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Best Robot Vacuums of 2025: These Machines Do the Work for You

We spent hundreds of hours rigorously testing the latest robot vacuums so you can ditch that old vac for good. These are the ones that deserve your money.

Our Experts

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Written by  Ajay Kumar
Written by  Chris Wedel
Article updated on 
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Ajay Kumar Editor
Ajay has worked in tech journalism for over a decade as a reporter, analyst, product reviewer, and editor. He got his start in consumer tech, breaking Android news at Newsweek before going to PCMag, where he reviewed hundreds of smartphones, battery packs, and chargers as a Mobile Analyst. He also worked at Lifewire, a Dotdash Meredith brand, as a Tech Commerce Editor, putting together tested best-of lists and assigning product reviews across categories including smart home, uninterruptible power supplies, generators, and automotive tech. Most recently, he was Section Editor, Mobile at Digital Trends, spearheading his team's coverage of breaking news, features, reviews, roundups, deals, and more across a variety of mobile products, including phones, wearables, VR headsets, batteries, and chargers. If you want Ajay's advice about anything tech, especially solar panels, UPS, batteries, EVs, and charging technology, you can reach him at ajkumar@cnet.com.
Expertise 13+ years of experience in consumer product reviews, buying guides, best lists, and tech news across a variety of tech categories. As a homeowner, Ajay is also familiar with the unique electrical issues that can crop up in a prewar apartment building.
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Chris Wedel Home Tech Editor
Chris Wedel is a fan of all things tech and gadgets. Living in rural Kansas with his wife and two young boys makes finding ways to stay online tricky — not to mention making my homestead smarter. However, by utilizing his years of experience in the tech and mobile communications industries, success is assured. When not conquering the outdoors and testing new gadgets, Chris enjoys cruising a gravel road in his UTV with some good tunes, camping, and hanging out with his family.
Expertise Smart home devices, outdoors gadgets, smartphones, wearables, kid's tech, and some dabbling in 3D printing Credentials
  • Covered the mobile and smart home tech space for the past five years for multiple large publications.
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What to consider

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Robot vacuums are in a performance revolution-era. The cool tech upgrades we saw at CES 2025 are finally coming to the market. The upgrades include robotic arms that can move toys and debris, the ability to scoot up small obstacles and untangle themselves. But not everyone needs the bells an whistles. In this tariff environment we are in right now, home appliances are getting more expensive. That's why we curated a good budget pick too. We performed hands-on lab testing on 67 robot vacuums, evaluating each on its mopping and carpet performance, obstacle avoidance (including pet messes), docking stations, sensors, battery life, reliability and overall value. Here's our top eight favorites.

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What is the best overall robot vacuum?

The Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo remains in our top spot on the best robot vacuums despite stiffening competition. Honorable mention also goes to the Yeedi M12 Pro+, one of the best robot vacuum and mop combos we've tested for hardwood floors and a great value -- on sale or not.

We loved the Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo self-emptying dustbin, mop function, efficient navigation and cost-to-value ratio. You can choose between the all-in-one combo, which includes a stick vacuum that also self-empties, or just the robot vacuum. It does have a new competitor in the Eufy E20 3-in-1, which offers a robot vacuum, stick vacuum and handheld vacuum in one unit. Still, it lacks mopping capability and doesn't have the same level of cleaning performance.

Best 8 robot vacuums of 2025

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Showing 17 of 17 Results

Best robot vacuum overall

Pros

  • Self-emptying robot vac and stick vac in one
  • Excellent performance on hardwood (85%)
  • Pet hair doesn't get tangled on the brush
  • Supports mopping

Cons

  • Carpet pickup could be better
  • Pricey at $1,200

Best for: People who want a robot vacuum and stick vacuum in one unit without compromising performance.

Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo may look like a gimmick, adding a cordless stick vac to the Omni Station. Our lab testing shows that this is not the case. Instead, the Deebot T30S is so good as a robot vacuum and stick vac that it has become our top recommendation.

During testing in our lab, the T30S Combo picked up more than 65% of the sand on the carpet and 85% on the hardwood. It does a fantastic job getting debris off the floor; it’s also great for pet hair with the ZeroTangle brush system, which uses a V-shaped roller and Dual Comb Teeth to physically scrape hair from the brush and direct it to the dust bin.

The stick vac accessory has many attachments you need to help clean any mess. It’s great to have a stick vac with your robot vacuum and what helps the system stand out is that the Omni Station empties and cleans the robot vacuum and the stick vac. 

The Deebot T30S Combo offers a dual-spinning mop brush system to help keep your hard floors clean. When the vacuum detects the carpet, the mop rises to avoid touching the fibers. When mopping, the brush can swing out to reach the edge of the wall. At $1,200 it's not the cheapest option but it's less than newer releases from Dreame and Ecovacs. As of this writing, it's on sale for $749.99, and at that price, I wouldn't hesitate.

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Best robot vacuum and mop combo and best for hardwood floors

Pros

  • Excellent performance on hardwood (96.5%)
  • Very reasonable price
  • Great for pet hair
  • Good navigation around obstacles

Cons

  • Low-pile carpet performance could be better
  • Some user complaints about the app and setup

Best for: Those who want vacuuming and mopping functionality and have a lot of hardwood floor. Also great for pet owners.

Yeedi may not be a brand you've heard of but it's actually a sister company of Ecovacs, which has earned a number of picks on our list over the years. The Yeedi M12 Pro+ is a very capable robot vacuum and mop that comes with a docking station and very impressive performance on hardwood floors. It scored an impressive 96.5% sand removal from hardwood floors, even higher than Deebot T30S Combo (85%). In fact, this is the highest score on hardwood of any robot vacuum we've tested. It also managed 54.6% from low-pile carpet and 64% from mid-pile carpet.

According to our light path test, navigation was also particularly impressive. The robot kept a very tight path around our complicated table setup, hit the corners well, and missed very few spots. Notably, it also supports multi-level mopping, which is a nice feature you don't always get on non-flagship vacuums. Pet hair also proved not to be a problem, with the M12 Pro+ picking up nearly all the pet hair from hardwood and carpet.

The base station and robot vacuum are both loaded with features. The dock self-empties and includes a water tank to refill during mopping. It also has built-in hot air drying to sanitize the mopping pad between cleanings. And speaking of the mop, like many new robot vacuums, the M12 Pro+ will lift up its mopping pad if it encounters carpet. The mopping pad is even pressurized, giving you a bit more elbow grease when cleaning.
The Yeedi M12 Pro+ costs $899.99 at full price, which puts it on par with the Shark PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro, but it's currently priced at $449.99 on Yeedi and Amazon, making it quite the steal for the performance.

