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Title: The best robot vacuum for 2025

Date: Tue, 20 May 2025 09:00:37 +0000
Link: https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/best...

Chores are just a fact of life, but there may be some chores you detest more
than others. If vacuuming comes to mind for you, consider a robot vacuum
cleaner. These smart home gadgets have come a long way in recent years.
Previously, youΓÇÖd shell out hundreds for basic dirt-sucking capabilities.
Now, the best robot vacuums have gotten so advanced that even affordable
machines have good suction power, and maybe even a handful of extra features
like obstacle avoidance and home mapping. Prices for models with self-
emptying bases and mopping capabilities are also falling. Engadget has tested
dozens of robot vacuums over the years and we continue to try out the latest
models as they become available. Below, weΓÇÖve collected our top picks for
the best robot vacuums you can get right now.

Table of contents

Best robot vacuums 2025

What to look for in a robot vacuum

Robot vacuum maintenance tips

How we test robot vacuums

Robot vacuum FAQs

Best robot vacuums 2025

What to look for in a robot vacuum Floor type

We recommend thinking first about the floors in your home: Do you have carpet
throughout, or tile and hardwood floors, or a mix? Robots with stronger
suction power will do a better job cleaning carpets as they can get into the
nooks and crannies more easily. Some machines have ΓÇ£maxΓÇ¥ modes as well,
which ups the suction power but also typically eats at battery life faster
than the ΓÇ£normalΓÇ¥ cleaning mode.

Vacuum suction

Suction power is an important factor to consider. Unfortunately, there
isnΓÇÖt a standard power scale that all robo-vacs adhere to, so itΓÇÖs
difficult to compare among a bunch of devices. Some companies provide Pascal
(Pa) levels and generally the higher the Pa, the stronger the vacuum cleaner
will be. But other companies donΓÇÖt rely on Pa and simply say their robots
have X-times more suction than other robots.

Wi-Fi connectivity

As we explained in our budget guide, Wi-Fi connectivity is a key feature for
most robot vacuums. Some of the affordable devices arenΓÇÖt Wi-Fi connected,
though, so itΓÇÖs best to double check before you buy cheap. Wi-Fi lets a
robot vacuum cleaner do things like communicate with a mobile app, which then
allows you to control the device from your phone.

Mapping features and object detection

Past a certain price threshold, youΓÇÖll find advanced perks like home
mapping features, improved object detection and automatic dustbin disposal.
Home mapping is exactly what it sounds like: The vacuum uses sensors to map
your homeΓÇÖs layout as it cleans, allowing you to send it to particular
rooms or areas.

Most robo-vacs have object detection, but some will be better than others at
actually avoiding things like chair legs and childrenΓÇÖs toys. Higher-end
models even go so far as to promise obstacle avoidance to steer clear of
things like pet poop that can potentially ruin your machine.

Robot vacuums with mopping capabilities

WeΓÇÖre also now starting to see more robot vacuums with mopping
capabilities. Machines with this feature have a water tank either built into
the robotΓÇÖs chassis or as a separate piece that you swap in for the dustbin
when you want to mop your floors. It makes the robo-vac more useful if you
have hard floors in your home that you like to keep squeaky clean, but it
does require more work on your part.

Filling and emptying the reservoir remains a humanΓÇÖs job for the most part
(except on the most expensive machines), as does adding cleaning solutions if
the mopping robot comes with this feature to ensure it uses clean water for
every cycle.

Auto-empty station

Finally, for peak convenience, consider a robot vacuum that comes with a self-
emptying base station. These are basically garbage bins attached to the
machineΓÇÖs docking station. At the end of each job, the robo-vac
automatically empties its small dustbin into the large clean base ΓÇô that
means you wonΓÇÖt have to empty the dustbin yourself and youΓÇÖll only have
to tend to the base once every few weeks.

Just keep in mind that most self-emptying bins require proprietary garbage
bags ΓÇô another long-term expense youΓÇÖll have to factor in. Also, any vac-
and-mop robot with a water tank will not dump its dirty water into the clean
base, so youΓÇÖll still have to clean up that yourself.

Robot vacuum maintenance tips

First and foremost, always empty your robot vacuumΓÇÖs dustbin after every
cleaning job. If you have a model with a self-emptying base, thereΓÇÖs less
work for you to do yourself. If not, simply detach and empty the dustbin as
soon as the robot is done cleaning. ItΓÇÖs also a good idea to take a dry
cloth to the inside of the dustbin every once in a while to remove any small
dust and dirt particles clinging to its insides.

In addition, youΓÇÖll want to regularly examine the machineΓÇÖs brushes to
see if any hair has wrapped around them, or if any large debris is preventing
them from working properly. Some brushes are better than others at not
succumbing to tangled hair, but itΓÇÖs a good idea to check your robotΓÇÖs
brushes regardless ΓÇö both their main brush and any smaller roller brushes
or corner brushes they have. These parts are often easy to pop off of the
machine (because they do require replacements eventually) so we recommend
removing each brush entirely, getting rid of any tangled hair or other debris
attached to them and reinstalling them afterwards.

