Which is the best robot vacuum to buy? This guide features our expert recommendations, so you can find the one that best suits your home and your budget.
If you’ve never had a robot vacuum cleaner, you’ll be surprised at how much difference they can make in daily home maintenance. A Roomba or other robot vac can do everything from taking over your daily clean to regularly targeting especially grimy spots, like under a kitchen table or around a litter tray.
And, if you opt for a self-emptying robot vacuum, you can set a vacuuming schedule and forget about it for a few weeks, while your robot takes over and you come home to shiny floors. This is typically an expensive feature but we can recommend a couple of more budget-friendly options, which you’ll see in the round-up below.
There are other features you might want to consider, like voice command control and obstacle avoidance technology. Some robot vacuums can now identify and avoid all kinds of common household objects, from shoes to cables to mugs – and even pet waste. Plus, most will let you zone no-go areas that the robot will avoid, if parts of the house aren’t ready for a clean.
Why you should trust us: Tech Advisor has been testing technology for almost 30 years and we specialise in providing buying advice. We’ve reviewed dozens of robot vacuums over the years from many different brands. All our in-house team and freelance contributors have specialist knowledge and are trained in rigorously testing devices.
Our full reviews accompanying every robot vac in the following chart will give you all the details you need to find the right one for you. Plus, you’ll be able to see the pros and cons of each model at a glance.
If you want more information on the features to look out for, skip past the chart and start off by reading our robot vacuum cleaner FAQs before checking out our best picks.
And if you’re in the market for a traditional cleaner, check out our round-up of the best regular vacuum cleaners.
Best robot vacuum cleaners
1. Eufy X10 Pro Omni – High-end features for a mid-range price
Pros
- Cleans and dries mop pads
- Self-emptying
- AI.See object recognition
- Carpet detection
Cons
- The station’s colour and dimensions make it difficult to find a spot for, or blend in with decor
Price When Reviewed:
£799
The X10 Pro Omni has one of the best feature sets around – and it costs significantly less than similarly performing robots from rival brands. It vacuums and mops to a high standard: it has a powerful 8000Pa of suction and its rotating mop pads provide enough pressure to properly clean a floor.
It’s also self-emptying and it’ll wash and dry its mop pads when it returns to its station. It has carpet detection as well, so it can raise its mop pads over lower-pile carpet or avoid carpet altogether.
The app is easy to use, allows for multiple maps and lets you precisely schedule cleaning with tailored programmes for specific rooms.
We were most impressed with its AI.See navigation, object detection and avoidance: if it spots a cable on the floor, it’ll not only avoid it but add a cable icon to the map in the right spot.
Read our full
Eufy X10 Pro Omni review
2. Eufy X8 Pro – Best value robot vacuum
Pros
- Well priced
- Good all-rounder
- Solid feature set
Price When Reviewed:
£599 (bundled with self-emptying base)
If you want a multi-functional robot vacuum – high-quality mapping, decent mopping, self-emptying – it can be a pricey proposition but this is one of the best you can buy for under $500/£500. And that’s with the auto-empty station included.
It’s low profile, at 9.5cm high, giving it a good chance of getting under beds and sofas. It has a 270ml water tank and a 335ml dustbin – the latter is on the small side but this won’t matter if you have the vacuum station, which contains a 2.5 litre bag that you’ll only need to change every month or two.
In our test, its mapping was quick and accurate and, once your home is mapped, you can schedule cleaning with specifications for each room, or set it off to clean a room where’s there’s been a spill. It’s good on carpets as well as hard flooring and it’s especially good on pet hair, although we did find that some still tangled in the brush. It’s also compatible with Google and Alexa home assistants, so you can start it with a voice command.
Its navigation is dependable as well – but it does have a blind spot where low objects and cables are concerned. Its mopping is pretty decent as well, although not as powerful as pricier models that use spinning mops. Altogether, it’s a very good buy
Read our full
Eufy X8 Pro review
3. Ecovacs Deebot X2 Omni – Best luxury robot vacuum
Pros
- Compact design
- High suction power
- Mopping
- Good app
Cons
- Obstacle detection has occasional weaknesses
- Expensive
Price When Reviewed:
£1,299
Ecovacs’ flagship Deebot X2 Omni has a compact, square design that’ll allow it to get right up to walls and into tighter spots for more comprehensive cleaning.
But it’s not just its shape that’s had an overall. We think it’s a definite improvement on its predecessor in terms of features and performance. In our test, it cleaned carpets thoroughly and reliably thanks to its high, 8,000Pa suction. Its mopping is also very good, although not flawless. And its carpet detection means that carpets will get a thorough clean while being protected from damp mop pads.
