The Best Robot Vacuum 2023
Robot vacuums can make cleaning your floors a breeze. The best robot vacuum for carpet and hardwood ones nab 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 in the past few years. They’re more efficient, smarter and (marginally) better at avoiding chair legs.
Smart Mapping
Robot vacuum cleaners use instruments for navigation such as sensors and lasers to navigate through your home. They remove pet hair, crumbs, and dirt from hard floors, like wood, tile, and laminate, and carpets and area rugs with low piles. Robots that are the most advanced maps your home to know where they’ve been and can avoid hitting obstacles such as chairs, sofas and bookshelves. You can make use of your smartphone app to set up no-go zones that tell your robot not to enter rooms you don’t want it to clean.
Robots equipped with advanced mapping capabilities, such as the Roomba J7, make use of processor-powered cameras and onboard sensors to detect and avoid obstacles. You can then leave it to do a thorough job without having to continuously monitor the condition of your floor plan 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 the perfect solution to keep your home clean. It has a fantastic suction system and works with Alexa or Google Assistant. It also comes with a handy self-emptying feature, and can be used as a security camera.
A less expensive robot that vacuums, mops and Top Rated can be used as a robot trashcan, the Roborock Q Revo is a good choice for homes that don’t require the advanced features of more expensive models. It does have some disadvantages in comparison to the Roomba S8 and J7. It has only one brush, not dual roller brushes, which means it may not be as effective in removing larger pieces of debris like shoes and socks. It doesn’t have AI obstacle avoidance so it is possible that you will need to eliminate obstructions before you run.
The iLife A4s Pro robot is an easy-to-use reliable robot for those who value simplicity and efficiency. It’s priced at less than $200 and offers strong, consistent suction on hardwood and low-pile carpets, while avoiding knots. It’s not very advanced however it’s a good choice. It is also compatible with voice commands. It can be set up on a schedule, or create zones of no-go zones with the app.
Object Detection
Object-avoidance technologies can make or break the ability of a robot vacuum to navigate your home. Some models on this list have sensors (or cameras) to help your robot vacuum avoid common traps for robots, such as cords, toys for kids and pet mess. IRobot’s Roomba j7 is one of the most impressive examples of this type of smart tech in action. It also has a stylish base that automatically empty the trash bin so that you don’t need to.
During testing we set up the robotic cleaner in a large home and were amazed by how quickly and efficiently the floors were cleaned without getting sluggish. It is very maneuverable and can get into places that the majority of stand-up vacuums are unable to reach, like under beds and couches. It has a 500 ml dustbin, great suction and a runtime of over two hours. It’s just not equipped with the ability to create zones that are not allowed to be used and its detection of objects is a little hit-or-miss, meaning we saw it hit things a few times during our tests (resulting in a few toppled vase tops).
It is important to keep in mind that, no matter how clever the robot vacuum is it isn’t going to replace your regular upright or canister vacuum. It can’t deal with heavily soiled carpets, it won’t be able to reach every corner, and won’t be able to reach your ceilings or other difficult-to-access spaces. But for keeping your floors free of pet hair, crumbs and other particles it’s a good addition to your cleaning routine.
Most robot vacuums come with sensor systems that help them navigate around obstacles and stairs. They can usually sense the moment they’re likely to fall down the stairs, for instance, and also recognize cluttered areas and maneuver around them. If you’re not vigilant, your robo-cleaner might get stuck on a cord or stray shoe and need some help.
Some robot vacuums are equipped with mapping capabilities that allow them to create an precise floor plan of your house and pinpoint themselves. They will then be able to identify the areas they have already cleaned and reduce time by not having to clean the same spots. This allows them to continue the same place they left off if they have to return to the charging dock.
Self-Emptying
A vacuum cleaner that automatically emptys its bins of dust once it gets full is an incredible benefit. Certain models come with a window that allows you to know when the bin needs to empty. This is a fantastic feature for those with pets or children who create more mess than adults.
Most robot vacuums let you select whether the machine will be controlled by a remote control, an app for your smartphone or voice commands. They also come with a range of digital features, such as maintenance and scheduling. You can program your robot to clean your house on every week or on a regularly using the appropriate settings. You can also program it to mark and clean specific areas of your house.
The most intelligent robot vacuums we’ve tested are equipped with cameras and smart sensors, which allow them to build maps of your home. You can save these maps to the robot app to easily navigate around your home. Some of these systems can even remember furniture placement and note the transitions from hard floors to carpet.
The best smart vacuums can 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. They can also be connected to your smart speaker, so you can control them via voice commands.
TP-Link’s Tapo RV30 Plus is an affordable, self-emptying robot vacuum that offers high performance for the money. It can clean hardwood floors and carpets with low pile, as well as remove pet hair and other debris. It’s not as sophisticated as other robots we’ve reviewed, however, it does what does very well.
The model’s tank-like wheels permit it to go over obstacles such as cords that are tangled and high transitions between rooms. It also has a huge dust bin that doesn’t require to be empty manually, and it’s able to recharge and resume cleaning if it’s power-depleted. It’s more expensive compared to other robotic vacuums that we’ve tested however it has powerful suction and easy controls to provide excellent value.
Voice Control
The majority of robot vacuums are controlled via a physical remote or an app that you can install on your smartphone. Some robot vacuums can be controlled by voice commands via smart speakers such as Amazon Echo or Google Home. This is useful if your robot needs to clean up and you have pets or children that could interfere.
The majority of models have an automatic mode that works without input from you. Simply press a button on the robot or in the app, and it will start taking in food particles, and pet hair. They can be programmed to clean up on a regular basis which is great for those who want to make it easy to set it and forget it.
Some of the higher-end models have a feature that makes use of artificial intelligence to scan and detect obstacles within your home. These models can identify things like stairs, furniture power cords, and even different kinds of flooring. This helps to avoid the dangers which is particularly useful in larger homes with lots of carpets and floor coverings that are hard for robots to navigate.
Some robots are more basic in their object detection abilities however they can still get the job done. One example is the TP-Link Tapo RV30 plus, that has the sleek, fuss-free appearance of a WiFi hub but has the performance of a Top Rated-notch robot. It has a powerful suction and can handle dirt and debris from medium-pile rugs and hardwood floors. Its squat, short side brushes are less likely to get tangled in stray shoes and cords and its hybrid roller brush makes use of bristles and plastic, rather than the traditional bristle brush to provide better cleaning.
The model is more expensive than other models in the mid-range however, it can do everything you would expect from a robot mop and vacuum. It can map and build a cleaning schedule as well as virtual keep-out zones and is compatible with voice assistants. However, it doesn’t have room-scanning or obstacle avoidance like the j7 and S8.