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Best Shark robovac

Pros

  • Excellent performance on hardwood floors and strong carpet cleaning
  • Comes with self-emptying dock
  • Can cross obstacles up to 1.5 inches

Cons

  • Somewhat pricey without sales
  • Takes 21 minutes for a single room

Best for: If you need vacuuming and mopping with great navigation and the ability to cross thresholds up to 1.5 inches without having to spend as much as the Dreame X50 Ultra.

Together with Roomba and Dyson, Shark is one of the best-known vacuum brands. In recent years, they've faced stiff competition from Dreame, Eufy, Eureka, Roborock and others, which are incorporating innovative features like threshold crossing, self-emptying docks and detangling brush rollers. The PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro is Shark's answer to this.

It comes with all the key features we've come to expect from a modern robot vacuum, including vacuuming and mopping functionality, a self-emptying dock, improved navigation with 3D mapping, 360-degree lidar and dirt detection sensors. In lab testing, it did great picking up sand from hardwood floors, removing nearly 96%, which is one of our highest scores on a robot vacuum. With carpet, we consider anything above 50% to be good; the Shark managed 54.5% from low-pile and 53% from mid-pile. Pet hair also proved to not be a challenge, with the PowerDetect removing most of it from hardwood and carpet.

Navigation was also quite good, with the robot moving around our test room in 21 minutes. The cleaning time is a little higher than some other models but it was comprehensive, hitting most of the edges and navigating under a multi-legged table. It only missed a few spots in its passes. Notably, similar to the Dreame X50 Ultra, the PowerDetect is able to lift itself up over thresholds and obstacles up to 1.5 inches, although it can't go as high as the 2.36 inches of the X50 Ultra. The mopping pads also lift up so they won't drag across the carpet and they self-clean and dry.

At $999 at full price, it's one of the pricier robot vacuums on our list, but it's frequently on sale and is currently available for $749.99 from most retailers, making it a much more attractive option.

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Best value robot vacuum

Pros

  • Very easy to use
  • Flexible and customizable for your cleaning needs
  • Strong vacuum performance on hardwood
  • Great value

Cons

  • No mopping functionality
  • Could be better on carpet

Best for: Total flexibility if you want a robovac, handheld and stick vac in one unit with a solid performance on different floor types.

The Eufy E20 3-in-1 robot vacuum is one of the most distinct robovacs we've tested. It's similar to our best overall pick, the Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo, which comes with a detachable and very capable stick vacuum in addition to its vacuuming and mopping robovac. The E20 unfortunately doesn't have mopping capabilities but it's still a very capable and easy to use robot vacuum and cordless vacuum.

"This is my favorite robot vacuum," said our lab tech, Schylar Breitenstein. She praised its ease of use and how the portable vacuum fits into the robot vacuum's body for space savings. She also pointed to the numerous attachments included to customize the E20 for different cleaning needs.
In terms of performance, the E20 did quite well in our sand pickup test on hardwood floor, removing 72% of sand. It struggled a bit more with carpet, falling shy of the 50% we consider a good score at 41% for low-pile and mid-pile carpet. Navigation was a mixed bag. Our light path test shows that it cleaned the test room in a methodical fashion, especially focusing on getting the corners first. However, it notably missed spots when navigating around the multi-legged table and would have benefitted from a tighter turn. It handled pet hair well on hardwood floors but missed some clumps on the carpet.

However, what earns the E20 a place on our list is the sheer value it offers. It's $549 at full price, but as of this writing, it has a $100 coupon on Amazon. For the price, you get a robot vacuum with a self-emptying dock, a stick vacuum and a handheld vacuum all in one where normally you'd need to buy them separately. Its closest competitor with the same features, the Deebot T30S Combo, will cost you more than double this price, giving the E20 tremendous value.

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Best Roomba

Pros

  • Motorized mopping
  • Good at identifying carpeted versus hardwood areas

Cons

  • No water tank for mopping
  • Somewhat outdated navigation compared with lidar

Best for: Solid performance in vacuuming and mopping across floor types.

The Roomba J7 Plus is a very capable and reasonably price robot vacuum but it lacked mopping functionality. Enter the Roomba Combo J7 Plus, which adds mopping to its skillset. Rather than just slapping a mopping pad onto the bottom, iRobot designed a motorized mopping pad with arms that lift it out from the bottom of the cleaner and relocate it to the top whenever it detects it's traveling over carpets.

That way, it'll never drag a wet, dirty mopping pad across your otherwise freshly vacuumed floors as it cleans. To test that out, our lab tech took the Roomba Combo J7 Plus home, where I have a mix of carpets and hardwood floors. It did a great job of identifying carpeted areas during its initial mapping run. We never caught it vacuuming those carpeted areas without lifting the mop up and out of the way first. It's just a better, more high-end approach to automated mopping and one you won't need to think about quite as much.

It's a capable vacuum and it did great at tackling all three flooring types (hardwood, low-pile carpet and mid-pile carpet) we tested. However, it faces stiffer competition these days with new combo robot vacuums that incorporate water tanks into their base stations and come with features like self-detangling rollers and hot air drying. Navigation also leaves something to be desired compared with lidar-based cleaners from names like Dreame, Neato and Roborock.

Despite some downsides, the Combo J7 Plus is typically priced at $599 these days and offers strong overall cleaning performance. As a result, it's our pick for the best Roomba robovac you can get.

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Best mid-priced robot vacuum

Pros

  • Good price
  • Solid sand removal on hardwood and carpet (60%)
  • Can mop and vacuum

Cons

  • Took more than one pass to remove pet hair
  • No auto-refill water tank
  • Bagless dust canister

Best for: Premium features without breaking the bank.

Another Yeedi earns a spot on the list. The Yeedi C12 Plus is a solid midrange robot vacuum and mop that offers strong across-the-board performance for a reasonable price. It picked up 78.65% of sand from a hardwood floor and managed 45% from low-pile and 57% from mid-pile carpet. Pet hair was removed easily from hardwood floors but it took more than one pass to get it off the carpet. On the plus side, the brushes didn't tangle.

