How do robot vacuums work?

“Robot vacuums navigate your home autonomously, collecting dirt and debris as they go, using three primary methods of navigation: visual simultaneous localization and mapping (vSLAM), laser light detection and ranging (LiDAR), or multi-pass/random-bounce,” Hild says. “Robot vacuums combine single- or dual-brush rollers, an edge sweeping brush, and a motor that work together to pick up dirt and debris from the ground,” he says. “The debris is stored in the robot’s onboard dustbin, which is either manually emptied by the user or automatically emptied into the robot’s cleaning base station.” Once the robot vacuum is done cleaning, it returns to its base to charge. “Most modern robot vacuums are also Wi-Fi-connected and have a companion app for your smartphone that enables a number of helpful features and experiences, such as scheduling, customizable cleaning rules, and preferences.”

How long do robot vacuums last?

You’ll find a range of answers, but on average, robot vacuums last around 4 to 6 years. However, given how many factors are at play, the lifespan can be longer. Hild says that a robot vacuum’s lifespan depends on the frequency of use, floor conditions, and user maintenance. “Consumers should consider buying a robot vacuum from a reliable brand that stands by their products and offers return policies and warranties that reflect their confidence in the product. To further ensure longevity and cleaning efficacy, customers should regularly clean and maintain their robot vacuum, like wiping down sensors underneath the robot, cleaning off charging contacts, and replacing the robot’s filter when needed.” When in doubt, check your vacuum’s user manual to follow its specific maintenance instructions.

Should I buy a robot vacuum or a regular vacuum?

There are pros to both robot vacuums and regular vacuums, and which is right for you depends on your lifestyle and what kind of cleaning you need done. Generally, regular vacuums offer more powerful motors and suction, which is helpful for deep cleaning or large messes. Meanwhile, robot vacuums offer the convenience of hands-off cleaning and additional smart features, making them great for everyday upkeep. “Robot vacuums also serve as a force multiplier in the home, allowing you to do other things around the house while the robot vacuum cleans,” Hild says. “And since they’re Wi-Fi-connected, a robot vacuum can receive software and firmware updates, meaning the robot is able to receive new and improved capabilities over time.”

We Tested 30 of the Best Robot Vacuums—Here Are the Models Worth Buying

It’s one thing to want a clean home and another to find enough time to clean to your standards. When it comes to your floors, a robot vacuum is the best way to maintain a dust-free space. Even if you have a cordless vacuum at home that frees you from the outlet, a robot vacuum still wins in convenience, requiring zero involvement from you to do its job. “Robot vacuums are meant to be a hands-free solution for cleaning your home, giving you back time in your life to do more important things,” says Brent Hild, the Director of Product Management at iRobot.

After testing 30 of the most popular robot vacuums, we determined our favorite models based on their ease of setup, effectiveness, noise level, functionality of smart features, and maneuverability. Keep reading to see why it’s our top pick and which others we named the best robot vacuums currently on the market.

Our Top Picks

Best Overall:

eufy RoboVac X8 Hybrid at Amazon

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Best Value:

iRobot Roomba i3 EVO Robot Vacuum at Amazon

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Best Splurge:

Samsung Jet Bot Robot Vacuum at Amazon

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Best for Pet Hair:

iRobot Roomba 694 Robot Vacuum at Amazon

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Best for Hard Floors:

eufy BoostIQ RoboVac 30C MAX at Amazon

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Best for Carpet:

iRobot Roomba J7 Robot Vacuum at Amazon

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Best Self-Emptying:

Ecovacs Deebot T10+ Robot Vacuum and Mop at Amazon

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4.2

Amazon

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Pros: With an easy-to-use app and a long runtime, this vacuum-mop combo moves smoothly, picks up debris easily, and is super quiet to boot.

Cons: It’s best to tuck away any rug tassels or loose shoelaces before letting this one do its thing.

