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Tracked-in dirt, kitchen crumbs and shedding pets can make keeping floors clean a never-ending challenge. Fortunately, if you don’t have time to take out the vacuum or broom every day, you can let a robot vacuum do the job for you! While robot vacuums won’t totally make manual floor cleaning a thing of the past, they can make it something you need to do less often, and the good news is there are great models to be found at a variety of price points.
In the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab, we are constantly testing different types of vacuums to keep our hand-picked lists of the best vacuums, including the best vacuums for pet hair, up-to-date. And when it comes to robot vacuums, there are more of them than ever. If you’re looking for a true start-to-finish floor cleaning experience, consult our round-up of the best robot mops too.
When we test robot vacuums and robot mops in the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab, we set them loose in our custom-built two-room obstacle course. We observe how well they transition from hard floors to carpet (i.e., if they get stuck or not), how well they nab debris along walls and in corners, whether or not they can go under and around furniture and from room to room and if shoes, toys and other items we've placed in their paths trip them up. And of course, we measure the amount of dry debris and pet hair they pick up from carpet and hard floors.
Roomba is the brand that started it all with the first-ever robot vacuum in 2002. Since then, it has continually introduced innovative features like room mapping and object avoidance as well as the first mopping robot.
This iRobot Roomba s9+ is the second model from the brand to earn the top spot in our category tests of robot vacuums. It aced our hard floor cleaning tests, successfully picking up 99% of the dry oats, sand, baking soda, nuts and screws that we spread out, snagging a spot on our list of the best vacuums for hardwood floors along the way. Our carpet tests were the only area where its pickup rate fell below 99%, but the average pickup of all vacuums was just 73% on carpet, so we weren't surprised. Because it follows a random cleaning pattern, it took longer to clean up a straight line of debris than other models we tested.
Like many other robot vacuums, it doesn’t clean right up to the charging base, but it cleaned more thoroughly than any other robot, and its spot-cleaning function worked faster too. It automatically increases its suction when it detects carpet, and it can be adjusted to do an extra pass for a more thorough cleaning.
Roomba has features that make maintenance easier, like its self-emptying dirt disposal system that automatically seals dirt away in the bag-lined dustbin in the charging base. The self-cleaning roller brushes rarely required any maintenance at all — they didn’t clog with pet hair like models with bristle brushes did in our test, making it a great choice for households with shedding animals. Its high-efficiency filter traps irritating allergens but is not washable. Note that this was one of the noisiest robots we tested, earning a one-star rating from Quiet Mark and a “Quite noisy!” remark from our expert.
We found the accompanying app easy to use, and we appreciated features like the ability to see the robot’s cleaning maps, set a schedule for cleaning when you leave the house and designate areas as no-go zones to avoid any possible damage. Its voice command capabilities are one of the smartest we’ve tested, recognizing commands as complex as “Clean under the dining room table,” for example.
This model from Eufy offers high-end features at a price that's hard to pass up. Its sleek, super-slim design (just under 3 inches tall) means it can slip beneath low ottomans and couches to nab even the most difficult-to-reach dirt.
We get great performance results from virtually every Eufy vacuum we test, so you should feel confident shopping the 11S Max, or stepping up to a higher-priced model with more features, like the RoboVac X8.
Eufy uses its BoostIQ Technology to automatically increase suction power when it detects an extra-strength cleaning job is needed. Its large wheels help it climb over door ledges and easily move from medium-pile carpet to hardwood or tile. With its advanced sensors, Eufy avoids any tumbles off ledges or stairs and doesn't bump into your furniture. There's a remote control for spot-cleaning or cleaning just the edges of your rooms. Like most robot vacuums, Eufy knows to return to its charging base when the battery runs low to fully recharge before the next clean.
Shark AI’s compact footprint and streamlined design are impressive for a model with a self-empty bin. After charging, it was ready to go with just the press of a button.
