How to Choose the Best Robot Cleaner for Your Home

You'll need to perform some work to keep your robot's home in order. This includes cleaning up the mess, tangled rug and loose cords.

Choose a model that has a self-emptying container. This makes it easier to clean up spills and messes. You may also want two-in-ones that vacuum and mop.

Features

You can pick a robot vacuum cleaner with intelligent features that are suited to your house's requirements. Some models use maps of your home to make floor plans, while some have an integrated camera that displays live video feeds. These cameras can also be used to identify obstacles and assist in solving problems. Some robots have a feature where you can schedule cleaning sessions or alter the frequency.

Look for a robot with a self emptying dustbin for those who want it to to vacuum and mop. The Ecovacs Deebot T30S Pro is among the top choices we've tried because it offers both features for a low price. It has a small suction opening, similar to those on upright vacuums, which helps to collect debris better than other robots. It also uses side brushes that have three bristles to push hair and dirt into the robot's path. This model is the best in its class for a variety of reasons, including its effective mopping, navigation and its low cost.

The best robovacs are equipped with large dust bins that last for weeks without needing to be emptied. The Narwal Freo X Ultra is an excellent example of a high-end robot that has a self-emptying dust bin and smart features for an unrestricted hands-free experience. It comes with a small mopping mat that can remove dirt that is stuck to the floor. It also glides over mats and carpets that are too heavy for other robots. Its sensors can help you find dirtier areas and it can mop and vacuum at the same time, making it perfect for keeping your home clean.

The Eufy Clean X10 is another excellent choice, and its app comes with a simple interface that makes setting up customization options quick and simple. Its lidar mapping is quick and accurate. It also divides rooms easily for a thorough clean. It's got great object avoidance technology that sucks up Cheerios and avoids fake dog poop, however it struggled a bit with stairs. The square-front design of the robot helped it to maneuver around corners more easily than other robots that we've tested. It can also edge-hug, which makes it easier to effortlessly sweep along baseboards.

Cleaning performance

Robots aren't as efficient as vacuums when it comes to cleaning carpets from deep within and sweeping up dirt that has been put in. However, they are able to collect small particles like dust and baking soda and heavier debris such as metal screws and pet fur. They can also clean up crumbs and spills. Making sure you are keeping up with routine maintenance, like emptying the trash bin, cleaning or replacing the filter, and cleaning cameras and sensors will ensure that you get the longest life possible from your robot.

The best robots are excellent in removing fine particles from hard carpets and floors with low pile. They also excel in removing orzo, sand and wood shavings. They can pick up metal screws and cat litter, but they struggle with slower items like coffee grounds or baked flour. They're less impressive when climbing stairs and don't always catch everything that's thrown around the furniture's edges.

Certain models are also excellent at sweeping. The iRoborock Roomba 900 is one of them and does a great job getting rid of coffee spills and other liquids as well as sticky or dried-on food debris from hardwood. Its intelligent spot and zone cleaning modes let you create an area for the robot to concentrate on, so that it doesn't take too long to vacuum areas that are already clean. The Dreame X40 is another bot that is capable of mopping. It has an extra advantage over the Roborock one: the option to vacuum first and then mop makes it better at cleaning up spills from high-pile rugs.

Another top mopping robot is the Dyson V8 Absolute. It's more expensive than the Roomba but it's got superior suction and can work with a greater variety of floor types and textures. It's also able to return to the charging dock when running out of water and then resume cleaning where it left off. Its app has many other options, including the ability to schedule regular cleaning sessions. It's also quiet, making it a great choice for homes that have pets or children.

Cost

The best robot vacuum cleaners are reasonably priced and come with a variety of smart features that will help you save money over time. Think about how much you'll pay for the vacuum cleaner and mop to get the best bang for your buck. Some models include additional features you might not require but could be useful, such as an automatic emptying bin or efficient navigation.

Investing in a model that does both mops and vacuums is the most economical option. It is crucial to keep in mind that a robot cleaner can only be as effective as the dirt they collect.

A robot that costs $500 capable of both vacuuming and mopping is not unreasonable. One example is the iRobot Combo j9+. It scored high in the CR's tests and can clean floors and carpets. It has an intuitive app which allows you to see its cleaning route, and set no-go areas. Jaclyn found that the mopping feature could be improved, as it relies on gentle pressure and a dragging motion, rather than scratching.

If you're on the budget you can get a good deal on an electric vacuum that is highly rated and can only do one thing, like the Eufy 11S. Its slim and quiet design was great in cleaning tiles, hardwood floors, and low pile carpets. It was also very effective in removing pet hair, litter, and other particles.

Some budget-friendly robotics have rudimentary bump navigation that doesn't produce an outline of coverage and is more likely to fall on furniture or miss certain spots. While these robots can still clean your floors, they're not as time efficient and aren't adept at navigating around home obstacles.

Shark IQ XL is another option. It's a budget-friendly model that has received high marks for its cleaning efficiency and price-to-value ratio. It's not as efficient as the Combo j9+, but it's a breeze to use and does a great job on floors that are not bare and carpets. It's also relatively lightweight and can be pushed under furniture without getting caught.

Maintenance

A robot cleaner Links to an external site. is an excellent method to keep your home tidy, especially when you have pets or children. It will require some care to keep it in good condition. Regular cleaning, like emptying the dust bins and washing filters, changing them as well as wiping sensors and cameras, can prolong the life of your robot.

Vacuums need more frequent maintenance than mopping robots. However, you can prolong the life of your vacuum by following guidelines from the manufacturer on emptying and cleaning the dustbin, brush roll and filter. It is also recommended to clean the robot's sensor and charging contacts with a damp cloth to keep them from getting clogged by dirt.

This model from Eufy is a great choice for those who want a sophisticated, durable robot that's easy to use. Its slim and sleek design lets it fit under low couches and ottomans to grab dirt that's hidden. The app allows you to organize a cleaning time and select rooms. You can also create no-go zones, and adjust the level of cleaning.

Although it's a little more expensive than some models on this list, this model comes with a variety of features that make up for the extra cost. Its mapping speed is quick and it's able to save four maps of your home in 2D or 3-D. It's also one of the quieter robots that we tested, and its battery can last for around three hours per charge.


The Romba 11s is a versatile vacuum with a stunningly high performance on walls. It cleaned up to 1.3 inches away from the wall in our tests, which is higher than any other bot we tried. It comes with a variety of helpful smart features, including spot-cleaning features and an auto-boost mode. It also makes use of random navigation, so it doesn't re-clean the same spots repeatedly.

The robot's drawback is: it can't detect the floor's surface and can be easily confused by thick carpets and rugs. It's great for small apartments or single-family homes with narrow hallways with lots of furniture and narrow hallways.