Navigation was generally quite good in our light path test, with the C12 Plus keeping tight corners around a complicated table setup and generally not missing any spots. It's also no slouch on features with support for multi-level mapping and the ability to climb thresholds up to 0.8 inches, similar to the Dreame X50 Ultra and Shark NeverTouch. It comes with an all-in-one docking station that supports a self-emptying dustbin that can last for seven weeks. It lacks an auto-refill water tank, though, so you'll need to refill the 220mL water tank on the robot directly.

At $479, it offers similar functionality to more expensive robot vacuums like the T30S Combo and SharkPowerDetect at less than half the price. Currently, it's on sale for $269.99, making it one of the best bangs for the buck robot vacuums you can get.

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Best for obstacles and pets

Pros

  • Can cross thresholds and obstacles up to 2.36 inches
  • Good hardwood floor cleaning (62%)
  • Good obstacle recognition and avoidance

Cons

  • Struggles for sand pickup from low-pile and midpile carpet
  • Very expensive

Best for: Challenging homes with obstacles up to 2.36 inches and pets that shed a lot. Helps if money is no object.

One of the biggest problems I face using a robot vacuum in my apartment is the differently sized thresholds between rooms, which make it impossible for most robot vacuums to handle. The Dreame X50 Ultra is a robot vacuum designed to solve this problem. It can cross thresholds and obstacles up to 2.36 inches by deploying a pair of small legs to lever itself over obstacles.

In our lab testing, it successfully climbed a stack of plywood up to 2.36 inches, although it faced some issues coming down from anything more than 1.5 inches. Dreame advises that it works best when there's a transition between the two vertical obstacles, such as a 1.65-inch threshold followed by a 0.7-inch threshold. It's still more capable of climbing obstacles than any other robot vacuum we've tested, earning it a place on our list.

In cleaning capabilities, it's no slouch either. In lab testing, it vacuumed a room in 23.6 minutes and removed 62% of sand from a hardwood floor. For reference, we consider anything above 50% to be good. Carpets proved more of a challenge, with 35% off low-pile and 44% off mid-pile.

Mopping functionality is quite good as well. Our lab engineer took it to his home and tested the mopping and vacuuming on his 1200-square-foot main floor. It successfully mapped the main level in 11 minutes and cleaned everything in a little more than two hours. The base station also comes with two tanks, one for clean water and one for dirty, along with another receiver for the cleaning solution.

In real-world testing, it worked great with pet hair, removing most, if not all, of the pet hair from hardwood and carpet. The tangle-free roller brush never got tangled in a household with a Great Pyrenees. Navigation was also quite good, with the X50 Ultra able to identify objects like shoes, socks, tennis balls, electrical cords and other items it might get stuck on. It also recognized and worked around pets.

This earns it our recommendation, with the caveat that at $1,699 at full price, it is one of the most expensive robot vacuums you can buy so we only recommend it if you truly have numerous thresholds and challenging transition strips in your home.

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Best budget pick

Pros

  • Budget-friendly
  • Good on most flooring types

Cons

  • No real navigation system
  • Very slow

Best for: Those on a very tight budget who don't mind a long cleaning time.

You might not expect sufficient cleaning power from a budget-priced robot vacuum but that's precisely what the Anker Eufy RoboVac 25C delivers. For instance, its ability to scour sand from hardwood floors (78.9%) wasn't too far below that of our top midrange pick. It's a decent performer on low-pile and mid-pile carpets as well, sucking up averages of 54% and 52% of sand from them, respectively. The current asking price? Just $115 ($149 full price) at Walmart, although stock is dwindling at other retailers.

How did Anker cut down on costs here, anyway? The answer is navigation. Instead of relying on cameras or lasers to map out its environment, the machine bumps around the floor like a slow-motion ping-pong ball, changing direction when it encounters an object or obstacle. As a result, it took an excessive 91 minutes to finish its cleaning cycle in our test room so don't expect it to cover your house in anything close to efficient fashion. That's more than a fair tradeoff at this bargain-bin price, especially considering what a surprisingly competitive cleaner the thing is.

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Recent updates

  • April 2025: We added new tested robot vacuum and mop recommendations to the list: the Yeedi C12 Plus, Dreame X50 Ultra, Eufy 3-in-1 E20, Shark PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro, and Yeedi M12 Pro+. We also updated our testing procedures with our latest guidelines. Specifically, we eliminated our test for black rice because every robot vacuum was hitting nearly 100%. Instead, we've re-weighted our scoring using just sand on three different test surfaces. Finally, we updated the list of other robot vacuums we've tested and are currently testing.
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Robot vacuums compared