It’s pricey, but if you want the most comprehensive and advanced robot vacuum available right now, this is probably the one to buy.
Read our full
Ecovacs Deebot X2 Omni review
4. iRobot Roomba Combo J9+ – Best docking station
Pros
- Retractable mop arm keeps carpets dry
- New Clean Base design blends in with home furnishings
- Recognises and prioritises dirtiest areas
Cons
- Companion app’s maps are basic and many controls are buried in sub-menus
- Mop pads must be cleaned manually
- Expensive
Price When Reviewed:
£1,249
If your home aesthetics are important, you probably don’t want a huge, featureless chunk of plastic standing against your wall. And, as robot vacuum docks have become larger to accommodate dustbin-emptying and mopping accessories, that’s become increasingly difficult to avoid. Enter the iRobot Roomba Combo J9+. Its admittedly chunky charging base has a bevelled design and a wood-effect panel on top designed to support a plant or ornament. Altogether, it’s more like a piece of furniture than rival models.
The robot has plenty of other good features as well. It’s iRobot’s most powerful vacuum yet and its mop can scrub away stains effectively, rather than wetly dabbing them. The robot mops using an arm that retracts to protect carpet. It also has effective object detection and can avoid a number of common household objects, including pet poop.
Still, it’s pricey and we feel that the app could be streamlined and made simpler to use.
Read our full
iRobot Roomba Combo J9+ review
5. SwitchBot Mini Robot Vacuum K10+ – Best small robot vacuum
Pros
- 50% smaller than average
- 2500Pa suction
- LiDAR navigation
- Quiet operation
Cons
- No water tank
- Mopping is really just a gentle wipe
- Can’t vacuum and mop simultaneously
- The provided damp disposable cloths dry out
At around half the size of a standard robot vacuum, the K10+ can reach spots other robots can’t – and it’ll take up less space than bulkier rivals. That’s despite the fact that it comes with an auto-empty dock, which will give you up to 70 days of hands-free cleaning. The K10+ also mops but it can’t mop and vacuum at the same time. But there’s no water tank onboard, so mopping means attaching a wet wipe to the robot, which will only give your floors a gentle clean.
We found the navigation and mapping to be good, plus it has a comfortable 2500Pa of suction and a quiet 48dB operational noise. Altogether, it’s a solid robot whose diminutive size makes it stand out from the crowd. It’s good value for its price as well.
Read our full
SwitchBot Mini Robot Vacuum K10+ review
6. Dreamebot D10 Plus – Best mid-priced all rounder
Pros
- Real-time smart tracking
- Auto-empty
- Voice notifications
- Strong suction
Cons
- Large charging dock
- App download required
- Water-only mopping
Price When Reviewed:
£389.99
If you want an auto-empty robot vacuum but want to stick to a budget, the D10 Plus is a serious contender. The 2.5 litre bag inside the charging station will only need to be changed every month or two. When coupled with its high quality mapping, this is a robot vacuum that you can schedule to clean and forget about.
The D10 Plus has very powerful 4,000PA suction in its turbo mode, but in our test, we found that its quiet, standard mode was more than good enough for hard flooring. If your flooring is mixed, you can switch on the carpet detect function and it’ll automatically increase the power on carpets and rugs. It also has a decent mopping function, although, like many competitors, it’s water-only and won’t clean away stubborn stains.
It can create multiple maps for different floors and is Alexa and Google Assistant-compatible if you’d like to control it with voice commands.
Read our full
Dreamebot D10 Plus review
7. iRobot Roomba i7+ with Dirt Disposal – Best targeted cleaning
Pros
- Powerful
- Brilliant mapping & targeted cleaning
- Good climbing ability
- Low profile
Cons
- Noisy
- Bangs into furniture
- Expensive at full price
Price When Reviewed:
£799.99
There’s a lot to like about the Roomba i7+. Buy it with the vacuum dock and it’ll empty itself after each clean. And you’ll only need to change the bag in the dock every 1-2 months. And the dock itself is smaller than rival auto-empty robot vacuums.
Another clever feature is its mapping, which allows you to target not only rooms but specific pieces of furniture within them.
This means that you can set up a cleaning schedule to target the cat litter (which you can opt to mark up) first thing every morning, or get the i7+ to vacuum under the sofa in the living room once everyone has gone to bed.
However, it’s not without its flaws. It’s noisy in operation and in spite of its promises of sophisticated navigation, it repeatedly bumps into furniture. Still, now that the price has come down, we think these compromises are worth it.