Robot vacuums also have filters that need replacing every couple of months.
Check your machineΓÇÖs user manual or the manufacturerΓÇÖs website to see how
long they recommend going in between filter replacements. Most of the time,
these filters cannot be washed, so you will need to buy new ones either
directly from the manufacturer or from other retailers like Amazon or
Walmart.

How we test robot vacuums

We primarily test robot vacuums by using them as they are intended to be
used: in a home, across different types of flooring and in the face of all
sorts of messes including pet hair, spilt coffee grounds and other food
debris, dust bunnies and more. We set up all robot vacuums according to their
provided instructions and run multiple cleaning jobs during a testing period
of at least one to two weeks per machine. If the robot has mopping
capabilities, we also test those as well on hardwood and tile flooring. For
models with self-emptying bases, we rely on those built-in trash cans for all
post-job cleaning, and we make sure to test the robot vacuum's mobile app for
usability and convenience. As we're testing, we make note of things like how
loud the robot and its components are, how much human attention the robot
needs on a regular basis, how the robot handles large messes and big dust
bunnies, if the robot gets stuck on rugs, doormats or other furniture and
more.

Robot vacuum FAQs Are robot vacuums worth it?

We tackled this question when we reviewed budget robot vacuums and the answer
is yes, especially if vacuuming is one of your least favorite chores. Robots
take the hard work out of cleaning your floors ΓÇô just turn the thing on and
watch it go. Any robot vacuum cleaner worth buying is semi-autonomous in that
it will suck up dirt around your home until its battery is low and then make
its way back to its charging dock. Unlike a regular vacuum, you should only
have to interact with it to turn it on, empty its dustbin and untangle it if
it were to get stuck somewhere.

ThatΓÇÖs not to say robot vacuums are perfect. TheyΓÇÖre almost always less
powerful and less flexible than traditional vacuums. Since most robo-vacs are
much smaller than traditional models, they often donΓÇÖt have the same level
of suction youΓÇÖll get in an upright machine. Plus, their dustbins are
smaller, so they will need to be emptied more frequently. While Wi-Fi-
connected robot vacuums give you the flexibility to start a cleaning job from
anywhere using an app, targeting a small area of your home can be more
complicated. Some robo-vacs have spot-cleaning features that focus the
machineΓÇÖs attention on a specific area, which almost ΓÇô but not quite ΓÇô
mimics the spot-cleaning youΓÇÖd be able to do yourself with a regular or
cordless vacuum.

How long do robot vacuums last?

Robot vacuums can last many years, if you take care of them properly. Check
out our recommendations for robot vacuum maintenance above, but in a
nutshell, you should make sure that you're emptying the machine's bin after
every job and periodically cleaning the interior of the bin and the brushes.
It's also a good idea to check the user manual to see how often your robot
vacuum's filter needs changing.

Do robot vacuums work better than handheld vacuums?

There's no straight answer to this question. Robot vacuums offer more
convenience than handheld vacuums, so for those who are looking to automate a
chore, that could mean one of these devices works better for them than a
standard vacuum. However, handheld vacuum cleaners often have stronger
suction power, and they give the user a bit more control. It ultimately
depends on how you intend to use your main vacuum cleaner and what you want
to prioritize most.

How often do you have to clean a robot vacuum?

Cleaning a robot vacuum isnΓÇÖt too much of a chore, but youΓÇÖll want to
give it a little TLC every few weeks or so, depending on how often youΓÇÖre
running it and how much dirt itΓÇÖs picking up. The dustbin usually needs to
be emptied after each cleaning run, especially if you have pets or lots of
carpet where dirt can hide. Many newer models have self-emptying docks, which
means you wonΓÇÖt have to empty the dustbin yourself after every use, but the
main bin will still need a good clean once a month or so. Also, itΓÇÖs a good
idea to check the side brushes and main brush for any hair tangles or debris
every couple of weeks to keep things running smoothly.

What are the negatives of robot vacuums?

Robot vacuums wonΓÇÖt work for everyone. One of the biggest drawbacks is that
they usually donΓÇÖt have the same suction power as a full-sized upright
vacuum or even a cordless stick vacuum, so they might struggle with deep-
cleaning thick carpets. TheyΓÇÖre also designed for floors only, so if
youΓÇÖre looking to clean furniture, stairs or other tricky spots, youΓÇÖll
still need a traditional vacuum to do that. Plus, they can sometimes get
stuck or miss spots, especially if youΓÇÖve got a lot of furniture or
obstacles in the way. While their sensors help, they might still bump into
things or need a little help getting out of tight spots. And while most have
decent dirt detection features, theyΓÇÖre best for keeping things tidy rather
than doing heavy-duty cleaning.

Check out more from our spring cleaning guide.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at
https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/best...
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