Manufacturer MakeModelRetail priceWeight (lbs.)Width (in.)Height (in.)Depth (in.)Dimensions include dock?Mode of navigationWireless connectivityApp controlsPlatform compatibilityMopping functionalitySelf-emptying binAverage runtime (single room)Percentage of sand removed from hardwood floorPercentage of sand removed from low-pile carpetPercentage of sand removed from mid-pile carpetAverage sand score
Neato Robotics NeatoD95008LiDARWi-FiYesAlexa, Google HomeNoNo1892.7157.4162.5570.89
iRobot Roomba ComboJ7 Plus11007.513.43.413.4PrecisionVisionWi-FiYesAlexa, Google Assistant, IFTTT, Siri ShortcutsYesYes1510061.959.8673.92
Neato Robotics NeatoD8400812.7413.2NoLiDARWi-Fi, BluetoothYesAlexa, Google HomeNoNo90.6947.8455.6964.74
Anker EufyRobovac 25C2505.2132.913NoCollision sensorWi-FiYesAlexa, Google HomeNoNo78.8953.5152.2261.54
Neato Robotics NeatoD1060012.7413.2NoLiDARWi-Fi, BluetoothYesAlexa, Google HomeNoNo1791.3559.6755.5668.86
DreameTech DreameBotD10S Plus5007.214414NoLaserWiFiYesAlexa, Siri, Google Assistant YesYes17.68557.8249.6664.16
DreameTech DreameBotD10 Plus50022.314.818.317.2YesLiDARWi-FiYesAlexaYesYes2396.4954.6150.3567.15
Roborock S7MAXV Ultra140028161916YesRGB camera, 3D sensor, LiDARWi-FiYesAlexa, Google Home, Siri ShortcutsYesYes1876.4958.8756.0363.79666667
iRobot Roomba6942746.813.43.513.4NoCollision sensorWi-FiYesAlexa, Google HomeNoNo79.8255.3245.3960.17666667
Roborock S7B08VHXZZ226508.213.83.813.9NoLiDARWi-FiYesAlexa, Google HomeYesNo92.8164.1850.3569.11333333
iRobot Roombai3 Plus5501513.33.613.3NoCollision sensorWi-FiYesAlexa, Google HomeNoYes91.6758.553.0667.74333333
IonVac Smart Clean20001508.812.82.912.8NoCollision sensorWi-FiYesAlexa, Google HomeNoNo78.8925.4432.8945.74
iRobot RoombaJ7 Plus8007.513.33.413.3NoRGB camera, 3D sensorWi-FiYesAlexa, Google Home, IFTTT, Siri ShortcutsNoYes91.6758.517.0155.72666667
Samsung JetBotAI Plus130029.913.83.913.8NoRGB camera, 3D sensor, LiDARWi-FiYesAlexa, Bixby, Google Home, Samsung SmartThingsNoYes85.826.9626.4746.41
AirRobo Robot Vacuum CleanerP201208.417.84.513.8NoCollision sensorWi-FiYesAlexaNoNo3747.7821.9318.4229.37666667
DreameTech DreameBotL10S Ultra13004019.525.516YesRGB camera, 3D sensorWi-FiYesAlexaYesYes1987.5425.1820.9244.54666667
iRobot RoombaS9 Plus999.998.1512.253.512.25vSLAMYesVera, Siri, Alexa, NoYes93287164
Electrolux Purei983395458.66666667
Neato Robotics Neato BotvacD7 Connected599.997.513.213.9212.56NoLIDARYesAlexa, Google Home, EchoNoNo12095364759.33333333
Neato Robotics Neato BotvacD4 Connected399.997.3713.23.912.6NoLIDARAlexa, Google, AppleNoNo92394558.66666667
Roborock S5Max7.716.935.9120.08YesLiDARYesAlexaYes85284151.33333333
Ecovacs DeebotOzmo 950130Smart Navi 3.0YesGoogle, Vera, and AlexaYes88883871.33333333
Neato Robotics Neato BotvacD6 Connected299.9913.23.912.6NoYesYesAmazon and GoogleNoNo80383751.66666667
Shark IQ1001AE599.995.8726.349.638.9YesIQYesYesAmazon and GoogleNoYes86303450
iRobot Roombai7 Plus430.997.4413.33.63vSLAMWi-FiNoGoogle, Alexa, SiriYesYes7587203146
Anker Eufy Robovac11S Max2502.85NoNo71212739.66666667
Ecovacs Deebot600349.997.6913.9413.9YesYesAlexa and Google homeNo71182538
Ecovacs Deebot5004.412.93.07RandomYesYesAlexa and Google No11064192235
Greenworks GRV5011749.9924.815.53.315.5NoLaserWiFiYesYesYes1892.9844.6834.0457.23333333
Lynkbey M20Pro1149.9941.620.4720.0819.75YesLaserWiFiYesSmart Phones YesYes2192.1646.5147.2961.98666667
RoboRock S8MaxV Ultra1799.9931.513.753.2513.89NoLiDARWiFiNoGoogle Home, Alexa, Siri YesYes1784.2159.5757.4567.07666667
Ecovacs DeebotT30S Combo Family1049.9943.4321.7520.517.25YesLDS LaserWiFiYesAlexa, Google Assistant YesYes1585.1964.4466.6772.1
Eureka NERE10S599.9923.613.83.913.8NoLiDARWiFiYesAlexa, Google Home YesYes23.564.8145.1940.7450.24666667
Ultenic UltenicMC1799.9930.913.943.8813.94NoLiDARWiFiYesAlexa Voice, Google HomeYesYes14.7584.2153.1933.3356.91
Lubluelu SL60D125.999.712.63.612.6NoLidarWiFiYesAlexa, Google AssistantNoNo1577.7855.2636.8456.62666667
Dreame X40 Ultra 1899.9928.713.2523.2516.6YesLidarWIFIYesAmazon echo, Google Home YesYes1695.2490.286.2790.57
Yeedi M12 Pro+899.9939.716.118.919.3YesLDS LaserWiFiYesYesYes1696.4954.6163.8371.64333333
Yeedi Cube 325.7137.815.7417.7214.76YesSLAM, Laser WiFiYesAmazon EchoYesYes2586.6734.6937.4152.92333333
Ecovacs DeebotX2 Omni109943.212.53.713.8NoLiDARWIFIYesGoogle Assistant, Amazon EchoYesYes15.588.4154.655.1766.06
Narwall FreoX Ultra1399.9928.2214.5717.116.34YesLiDAR 4.0WiFiYesAlexa, Google Assistant, Siri Short cuts YesYes15.575.9341.4836.351.23666667
Shark Power Detect Never Touch Pro999.992514.1317.5618.8YesLiDARWIFIYesAlexa, Hey Google YesYes2195.8354.4752.8567.71666667
Dreame L40 Ultra 1199.9929.813.3823.2417.98Yes3Dstructured light built-in camera and LED lights WiFiYesAlexa, Siri, Google Home YesYes239562.5961.973.16333333
Eureka J201099.9943.6516.617.818.1YesLiDAR, DuoDetect AIWiFiYesYesYes2466.6724.4431.8540.98666667
Anker EufyS1 Pro1499.9910.5312.83.818.39NoLiDAR, 3D SlamWiFiYesYesYes1681.4837.7838.5252.59333333
iRobot Roomba10 Max Combo1399.991113.33.413.3NoRoom by roomYesYesAlexa, Siri, GoogleYesYes1796.4767.558.6774.21333333
EcoVacs DeebotN30 Omni799.9925.619.0921.2YesAdvancedYesYesAmazon EchoYesYes23.358.8246.5150.3951.90666667
Roborock QrevoCurv1599.998.613.913.74.1NoLiDARYesYesAmazon Alexa, Apple Siri, and Google HomeYesYes1886.1647.6542.1658.65666667
Noesis FlorioF10 Pro1599311318.515.4YesDual NeuralVision Obstacle DetectionYesYesAmazonYesYes16.37.843.111.197.376666667
Eureka J15Pro Ultra999.9932.816.118.418.3LDSYesAlexa, Google, and SiriYesYes2422.2250.3748.8940.49333333
Yeedi C12Plus499.9919.1356380451YesLDSYesYesYes17.678.6545.1857.1660.33
Eureka NERE10S599.9923.613.83.913.8NoLiDARWiFiYesAlexa, Google Home YesYes23.564.8145.1940.7450.24666667
DreameTech DreameBotX50 Ultra1699.999.9813.3823.2217.9YesVersaLift DToFYesYesYesYes23.661.9634.8844.3447.06
Yeedi S14Plus1199.9936.918.82113.8Yes Smartphones, Amazon Echo, Google HomeYesYes18.4182.3558.1459.6966.72666667
Eufy E203 in 1549.9915.29.8515.227.36YesLaserYesYesNoYes21.3972.0840.6540.6551.12666667
EcoVacs DeebotT50 Max999.9937.511.5720.9813.78YesdToFYesYesAlexa, Google Assistant, Matter-enabled devicesYesYes76.4756.5950.3961.15
Monsga MS1Max359.997.712.63.812.6NoLiDarYesYesSmartphones, Amazon Echo, Tablets, Google HomeNoYes18.6546.6711.423.6827.25
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Factors to consider when choosing a robot vacuum