After testing this model, our experience was summed up best by one tester, saying, “it sure lives up to its reputation as being one of the most highly-rated robot vacuums out there.” The device features twin-turbine technology, which exerts extra power when picking up dust, pet hair, and other debris. There’s also double the functionality since it vacuums and mops floors. Even with so much power, it won’t make a scene banging around your house, as we found that it hardly makes any noise compared to other models.

Prior to each cleaning session, some involvement is necessary to tuck in any rug tassels, shoestrings, and cords, but still, it delivers big on convenience. “This has significantly cut down our vacuuming time to the point that we reach for the vacuum only for a shag rug and little upkeep here and there,” our tester said after a month of using the machine in their home. “This vacuum also does a remarkable job on our low-pile but very tight weave living room rugs.”

Speaking of rugs, the robot vacuum has a setting that helps it recognize the type of flooring it's on, so it adjusts its suction to higher if it's on carpeting or lower if it's on hard floors. There’s plenty more you can do with the app, including specifying no-go zones. Overall, it's easy to use, operates quietly, and performs to our standards.

Price at time of publish: $550

Battery Life: 180 minutes
Mopping Capabilities: Yes
Self-Emptying: No
Compatible Devices: App, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant

Amazon

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Pros: High in power and performance but not price, this robot vacuum keeps things quiet while doing the cleaning for you.

Cons: Setup is simple, but it may take a little bit longer to get situated at first.

With flexible, multi-surface rubber brushes and patented dirt detection technology, this robot vacuum effectively removes debris whether running on bare floor or carpet. “This product makes it so easy to mindlessly clean while I am working or watching TV,” one tester said after one month of use. “It becomes the easiest part of my cleaning routine before guests come over.” We also appreciate that if the vacuum needs to pause its cleaning to recharge, it will resume where it left off so you don’t have to worry about areas being missed.

Not only did we find that this robot vacuum was “really good at cleaning” but also great at “keeping a low profile” with very little noise. “It is definitely not going to wake a napping baby while cleaning your living room or bedroom,” our tester said.

If you’ve never used a robot vacuum before, it may take a while to get through the setup process and connect to Wi-Fi. However, that’s a small hurdle for all the performance and convenience it offers — not to mention, the lower price tag.

Price at time of publish: $350

Battery Life: 75 minutes
Mopping Capabilities: No
Self-Emptying: No
Compatible Devices: App, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant

4.5

Samsung Jet Bot AI+ Robot Vacuum with Object Recognition

Amazon

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Pros: You get what you pay for with this high-end robot vacuum that delivers great suction, has excellent maneuvering, and self-empties.

Cons: You’ll need to have enough space in your home to fit the bulky docking station.

The price reflects the performance of this robot vacuum that uses sensor-precision mapping, object recognition technology, and a 3D camera to maneuver around your house. “This vacuum maneuvers flawlessly,” our tester said. “The sensors and cameras serve this machine well for avoiding objects and getting around large items with ease. Every part of this machine is high quality.”

Although the docking station takes up more space than other options, it’s worth sacrificing extra room for the vacuum to empty itself while trapping dust with its advanced HEPA filtration system. After a month of use, our tester said, “this performs as it should and arguably better than it should. I have not found any issues with it at all.”

Price at time of publish: $1,299

Battery Life: 90 minutes
Mopping Capabilities: No
Self-Emptying: Yes
Compatible Devices: App, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Samsung Bixby

3.6

Amazon

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Pros: Particularly great for smaller spaces, this lower-priced, no-frills robot vacuum tackles pet hair on a variety of floor types.

Cons: It’s louder than other models and is lacking advanced features that are useful for larger homes.

Have a pet that sheds? This robot vacuum’s combination of flexing dual multi-surface brushes, power-lifting suction, and an edge-sweeping brush makes it an excellent option for everyday pet hair removal. While testing, we found that it picked up pet hair exceptionally well on the bare floor and did an excellent job with hair removal on rugs. If you have different types of flooring, you’ll appreciate that the vacuum’s auto-adjust cleaning head adapts its height from surface to surface.