It had no problem cleaning under kitchen cabinet toe kicks or navigating tight spaces without getting stuck, though the LIDAR sensor at the top of the robot does make it too tall to get under some furniture. After methodically covering our test floors, the Shark returned to the dock and emptied every speck it picked up. During one trial, it even went back to nab one straggler that it missed on its first pass. Take note that it’s quite loud as it empties the dustbin, but it only lasts about 20 seconds.
The dust bin in the base is easy to remove and empty. The filters in the robot and dock are washable, but only the one in the base is a HEPA filter. Other notable features include its self-cleaning brush roll that helps prevent hair tangles, an UtraClean mode that returns to the same area three times to ensure the best possible clean and its ability to smoothly glide over the lightweight rugs and mats that sometimes trip up other robots.
The SharkClean app makes this robot extra customizable, but if you prefer not to use an app, the AI Ultra is more limited without it. The app is what allows you to select specific rooms for cleaning, send the robot out to tackle high-traffic areas or send it after messes you need picked up in a hurry.
The Roborock Q Revo vacuums and wet-mops your floors simultaneously, with circular pads that spin at 200 rotations per minute. Users with carpets up to 7 millimeters high don’t have to remove the mopping pads to vacuum. This robot detects carpets and lifts the pads to avoid wetting them. The pads don’t need to be removed after every use either. The robot cleans and dries them when it returns to the dock.
The Q Revo uses a rubber brush instead of one with bristles which helps minimize pet hair tangles. Though we did find a bit of fur stuck to the corners of the brush during our tests, it was never enough to cause a clog. Plus, the brush roll detaches easily for convenient maintenance and cleaning. Additionally, the brush has the ability to float to meet uneven surfaces!
This vacuum did a fantastic job in our hard floor cleaning tests, picking up almost all of the debris we applied to the floor. Like other models we’ve tested, it wasn’t as thorough on carpeted floors. While it did a great job of removing messes from the surface of the carpet, it left behind some of the heavier, more embedded debris like sand. The charging dock automatically emptied the contents of the dustbin into a larger dust bag. We like that the dustbin features a HEPA filter, which we found easy to pop out for washing or replacing.
With the app, you can schedule automatic cleaning for different rooms, set boundaries for the robot and view the exact route it takes while it cleans. Plus, if a room in your home needs some extra attention, you can easily set different cleaning intensities with the app.
The Dreametech L10s Ultra navigated our test courses with ease, rarely bumping into any obstacles and cleaning under low furniture like sofas. Its long runtime, generous dust bin and excellent maneuverability make this model a great choice for large homes.
The L10s Ultra is a combination vacuum and mop. When cleaning on carpet, the robot automatically raises its mopping pads, so dry and wet cleaning don’t need to be done separately. In our tests, we noticed that it did very well at removing pet hair from the carpet. None of it ended up stuck to the brush roll or jammed in the dustbin either – it was all emptied automatically into the dock’s large 3-liter dust bag.
When moving from hard floors to carpet, the mopping pads lifted very quickly. We like that the included cleaning solution has its own place inside the dock, unlike some other models that require it to be mixed into the water tank. When mopping, we saw a noticeable lightening of sticky stains after just a single pass. The dock automatically washes and dries the mopping pads when the robot returns.
When we compared this robot to 10 of its counterparts, it earned the second-highest overall maneuverability score. It did an excellent job navigating around obstacles in its path, and it also proved to be great at picking up messes beneath furniture and around tight edges and corners.
The app earned high marks for ease of use. It allows users to adjust water and suction levels, schedule cleaning tasks and view a live feed from the robot’s camera. Though it is one of the more expensive robots we've tested, we think its performance and features make it worth it.
How we test robot vacuums
The Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab has been testing all kinds of vacuum cleaners for over 100 years. Using testing procedures developed by the International Electrotechnical Commission and ASTM International for testing robot vacuums, we spent almost 300 hours testing 15 robot vacuums, collecting a total of 405 data points that we then used to score each robot. And since this test, we've evaluated even more models.
