Best robot vacuums 2024: Reviews and buying advice

There’s nothing quite like the tedium of vacuuming floors. While it doesn’t come with the ick factor of scrubbing toilets, pushing and dragging a noisy, cumbersome vacuum remains its own kind of torture. Fortunately, robot vacuums are here to do that thankless task for us–and an increasing number of models can mop your floors, too.

Once you’ve dealt with the initial setup, robot vacuums require little effort to manage. They don’t have unwieldy cords to wrangle or hoses to contend with, and you can run one from your couch using a physical remote or smartphone app. Pricier models can even be programmed to wake up and start cleaning without any intervention at all.

Why you should trust us

TechHive’s editors and contributors have been testing robot vacuums for years, and we frequently evaluate the latest hardware, along with their accompanying mobile apps.

We’ve checked out single-purpose robot vacuums, hybrid robot vacuums with mopping functionality, robovacs with self-emptying base stations, and vacuums that can map your floors as well as scoot around obstacles.

You can trust us to guide you to the right robot vacuum for your needs.

Updated May 14, 2024: We’ve added a link to our feature on the 10 iRobot app features you need to know. From mapping your floors and scheduling cleanings to tweaking the suction power and adjusting how many vacuuming passes your rooms should get, we’ll show you how the iRobot app can help you get the most out of your Roomba.

We’ve also added a link to our hands-on impressions of Dyson’s new WashG1, the manufacturer’s first dedicated wet floor cleaner. The WashG1 has a simple, minimalist design, it feels light and maneuverable, and it’s intuitive and easy to use. But there’s one design element on the new Dyson that’s a major turn-off.

Our top picks in robot vacuums and vac/mop combos

How we test robot vacuums

To help you determine which ones are worth the expense, we tested models from some of the most popular brands in a real-world lab: my home, where the floors are punished daily by two kids, three cats, and a dog.

I tasked each one with vacuuming a 400-plus square-foot space that includes low-pile carpet, hardwood flooring, and linoleum that was regularly littered with food crumbs, pet hair, tracked-in dirt, stray cat litter, and other debris.

To maintain the real-world environment, each model also had to contend with random floor clutter during several cleanings.

What to look for when shopping for a robot vacuum

These are some of the top features and characteristics to consider when looking for a robot vacuum. Naturally, not all of the features below will be available at every price point.

For example, we wouldn’t expect a sub-$200 “bump-and-run” model to offer Wi-Fi connectivity or an obstacle avoidance system.

On the other hand, we would expect a top-of-the-line robot vacuum to pack a self-emptying base station, room mapping capabilities, and even the ability to both vacuum and mop.

Size

The dimensions of a robot vacuum matter for a couple of reasons. First, they will determine how well it can get into tight spots, such as under your kitchen cabinets and low-clearance furniture (couches and recliners). If it’s too tall, it won’t be able reach into these spots, or worse, it will get in and get stuck until you physically free it. Second, the bigger the robot vacuum, the larger the dustbin.

Robot vacuums don’t use expandable bags like many of their stand-up brethren do, so when it comes to debris capacity, what you see is what you get. There is no sweet spot for robot vacuum dimensions that we could determine—it really depends on your particular room layout—but a diameter of 13 to 14 inches and a height of 3.5 to 4 inches are the most common measurements we encountered.

Wi-Fi connectivity

Wi-Fi-enabled robot vacuums allow you to control them with a smartphone app instead of, or in addition to, a physical remote. That convenience alone doesn’t really warrant the extra cost these models command, but some model’s apps also provide other perks, such as detailed cleaning histories and the ability to save and edit floor maps for better navigation. Those models are worth considering if you’re cleaning large, intricate spaces.

Room navigation and obstacle avoidance

The allure of robot vacuums is their promise to complete their task with minimal management from you. In order to do that, they must be able to navigate a room’s unique layout, maneuver around furniture and other obstacles, and avoid hazards such as falling down stairs and getting tangled in electrical cords.

Robot vacuums “see” the world through a combination of sensors. Cliff sensors let it know when there is an increase in distance to the floor—e.g., stairs or a sunken living room—so it doesn’t tip over the edge. Other sensors tell it when it has bumped into an object, so it can change direction, or is near a wall, so it can follow it. Still other sensors help the robot vacuum track how far it has travelled.

The most advanced robot vacs will include laser navigation for mapping the layout of your floors, while obstacle avoidance systems can help bots weave their way around shoes, socks, toys, and other items strewn on the floor.

Check out our guide to robot vacuum navigation more details, including the scoop on SLAM, vSLAM, LiDAR, and other robot navigation technologies.