Budget

Before you do anything else, make sure you're clear on what you want to spend on your new vacuum. Robot vacuum models can cost anywhere from $200 to nearly $2,000, so it's important to set a budget to prevent overspending. We recommend deciding on what features (self-emptying bins, built-in mopping capabilities and advanced AI image recognition for elite-level obstacle avoidance) fit your needs and researching what your budget can get you. That way you know what you're looking for and can ensure you're getting the best value. 

Navigation and obstacle detection 

Sure, many robot vacuum models have sensors to navigate around your home or apartment but how effectively do the sensors perform? The ability of a robot vac to detect objects in its path can mean the difference between returning home to a clean house and a situation where the robot is trapped on cords or an area rug. 

Certain models like the Dreame L40 and Shark PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro have powerful obstacle detection capabilities and navigate your home with efficiency. Many new and upcoming robovacs also incorporate AI object recognition, allowing them to recognize objects intelligently and learn about new objects over time. This is true of the Dreame X50 Ultra and Roborock Saros Z70 and Ecovacs T50 Pro Omni, among others.

Pets 

Is there anything worse than your vacuum roller brush getting all tangled up and clogged by a heap of pet hair? Luckily, many manufacturers make robot vacuums that are suited for cleaning up after pets. Models like the Dreame X50 Ultra and the Yeedi M12+ Pro are adept at sucking up pet hair on carpet and hardwood flooring as well as detecting (and thankfully, avoiding) pet waste. Several of the models on this list have high-efficiency filters to help eliminate allergens that may come from pet hair and dander to help with allergies. One of the best new innovations is self-detangling brush rollers that are designed to avoid getting clogged by pet hair.

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How we test robot vacuums

Each robot vacuum we consider for recommendation gets put through its paces in our test lab in Louisville, Kentucky. In addition to test floors where we run our controlled pickup tests, we monitor each robot vacuum in a special test room filled with mock furniture to gauge how well it navigates around common obstacles. Past that, we check each robot vacuum's ability to gobble up pet hair without getting clogged or leaving loose strands behind, we consider mopping capabilities and we check to see how well it navigates fake dog messes, too.

Let's dive a little deeper into the main considerations, starting with our performance tests.

Robot vacuum scoring metric

Subrating category WeightWhat we looked for
Performance 30%Performance score extrapolated from AVG(AVG_sand on low-pile and midpile)
Value/price 25%Retail price rating considering all other features. i.e. Does this price seem fair for the value offered? Is it justified by performance, features, and NAV efficiency?
Features 15%What features does the vacuum offer? Self-emptying station? Multiple batteries? NAV tech? Mopping?
Runtime 20%Consider Navigation efficiency score (1-10), based on time taken to complete a full cleaning cycle in CNET LABS custom robot vacuum NAV testing room.
Ease of use 10%UX - How easy/quikck was the setup experience? Did it come with smart home functionality? Smartphone app? Voice assist?

Robot vacuum pickup power

When it comes to vacuuming prowess, we want to know how effective each robot is against common crumbs and other debris, and also how it fares against much smaller particles like dust, dirt and sand. To find out, we use sand as an analog for finer particles.

In each case, we scatter a controlled amount across three test floors: low-pile carpet, midpile carpet and hardwood floors. Low-pile carpet is shorter, less plush carpet with shorter fibers, so typically robot vacuums have an easier time picking up from it (though not always). Midpile is softer, more plush carpet with taller fibers. It tends to be more challenging for robot vacuums (though again, not always). Then, we take the robot vacuum, thoroughly empty its dust bin, send it to clean the affected area and finally measure the weight of whatever it managed to pick up. That gives us a pickup percentage of the full amount. From there, we repeat each run two more times and average the results.

In recent months, we eliminated our test for black rice on hardwood floors since, more or less, every robot vacuum we tested was scoring near 100%. We now use the sand test as our primary benchmark in evaluating cleaning performance. We consider anything 50% and above to be a good score for sand.

Hardwood floor testing

Low-pile carpet testing

Midpile carpet testing

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These overhead long exposure shots each show the trail of a Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra as it cleans our test room. We attach glow sticks to the top of the cleaner directly above the vacuum intake to get a sense of how much coverage the vacuum offers and how intelligently it navigates. In this case, the S7 MaxV Ultra is as thorough and consistent as robot vacuums get.

Gianmarco Chumbe/CNET

Robot vacuum navigation skills

Your robot vacuum will only clean your home as thoroughly as it's capable of navigating it. The ideal cleaner will make easy work of finding its way from room to room and automatically avoiding obstacles along the way, all of which makes for proper, low-maintenance automated cleaning.

We make sure to observe each robot vacuum as it cleans to get a good sense of how well it navigates but to get the best comparison from cleaner to cleaner, we take overhead long exposure shots of each one as it cleans our darkened test room, with glow sticks attached to the top of each one directly above the vacuum intake. The images that result show us light trails that reveal the robot's path as it navigates the room and cleans around our mock furniture.

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Gianmarco Chumbe/CNET

Now, compare that to this next GIF, which shows you three runs from the iRobot Roomba Combo J7 Plus. Notice the difference? The Roomba was less effective at covering the entire room, missing the bottom-left corner in two out of three runs, and it had plenty of difficulty providing adequate coverage around the legs of that mock dining table, too.

