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How to Choose the Best Robot Vacuum Cleaner A robot vacuum can save you a lot of time and hassle when it comes to regular cleaning. The best models do a great job of removing dust and other small particles and allow you to designate no-go zones in pet areas or power cords. The higher-end models even sweep your floors, though they aren't able to climb stairs. Look for models with smart mapping, real-time hazard avoidance, and roomy self-emptying bins. Best Overall The top robots that we tested are efficient and easy to use and able to cope with the everyday messes. You'll also want a robot capable of handling stairs and has adequate pick-up power on carpets. If you're looking for additional features, you may be interested in a model with smart mapping technology or an app that lets you control it remotely. Camryn Rabideau is a contributing shopping writer and product reviewer at PEOPLE who has tested dozens of robotic vacuums. She prefers robovacs that have the most features such as ones that have self-emptying bins and charging stations that automatically empty and refill water tanks for mopping robotic vacuums. She also likes robots that can recognize landmarks such as furniture legs and power cables so they won't get tripped up when climbing stairs. In comparison to the top-rated models, this Black and Decker robot vacuum has less object-avoidance technology and its score for navigation is lower. It does however have an ample dust bin that doesn't need regular emptying and has a lengthy battery life. Additionally, it has a feature that allows you to schedule cleaning sessions and return to the spot where it last stopped and makes it much easier to clean larger areas. This model is a good choice for pet owners as it can avoid hair tangles and food particles. In our tests, the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra combines an LIDAR sensor that maps rooms and see obstacles with a structured light sensor that can identify objects and detect edges. It can avoid the steps, liquid droplets and furniture legs easily with this combination. It is also able to save up to four floor plans for later use. It can also pause the cleaning process at any moment and return to where it stopped, so you can do chores while the robot works. The app provides a 3D view of your home with room labels and advanced cleaning options. While this robot can't clean as well as our top-rated models, it excels in picking up fine debris such as baking soda and sand as well as larger items, such as orzo pasta and metal screws. The only drawbacks are that it's not able to mop, and its navigation system is a little less impressive. Best for Carpet If you have carpeting, choose one that scores high for carpet and rug mobility and pickup. A lot of models are adept at picking up dust in low-pile rugs. Some are capable of cleaning up larger debris, such as orzo pasta and screws made of steel. They don't pick-up small particles like an upright or canister, and may miss dirt that is close to baseboards or thresholds. The best choice for most carpeted homes is a 2-in-1 robot vacuum/mop, which allows you to swap between an empty bin for cleaning and a damp mopping pad. The Roborock Q Revo, for instance, vacuums and a mops wet with circular pads that rotate at a speed of 200 rotations per minute. It detects and raises the pads when it encounters carpet to prevent wetting the floor, and you don't need to remove or replace them after every use. The Q Revo is also better than other robot vacuums/mops in avoiding obstacles and rugs, while also getting close to them and thresholds, and eliminating obstacles. The iRobot Roomba Combo i5 is another option worth considering. It did well in our tests and you can set it up to schedule it to clean your home even when you're away. It can also be set to only mop, and we liked its remarkable navigation on bare floors and rugs as well as its ability to climb over and up onto furniture. The Combo i5 has a long runtime and excellent path-planning for an item of this size. If you're looking for a more advanced model, look into the Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 Self-Empty Robot Vacuum & Mop. It has a large charging dock that can last for several weeks without having to be emptied, and it has impressive navigation skills and automatic emptying on carpets and floors that are not cleaned. It's also got an intelligent mapping system that can be programmed to operate during certain hours of the day (a useful feature that can keep children and pets who are prone to mischief from causing havoc). The Shark isn't as powerful as other robot vacuum/mop combinations however, it still manages to pick up pet hair and hair with a high degree of accuracy. It's also the highest value of our top choices. Best for Hard Floors Robot vacuums are a great choice for hardwood floors as they are able to easily navigate around obstacles without damaging the floor's surface. They are excellent at picking up dust and crumbs, but they struggle with pet hair or other debris. They lack the suction power of a high-end canister or upright vacuum, which makes them unsuitable for deep cleaning carpeted or upholstery areas. The best two-in-1 robots combine mopping and vacuum to complete a more complete chore in one pass. Choose models that have an onboard sensor that detects changes in the floor texture and adjust suction to match. This feature is available on the ECOVACS Deebot T9+ and allows it to effortlessly switch from hard carpeting to soft carpeting. If your home is mostly composed of hardwood floors, you should consider a robotic mop and vacuum combo like the eufy S1 Pro. This model is a powerful robotic vacuum with intelligent navigation that can clean hardwood and other surfaces. It can also mop. Its sensors help it avoid stairs and other hazards so you don't have to worry about the bot plummeting down the stairs and breaking your hardwood. The Eufy S1 Pro mop is designed to clean hardwood floors using downward pressure, rather than simply swab them to get rid of dust and dirt. Get More Information reduce the amount of waste, and spread germs less and can be cleaned in the docking station to save your time. The mops can also be cleaned and dried to avoid spreading mold. The robovac can be controlled by your smartphone, making it much easier to use. You can, for example, use the app to designate areas that the vacuum won't enter, label different rooms and plan specific cleaning times. The Eufy S1 Pro also has an auto-emptying dock that collects debris through a trapdoor, and stores it in a bagless or disposable bin, which means you don't have to manually empty the bin like you do with other models. Best for Small Spaces These robots are designed to work in small spaces. They have smaller bins that hold less debris, and they're more efficient than larger models when it comes to maneuvering tight corners. They can also be placed under furniture that larger robots can't reach. They are also less expensive than more expensive models, however you will need to empty their dirt bins manually at the end each cleaning session. A couple of years ago, robotic vacuums underwent a major transformation as manufacturers began adding sensors to help them navigate around and avoid household objects that their conventional sensors would become stuck on or over. This improved the number of times our testers had to clean up after a robotic snag. The new sensors don't solve all the problems that these devices have, however. The cheapest models are still struggling with the same issues that the older models faced, and many of them require a certain amount of illumination to be able see where they're headed. If you reside in a dark area or have a lot of furniture that is low-profile, think about getting one that uses a top-mounted spinning LIDAR unit to map your space, like our top overall and runner-up choices do. This allows them to work in darkness and avoid obstacles like stairs. These models can also be programmed to use their cliff sensors only when they are on or near the ground, but not when they are above it. You'll still want to shield any mirrors that may interfere with this function, however, because the laser used by a LIDAR-based model could bounce off reflective surfaces and cause the robot to think it is in another room. A few of the models we recommend allow you to create virtual no-go zones for areas you don't wish the robot to visit. This is a great option for those with pets or children who are small. Those features aren't available on all the models we've tested and recommend that you go through our complete reviews of the models below before making your purchase.