Investing in the best robot vacuum will mean you’ll have clean floors without lifting a finger. These little cleaning robots trundle around your home, picking up dirt, dust and debris from carpets, hard floors, and rugs, while you put your feet up. Short of paying a cleaner, this is about as hands-off as you can get.
Robot vacuums have been around for a while now, and though some earlier models were a bit clunky, the latest and best robot vacuums are anything but. They employ cutting-edge tech such as lasers and cameras to create logical cleaning patterns, map rooms and navigate around your home. They can avoid falling down flights of stairs and clever app integration means you can tell them where to avoid cleaning.
Not only will a robot vacuum do all the hard work for you, but most allow you to schedule cleans, so you don’t even need to be at home when it gets to work. You will have to empty the dust canister though, unless you opt for a self-emptying robot, which as the name suggests, will empty its own dirt bin into a bag in the charging base, which you’ll only need to change every so often.
Unlike some of the best upright vacuums, a robot is designed for regular cleans rather than a weekly deep clean. They have batteries that can outlast those found on some cordless vacuums and will even go back to the charger when the battery runs low, resuming a clean after charging. Advancements in technology mean robot vacuums are among the best vacuum cleaners you can buy right now. However, don’t ditch your existing vacuum as you'll need it for stairs (if you have them) and deeper cleans. Make these manual cleaning sessions as efficient as possible by discovering how to vacuum and how often you should vacuum.
We’ve put a number of designs to the test, looking at how well they collect fine dust and larger debris from hard floors and carpets, as well as the noise level and battery life to help you decide which is the best robot vacuum for you.
The best robot vacuum 2022
How we test robot vacuums
To identify the best robot vacuums, we put models from big brands such as Shark, Dyson, and Roomba to the test along with smaller names including Eufy and Roborock. We evaluate the dirt pick-up of each model covering both fine dust and cookie crumbs, along with larger particles including cereal, while also looking at whether its pick-up on edges and in crevices is as good as on large surface areas.
As well as assessing how effectively the robot vacuums clean floors, we also compare how easily they maneuver on carpet and hard floors, as well as whether the robovac takes a logical path around a home or cleans in a random pattern, which means areas could easily be missed. We also looked for robot vacuums that can learn the layout of your home meaning they can be dispatched to clean a certain room or areas in just a few taps.
We rate each robot vacuum on how easy it was to empty, how loud it is in use, and how long the battery lasts between charges, too.
Best Robot Vacuum FAQs
What to consider when buying a robot vacuum
There are a number of aspects you should consider when choosing the best robot vacuum cleaner for you.
As well as deciding on whether you want a robovac that just vacuums or one that mops as well, it’s also important to consider battery life, as nobody wants a robot vacuum that runs out of power halfway through cleaning your home. Similarly look for robot vacuums that have large dust canisters, or those that empty their own dust bins, meaning it really can be left to clean your floors unaided.
Some robot vacuums take a methodical path across your floors which ensures the vacuuming process is quick and efficient. However, these tend to be more expensive than robot vacuums that employ a random route when cleaning your floors.
Also, look for a smart mapping feature that ensures the robot vacuum learns the layout of your home and can clean specific rooms or areas at the touch of a button, and those that allow you to set no-go areas that the robot vacuum won’t even attempt to clean - ideal if you have teenagers, which leave their clothes all over their bedroom floor.
Are robot vacuums worth it?
In short, yes. Robot vacuums can be more expensive than an upright or cordless vacuum but you’re paying for the added convenience of not having to do the vacuuming yourself. Robot vacuums are a great solution for busy people who simply don’t have time to put the vacuum around but they also offer a good alternative for those with mobility issues because all you need to do is switch them on.
Many robot vacuums cope well with both hardwood floors and carpeted areas but if your home has lots of staircases then, you’ll need an additional vacuum to clean the stairs. With many robot vacuums suitable for programming from your phone, you’ll be able to switch these devices on when you’re out and about and come home to clean floors.
Do robot vacuums work on pet hair?
Just like other types of vacuum, many of the best robot vacuums in this list, and other models we've tested, are effective at collecting pet hair as well as fine dust and larger debris from floors.
Designs that are offer aa Boost or Turbo mode are ideal if you have thick-pile carpets or rugs as they ensure you can temporarily increase the suction power, ensuring no fur remains after cleaning.
The best models to choose are ones that have rubber brushes that are free from bristles so the per hair doesn't get trapped around them. Although that's not to say robot vacuums with bristled brush bars aren't as effective at collecting the hair. If you do choose one of these, look for a design that comes with a tool to help remove pet (or human) hair that's got tangled to make your life easier.
Can a robot vacuum replace a normal vacuum?
Robot vacuums can offer a very impressive clean, even on thick carpets which makes them a good alternative to upright or other types of vacuums. They’ll be more convenient too as you can set them to work when you’re busy doing other things. The dust cups on robot vacuums are often smaller than you’d expect to find on a canister or an upright vacuum cleaner.
While robot vacuums don’t have crevice tools that work well down the side of your sofa or on your stairs, these machines do normally have small brushes on the outside of their shells. The brushes do a good job of getting close to baseboards and making sure that any crumbs or dirt on hard floors doesn’t escape the vacuum’s suction. However, as of yet, they can't clean stairs.
Read more on this subject by reading can a robot vacuum replace your existing vacuum cleaner?
How do robot vacuums work?
Robot vacuums have a series of brushes on the underside of the machine that work together to collect dirt and dust that they come in contact with. The dirt is then sucked up into the dust cup, which is fitted in the body of the vacuum. Most are fitted with smaller brushes that extend past the circumference of the vacuum and the purpose of these is to reach dirt that’s settled against baseboards or in awkward places.
More advanced robot vacuums have lasers on the front of the machine and some on the underside of the machine too. These lasers detect where furniture, objects, and edges are in your home helping to avoid bumps and cliff detection prevents the machine from falling down the stairs. Read our article How do robot vacuums work to find out even more.
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