Best Rated Robot Vacuum and Mop

Eufy's top-rated robotic mop and vacuum takes a lot of the hands-off work out of keeping your floors spotless. It can refill its own water tank, and self-empty its larger tower bin and swap out the dust bag.

Advanced models can map your home and note furniture positioning. They can also spot obstructions and avoid dangers like loose charging cables and loose socks.

Object Avoidance

Object avoidance helps your robot to avoid hitting objects such as cords, toys and clothing that could be caught in the vacuum. This is especially important if you have children or pets that are inclined to leave objects on the floor, which your robot could find them.

Depending on the model you pick the robot you choose may come with several sensor options to help it navigate around obstacles. Some of the most popular include crossed IR sensor beams that are a focused infrared light which scan the room to look for furniture legs or door frames. This technology is widely used by many robots that are available and you can find it in flagship models that cost more than other models.

Another object avoidance technology can be found in more expensive robotics includes 3D Structured Light which uses cameras and a crossed IR sensor to map the surrounding area and identify obstacles. Time of Flight (ToF), sensors that measure and emit the duration that it takes the light to reflect off of an object to determine its distance, is also available. These aren't very common but can be an excellent option for your robot vacuum with mop if you're looking for extra peace of mind.

Besides cleaning up dust and other debris from hard floors, most of the best-rated robots can also mop your floors as well. Some even come with their own water tanks that allow them to wash away water-based spills and messes. It is necessary to clean the robot's dust bin and clean its cameras and sensors in between cleaning sessions.

Mapping

robot mop vacuums should be able to map. This lets them navigate your home without getting caught up against walls. They can be tripped up by pet toys, cords, or furniture without mapping. This results in them taking up less space. Using sensors, most robots map out your home to track any obstacles and help them navigate around them. This way, they're able to sweep the entire floor in fewer passes, thereby saving you time. A lot of the top-rated robot vacuums can also use this feature to create zones that are not allowed, which allows you to designate rooms that you don't want the robot to get into.

Robots that have built-in LIDAR utilize this technology to map your home quickly and efficiently. During our tests of the Eufy Clean robot utilized this feature to divide my room into different areas and clean each one independently, which was a huge improvement over the less expensive models we tested that just used a front bump sensor. This wasThey can pick up an array of floor debris such as pet hair, cat litter and other dirt. They are also quiet, making them an ideal option for Best Rated Robot Vacuum homes with young kids and pets. The majority of robot vacuum users we've spoken to report that they love the convenience of having their floor cleaned without much effort. This is especially true when used regularly. Robots can last as long as traditional vacuum cleaners if they are given the proper maintenance (cleaning rotating brushes and keeping an eye on replacement parts). PCWorld offers a helpful guide that covers some important tips to keep yours running efficiently for many years to come.

Dust Bags Larger

While a robotic vacuum might not be as efficient as a canister or upright model, it is excellent at picking up dust and other debris that regular vacuuming leaves behind. It is a great tool for quick repairs to floors that are not clean and can also navigate around cords or other household obstacles. You can employ robotics to sweep your floors on a schedule in case you don't have the time to do it yourself.

The top-rated robot vacuums come with large easy to empty dust bags that can store more dirt than one room. This can save time and money by providing bags that can be replaced. This feature is available on a variety of models including our top pick, the Ecovacs T30S Combo. This all-in-one robovac is a top-performing robovac that includes a self-emptying bin. It also comes with a mopping function and efficient navigation. It's a close match between this and the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+, which comes with the ability to avoidance and smart mapping. This model is more expensive, but it has more capacity.

The two models also differ in their handling of long hair, which may become tangled in the rollers of certain robots. The most efficient models are the Roborock Q5 Max+ and SwitchBot K10S Plus, both have superb hair pickup and tangle avoidance scores with great path planning and near perfect auto empty results. The Shark Matrix Plus and eufy are also great options with respectable hair pick-up and tangle avoidance, however they don't have as much path planning or auto empty.

The latest robots come with sensors that can detect dirt and debris in the carpet, and are better at removing hairs that have fallen off of pets. Some even have a dedicated mopping mode that uses the reservoir of water to wash away spills and messes that have gotten stuck. This feature is a must-have for families with pets and children.

Maintenance

A robot vacuum can help keep up with your home. While no robot can substitute an upright or canister vacuum for deep cleaning, the highest rated models pick up pet hair, lint and other surface dirt on hard floors and low-pile carpets, picking up much more than you would find with a Broom. They also have navigation capabilities that ensure they don't get stuck on rug fringe or power cords and can glide easily under furniture.

Depending on the model, a top-rated robot vacuum is also able to run several times per day, or permit you to watch it at work via an app. However, these useful machines are also susceptible to clogging and require regular maintenance such as emptying the bin onboard (or the base's larger dust bin in some instances) as well as checking the brushes for hair that is tangled, and periodically rinsing and letting the filters dry as recommended by the manufacturer.

Vacuum expert Emily Rairdin, a store owner apprentice at University Vacuum + Sewing, says a good robot vacuum can last from three to five years or more if it receives regular maintenance and care. She suggests regularly emptying the brush roll and bin, cutting out any hair that has gotten caught up in the brushes and frequently washing and drying the filter, when your robot is also used as mop. It's a good idea wipe the sensors and charging contacts of the robot or dock with a soft, clean cloth every now and then. Then, recharge and refill the robot as needed for your next cleaning session.