Best Rated Robot Vacuum and Mop

Eufy's top-rated robot vacuum and mop takes a bit of the burden of keeping your floors clean. It can refill its own water tank, empty its tower bin that is larger and swap out the dust bag.

Advanced models can map your home and record furniture positioning. They can also identify hazards and avoid them, like loose charging cables or loose socks.

Object Avoidance

Object avoidance allows your robot to avoid hitting objects like toys, cords, and even clothes that might get caught in the vacuum. These features are especially crucial if you have pets or children that could leave objects on the floor for your robot to search.

Based on the model you choose, your robot vacuums that mop may have several sensor options to assist it in its quest to avoid obstacles. Some of the most well-known include crossed IR sensor beams that are a focused infrared light that scan across the room to look for furniture legs or door frames. This technology is widely used by numerous robots on the market and you can find it in flagship models that are priced higher than others.

Other technology for avoiding objects that you may find in higher-end robotics is 3D Structured Light which uses cameras and crossed IR sensors to map the environment, and detect obstacles. Time of Flight (ToF) sensors that measure and emit the time it takes for the light to reflect off of an object, to determine its distance, are also available. They aren't as common, but are a great option for your robot in case you're looking to add peace of mind.

Most of the top-rated robots can also mop your floors. Some robots come with their own water tanks that let them clean up messes and spills. You will need to clean the robot's dust bin and clean its sensors and cameras in between cleaning sessions.

Mapping

The ability to map is essential in robot vacuums because they allow them to keep track of your home's layout and avoid bumping into things like walls. Without mapping, they may be tripped by cords, furniture or pet toys and end up cleaning less of your space. Using sensors, most robots map your home to track any obstacles and help navigate around them. This way, they're able to sweep your floors with fewer passes, saving your time. Many of the top-rated robot vacuums can also use this feature to create zones that are not allowed, permitting you to define rooms that you don't want the robot to enter.

Robots that have built-in LIDAR make use of this technology to map your home quickly and efficiently. The Eufy Clean robot separated my room into different areas and cleaned each separately during our tests. This was a huge improvement over cheaper models that rely on sensors on the front of the vehicle. This was a more accurate method of navigating my home, and it was easy for me to control using the app on the device.

While no robot vacuum can climb stairs yet, most of the best robot vacuum cleaner and mop rated models come with good obstacles avoidance and mapping features. These tools help them to remove dirt from carpets and hard floors, and Best Rated Robot Vacuum to avoid falling down the stairs. Certain tools come with sensors that prevent them falling over the edge of stairs. Others come with boundaries to keep them from getting in.

Some robots come with a massive tower base that holds their dirt and debris, reducing the amount of dust and allergens emitted into your home. These bases can be left for weeks or months without emptying, which is especially helpful if you suffer from allergies. Alternatively, some models have self-emptying mechanisms that let you dump out their onboard dust bins without having to manually open or close them.

Wi-Fi enabled

Some robot vacuums utilize Wi-Fi to communicate with their apps and allow you to control them with your smartphone rather than (or in addition to) the physical remote. These models are more expensive, but they can save you time by letting you plan cleaning time on a daily, weekly or even a monthly basis. They also permit you to modify and save floor maps as well as offer alternative cleaning patterns.

The most advanced robot vacuums employ dual sensors, which combine a LIDAR system to map your space with a structured light sensor that can see objects and avoid them, even if they're buried under furniture or power cords. These features allow your robot to get into tight spaces like the nook beneath your kitchen cabinets and beneath sofas, areas where other robots struggle. They're also faster to get around obstacles and have longer run times with larger dust bins, making them ideal for larger homes than the entry-level robots.

The top-rated robot vacuums are quick, efficient and effective, picking up most kinds of floor debris, such as pet hair, kitty litter, and other messes. They can also be quite quiet making them a good choice for homes with young children and pets. Many of the robot vacuum owners we've spoken with say that they enjoy the convenience of having their floors cleaned without much effort. This is especially true when used regularly. Robots can last as long as traditional vacuum cleaners with the right maintenance (cleaning rotating brushes and keeping the track of spare parts). PCWorld has a helpful guide that outlines some essential tips to keep your robot running efficiently for many years to come.

Larger Dust Bags

While a robotic vacuum might not be as effective as an upright or canister model, it's great at picking up dust and other debris that regular vacuuming leaves behind. It can be used to perform quick touch-ups of bare floors and is able to traverse around cords or other obstacles in your home. You can employ robots to clean your floors on a schedule if you don't have time to do it yourself.

A few of the top-rated robotic vacuums have large easy to empty dust bags which can hold more dirt than one room. This can help save time and money through bags that can be replaced. This feature is available on many models which includes our top model which is the Ecovacs T30S Combo. This all-in one robovac is a high-performance robovac that includes a self-emptying bin. It also comes with a mopping function and efficient navigation. It's a close contest between this and the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+, that has intelligent mapping and avoidance technology. This robovac has a larger capacity, but is slightly more expensive.

The two models differ in the way they handle long hair, which may get caught in the rollers of some robots. The Roborock Q5 Max+, SwitchBot K10S Plus and Roborock Q5 Max+ are the best robot vacuum and mop performing models. They all have top hair pickup and tangle-avoidance scores along with great auto empty results and excellent path planning. The Shark Matrix Plus and eufy are also good options with decent hair pick-up and tangle avoidance, but they don't have as much path planning or auto empty.

The newest robots have sensors that can spot dirt and debris on the carpet, and they're better at picking up hairs that have fallen off of pets. Some robots have a mopping mode where they can use the reservoir of water to get rid of stuck-on messes and spills. This feature is essential for families with children and pets.

Maintenance

A robot vacuum will help you keep up with your home. The most effective models pick up more surface dirt, pet hair and lint than a broom on low-pile or hard floors. They also have navigational features to prevent them from getting stuck on power cords, rug fringe or furniture.

Based on the model, a top-rated robot vacuum can be scheduled to run multiple times a day, or permit you to watch it in action via an app. However, these useful vacuums are also prone to clogging and require frequent maintenance such as emptying the bin onboard (or the base's larger dust bin in some cases) and checking the brushes for hair that has become tangled and then periodically washing and allowing the filters to dry according to the manufacturer.

best automatic vacuum and mop expert Emily Rairdin, a store owner apprentice at University Vacuum + Sewing, says a high-quality robot vacuum will last for three to five years or more with regular care and attention. She suggests emptying the bin and Best Rated Robot Vacuum brush roll frequently cutting out any hair tangled in the brushes, and frequently rinsing and drying the filter, especially if it is also a mop. It is a good idea to wipe the sensors and charging contacts of the dock or the robot with a soft, clean cloth every now and then. Then, refill and recharge the robot when needed for the next time you clean.