Read our full
iRobot Roomba i7+ and Automatic Dirt Disposal review
8. Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo N8+ – Best budget self-emptying robot
Pros
- Empty once a month
- Great mapping and cleaning options
- Automatic carpet detection
Cons
- The dock takes up a lot of space
- N8+’s climbing is poor
- Mop is average
Price When Reviewed:
£599.99
Now that the price has come down, this is a great value way to get self-emptying technology for less. Bear in mind, though, that it doesn’t have the advanced mopping features of pricier models.
If you go for the N8+, you’ll get impressive suction, acceptable mopping and a brilliant mapping system that’ll allow you to set up sophisticated cleaning schedules, with no-go areas marked up. Its carpet auto-detection means it’ll automatically ramp up the power when it encounters a rug or carpet, saving power for when it needs it.
On the minus side, the N8+ isn’t the best climber and got itself stuck more often than many of the robot vacs we test.
Read our full
Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo N8+ review
9. Eufy RoboVac 30C – Best cheap robot vacuum
Pros
- Home assistant support
- Good suction
- Good value
Cons
- Uses physical boundary strips
Price When Reviewed:
£209.99
As with any robot vacuum cleaner the RoboVac 30C will not eliminate the need for a traditional vacuum every so often, but it has sufficient suction power (1500Pa) to keep your floors clean and your carpets tidy on the days you’d rather put your feet up and chill.
We love the fact that it allows voice assistant integration for proper lazy boy cleaning.
It’s not the newest robot in town any more but at its current low price, it’s one of the best value.
Read our full
Eufy RoboVac 30C review
10. Miele Scout RX3 Home Vision HD – Best long-term buy
Pros
- Excellent cleaning performance
- Low profile
- Great design & display
Cons
- Expensive
- Error message issues
- Navigation oddities
Price When Reviewed:
£859
There’s a lot to like about the Miele Scout RX3. Its hardware is beautifully designed and it’s intended to last for five years – a long time in robot vacuum terms. It’s also a highly effective cleaner.
However, we didn’t love the fact that it communicates via error message codes you need to decipher, when many rivals at a similar price point have a voice assistant that just lets you know what the problem is. It also lacks the in-depth mapping that rivals iRobot and Ecovacs have, which allows you to target cleaning to specific pieces of furniture in a room.
It has a simple app and is Alexa-compatible as well. We tested the flagship Home Vision HD model, which you can pilot remotely to check in on your home and your pets using its onboard camera.
Altogether, we felt that its feature set was too limited to justify its high price point. Still, there’s a case to be made for the fact that, if you’re happy with a relatively simple robot vacuum, you can invest in this one and it will last you for years to come.
Read our full
Miele Scout RX3 Home Vision HD review
Robot vacuum FAQs and buying advice
Robot vacuum cleaners aren’t the cheapest appliance around but the tech is improving all the time, which means that as newer models gain fresh functionality, some really great models that are only a year old will have dropped significantly in price.
If you’re planning to buy, it’s a good idea to get an idea of what features are important to you and find the cleaner that best fits your profile. You may be able to spend less than you imagine to get everything you want.
How does a robot vacuum work?
Robot vacs work exactly as you’d imagine. On the underside of a robot vacuum is a suction aperture – just like the one you see on an ordinary vacuum. As the robot moves across the floor, it sucks up dust and dirt, just like an ordinary vacuum. Most have a brush bar inside to clean carpets and many feature spinning sweepers on either side, to pull debris into the robot’s path.
When start your robot vacuum cleaner, one of two things may happen. Basic models will begin cleaning right away, following a set path across the room, in a similar pattern to the way that you’d mow a lawn.
More advanced robot vacuums will probably map out the cleaning area first. That doesn’t mean only the room they’re in – they’ll map the entire floor before starting cleaning. You’ll then be able to see the map of your home it’s created in the accompanying app and, in most cases, edit it.
Robot vacuums are usually controlled by a free to download and use app, possibly a remote control and many also via your home assistant – letting you use simple voice commands.
Usually voice commands will be limited to asking it to start, pause, stop and return to the dock. However, the Ecovacs Deebot X1 OMNI has an inbuilt voice assistant that will respond to around 35 commands.
But you should also bear in mind that the robot vac will need to communicate with you, especially if something goes wrong. Some will have a display that brings up error messages, while others will speak to let you know that they’re starting to clean, returning to the dock, or have had to pause because they’ve ingested a sock.
Via the app, you’ll also get messages and alerts, so if you’re away from home, you’ll know if your cleaner got tangled up with a cable or if it made it back to the dock to charge.
As well as giving you updates, letting you check in on progress in real time and allowing you to schedule cleaning, a good app will give you information on how long parts, including brushes and filters, will last before they need to be replaced.
As we said above, the app is also where you’ll find the map of your home.
How does a robot vacuum map a room?