In large part, it comes down to the tech at play. Over the years, we've consistently noted that robot vacuums that use laser-guided lidar navigation tend to be very good at mapping their environment and finding their way around. Meanwhile, 3D-mapping cameras with object recognition smarts can give robot vacuums the extra ability to identify and adapt to obstacles in their path. The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra uses both technologies, which helps explain why it performs so well here. Meanwhile, the Roomba relies on cameras and sensors alone, with lasers left out of the mix.

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The iRobot Roomba J7 Plus delivered on its promise of steering clear of dog poop (fake or otherwise).

Gianmarco Chumbe/CNET

Still, those cameras definitely come in handy. Just watch the above GIF, which shows what happened when we put the iRobot Roomba J7 Plus to the test -- specifically, its promise of identifying and avoiding pet waste. With a variety of (I assure you, fake) dog poop scattered about a small, enclosed test floor, the Roomba did its best to vacuum the area without touching any of them. It succeeded, never bumping into any of our disgusting-looking test turds at all.

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The Samsung JetBot AI Plus consistently failed our solid pet waste test. In each run, it would eventually run over or push one of our dog poop models.

Gianmarco Chumbe/CNET

Now, compare that with the Samsung JetBot AI Plus, which also promises to use its cameras to spot and avoid pet droppings. The result was not great; in each test run, it would eventually bump into one of our test piles. Thank goodness they weren't real.

Other robot vacuum products we've tested

You've seen our top picks and our test data. Now, here's a quick rundown of the rest of the robot vacuums we've tested in recent years, some of which are still worthy of consideration for some shoppers:

Dreame

  • Dreametech DreameBot L10S Ultra: A souped-up Dreametech model that typically costs around $500, the DreameBot L10S Ultra adds in a king-size, 3L self-emptying bin and self-filling water tanks that let the thing make multiple mopping runs before needing a refill. It was only a so-so performer in our cleaning tests, getting regularly outperformed by its smaller sibling, the top-rated DreameBot D10 Plus. That model doesn't have the self-filling water tank, but at several hundred less than the L10S Ultra, it's a much better buy.
  • Dreame X40 Ultra: Not so long ago, the Dreame X40 Ultra was our splurge choice. Priced at $1,500, it was one of the most expensive robot vacuums we recommended for its excellent obstacle recognition and ability to clean multiple floor types. However, it's been replaced by a successor, the Dreame X50 Ultra, which is capable of overcoming vertical obstacles and comes with better performance for the price.
  • Dreame L40 Ultra: The L40 Ultra is a capable robot vacuum that performed well at picking up sand from hardwood floor (95%) as well as low-pile (63%) and midpile (62%) carpet. Navigation was also impressive, with tight corners and no missed sports. However, at $1,499 at full price, it's one of the more expensive robot vacuums on the market, so we don't recommend it unless you can find it on sale for closer to $1,000.
  • Dreametech DreameBot D10S Plus: A newer, slightly fancier version of our top-recommended DreameBot D10 Plus, the DreameBot D10S Plus (emphasis mine) added in a slightly larger bin that won't need to be emptied quite as much, a slight bump in suction power and a sleek, black-bodied design, all for about a hundred bucks more than the regular D10 Plus. It was a bit better on thin, low-pile carpet than that top-rated cleaner but not quite as good on hardwood floors or mid-pile carpet, which was somewhat surprising. Unless the bigger bin is of particular interest, we think you're better off saving some money and sticking with the D10 Plus. 
  • DreameBot D10 Plus (Out of stock): is the former overall pick, but the aging device is harder to find at retailers. It performs well on both carpets and hardwood floors with lidar navigation and a self-emptying dustbin. It's largely discontinued, but its successor, the Dreame D10 Plus Gen 2 is in stock for around $400 or less with a sale. Its features rival top brands like Roomba and Roborock at a significantly lower cost, making it a good option.

Ecovacs

  • Ecovacs Deebot X2 Omni: Retailing for $1,500 (though typically available for significantly less), this is the fanciest and most expensive Deebot we've danced within our test lab. It vacuums, mops, empties its own bin, refills its own water reservoir and features all of the rest of the bells and whistles that you'd expect from such a costly cleaner. It wasn't a leader in any of our tests, which is disappointing at this price, but it never faltered too badly, either. The pickup percentages on hardwood floors were all decent, and its performance was passable on the carpet too, with more than 50% of the sand sucked up in both our low- and mid-pile tests.
  • Ecovacs Deebot 500: The Deebot 500 is a basic but competent robot vacuum that offers app controls and voice compatibility with Alexa and Google. It wasn't a strong performer in our carpet tests and is priced too high to count as a budget pick.
  • Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo 950 (Update: Out of stock): The Ozmo 950 adds mopping functionality to the Deebot mix. As with other Deebots, the cleaning power didn't blow us away
  • Ecovacs Deebot N30 Omni: The N30 Omni is a capable robot vacuum and mop, but it doesn't stand out in performance. It scores decently in our sand removal test from hardwood (58.8%) and did okay at low-pile (46.5%) and midpile (50.4%). At $799.99 at full price and $449.99 on sale, there are robovacs with better performance in this price range.
  • Ecovacs Deebot T50 Max Pro Omni: The T50 Max Pro Omni is another robot vacuum and mop combo targeted toward the higher end of the market. It certainly looks like it, with a premium-felling design and beautiful rose gold accents on the robot vacuum. Setup was It's loaded with features, including a self-emptying dock that can detangle its brushes, advanced navigation and obstacle avoidance, and auto-refill for mopping. Performance is generally good, averaging 61% for sand removal from our three test surfaces. It did the best on hardwood, removing 76.5% of sand and removed more than 50% from both types of carpet. However, navigation left something to be desired, with numerous missed spots in our testing room, especially when navigating our multi-legged table. Robot vacuums with these features are also increasingly common and at the $999 price point, competition is stiff, which keeps it from taking a spot on our list.

Eufy

  • Eufy 11S Max: The Eufy 11S Max is a robot vacuum that might have earned our budget pick, if the performance held up. Unfortunately, while this slim robovac does well at sucking up sand from hardwood (71%) it struggled with both low-pile (21%) and midpile (27%) carpet. It's $249 at full price, but may become a more palatable option on sale ($139.99 as of this writing).
  • Eufy Omni S1 Pro: We were mixed on the S1 Pro. On one hand, our tester loved its fast and efficient cleaning, strong mopping, capable mapping and navigation, and useful self-sterilizing base. However, in lab testing, it didn't quite live up to expectations. While it did excellently on removing sand from hardwood floors, getting 81.5%, it fell short on carpet at 37.8% for low-pile and 38.5% for midpile.

