Each robot vacuum we consider for recommendation gets put through its paces in our test lab in Louisville, Kentucky. In addition to test floors where we run our controlled pickup tests, we monitor each robot vacuum in a special test room filled with mock furniture to gauge how well it navigates around common obstacles. Past that, we check each robot vacuum's ability to gobble up pet hair without getting clogged or leaving loose strands behind, we consider mopping capabilities, and we check to see how well it navigates fake dog messes too.

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Let's dive a little deeper into the main considerations, starting with our performance tests.

Robot vacuum pickup power

When it comes to vacuuming prowess, we want to know how effective each robot is against common crumbs and other debris, and also how it fares against much smaller particles like dust, dirt and sand. To find out, we use dry, uncooked black rice as a stand-in for the crumbs and sand as an analog for finer particles.

In each case, we scatter a controlled amount across three test floors: low-pile carpet, midpile carpet and hardwood floors. Then, we take the robot vacuum, thoroughly empty its dust bin, send it to clean the affected area and finally measure the weight of whatever it managed to pick up. That gives us a pickup percentage of the full amount. From there, we repeat each run two more times and average the results.

Speaking of results, the graph above shows you how each cleaner we've tested over the past few years stacks up on hardwood floors. The iRobot Roomba Combo J7 Plus is our top-tested cleaner on that surface, picking up averages of 98% of crumbs and an extra-impressive 100% of sand. Right behind it is our top recommendation, the Dreametech DreameBot D10 Plus, which earned a close second-place finish on hardwood floors despite retailing for less than half as much as the top-finishing Roomba Combo J7 Plus.

Next up is low-pile carpet. Along with the fact that the orange bars are a lot shorter (vacuuming sand is a bigger challenge on carpets than on hardwood floors because of all the fibers the sand can cling to), note that the order of cleaners is different, with our top midrange pick, the Roborock S8, now leading the way. Different robot vacuums will have different strengths and weaknesses based on their designs, so our variety of tests helps us make recommendations that are as informed and well-rounded as possible.

Finally, our midpile carpet results. Neato cleaned up in this test, with the Neato D9 leading all of our CNET-tested cleaners overall and the less-expensive Neato D8 coming in third overall. In between them is the iRobot Roomba Combo J7 Plus in second place. As with the low-pile tests, note that most of the cleaners in the top half of the graph are all relatively close to one another -- it isn't until you get to the bottom of the pack that those bars really start to shrink. That's good for you as a consumer, because it means that you've got a good variety of robot vacuums to choose from that all offer comparable cleaning capabilities across various price points.

One other reminder: These graphs cover the robot vacuums we've tested in the past few years. Robot vacuums we tested prior to that span used a slightly different test setup, so the data from those tests isn't directly comparable. I've made sure to point out the past performers that are still good buys, most notably the iRobot Roomba S9 Plus, which did particularly well on midpile carpets and remains one of our top recommendations.

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Robot vacuum navigation skills

Your robot vacuum will only clean your home as thoroughly as it's capable of navigating it. The ideal cleaner will make easy work of finding its way from room to room and automatically avoiding obstacles along the way, all of which makes for proper, low-maintenance automated cleaning.

We make sure to observe each robot vacuum as it cleans to get a good sense of how well it navigates but to get the best comparison from cleaner to cleaner, we take overhead long exposure shots of each one as it cleans our darkened test room, with glow sticks attached to the top of each one directly above the vacuum intake. The images that result show us light trails that reveal the robot's path as it navigates the room and cleans around our mock furniture.

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Now, compare that to this next GIF, which shows you three runs from our top mopping pick, the iRobot Roomba Combo J7 Plus. Notice the difference? The Roomba was less effective at covering the entire room, missing the bottom-left corner in two out of three runs, and it had plenty of difficulty providing adequate coverage around the legs of that mock dining table, too.

In large part, it comes down to the tech at play. Over the years, we've consistently noted that robot vacuums that use laser-guided lidar navigation tend to be very good at mapping their environment and finding their way around. Meanwhile, 3D-mapping cameras with object recognition smarts can give robot vacuums the extra ability to identify and adapt to obstacles in their path. The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra uses both technologies, which helps explain why it performs so well here. Meanwhile, the Roomba relies on cameras and sensors alone, with lasers left out of the mix.

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Gianmarco Chumbe/CNET

Still, those cameras definitely come in handy. Just watch the above GIF, which shows what happened when we put the iRobot Roomba J7 Plus to the test -- specifically, its promise of identifying and avoiding pet waste. With a variety of (I assure you, fake) dog poop scattered about a small, enclosed test floor, the Roomba did its best to vacuum the area without touching any of them. It succeeded, never bumping into any of our disgusting-looking test turds at all.

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Now, compare that with the Samsung JetBot AI Plus, which also promises to use its cameras to spot and avoid pet droppings. The result was not great; in each test run, it would eventually bump into one of our test piles. Thank goodness they weren't real.

