How to Choose the Best Robot Cleaner for Your Home

You'll need to put some effort into the home maintenance of your robot. This involves getting rid of debris, tangled rugs, and loose cords.

Find a model that has an automatic emptying bin. This makes it easier to clean up spills and mess. You might also consider two-in-ones that vacuum and mop.

Features

Based on the needs of your home depending on your home's needs, you can select the best robot cleaner with smart vacuum features. Some models are designed to map your home and create floor plans, while others come with an integrated camera that can provide live videos of your home. These cameras can be used to detect obstacles and help with problem-solving. Some robots feature the ability to schedule cleaning sessions or adjust the frequency.

If you're looking for a robot that can mop and vacuum, look for a model that has an automatic emptying dustbin. The Ecovacs Deebot T30S Pro is one of the top options we've tested since it comes with both features for a low cost. It has a tiny suction opening similar to those found on upright vacuums, allowing to collect debris more effectively than other robots. It is equipped with side brushes that have 3 bristles that push dirt and hair into the robot vacuum price's path. This model is the best in its class for many reasons, including its high-quality navigation, mopping capability and the low price.

The best robovac (to Emseyi) robovacs are equipped with large dust bins that can last for months without needing to be empty. The Narwal Freo X Ultra, the top-of-the-line robotic vacuum cleaner that has self-emptying dust bins and smart features that offer an unhands-free cleaning experience is a perfect example. It comes with a small mopping pad that scrubs away stuck-on dirt and can glide across light mats and rugs that can cause problems for other robots. Its sensors can help you find areas that are more prone to dirt and it can mop and vacuum at the same time, making it perfect to keep your home tidy.

Eufy Clean X10, with its simple-to-use application is another excellent choice. The options for customization are quick and easy to install. Its lidar-powered mapping is fast and accurate and allows you to easily divide rooms for a thorough clean. It has great technology to avoid objects, which sucks up Cheerios and dodges fake dog poop, but it struggled with stairs. Its square-front design helped it get into corners more efficiently than the majority of robots we've tried. It's also capable of edge-hugging and sweeping along baseboards easily.

Cleaning performance

While robots can't clean deep into carpets or clean up ground-in dirt as well as a vacuum cleaner, they are capable of picking up fine particles like baking soda and dust, as well as larger debris like metal screws and pet hair. They can also clean up spills and crumbs. Making sure you are keeping up with routine maintenance, such as emptying the dust bin cleaning or replacing the filter and cleaning cameras and sensors will ensure that you get the longest possible life span from your robot.

The best robots are capable of removing fine particles on carpets with low piles and hard floors, and they're especially good at sweeping up orzo, sand and wood shavings. They can even take cat litter and screws made of metal but they're more likely to struggle with heavier items such as coffee grounds or baked flour. They're less impressive when climbing stairs and don't always catch everything around the furniture's edges.

Some models excel at cleaning as well. The iRoborock Roomba 900 is one of them and does a great job removing coffee and other liquid spills as well as dried-on or sticky food messes from hardwood. The robot's smart spot and area cleaning options let you set up an area for it to concentrate on. This means that the robot won't waste its time vacuuming areas that are already clean. The Dreame X40 also does a good job of mopping however it has an advantage over the Roborock. It can first vacuum, and Best robovac then mop to remove spills and stains that are on high-pile rug.

The Dyson V8 Absolute is another top mopping robot. It's a bit 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 smart enough to return to the charging dock if it's running low on water and then resume cleaning where it was when it left. The app comes with a lot of other perks, too, including a feature that automatically schedules recurring cleaning sessions. It's also extremely quiet and a good choice for homes with kids or pets.

Cost

The best robot cleaners perform well at a reasonable price and a lot of them have intelligent features that will help you save money over the long term. Think about how much you'll pay for a vacuum cleaner and a mop in order to get the most value for your money. Some models have features you might not need but you will find useful. For instance the self cleaning vacuum-emptying trash container or a navigation system that's efficient.

It is recommended to invest in a model that is able to do both mops and vacuums is the most cost-effective option. It is important to remember that a robot cleaner can only be as good as the dirt they remove.

You can expect to spend around $500 on a robot that does both vacuuming and mopping, such as the iRobot Combo j9+. The robot scored well in CR's testing, and it can clean floors and carpets. It also has a user-friendly application that lets you examine its cleaning routes and create no-go zones. Jaclyn found that the mopping function could be improved since it relies on gentle pressure and a dragging motion, rather than scratching.

If you're on the budget it's possible to find a great deal for robot vacuums that are rated highly and does only one thing, like the Eufy 11S. Its slim and quiet design was great in cleaning tiles, hardwood floors, and low pile carpets. It also did not miss a beat when it came to removing pet hair and litter.

Some budget-friendly robots feature rudimentary bump navigation systems that fail to provide a coverage map, and are more likely to be stuck on furniture or miss spots. While these robots can still clean your floors but they're not as efficient and aren't able to navigate around household obstacles.

Another alternative is the budget-friendly Shark IQ XL, which earned high marks for both its cleaning capabilities 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 both bare floors and carpets. It's also light and can be moved under furniture without getting caught.

Maintenance

A robot cleaner is a great way to keep your house clean, especially if it has pets or children. However, it needs some care to keep it in top condition. Regular cleaning, like emptying bins of dust, washing or changing filters and wiping sensors and cameras, can prolong the life of your robot.

Vacuums need more frequent maintenance than mopping robots, but you can extend the life of your vacuum by following the instructions from the manufacturer for cleaning and emptying the brush roll, dust bin and filter. Clean the charging contacts on the robot's sensor with a damp cloth to prevent them from becoming clogged.

This model from Eufy is a great option if you want a smart, durable robot that's easy to use. Its ultra-slim and sleek design allows it to fit under low couches and ottomans to collect dirt that's hidden. The app makes it easy to select rooms and schedule the cleaning schedule, and also set no-go zones and adjust cleaning intensity.

This model is a little more expensive than the other models in this list, however it has many features that will make up for it. Its mapping is fast and it can save four maps of your house in 3-D or 2D. It's also one of the quieter robotic vacuum cleaner on sale devices we test. The battery lasts for about three hours.

The Romba 11s is a versatile vacuum cleaner that works well on walls. It cleaned up to 1.3 inches from the wall in our tests, which is far more than any other bot we test. It comes with a variety of smart features, including a spot-cleaning feature as well as an automatic boost mode. It uses random navigation so that it doesn't scrub the same spots over and over.

The only issue with this robot is that it doesn't have the ability to discern bare floors and can be confused by large carpets or rug. It's an excellent choice if you have a small apartment or a single-family house with narrow hallways and lots of furniture.