Self-emptying base stations

While robot vacuums take over most of the cleaning, they have historically required the user to step in and manually empty the dustbin. Given that most robot vacuums’ have a very small dustbin capacity, they might need to be emptied multiple times per cleaning job, particularly if you have children or pets or live in a large home. That’s not just annoying, it can be downright uncomfortable if you have allergies or dust sensitivity.

Auto-emptying robot vacuums bridge the last mile of the vacuuming process with a charging dock that includes a canister vacuum and a dust bag that can hold one to two months of debris. When the robot docks after a cleaning job, its bin’s contents are automatically sucked into the dust bag. Typically, the robot’s companion app alerts you when the dust bag is full, at which point you will have to manually dispose of it. Many bags, however, seal themselves when you remove them, so no dust escapes.

Mopping capabilities

Some robot vacuums include a mopping capability to meet all your floor’s cleaning needs with one device. While this sounds like a great idea, in practice it often yields subpar results. The problem is the method these hybrid devices use for wet cleaning. Mopping robot vacuums include a flat, small-capacity water tank that you fill from your tap. A microfiber cloth is then attached to the bottom of the tank, and the tank is installed under the robot. As the robot rolls across the floor, it drags the dampened cloth over it. This usually removes surface grime and spills but leaves deeper dirt and stains behind.

If you have a lot of hard flooring in your home, it’s worth considering a dedicated robot mop. These appliances are better suited to wet cleaning, spraying water directly on the floor to soften gunk and stains, and applying some agitation via a scrubbing pad or brush.

If you still want a vac/mop hybrid, look for one that has spinning brushes or pads as opposed to a cloth that attaches to the bottom of the appliance. A model with a docking station that can clean those brushes or pads and reservoirs for clean and dirty water are even better. Those models will, of course, cost quite a bit more.

Frequently asked questions about robot vacuums

Other notable robot vacuums we’ve reviewed

We’ve evaluated many other robot vacuums. If none of our top picks check all the boxes for you, take a look at these other products. We’ve also listed some robot vacuums we think you should avoid.

Deebot Ozmo N8+: This affordable vacuum delivers a mostly automated cleaning experience, complete with LiDAR navigation and editable maps. But the Ozmo N8+’s self-emptying bin is annoyingly loud, and its mopping functionality offers only good, not great, performance.

Dreame Technology L10: This powerful robot vac is among the most affordable we’ve seen to offer LiDAR navigation, and it boasts as wealth of customization options. But the L10 has trouble avoiding carpets while it’s mopping the floor, and (like other vacuum/mop hybrids) it’s not the best at tackling deep floor stains.

Ecovacs Deebot X2 Combo Complete: The Deebot X2 Combo Complete successfully integrates a robot vacuum/mop and a cordless stick vacuum into a single self-maintaining system for maximum convenience. That said, you could conceivably purchase separate products toward the same end and still spend less than the $1,699.99 Ecovacs is asking for this package.

Ecovacs Deebot X2 Omni: The Deebot X2 Omni is an impressive (and expensive) robot vacuum and mop that allows for highly customized, hands-off floor cleaning. It delivers super-strong suction and offers a wide range of cleaning customization options, but its rotating mopping pads didn’t provide enough downward pressure to scrub away stains.

Eufy X8 Pro: The first vacuum and mop combo from Eufy with an auto-detangling brush, the Eufy X8 Pro will be a tempting pick for pet owners. That said, the X8 Pro’s mopping abilities are only so-so, and it has a tendency to get stuck in low places.

Eufy X9 Pro: This vacuum/mop hybrid is one of a growing number of models that offers rotating mops heads, perfect for scrubbing gunk and stains, and its vacuuming performance is just as impressive. But we’re disappointed by the lack of a self-emptying bin, particularly given the $900 list price.

Narwal Freo: This 2-in-1 floor robot cleaner performs well enough, but it needs better obstacle avoidance and a much more refined app to justify its high price tag.

Proscenic Floobot X1: Self-emptying dustbin? Check. Vibrating mop pads that scrub floor stains and grime? Check. Affordable price tag? Check. But while the Floobot X1 sounds great on paper, in practice it bumped into our furniture too often, scanned its environment too slowly, and required frequent recharging.

SwitchBot Mini Robot Vacuum K10+: If you’re in need of a smaller robot vacuum, this bot is half the size of the competition. That makes it a great candidate for cleaning smaller spaces, such as apartments. Unfortunately, it’s saddled with half-baked mopping functionality, which merely drags a damp microfiber cloth over your floors–and thus, it doesn’t rank as one of our top picks.

Vactidy Nimble T8: This budget 2-in-1 vacuum and mop boasts the right price and features for budget-constrained users, but its inability to clean for more than 10 minutes without a recharge makes it impossible to recommend.

Robot Vacuums and Cleaning, Smart Appliances, Smart Home