One of the most important features of a robot vacuum cleaner is the ability to map boundaries. Less expensive or older cleaners may come with magnetic strips or battery-operated towers you can use to keep your robot vac away from the top of the stairs or block off a room you don’t want cleaned (for example, if you don’t have time to pick up your clothes from the bedroom floor but you’d still like to give the sitting room a once-over).
But most robots will create a very detailed and accurate map of your home which you can access in the app. Many will have space for more than one map, so you can save maps of each floor. You’ll be able to go into your app and add exclusion zones which they’ll then avoid.
Very advanced cleaners with mop capabilities will also let you zone areas for mopping as well. Finally, newer robot vacuums from iRobot (the Roomba i7+) and Ecovacs (X1 OMNI) will allow you to add pieces of furniture to maps, which you can then target for cleaning. This gives you the option to request a clean where there’s been a spill or, for example, schedule a regular clean around the kitchen table after dinner.
The best robot cleaners will also use cameras to help them identify and avoid obstacles such as shoes, cables and even pet waste.
Some cleaners with cameras will also let you use them remotely, via your app. This means you can use your robot vac as an additional home security device. And if you use it in conjunction with your app’s remote control, you can drive your vac around to check up on your pets while you’re out.
Can robot vacuums clean carpet?
The answer, in short, is yes. But it depends on which robot vacuum you buy. And you’ll still need to keep an ordinary vacuum around for deep cleaning and spills.
Suction power (measured in Pascals – Pa) is getting better all the time. If you have hard flooring, a less expensive cleaner will do the job but if you have thicker carpets, it’s worth your while investing in something with very good cleaning power. The most powerful robot vacuums at this time can go up to 5,000Pa of suction – but this will likely be in boost or turbo mode and you won’t need anything like this much power to clean hard flooring.
The cheapest robot cleaners may not have a rotating brush bar, which means they won’t be brilliant at cleaning carpets but they’ll do a decent job on a hard floor. A good one will have a full-length rotating brush, making it ideal for picking up hair and fluff on carpets and from the edges of the room.
Will a robot vacuum go under the couch?
Before you invest in a robot vac, it’s a good idea to measure the distance from the floor to the underside of your sofa and other key pieces of furniture.
Robot vacuums can vary in height between 7cm (very low profile), 10cm (medium profile) and 12cm (high – the Dyson 360 Heurist is the tallest we’ve seen). If your robot vac can’t get under your sofa and bed, it can make a big difference to its overall usefulness in your life. And it’ll be even worse if it can just make it under – but then gets stuck.
Can a robot vacuum replace a normal vacuum cleaner?
The answer to this is the same as to another frequently asked question: Can robot vacuums clean stairs? Sadly, no, they can’t.
A robot vacuum can’t clean stairs – but it won’t fall down them either, because it features a variety of sensors. In this case, a drop sensor will stop it before it gets in trouble and it’ll turn around.
So, you’ll need to keep a regular vacuum cleaner to hand for stairs, deep cleaning and getting into corners, awkward gaps and under very low furniture.
Still, a robot vacuum will take over most of your regular vacuuming – especially in the most well-travelled parts of your home. But it can’t do everything.
Are robot vacuum mops any good?
There are separate, specialised robot mops but what we’re talking about here are hybrid robot vacuums that have an inbuilt – or add-on – mop attachment. The traditional design for this is a plate that clips onto the back or underside of a robot vacuum, featuring a small water tank and mop pad. These will only provide a superficial clean. They’re good for going over a just-vacuumed floor to give it a bit of a polish, but they don’t usually apply enough pressure to scrub away stains.
The best types of robot vacuum mops are the newer design, which typically feature a pair of spinning mopping heads. These provide a much deeper clean.
Generally, robot vacuums don’t use detergent to mop, just cool or warm water.
How often do you have to empty a robot vacuum’s dustbin?
Most robot vacuums have a similar – and very small – dustbin capacity, which means you’ll need to remember to empty them regularly. It depends on how often you run them and how much dust and fluff there is to be picked up, but you should empty out the bin at least once a week and you may have to do it more often.
The most expensive cleaners will have cylindrical (or cyclonic) drums that offer very good suction no matter how full the dustbin is, but many will become less effective the fuller they get.
If you want to schedule cleaning and forget about it, without needing to remember to empty the bin every few days, go for a self-emptying robot vacuum.
Auto-empty robot vacuums come with a much larger charging station. When the robot vacuum return to recharge, its onboard bin is emptied by suction. Typically, the bag inside the dock will be 2.5-3 litres and will need to be changed every 1-2 months. These are also a good option for people with hay fever or allergies, as it means you won’t need to come into contact with dust and dirt emptying the bin.
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source: https://www.techadvisor.com/article/724333/best-robot-vacuum-cleaners-2.html
