state of your floorplan or manually remove obstacles from the robot's way. The TP Link Tapo RV30 Plus is a robot which combines mopping with vacuuming. It's a one-stop solution to keep your home clean. It has a powerful suction system and works with Alexa or Google Assistant. It also has a useful self-emptying feature, and can be used as security cameras.

A less expensive robot that vacuums, mop and can also be used as a trashcan The Roborock Q Revo is a excellent choice for homes that don't require the more sophisticated features of the more expensive models. However, it does have some disadvantages compared to the Roomba j7 and S8. It has only one brush, not dual roller brushes, which means it might not be as effective at removing larger objects like socks and shoes. It doesn't come with AI obstacle avoidance so it is possible that you will need to eliminate clutter before running.

The iLife A4s Pro is a basic robot that's ideal for those who prefer simplicity and efficiency. It's less than $200 and offers strong, consistent suction on hardwood and low-pile carpets and also avoids tangles caused by rug threads. It doesn't include any advanced features, however it does its job well. It's also compatible with voice commands, so you can set it up on a schedule or set up no-go zones via the app.

Object Detection

Object-avoidance technology can affect the ability of a robot vacuum to navigate 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, toys for children and pet mess. IRobot's Roomba j7 is one of the best examples of this type of smart tech in action. It also comes with a sleek base that automatically empties the trash bin so that you don't need to.

During testing the robot, we set the cleaner up in a huge house and were impressed by how quickly and efficiently it cleaned up floors without getting bogged down. It's incredibly maneuverable and is able to reach places that most stand-up vacs cannot go, including under beds and sofas. It comes with a 500-ml dustbin, great suction and a runtime of over two hours. It's just not equipped with the ability to create no-go zones within the app and its detection of objects is somewhat erratic, meaning we saw it hit things a few times during our tests (resulting in the tumbling of a few vase tops).

It's important to keep in mind that, regardless of how smart the robot vacuum is it won't substitute for your upright or canister vacuum. It's not equipped to clean carpets with a lot of dirt. It's not able to reach ceilings 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 sensor systems that help them navigate through obstacles and steps. They can usually sense when they're about to fall down a staircase, for instance, and detect areas that are cluttered and move around them. If you're not careful your robo-cleaner may be stuck on a shoe, cord or any other object.

Some robot vacuums come with mapping capabilities that allow them to make an accurate floor plan of your home and pinpoint themselves. They will then be able to identify the areas they have already cleaned and can save time by not having to clean the same spots. This allows them to resume where they left off if they have to return to the charging dock.

Self-Emptying

A vacuum cleaner that automatically empties its bin of dust when it is full is a huge convenience. Certain models come with windows that allow you to observe when the bin needs to empty. This is a great option for anyone with pets or children who tend to create more mess than adults.

Most robot vacuums allow you to choose which model can be controlled with a remote, an app on your phone or via voice commands. They offer a range of digital features including maintenance and scheduling tips. Using the right settings, you can program your robot to clean on a regular time, or on a weekly basis. You can also program the robot to map out and clean specific areas of your home.

The most advanced robot vacuums we've tested come with sensors and cameras which allow them to create maps of your home. They 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 will even remember the furniture layout and transitions between hard flooring and carpet.

The most effective smart vacuums will help you save time by automatically mapping and cleaning entire homes and keeping detailed records of cleaning sessions. You can access the records via an app that you can install on your smartphone or tablet. Most can also connect to your smart speaker, so you can control them using voice commands.

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

The wheels that resemble a tank on this model allow it to roll right over the high transitions between rooms as well as obstacles like tangled cords from devices that trip up other robots. It comes with a large bin that doesn't have to be empty manually and is able to recharge itself and continue cleaning when it is unable to continue cleaning. It's more expensive compared to other robotic vacuums we've tested however it has powerful suction with simple controls to give you a great value.

Voice Control

The majority of robot vacuums are controlled via a remote control or an app that runs on smartphones. Certain robot vacuums can be controlled by voice commands via smart speakers such as Amazon Echo or Google Home. This can be helpful when you have pets or children that could get in the way of your cleaning routine, or if you're too tired to operate the robot manually.

Many models also come with an automatic mode that operates without input from you. The robot can be started by pressing a button get more info in the app or on the robot. The robots can also be programmed to clean regularly and is perfect for those who prefer to make it easy to set it and forget it.

Some of the more expensive models have a feature that makes use of artificial intelligence to detect and scan obstacles within your home. These models can recognize things like furniture, stairs power cords, even different kinds of flooring. This can help robots avoid dangers. This is especially useful in large homes with lots carpeting and other flooring coverings which are difficult for robots navigate.

Some robots come with less basic ability to detect objects, but still manage to accomplish the task. The TP-Link Tapo RV30 Plus, for example is similar to a wifi router but offers the performance of a premium bot. It has a strong suction that can take care of dirt and debris on medium-pile flooring and carpet. Its squat, short side brushes are less likely to get stuck in stray shoes or cords, and its hybrid roller brush uses bristles and plastic, rather than a traditional bristle brush for an even more thorough cleaning.

The model is more expensive than other mid-range robots but it does everything you'd expect from a robot vacuum and mop. It can draw out the cleaning schedule and then create one. It also has virtual zones to keep out of. It doesn't have the same room-scanning and obstacle-avoiding capabilities as the j7 and s8.