The 4 Best Robot Vacuums - Winter

We've tested over 65 robot vacuums, and below are our recommendations for the best robot vacuums you can buy. These picks are selected based on performance, feature set, design, and price. For more recommendations, look at our list of the best vacuums , the best budget robot vacuums , and the best vacuum brands . If you're only looking for brand-specific options, you can also see our recommendations for the best iRobot vacuums .

If you don't have time to regularly sweep or vacuum, robot vacuums are an easy way to ensure your home stays clean without needing to do all the work. Since they use technology like lasers or cameras to navigate and maneuver around a room, they can avoid furniture and get beneath couches and tables relatively easily. Some of the best automatic vacuums can self-empty their dirt compartments, reducing the work you need to do. Although they aren't as good at cleaning carpets as more traditional upright vacuums, many come with smart pathing technology to clean more efficiently. Many also come with companion apps or remote controls to set up scheduled cleaning times or place boundaries to keep it out of certain areas. You've got more questions? Don't worry&#;we've got answers! Check out our FAQ below if you want to learn more about the intricacies of robot vacuums.

Debris pickup on carpets is reasonable for the most part, though this vacuum can have a hard time with finer material embedded deep within carpet fibers. It has no trouble dealing with solid debris and pet hair on bare floors.

If you're shopping for something marginally cheaper, the Wyze Robot Vacuum is among the best budget robot vacuums we've tested. Unlike the Roborock Q5/Q5+ , this robot vacuum isn't compatible with a self-emptying base station; you'll need to manually empty its tiny dirt compartment at the end of almost every cleaning session. However, it still offers plenty of features for the money. This includes a LIDAR sensor that allows for quick and precise room mapping, even in the dark, and you can use its companion app to set up virtual no-go zones or direct the vacuum to individual rooms.

This vacuum also has a decently sized internal dustbin, so it won't need to return to its self-empty station too often, and it can cover a fair bit of ground during each cleaning session, thanks to its impressive battery life. It also manages to pack in many of its pricier stablemates' automation features, like multi-floor mapping capability and a 'Smart Recognition' feature that automatically determines which of its stored maps it's working in. Finally, the companion app lets you customize the 3D representation of your home, label specific rooms, and send the vacuum wherever you'd like using the 'Pin n Go' function.

The Roborock Q5 Max+ offers a great balance of features for the cost, making it the best robot vacuum cleaner we've tested at the mid-range price point. For starters, you lose some of the convenience features of Roborock's more expensive offerings. Gone is any mopping capability, and though it comes with a dock, it's much simpler than the multifunction dock found on the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra and Roborock Qrevo . The Q5 Max+ also isn't capable of real-time hazard avoidance, nor is fast charging on offer. Nevertheless, there's still lots to love. Compared to older models from the Q5 line-up, the Q5 Max+ features a redesigned dual-roller cleaning head that offers performance on par with its bigger siblings.

On the other hand, the Qrevo's older twin-pad mopping system is the better option for mopping duties. Also, in terms of automation capabilities, there isn't all that much to tell the two vacuums apart: the Qrevo also supports multi-floor mapping, support for room labeling, no-go zones, and custom cleaning settings for different user-defined areas.

If you're shopping at an upper mid-range price point, the Roborock Qrevo is a good option. It's got a lot in common with the pricier Roborock S8 Pro Ultra , with a similarly designed multi-function dock that empties its dustbin, refills its water tank, and washes and dries its mop pad. There are some differences, however. While it also has a real-time hazard avoidance system, it's less sophisticated than the S8 Pro Ultra's Reactive 3D hazard avoidance system, which is marginally better at identifying hazards. The Qrevo's single-roller cleaning head also differs from the pricier model's dual roller arrangement and does a much worse job of handling pet hair on carpeted surfaces.

Compared to the standard Roborock S8+ , the Pro Ultra comes bundled with a multifunction dock that empties its dustbin, refills its water tank from a refillable reservoir, and washes and dries its mop pad. While this dock makes for an even more hands-off ownership experience, it's worth noting that this dock is simply enormous, to the point where it might be somewhat impractical to fit in smaller living spaces.

The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra is the best robot vacuum cleaner we've tested. This high-end robot vacuum has a dual-sensor navigation system, which combines a LIDAR sensor that maps out your home with a structured light sensor at the front of the vacuum. The latter allows the S8 to identify and, if necessary, avoid common obstacles like power cords, furniture legs, or even pet waste in real-time. The vacuum can also store up to four floor maps, so you can use this model on any floor in your home. It can use its camera sensors to spot landmarks and automatically determine which room it's working in. It can also output a 3D representation of your home after mapping. You can also specify different cleaning settings for different rooms, set up no-go zones, or use the pin-and-go feature to direct it to a specific area to clean small spills.

The iRobot Roomba j7+ is a good alternative to the Roborock Q5 Max+ if you want a model with real-time hazard avoidance. However, it falls short of the Roborock regarding debris pickup performance.

The Dreame L10s Ultra is a very close alternative to the Roborock Qrevo. Both vacuums are bundled with multi-function docks and share similar motor and battery specifications. That said, the Dreame has an RGB camera that allows you to use it as a roving security camera. However, the Roborock vacuum's mopping system is much more effective in dealing with stains.