In a 107-square-foot, two-room enclosure, we evaluated each robot’s performance in straight-line pickup and obstacle pickup on hard floor and carpet as well as how well the vacuum maneuvered under couches, around tight corners, over bumps and across hard-floor-to-carpet transferring. In addition to performance testing, we tested ease of use, assessing how intuitive the model's controls are, whether the initial setup is clear and whether it's simple to remove and clean all parts of the robot after use. We also rate how helpful we find the user manual for each.
For our straight-line pickup tests on hard flooring, large and small debris is deposited onto a marked area based on the width of the robot vacuum’s nozzle. Each robot vacuum is given 10 minutes to pick up the debris from the floor and the dustbin is weighed to find how much debris is picked up by each. Straight-line pickup tests on carpet are done in an enclosed area where we deposit mixed debris including potting soil, sand and rayon fibers meant to mimic pet hair. Each robot vacuum is allowed to clean the carpet for a specified length of time, and the weight of the dustbin is taken to find out how much debris each robot can pick up.
Obstacle pickup tests are done across both rooms of our testing enclosure with a mixture of oatmeal, orzo, baking soda and sand spread around both rooms. Our robot vacuums are set loose, maneuvering under a couch and coffee table, traversing over an area rug and moving through a doorway to collect as much of the debris as possible. We calculate the pick-up percentage based on the weight of the dustbin after the robot vacuum is finished cleaning.
There are a few things to consider when choosing the best robot vacuum for your home.
✔️ Space: How big is your home? If your robot vacuum will have a lot of ground to cover, look for a model with a long battery life and a large dust bin. Models that recharge and then resume cleaning where they left off are also a great option for larger spaces. Keep in mind that if your robot vacuum needs to recharge, it could seriously increase the duration of your cleaning session.
✔️ Features: Robot vacuums now offer some pretty impressive features. One feature we think is extremely helpful in any home is a mapping capability that helps guide the robot through your home instead of just bumping into furniture as it goes along. Some others we think are very useful are automatic carpet recognition, setting up no-go zones through an app and recharge-and-resume capabilities. But, not everyone will need all of these, and deciding which ones are important to you is a big part of choosing a robot for your home.
✔️ Price: Robot vacuums can range anywhere from $200 to well over $1,200. Your budget will also determine what kind of features your robot vacuum may have — one with all the bells and whistles will likely be more expensive. If you aren’t interested in having a model with floor mapping or self-emptying capabilities, you can opt for a robot vacuum in the lower price range. Though there are options that cost under $100, we have never found a high-quality robot model in that price range, though there are plenty of other good inexpensive vacuums.
While no robot can handle stairs or pick up ground-in dirt and debris as well as a manual vacuum (yet!), the top performers in our tests do have impressive pickup scores on hard floors and low-pile carpets. They do well at sweeping up fine particles like sand and baking soda, heavier debris like oatmeal, orzo pasta, metal screws and nuts and even fluffy stuff, like pet hair.
Robot vacuums are great maintenance cleaners. If you hate cleaning your floors or just want to extend the length of time in between cleanings, consider investing in one. Send it out several times a week, and it’ll nab all the dust and pet hair, lint and surface dirt on your floors before it has a chance to build up or get ground in.
Another benefit is that robot vacuums are short enough to slip under the bed or couch. Because most feature side brushes to help scoop dirt from corners and edges, they can also vacuum along the walls to clean crevices that you might often skip or that your regular vacuum can’t reach. You can set them to clean just the kitchen floor after dinner or an entire level of your home while you’re out of the house. Can you get it done faster with your regular vacuum? Sure. But the real question is, do you want to?
With proper care and maintenance, robot vacuums can last just as long as full-size vacuums. This means that as long as you are cleaning the rotating brushes regularly (hairs will get tangled here!), using your robot vacuum according to the manufacturer’s instructions and replacing parts like batteries and wheels, it’ll be helping you keep your home clean for years to come. Robot vacuum manufacturers we've spoken to have shared stories of consumers owning the same robot vac for nearly 10 years.