Eureka

  • Eurkea E10S: The Eureka 10S is a very capable midrange robot vacuum and mop with lidar navigation. It picked up 64.5%% of sand from hardwood, 45.2% from low-pile carpet and 40.7% from midpile. Navigation was also generally quite good, with few missed spots. At $450, there are better-performing robot vacuums from the price, like the ones from Yeedi; however, if you can get the 10S on sale for closer to $300, it's a good option in the midrange.
  • Eureka J15 Pro Ultra: This high-end robot vacuum and mop from Eureka didn't live up to expectations. It underperformed on hardwood floor, scoring just 22% on sand pickup. It did alright on carpet, at 50% on low-pile and 49% on midpile, but for a vacuum that costs $1,000 at MSRP, this is disappointing performance.
  • Eureka J20: The J20 is another flagship robot vacuum and mop from Eureka that didn't wow us. It did alright in picking up sand from hardwood, scoring 66.7%, but it feels notably short on carpet, at 24.4% for low-pile and 31.9% for midpile. Despite some nice features like the self-emptying dock, mop washing, hot air drying and 3D obstacle avoidance, you get get a better robot vacuum and mop for the $1,000 price.

iRobot

  • iRobot Roomba 694: This budget-priced Roomba does a decent enough job at cleaning carpets and hardwood floors alike. It's extremely close to the Eufy RoboVac 25C in terms of performance, so if that model isn't available, give this Roomba a look as an alternative budget pick.
  • iRobot Roomba i3 Plus: At $350 or less, this is an entry-level option among self-emptying Roombas, so if you just want something from iRobot that empties its own bin for as little cash as possible, give it a look. It was a middle-of-the-pack performer in all of our cleaning tests, never disappointing us but never really wowing us, either.
  • iRobot Roomba i7 Plus: This is another entry-level Roomba with self-emptying smarts, and you can currently get it for roughly $600 on Amazon. It wasn't able to suck up much more than 25% of sand in our carpet tests, which suggests some limitations to its cleaning power.
  • iRobot Roomba J7 Plus: The Roomba J7 Plus is another Roomba vacuum that earned a place on our list for strong performance and AI-powered poop detection capabilities. However, this a feature that's become increasingly on newer models that are making impressive strides in obstacle detection and avoidance. It also lacks mopping capability, another expected feature and supplies appear to be dwindling outside of a few retailers.
  • iRobot Roomba S9+: The Roomba S9 Plus used to be our pick for pet owners and plush carpets. It excelled in our old testing procedures, picking up 71% of sand on mid-pile carpet. Unfortunately, it lacks mopping functionality, an increasingly common feature on robot vacuums across price ranges, and its availability is dwindling.
  • iRobot Roomba S10 Max Combo: The S10 Max Combo is iRobot's highest-end robot vacuum. It costs $1,400 at full price, though you can sometimes find it on sale for less than $1,000. As the name suggests, it can both vacuum and mop, comes with a self-emptying dock, and washes its mopping pad after every use. It had excellent hardwood performance in our testing, picking up 96.5% of sand, and better than average performance on carpet, with 67.5% on low-pile and 58.7% on mid-pile. Navigation was generally quite comprehensive, but it could have done tighter turns around some table legs, resulting in some missed spots. Unless you can get it on sale, there are other robot vacuums with better performance and similar features for the price.

Narwhal

  • Narwhal Freo X Ultra: The Freo X Ultra is a premium robot vacuum and mop combo with all the bells and whistles you'd expect. It has lidar navigation, auto mop drying and washing, a self-emptying base station and a brush that's resistant to tangling to pet hair. Performance is decent, but doesn't particularly stand out. It does well on hardwood, removing nearly 76% of sand, but falls short on carpet, removing 41.5% from low-pile and 36.3% from midpile. For $900, there are better options from Shark, Ecovacs, and others.
  • Narwhal Freo Z10: The Z10 is another premium robot vacuum from Narwhal priced at $1,099, but once again, performance left something to be desired. It does well on hard flooring, scoring 68.6% sand pickup from hardwood, but fared quite poorly on carpet, with just 18.6% on taller fiber carpet and 24.03% on shorter fiber carpet. Our lab tech also noted the cheap feeling replaceable insert bin inside the dustbin made of low-density plastic. Users will need to periodically replace the insert bins, purchasing additional ones from Narwhal, creating an added expense. We also had issues with setup, with the robot displaying an error and trying to have us replace a brand-new dustbin. Finally, it struggled to map and navigate, with the unit unable to position itself after circling our test room multiple times.

Neato

  • Neato D9 (Update: Out of stock): Nearly identical in appearance to the D8 and the D10, the Neato D9 is a powerful vacuum, particularly on thick carpets, where it leads the way in our cleaning tests among all of the cleaners we've tested in the past two years. You won't get a self-emptying bin or a mop, but if you just want something to keep crumbs and pet hair out of your carpets, it's well worth a look as an alternative to the Roomba S9 Plus.
  • Neato D10: One of the latest D-shaped cleaners from Neato, the D10 promises powerful suction and room-by-room navigation smarts via the Neato app. It was a relatively strong performer in our tests, but we didn't see enough of an edge over the D8 or the D9 to justify the extra expense.