“It's made cleaning my floors so much easier,” our tester said who’s been using the vacuum for one month. “It's great at what it does, especially given the low price.” With that low price, you’ll see that the vacuum is missing some fancy features, such as mapping capabilities, but that isn’t always bad. “In smaller spaces where high-tech features like mapping and object avoidance aren't as essential, I've found that the Roomba 694 has all the features I'd ever want or need,” our tester said after consistently using the product for six months. “It's effective at cleaning dirt, hair, and crumbs; it can maneuver itself around furniture and fit underneath couches or coffee tables; and it's super easy to empty out when it's done cleaning.”

Another thing to keep in mind: Hitting 77 decibels on our tests, this is one of the louder robot vacuums on our list, but not so much that it’s a dealbreaker.

Price at time of publish: $274

Battery Life: 90 minutes
Mopping Capabilities: No
Self-Emptying: No
Compatible Devices: App, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant

4.3

Walmart

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Pros: This affordable, extra-slim robot vacuum is effective at cleaning up debris—and is a cinch to set up.

Cons: You’ll have to empty the dust bin more frequently, and there can be issues with bumping into objects around the house.

This robot vacuum has a suction power of 2000 Pa, which is sufficient pressure to keep your hard floors looking fresh. There’s also the fact that it features BoostIQ technology that automatically increases its vacuuming strength if it comes across an area that needs deeper cleaning.

While it does a great job of picking up debris, our testers noted some issues with the robot vacuum bumping into objects while cleaning. To avoid that, we recommend using the included boundary strips to guide where the device should clean.

“I like how slim the vacuum and the charging dock are,” our tester said. “They easily fit under our bookshelf, which means discreet storage.” The flip side of the robot vacuum’s compact size is that you’ll need to empty it out more often to make room for more debris but doing so is easy. As far as robot vacuums go, this one is budget-friendly too.

Price at time of publish: $260

Battery Life: 100 minutes
Mopping Capabilities: No
Self-Emptying: No
Compatible Devices: App, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant

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4.2

Amazon

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Pros: This vacuum does well to clean floors thoroughly, going all the way to the edge, and it comes with a manufacturer’s guarantee that’s appealing for pet owners.

Cons: You might have to remove dust or hair bits stuck in the vacuum.

Have more carpet at home? Our testers found that this model, which boasts having 10 times the power-lifting suction, performs particularly well on carpet. The device went against the edges and then in a line/grid movement, which was a super effective pattern for picking up every particle.

The last thing you want is your pet’s accident to wind up smeared on the carpet courtesy of your robot vacuum. Well, along with its precision navigation technology, this one comes with a Pet Owner Official Promise that guarantees a free replacement if your vacuum doesn’t steer clear of pet accidents.

After one month of using the vacuum, our tester noticed dust and hair getting caught in the vacuum but added that it was not a hassle to clean it out with their hands.

Price at time of publish: $600

Battery Life: 75 minutes
Mopping Capabilities: No
Self-Emptying: No
Compatible Devices: App, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant

4.7

Ecovacs Deebot T10+ Robot Vacuum and Mop

Best Buy

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Pros: On top of its time-saving self-emptying capability, this model has useful features like mopping and air freshening.

Cons: The app is not very intuitive, and you may have trouble targeting cleaning areas.

Not only does this robot vacuum empty itself in its docking station (saving you the trouble), but it also doubles as a mop (one less chore!). During our tests, we found that it cleaned up syrup and coffee very well. The robot vacuum received positive feedback on noise and maneuverability, too. “I really like that it's so quiet and seemingly vacuums in an intelligent/efficient manner,” our tester said after one month of use. “It doesn't go in extremely random trajectories like I've seen other robot vacuums do.”

Another feature of this robot vacuum is that it comes equipped with an air freshener, leaving behind a nice scent as it cleans the floors. It’s important to note that we had some challenges with the app, making it difficult to get the vacuum to clean specific areas and rooms.

