The Best Robot Vacuum 2023
Robot vacuums can help you clean your floors more easily. The best ones can remove tracked-in dirt, crumbs and shed pet hair, and more.
And while they still can’t do as good of a job as a traditional vacuum cleaner, they’ve come a long way over the last few years. They’re smarter, more powerful and (marginally) better at avoiding chair legs.
Smart Mapping
Robot vacuum cleaners employ instruments for navigation like lasers and sensors 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 low-pile area rugs and carpets. Robots that are the most advanced maps your home, so they know where they’ve been, and can avoid bumping into obstacles such as chairs, sofas, and bookshelves. You can also use your smartphone app to set up no-go zones, which tell your robot not to enter rooms that you don’t want to clean.
Robots that have advanced mapping capabilities, like the Roomba j7, use processor-powered cameras and onboard sensors to detect and robot avoid obstacles. You can then leave it to complete the task without having to keep an eye on the condition of your floor plan, or manually move obstacles from the robot’s way. The TP Link Tapo RV30 plus is a robot that combines mopping and vacuuming, so it’s an all-in-one solution for keeping your home clean. It has a great suction and works with Alexa or Google Assistant. It also has a useful self-emptying feature that can be used as a security camera.
Roborock Q Revo, a less expensive 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. It does have some disadvantages when compared to the Roomba S8 and J7. For one, it has a single rubber brush instead of the dual roller brushes that the other models have, so it might not be as effective at collecting larger objects such as shoes and socks. It does not have AI obstacle avoidance so it is possible that you will need to eliminate clutter before running.
The iLife A4s Pro robot is a simple reliable robot for those who value simplicity and competence. It costs less than $200, and provides strong, consistent suction both on hardwood and low-pile rugs, while avoiding knots. It’s not a lot of technology however, it’s effective. It also works with voice commands. It can be set up on a schedule, or create zones that are not allowed to be used using the app.
Object Detection
Object-avoidance technologies can affect the ability of a robot vacuum navigate your home. Some models on this list include sensors (or cameras) to help your robot vacuum avoid common robot traps such as cords, toys for kids and pet messes. iRobot’s roomba robot vacuum j7 is one of the best examples of this type of smart tech in action. It also has a stylish clean base that fills the garbage bin automatically so you don’t need to.
During testing, we set this robotic cleaner up in a huge house and were awed by how quickly and thoroughly it was able to clean floors without becoming bogged down. It has impressive maneuverability and can get to places that most stand-up vacs cannot go, including under sofas and under beds. It has a 500ml dustbin, a powerful suction system and a time of over two hours. It’s just not equipped with the ability to set zones that are not allowed to be used and its object detection is a little hit-or-miss and we did see it occasionally bump into objects during our tests (resulting in a few toppled vases).
It’s important to keep it in mind that no matter how clever a robot vacuum is it isn’t going to replace your upright or canister vacuum. It can’t deal with heavily soiled carpets, it won’t get into every crevice and it’s not able to reach your ceilings or other difficult-to-access spaces. It’s an excellent addition to your regular cleaning routine for removing crumbs, hair, and pet dander.
Most robot vacuums come with sensors that allow them to navigate around obstacles and stairs. They are able to tell when they’re about to fall down the stairs, for instance, and they also recognize cluttered areas and move around them. If you’re not cautious the robo-cleaner may get stuck on a cord or shoe and need some help.
Certain robot vacuums come with mapping capabilities that allow them to create an accurate floor plan of your house and pinpoint themselves. They can then identify which areas they’ve already cleaned, and save time by not having to clean the same areas. This allows them to resume where they left off if they have to return to the charging dock.
Self-Emptying
A robot vacuum that will automatically emptys its bin when it is full is a wonderful convenience. Some models have windows that allow you to observe when the bin is due to be empty. This is a great feature for those with pets or children who create more mess than adults.
Most robot vacuums let you select whether the machine can be controlled with a remote, an app on your phone or via voice commands. They also come with a range of digital functions, including maintenance and scheduling suggestions. If you set the right settings, you can set your robot to clean at a set time, or on a weekly basis. You can also program it to clean specific areas of the house.
The most intelligent robot vacuums we’ve tested are equipped with sensors and cameras which enable them to create maps for your home. You can save these maps within the robot’s app to quickly navigate through your home. Some of these systems will even keep track of the furniture’s layout and transitions between hard flooring and carpet.
Smart vacuums can save you time by mapping and cleaning entire houses in a timely manner and keeping detailed records about previous cleaning sessions. You can access these records via an app that you can install on your tablet or phone. Most can also connect to your smart speaker so you can control them using voice commands.
TP-Link Tapo RV30+ is a self-emptying robot that offers great performance at a reasonable cost. It is able to clean floors and sweep up pet hair and other debris from low-pile and hardwood rugs. It’s not as sophisticated as other robots we’ve reviewed, however, it does what it does well.
The tank-like wheels on this model permit it to roll right over the transitions between rooms and obstacles like tangled cords from devices which can cause a problem for other robots. It comes with a large bin that doesn’t need to be manually emptied and is able to recharge itself and continue cleaning when it’s running out of power. It’s a bit more expensive than other robotic vacuums that we’ve tested but it combines powerful suction with simple controls to deliver a great value.
Voice Control
Most robot vacuums can be controlled by a physical remote or an app that you can install on your smartphone. Some robot vacuums can be controlled via voice commands using smart speakers, such as Amazon Echo or Google Home. This is helpful when your robot has to clean and you have pets or small children who might interfere.
The majority of models have an automatic mode that functions without input from you. The robot can be started by pressing a button in the app or on the robot. They can also be programmed to clean on a regular schedule, which is ideal for those who wish to set it and forget it.
Some of the more expensive models come with an advanced feature that makes use of artificial intelligence to detect and scan the presence of obstacles in your home. They can detect things such as power cords, stairs as well as furniture, and they can also identify different types of flooring. This helps to avoid the dangers, which is especially useful in larger homes that have lots of rugs and other floor coverings that are hard for robots to navigate.
Other robots are more basic in their object detection abilities however they can still do the job. One example is the TP-Link Tapo RV30 plus, that has the sleek elegant, easy-to-use design of a WiFi hub but has the performance of a top bot. It has a powerful suction and can handle dirt and debris on medium pile carpets and hardwood floors. Its short, squat side brushes are less likely to become tangled in stray shoes and cords and its hybrid roller brush makes use of bristles and plastic, rather than a traditional bristle brush for an even more thorough cleaning.
This model is more expensive than other robots in the middle-end, but it does everything you would expect from a robot mop and vacuum. It can map and build a cleaning schedule, has virtual keep-out zones and is compatible with voice assistants. However, it does not have room-scanning or obstacle avoidance like the S8 or j7.