How to Choose the Best Robotic Vacuum for Your Space

Robotic vacuums have come a long way from the first Roomba in 2002. While the general concept of having an automated robot vacuuming up dirt and debris from the floor remains the same, the technology has evolved significantly from its earliest iterations. As a result, the vision of robotic vacuums in enabling all households to maintain clean floors is nearly fully realized.

Whether you’ve been curious about automated vacuum cleaners for a while or if you’re simply looking for your next upgrade, this guide will help you sort out the important details – and provide some best-in-class suggestions depending on your needs.

Common Features of Robotic Vacuums

Beyond the basic premise of automatically navigating an indoor space to clean up debris, robotic vacuums can vary a great deal. Their interior components will determine what size space they can handle, how long they’ll operate, and the size of the debris particles they can handle.

How much does it suck?

Suction power is perhaps the most important factor in a robotic vacuum’s performance. The higher the suction power, the better the vacuum’s ability to clean. If the suction power is on the lower side, the vacuum will be more prone to choke up with smaller pieces than vacuums with high suction. It’s a tradeoff, however, as higher power can mean lower battery life. One way to weigh this is to consider if you have mostly carpets or hard floors, as the more shag you have, the more power you’ll need to get it clean.

Filtration

Filters are a staple of robotic vacuums, and they can go a long way in improving the air quality of your home over time. Different models vary depending on the quality of their filters, as well as how frequently you’ll need to replace them (and their availability). If someone in your household is sensitive to allergens, be sure to pick a model with a high efficiency or HEPA filter.

Run time

Another factor to consider with robotic vacuum is their run time, which refers to how long it can go between charges. This should be interpreted as a range, as most vacuums have settings that alter their suction power (and thus affect run time). For regular, light work, a small run time is generally fine, but if you have some heavier duty jobs in mind, aim for a vacuum with a larger battery sufficient for the task.

Wheel type

The wheel type and height of the vacuum will determine whether its best suited to carpets or bare floors. Having larger wheels with more tread will enable the vacuum to readily handle carpets or a variety of floors, while smaller, smoother wheels are fine for uncarpeted spaces.

Routing and navigation

Robotic vacuums vary on their methods of routing and navigation. At the most basic end is object detection, which will guide the vacuum around the confines of an area. Some models have a front facing camera that uses an internal CPU to assess the environment in real time and make adjustments appropriately.

Others use infrared sensing to map the area they’re assigned to, or a combination of all of the above sensors. Premium models may have special features, such as the ability to detect heavier accumulations of dirt and treat the area with higher priority.

Smart features

The app integration and control interface (including some models with voice control) is something else to consider. Robotic vacuums with sophisticated smartphone apps can be remote controlled, set to run on a schedule, or told what rooms to clean and what ones to avoid.

Extras and add-ons

Lastly, some models come with add-ons such as mops or additional brushes that are suited to different surfaces. If you have a larger home with multiple types of surfaces, looking for these added features may be the best option to set up your robot vacuum for success.

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Robot Vacuum Prices: Deciding How Much to Spend

Once you’ve made the decision to take a robotic vacuum into your home, your next step may be to determine how much you’d like to spend on one capable of cleaning your home.

Picks: Best Robot Vacuums Under $200

If your budget is $200 or less, you can still expect to find quality robot vacuums with a decent array of features. For example, the Liectroux C30B robot vacuum cleaner offers a mammoth 4000Pa suction power along with dry and wet mopping capabilities. It also has smart mapping (though some users note it can become stuck still and the AI is a little “erratic”) and offers connectivity with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for voice control.

If high suction isn’t on your wish list and you’d like a discrete, quiet model instead, the eufy Boost IQ RoboVac 11S slim model can provide exactly that. With a more modest 1300Pa, the eufy 11S slim is less than 3″ high, making it resemble a mere disc that travels around the floor tidying up. It lacks app functionality and is instead remote controlled, but it’s still “smart” – with BoostIQ technology that will amp up its suction on more difficult spots.

Lower cost robotic vacuum cleaners, in other words, may trade in elements of quality or functionality to maintain their price point, but for small and uncomplicated spaces they can be a simple and sufficient choice.

Picks: Best Robot Vacuums Under $300

At $300 and under, you’re in the realm of capable models such as the iRobot Roomba 895 and the eufy BoostIQ RoboVac 11S MAX (with 2000Pa). Models in this range may still rely on object detection as their primary method of navigation, but the ability to sense objects and react will generally be faster and more efficient with more processing power. Others will use infrared or a combination of methods to safely and smoothly navigate your home.

In the case of the Roomba 895, you’ll be getting an intelligent vacuum cleaner that makes more than 60 decisions a second as it navigates your home using the renowned brand’s tested technology. This model of Roomba comes with added features like Dirt Detection (for focusing on high levels of dirt) and cliff detection (to stop it from falling downstairs).