Price at time of publish: $950

Battery Life: 180 minutes
Mopping Capabilities: Yes
Self-Emptying: Yes
Compatible Devices: App, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant

Our Favorite

We chose the Eufy RoboVac X8 Hybrid as our best overall pick because it does its dual job of vacuuming and mopping easily, effectively, and quietly. For all the pet owners out there, we love the iRobot Roomba 694 Robot Vacuum for its effectiveness and maneuverability at a lower price point.

The Tests

We tested 30 different robot vacuums, first checking how easy and quick the setup of the machine was and then assessing the robot vacuum’s effectiveness. We scattered bits of wig hair, cereal, and sand around our testing area and evaluated how thoroughly the vacuum cleaned over two minutes. This test was performed on both bare floor and a rug. For models with mopping abilities, we repeated this kind of test but with coffee and sticky syrup on the bare floor. Throughout these tests, we noted the noise level of the robot vacuum.

For additional insights, we checked the usefulness and effectiveness of any additional smart features, including voice commands. To assess maneuverability, we watched how well the robot vacuum navigated around different obstacles, like a coffee table, and across surfaces, from carpet to non-carpet. Lastly, we noted the ease of emptying the robot vacuum by rating how long it took to empty the vacuum and prepare it for fresh use.

After testing all 30 models in our lab, we sent some of them home with staff members to give us feedback on how they performed in their own homes. Every three months, we check in with our testers and adjust our list with any new findings.

Factors to Consider

Floor Type

Many robot vacuums are designed to transition between floor types like hardwood, tile, and carpet. “Those with homes that contain high-pile rugs should consider a robot vacuum with a powerful suction cleaning mode,” Hild says. “However, someone with a mix of tile and hardwood floors paired with area rugs might consider a robot vacuum and mop combination.”

Battery Life

You can find robot vacuums with runtimes varying from 60 minutes to 180 minutes before the battery needs to be recharged. Hild says consumers should consider the amount of space the robot vacuum will need to clean, as this impacts battery life. “For larger spaces, consider a robot vacuum with smart recharge and resume capabilities,” he says. “If the robot runs low on battery during a cleaning job, it will return to its charging base and recharge enough to go back out and finish the rest of its cleaning job.”

Price

As with regular vacuums, there’s quite a range in price for robot vacuums. Lower-priced options come in under $300, while more expensive models can cost more than $1,000. A higher price doesn’t necessarily mean higher performance though. It could be that a robot vacuum is more expensive because it comes with additional capabilities like a self-emptying docking station or a mopping function.

Features

Hild says there are three main categories of advanced features with modern robot vacuums: hands-free cleaning features (like voice commands and self-emptying), navigation technology, and cleaning efficacy.

“Many robot vacuums have integrations with smart assistants, like Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri, making cleaning as easy as a simple voice command.” Then, with a vacuum that self-empties into a docking station, you can wait days before emptying out the dustbin instead of doing it after every use so the vacuum can keep doing its job.

“The evolution of navigational technology has allowed for the implementation of smart mapping on certain robot vacuum models,” Hild says. “This means your smart mapping robot can seamlessly navigate an entire floor of your home while knowing where it is in the home, enabling you to clean your whole floor, specific rooms, or, in some instances, around certain areas.” He adds that smart mapping also allows you to set up “Keep Out Zones” to avoid bundles of cords and “Clean Zones” for specific areas, such as under the dining room table.

He says another major advancement is object detection and avoidance. “If equipped with this technology, your robot vacuum will approach a floor obstacle, recognize it, and go around it, allowing the robot to continue its cleaning job without getting stuck on the obstacle.”

Frequently Asked Questions

How do robot vacuums work?

“Robot vacuums navigate your home autonomously, collecting dirt and debris as they go, using three primary methods of navigation: visual simultaneous localization and mapping (vSLAM), laser light detection and ranging (LiDAR), or multi-pass/random-bounce,” Hild says.

