How to Choose the Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner

A robot cleaning machine vacuum will help you save time and hassle when it comes to regular touch-ups. Top performers do a good job picking up dust and lightweight debris and allow you to designate no-go zones in pets or power cords.

The more expensive ones will even sweep your floor, but they can't climb up stairs. Look for models with smart mapping, real-time hazard avoidance, and roomy self-emptying bins.

Best Overall

The top robots we tested were reliable, user-friendly and able to keep up with daily debris. It is also important to choose a model that can handle stairs and the Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner has good pick-up power on carpets. If you're looking for a robot with additional features, think about an option that incorporates smart mapping technology, or an app to control it remotely.

Camryn Rabideau is a contributing reviewer and writer for shopping at PEOPLE who has tried numerous robotic vacuums. She's a huge fan of robot floor cleaner vacuums that provide the greatest convenience, such as self-emptying bins and charging docks that automatically empty and refill water tanks for mopping robots. She also likes the robots that are able to recognize landmarks like furniture legs and power cords to ensure they don't trip when climbing the stairs.

Compared to the top-rated models this Black and Decker robot vacuum isn't as advanced in its object-avoidance capabilities, and its navigation score is lower. It does however have a large dustbin that doesn't require frequent emptying, and has a long battery life. It also has a feature which allows you to schedule cleaning times and then return to the place it stopped at the last point, making it easier to take care of larger areas. This model is also a great option for pet owners since it can spot and avoid tangled hair and fallen food particles.

In our tests, the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra combines an LIDAR sensor that maps rooms and detect obstacles, with a structured light sensor to identify objects and detect edges. The combination lets it stay clear of stairs, drops of liquid and furniture legs easily and save up to four floor maps for future use. It is also able to stop the cleaning process at any moment and pick up where it left off and let you do chores while the robot works. The app includes a 3D view of your home, with room labels and advanced cleaning options.

Although this robot isn't able to clean as well as our top-rated models, it excels in picking up fine debris like sand and baking sogrammed to only run for certain times (a beneficial feature to keep pets and children who are prone to mischief from running amok). The Shark isn't as powerful as other mop/robot combinations however it still picks hair and pet hair with a high degree of accuracy. It's also the best price of our top picks.

Best for Hard Floors

Robot vacuums are the best pick for hardwood floors because they can easily navigate around obstacles without damaging the automatic floor vacuum's surface. They do an excellent job of removing dust and crumbs, however they aren't able to handle pet hair and other large debris. They don't have the suction power of a high-end upright or canister vacuum, which is why they're not an ideal option for rooms with carpets or deep cleaning upholstery.

The best robots are two-in-one, combining mop and vacuum to do a complete job in one step. Choose models that have an onboard sensor to detect any changes in the flooring and adjust suction in line with the changes. This feature is available on the ECOVACS Deebot T9+ and lets it effortlessly switch from hard carpeting to soft carpeting.

If you have a lot of hardwood floors in your home, you may want to consider a robotic mop and vacuum combo like the Eufy S1 Pro. This model comes with a powerful robotic vacuum with intelligent navigation that can clean hardwood and other surfaces. It can also mop. The sensors help it avoid staircases and other hazards, so you don't have to be worried about the bot plummeting down the stairs and breaking your hardwood.

The eufy S1 Pro mop is designed to wash hardwood floors using downward pressure, instead of simply swab them to get rid of dust and dirt. The pads that are reusable reduce waste and spread less germs. They can also be cleaned in the docking stations to save time. The mops can also be dried, washed and reused.

Both the robovac as well as the mop can be controlled by your smartphone, making it easier to manage the device. For instance you can use the app to set up a no-go zone where the vacuum can't go or mark rooms as separate or schedule cleaning times for certain areas. The eufy S1 Pro also has an auto-emptying dock, which collects debris through a trapdoor and stores it in a bagless or disposable bin, which means you don't have to empty the bin manually every time as you would with other models.

Best suited for small Spaces

These robots are designed for small spaces. They have smaller bins, which can hold less garbage. They are also more efficient in moving around corners more efficiently over larger models. They can also be tucked under furniture, whereas bigger robots struggle to reach. These robots are also cheaper than more expensive models, however you will have to empty their dirt compartments manually at the end each cleaning session.

A couple of years ago, robotic vacuums underwent a major transformation when manufacturers started adding sensors to help navigate around and avoid household objects that traditional sensors would become stuck on or over. This has have reduced the number of times that our testers had to clean up after a robotic snag, whether it was a power cord, a toy, or piece of pet waste.

However, the latest sensors haven't solved all of the problems these machines have. The less most expensive robot vacuum models are not able to traverse the same obstacles as the older models, and require a certain level of light to see where they are going. If you live in a dark house or have lots of furniture that is low-profile, think about purchasing a top-mounted spinning LIDAR unit to map your space, like our top overall and runner-up picks do. This allows them to work in darkness and avoid obstacles like stairs.

In addition to being able to work in the dark and in the dark, these models can be configured to use their cliff sensors only on or near the floor, not when they're above them. You'll still want to cover any mirrors that could interfere with this function however, since the laser used by a laser-based model could bounce off reflective surfaces and cause the robot to believe it's in another room.

Some of the models we recommend let you create virtual no-go areas for areas that you don't want the robot to go to. This can be helpful for those with pets or small children. Those features aren't available on all the models we've tested and recommend that you go through our complete reviews of each model below before making your purchase.