In summary, mid-range models tend to combine better technology with suction performance to produce solid all-around options for a variety of surfaces and conditions. For most households, a mid-range model will perform consistently without running into too many operational or environmental challenges.

Best Robot Vacuums: Premium Picks

Premium robotic vacuums at around $400 will generally offer high performance and robust features.

The ILIFE V5s, for example, is a fully functional household cleaning helper that can fulfill a wide range of tasks and programmed requests. With a built-in water tank, it can handle spot mopping or regularly scheduled mopping, along with dirt and debris vacuuming following its automated route or edge cleaning to catch the areas where dust and fur accumulate. It has an anti-collision system along with intelligent drop avoidance, and will automatically increase its suction up to 5 times on hard surfaces to improve its pickup ability.

The Dreame Bot L10 Pro similarly offers both mopping and vacuuming, along with exceptional laser navigation and intelligent mapping technologies. Its 4000Pa suction means it can handle virtually any surface, while its 150-minute run time will clean a 2690 x 2152 square home in one charge.

If you have a large home or multiple surfaces, your best bet may be to pay more upfront for a premium model in the $400 or above range that will last longer while operating under more challenging conditions.

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Best Robotic Vacuums for Specific Situations

Sometimes, certain factors can help make it easier to determine what vacuum to buy. Share your space with two cats and a dog? Live in an apartment with all hardwood floors? Read on to find out what vacuum might be best suited to you.

The iLIFE V3s Pro is a leading contender on dealing with pet hair due to a unique tangle free technology that will prevent matted hairs from clogging the vacuum. It simply rolls over debris and fur and sucks it up at a high rate of efficiency, though it’s important to note that it works best on hard surfaces.

High pile carpet

If you have lots of high pile carpet and funds to spare, the $599 Neato D8 is the premium choice. This infrared-directed, intelligent robot vacuum has a large brush and a powerful motor that means it attacks dirty carpets with programmed enthusiasm. It also has a large storage bin, which translates into added capacity before it needs to be emptied.

Low pile carpet

Low pile carpet – and lower budgets – call for a different solution, and that’s where the Roborock E4 comes in. While a hybrid vacuum and mop robot, the Roborock E4 rates highly in its ability to clean low pile carpet in particular. Furthermore, its impressive suction power pulls the debris through a HEPA filter, reducing allergens in the home. The Roborock also boasts an impressive mapping system, a high-capacity battery, and voice control functionality.

Hardwood and tile flooring

For hardwood floors, the eufy RoboVac L70 is the ideal robot vacuum as it offers both sweeping and mopping in an advanced, capable package. The 2200Pa suction is combined with multiple sensors that will ensure dirt is fully removed, while the app integration enables it to be programmed with ease. With a 2.5-hour runtime, this model is made for serious hands-off cleaning.

Picks: Best Robotic Vacuums for the Money

If money is the biggest determining factor in your situation, don’t worry: you can still enjoy the perks of a fully functional robot vacuum regardless of your living situation.

The Coayu Vacuum Robot Cleaner is a $79 model that offers 1200Pa suction combined with 11 pairs of infrared sensors that will save your furniture from scuffs and prevent tumbles down stairs. It has both vacuuming and mopping capability, has its own app, and is relatively quiet compared to other models (operating around 55 dbA). Unlike most more-expensive models, you’ll need to block off areas you don’t want the vacuum to go with magnetic tape.

Moving up in cost and in features, the $199 eufy 11S Slim is a bestselling all-around robotic vacuum that can handle hard surfaces and up to medium-pile carpets. It has a 1300 Pa suction system and the minimal profile that eufy’s slim models are known for. Quiet and efficient, it will reliably crawl around your home and perform its work without fanfare.

For the most bang for your buck, the $279 Dreame D9 model is a solid bet. The Dreame 9 offers robust functionality, including both vacuuming and mopping features, combined with a powerful 3000Pa suction system that can pull dirt from the deepest recesses of a carpet. It uses advanced laser mapping and the SLAM smart algorithm to map your home and actively avoid moving obstacles, and includes app integration that lets you adjust suction power on the fly.

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Should You Get a Robot Vacuum?

Clearly, the technology in robot vacuums has changed a lot in the past two decades. Where their ability to navigate was one purely based on avoiding collisions, new models have integrated advanced sensory systems to reliably handle obstacle courses in virtually any home.

Advanced apps, meanwhile, make controlling settings and programming vacuum robots a snap. For those who are challenged by time and those who have physical conditions or disabilities that make manual vacuuming more difficult, investing in a robotic vacuum cleaner is a no-brainer.

Most households will benefit from having a robot vacuum performing regular sweeps around the home, though the type of vacuum you get will determine whether you can rely on it exclusively for floor maintenance or if you’ll need to step in occasionally for the more major cleanups. Fortunately, the field is rich with options for every budget and housing situation, so no matter what your cleaning needs, there’s a robot vacuum ready to fulfill them.

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