“Robot vacuums combine single- or dual-brush rollers, an edge sweeping brush, and a motor that work together to pick up dirt and debris from the ground,” he says. “The debris is stored in the robot’s onboard dustbin, which is either manually emptied by the user or automatically emptied into the robot’s cleaning base station.” Once the robot vacuum is done cleaning, it returns to its base to charge.

“Most modern robot vacuums are also Wi-Fi-connected and have a companion app for your smartphone that enables a number of helpful features and experiences, such as scheduling, customizable cleaning rules, and preferences.”
How long do robot vacuums last?

You’ll find a range of answers, but on average, robot vacuums last around 4 to 6 years. However, given how many factors are at play, the lifespan can be longer.

Hild says that a robot vacuum’s lifespan depends on the frequency of use, floor conditions, and user maintenance. “Consumers should consider buying a robot vacuum from a reliable brand that stands by their products and offers return policies and warranties that reflect their confidence in the product. To further ensure longevity and cleaning efficacy, customers should regularly clean and maintain their robot vacuum, like wiping down sensors underneath the robot, cleaning off charging contacts, and replacing the robot’s filter when needed.” When in doubt, check your vacuum’s user manual to follow its specific maintenance instructions.
Should I buy a robot vacuum or a regular vacuum?

There are pros to both robot vacuums and regular vacuums, and which is right for you depends on your lifestyle and what kind of cleaning you need done. Generally, regular vacuums offer more powerful motors and suction, which is helpful for deep cleaning or large messes. Meanwhile, robot vacuums offer the convenience of hands-off cleaning and additional smart features, making them great for everyday upkeep.

“Robot vacuums also serve as a force multiplier in the home, allowing you to do other things around the house while the robot vacuum cleans,” Hild says. “And since they’re Wi-Fi-connected, a robot vacuum can receive software and firmware updates, meaning the robot is able to receive new and improved capabilities over time.”

What Didn’t Make the List

Strong Contenders

Ecovacs Deebot N8+ Robot Vacuum ($650 at Target)
ILIFE V3s Pro Robot Vacuum Cleaner ($160 at Amazon)
Tesvor S6 Robot Vacuum ($250 at Amazon)
Roborock E4 Robot Vacuum Cleaner ($283 at Amazon)
iRobot Roomba i7+ Robot Vacuum ($520 at Amazon)
Roborock S7+ Robot Vacuum and Sonic Mop ($950 at Amazon)
Yeedi Vac Station Robot Vacuum and Mop ($500 at Amazon)
Samsung Jet Bot Robot Vacuum with Clean Station ($800 at Samsung)
Eufy RoboVac G30 Edge ($290 at Amazon)
Neabot Q11 Robot Vacuum and Mop ($400 at Amazon)

Results Still Simmering

Shark AV2001WD AI VACMOP 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum and Mop ($480 at Amazon)
OKP Life K3 Robot Vacuum Cleaner/Mop ($420 at Amazon)
Eureka GROOVE Robot Vacuum Cleaner ($160 at Amazon)
Miele - Scout RX2 Home Vision - SLQL0 30 ($599 at Appliance Connection)
Dreametech L10 Pro Robot Vacuum Cleaner and Mop ($490 at Amazon)
Shark AI Ultra Robot RV2502AE ($600 at Best Buy)
Eufy RoboVac G20 Hybrid ($280 at Amazon)
iRobot Roomba s9+ ($1000 at Target)
Eufy BoostIQ RoboVac 11S ($230 at Amazon)
Shark RV912S EZ Robot Vacuum with Self-Empty Base ($550 at Amazon)

Low Performers

Bissell SpinWave® Wet and Dry Robotic Vacuum ($400 at Best Buy)

Our Expertise

Cindy Brzostowski is a freelance writer and avid home cook who has previous experience in cookbook publishing. Her writing has been featured in Allrecipes, Blue Apron, The Kitchn, and EatingWell among other publications. To determine the best robot vacuums, she used data and insights from the Food & Wine team who tested 30 of the most popular models on the market. She also interviewed Brent Hild, the Director of Product Management at iRobot, for his expert insights about robot vacuums.