The Roborock S8+ can be viewed as a stripped-down version of the S8 Pro Ultra. It's worth a look if you don't need the latter's more advanced multifunction dock, lifting brush head, and fast-charging features and want to save some cash.

The iRobot Roomba S9 is a high-end robot vacuum that delivers super overall debris pickup performance on various surfaces but has a less advanced suite of automation features than the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra, with no real-time hazard avoidance capability and no mopping system.

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FAQ

Can a robot vacuum fully replace a conventional vacuum?

Generally speaking, robot vacuums aren't a wholesale replacement for a full-size, manually operated machine. Most models on the market aren't powerful enough to deal with heavy debris or large piles of material, so you'll want to keep a conventional model on standby for bigger cleaning jobs. That said, robot vacuums have their market niche covered when it comes to "maintenance" cleaning; that's to say, frequent, low-intensity cleaning sessions that ensure there won't be a buildup of dust or lightweight dirt.

Are robot vacuums worth it?

Honestly, that'll depend entirely on your expectations, not to mention your budget. You don't necessarily need to spend a fortune on something that offers reasonable overall performance. Spending somewhere in the region of $200-$300 can net you a robot vacuum with LIDAR mapping, relatively advanced automation capabilities, and decent overall debris pickup performance. A good example of this kind of option would be the Wyze Robot Vacuum. The above attributes are generally enough for most, as many models in this price bracket are quick to map out your home, smart enough not to get stuck too frequently, and powerful enough to deal with most kinds of messes.

If you want to spend less than that, you're likely to be looking at a robot vacuum with a rudimentary random-pathing bump navigation system, like the iRobot Roomba 694; these systems don't generate a coverage map of your home and aren't especially time efficient; while they might achieve good overall room coverage, they're pretty slow in doing so, and are far more liable to getting stuck on obstacles and cleaning the same area more than once.

Vacuums with mopping systems, real-time hazard avoidance technology, and self-emptying capability are generally pricier. None of these features are essential, but they're worth a shot if you don't feel like emptying a vacuum's dustbin, scrubbing away stains, or ensuring your home is completely free of any potential obstacles before letting it run. It's also worth noting that prices for these niceties are creeping down. Consider the Roborock Qrevo, which offers all of these aforementioned features for not much more than the more basic stripped-down Roborock Q7 Max+.

How often should you perform maintenance on a robot vacuum?

Most manufacturers aren't shy about specifying how and how often you should maintain your robot vacuum, and it's worth noting that these maintenance intervals can vary pretty drastically from model to model. That said, there are absolutely a few things you can look out for, even outside of scheduled maintenance. You'll want to check the robot vacuum's brushroll once or twice a week to ensure no hair gets tangled in the mechanism; models with rollers with bristles, as opposed to smoother rubber rollers, tend to collect a lot of pet hair. The same goes for side brushes and wheels; stuck-on debris can jam up their mechanisms, compromising overall performance. You'll also want to dispose of any material in the vacuum's dirt compartment.

However, it's worth noting that there are plenty of models on the market that come with docking stations that suck debris from the vacuum's dustbin into an external dirt compartment or dirtbag, so you won't have to go through the process of emptying a dustbin yourself.

Can I run my robot vacuum every day?

Absolutely! This is what most robot vacuums are designed for. Some smarter models allow you to schedule cleaning sessions beforehand, so the vacuum will run while you're out and about.

How do I prepare my house for a robot vacuum?

You'll want to remove small obstacles like socks, slippers, or thicker power cords. While an increasing number of higher-end models, like the Roborock S7 MaxV, boast additional sensors that allow them to spot, identify, and, if necessary, avoid obstacles, these systems are still far from foolproof. You'll also want to remove any super-thick shag pile rugs because a lot of robot vacuums can get bogged down in really plush carpet fibers.

If you have a robot vacuum with a LIDAR sensor, you'll also want to cover up any floor-to-ceiling mirrors before it maps out your home for the first time. The laser emitted from the vacuum will bounce off reflective surfaces, effectively causing the vacuum to 'perceive' a nonexistent room and even bump into the mirror itself. You can also get around this by setting up a 'no-go' zone around mirrors, at least on models that support this kind of function.

Conversely, if you have a robot vacuum that uses an optical sensor to navigate, like the iRobot Roomba i3, leave the light on in areas you want the vacuum to clean. Unlike LIDAR systems, optical sensor-based systems need a certain level of ambient light to navigate.

It's worth noting that many robot vacuums will also struggle with navigating on really dark-colored floors. Most models on the market have cliff sensors that rely on infrared radiation to work, and since dark surfaces absorb infrared radiation, this will trigger the cliff sensors and cause the vacuum to stop.

All Reviews

Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best robot vacuum cleaners for most people. We factor in the price, feedback from our visitors, and availability.

If you would like to do the work of choosing yourself, here is the list of all our robot vacuum reviews. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. While there's no single best option that's perfect for every use, most are good enough to please almost everyone, and the differences are often not noticeable unless you really look for them.

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit OEM Robotic Vacuum Suppliers.