A robot vacuum uses navigation tools like sensors, lasers and cameras to work its way around your home, suctioning up pet hair, crumbs and dirt into its dustbin from hard floors like wood, tile and laminate and low pile carpets and area rugs. Many high-end robots are capable of mapping and learning your space, so you can set the robot to clean only one room or a specific area. Some cheaper vacuum models accomplish this by including boundary strips that you place on the floor to keep the robot where you want it. Even inexpensive models have fall-detection sensors that keep them from tumbling down stairs.
Many vacuums connect to apps that allow you to schedule cleaning sessions, and some even sync with Amazon’s Alexa, Google Assistant and other digital voice aids for a truly hands-free experience. All robot vacuums will automatically return to their docks to recharge, and some can even pause a cleaning session, recharge and continue cleaning from where they left off. If you have pets, consider a model with a rubber brush roller. We found that pet hair was less prone to sticking to them than a hard bristle brush, and the hair that did end up sticking was easier to remove.
Before your robot starts cleaning, pick up small items you don’t want to be vacuumed (check under the couch!), and ensure that power cords, clothes, rug fringes and window blind cords are tucked safely away. Unless you’re using a wet-mop vacuum, clean up all wet spills. Between cleanings, empty the dust bin and wipe down the sensors and charging contacts with a soft cloth so the robot can navigate more accurately and make a better connection with the charger.
Robot vacuums shouldn't require much upkeep, but each robot has different cleaning and maintenance requirements specific to that model. There are things you can do to keep your robot working in tip-top shape like checking brushes for any tangled hair, emptying (and rinsing, if the manufacturer says it's okay) the dust bin on the robot after each cleaning session and wiping the sensors or cameras to make sure that your robot can see your home well for the next cleaning session.
For robots that mop too, it's important to remove the mopping pads, clean them and then allow them to dry before re-installing them on the robot. Or, you can buy a robot that washes and dries the pads after each cleaning session, which are becoming more common. If your manufacturer recommends it, you can also periodically rinse your robot's filter, allowing it to dry before re-installing it. Replace it when you notice your robot's suction isn't as good as it used to be or however often is recommended.
Carolyn Forté, the Good Housekeeping Institute's Home Care and Cleaning Lab Executive Director, has over 40 years of experience testing and writing about all kinds of vacuums. For this roundup, she oversaw all of the testing conducted by Lynn Redmile, the testing and product review analyst who conducted our Lab's last full category test of robot vacuums where three of the picks on this list came from. Two of the newer picks in this story were tested by Carolyn personally and by our panel of consumer testers in consideration for the most recent Good Housekeeping Best Cleaning and Organizing Awards.
Noah Pinsonnault works as a product reviews analyst in the Home Care & Cleaning Lab where he helps design and perform tests on various product categories. He tested additional models and scoured through previous testing notes to prepare the latest update of this story.
Carolyn Forté brings more than 40 years of experience as a consumer products expert to her role as executive director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Home Care and Cleaning Lab. Using deep analytical testing and writing expertise in appliances, cleaning, textiles and organizational products, she produces cleaning and home care advice for GH, has authored numerous books and bookazines for the brand and partners with the American Cleaning Institute to co-produce the Discover Cleaning Summits. She holds a bachelor's degree in family and consumer sciences from Queens College, City University of New York.
Noah works as a product reviews analyst in the Home Care & Cleaning Lab where he helps design and perform tests on various product categories. He draws on scientific expertise garnered during his time as an environmental researcher, where he managed environmental monitoring equipment, analyzed water samples in a lab and developed protocols for restoration projects. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in environmental science from the University of Wisconsin-Superior.
Lynn Redmile (she/her) is a contributing product reviews analyst at the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she's been evaluating nutrition, fitness, beauty, textiles, home, pet, and cleaning products since 2012. She brings over 30 years of data analysis and project management experience to the role.
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