Roborock

  • Roborock S5 Max (Out of stock): An older model in Roborock's lineup, the S5 Max was a robot vacuum and mop combo. It did great on hardwood floors, picking up 85% of sand, but fared poorly on carpet, managing just 28% on low-pile and 41% on midpile.
  • Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra (Out of stock): It's no longer available, but when we tested the S7 MaxV Ultra, it proved to be a fairly capable robot vacuum, scoring 76.5% on hardwood, 58.9% on low-pile carpet and 56% on midpile. The S8 MaxV Ultra is its successor and a good option if you're keen on a Roborock.
  • Roborock S8 is a top midrange robot vacuum with excellent performance and intelligent navigation. It excels at cleaning various floor types, including those with a built-in mopping pad. While lacking a self-emptying bin, its strong performance makes it an excellent choice for homes with diverse flooring.
  • Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra is a premium robot vacuum with exceptional cleaning power and intelligent features. It effectively cleans various floor types with powerful suction and an advanced mopping system. Obstacle recognition and LiDAR navigation ensure efficient cleaning throughout your home.
  • Roborock Qrevo Curv: The Qrevo Curve is a fairly expensive robot vacuum and mop, costing $1,600 at full price, though it is currently on sale for $1,300. It has an attractive design with an egg-shaped charging station. It doesn't particularly stand out in performance, but it does great on hardwood, picking up 86% on sand. It falls short with carpet at 47.7% and 42.2%, respectively.
  • Roborock Saros 10: The Saros 10 is a very capable robot vacuum, though its $1,599 price point makes it hard to recommend compared with more affordable options that offer similar performance. It did well in our testing, scoring 86%, picking up sand off hardwood floors, putting it on par with our best overall pick, the Ecovacs T30S Combo. With more plush midpile carpet, it did reasonably well at 49%, but fared lower than average with lower fiber carpet, at 35%. The dustbin was also quite small, but we were impressed by the navigation and the fact that the Saros 10 didn't require much mapping to clean. It also comes with all the premium bells and whistles, including mopping functionality, intelligent dirt detection, self-detangling main brush, hot water mopping, and dock self-cleaning. If you can get it closer to a $

Samsung

  • Samsung JetBot AI Plus: You already saw it fail our poop avoidance test, and that wasn't the only place where Samsung's JetBot AI Plus came up short, with pickup percentages that ranked near the bottom in all of our cleaning tests. At $650, this tech-rich robot vacuum just isn't worth it.

Shark

  • Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 The PowerDetect is Shark's high-end model, priced between $600 and $1,000. It does an excellent job of picking up rice, and it's better than average (higher than 50%) when it comes to picking up sand from low- and midpile carpets. However, its hefty weight and middling carpet performance usually mean there are better options on the market at a lower price, including the Roomba Combo J7 Plus.
  • Shark IQ RV1001AE: A self-emptying cleaner, the Shark IQ RV1001AE is worth a look as an affordable option that empties its own bin. It gathered a respectable 84% of sand from hardwood floors in our cleaning tests but failed to pick up more than 35% of the stuff in any of our carpet tests, which isn't as strong as some of our top recommendations.

Yeedi

  • Yeedi Cube: An offshoot of EcoVacs, the Yeedi Cube is a self-emptying floor cleaner with a built-in mopping mode. The "cube" in question is the docking bay, which looks like a little robot vacuum garage, up into which it empties its bin. It was a middle-of-the-pack performer on hardwood floors, and rather lackluster on both of our test carpets, which makes this pick pretty passable.
  • Yeedi S14 Plus: The S14 Plus is Yeedi's newest, top-range robot vacuum and mop combo. It has a lot going for it, with strong performance on hardwood floors (82.4%) and very good performance on carpet (58% low-pile and 59.7% midpile). It's also loaded with features, an auto-empty and self-drying dock, a 3D sensor for navigation, and self-detangling brush rollers. However, at $1,400 at full price (currently $950 on sale), you can get even better performance from the Yeedi M12 Pro+, which is our recommended robot vacuum for both vacuuming and mop and hardwood floors. It's also less than half the price.

Other brands we've tested

  • Electrolux Pure i9 (Update: Out of stock): This cleaner features a unique, triangular design, and it incorporates 3D-mapping cameras into the mix for smarter navigation. It was an underachiever in our cleaning tests, so we'd recommend shopping around.
  • Greenworks GRV-5011: This $658 laser-guided floor cleaner performs well on hardwood floors. Couple that with the built-in mopping functionality, and it might be worthy of consideration for homes with hard floors. Performance on low- and mid-pile carpet was less than stellar, though, averaging toward the bottom of the pack in both cases.
  • IonVac Smart Clean 2000: One of dozens of cheap, no-name robot vacuums available from Amazon and other online retailers, the IonVac Smart Clean 2000 was near-competent in our cleaning tests, but always just a little below average. Nothing about it stands out enough for us to recommend it.
  • Lynkbey M20 Pro: A newcomer to our tests, Lynkbey's flagship cleaner is a self-emptying, mop-wielding powerhouse that seeks to take on Roborock. It was a top-three finisher in our hardwood floor tests, and an above-average finisher on low- and mid-pile carpets, although I'd note that it couldn't quite suck up 50% of the sand in either test, which is a slight red flag for performance. Still, it's a likable upgrade pick, especially if you can catch it on sale for less than the full $1,150 asking price.
  • Lubluelu SL60D (Out of stock): No longer available inthe US, but still available in the EU, UK and Australia, the Lubluelu SL60D is a solid midrange or budget vacuum if you can get it for the $272 price point or less. It scored well in our testing, with 77.8% sand pickup from hardwood and 55.3% from low-pile carpet. It didn't fare as well with midpile at 36.8%, but it also offers premium features including lidar navigation, mopping, voice control and a self-emptying dock.
  • Ultenic MC1: This robot vacuum is from a little-known brand, but it was our previous pick for midrange robotics. It did well on our old lab tests, picking up nearly 75% of sand. It also boasts features like a self-emptying dock and mopping system, which is impressive for a robot vacuum. However, it's currently only available on Ultenic's storefront and lacks suction power compared to newer models.
  • AirRobo P20: This robot vacuum and mop combo is one of the more affordable options we've tested. At $499 MSRP and frequent discounts and sales, you'll rarely get mopping and vacuuming functionality at this price. Unfortunately, as a vacuum, it doesn't excel, removing just 48% of sand from hardwood floors and struggling on low-pile (22%) and midpile (18.4%) carpet.
  • Noesis Florio F10 Pro: With a name that sounds vaguely like a dental disease, the Noesis Florio was a strange robot vacuum and mop to test. It had a very odd navigation pattern, which made it inefficient for cleaning sand and pet hair. In fact, it got the worst results of any robot vacuum we've tested, removing just 7.8% of sand from hardwood, 3.1% from low-pile carpet and 11.2% from midpile carpet. We redid the testing six times to confirm this result. The dustbin was also very small, and we were unable to properly test navigation due to the current preventing our light path test. For $1,600 at full price, this robot vacuum is not worth the money, even at a discount.
  • Monsga MS1 Max: I was really interested in testing this robot vacuum as part of our search for a new budget or midrange pick. For $360 on sale and $520 at full price, it offers a lot of premium features, including mopping, lidar navigation, a self-emptying bagged base station, and voice control. Unfortunately, the performance was nothing to write home about. It removed 46.7% of sand off hardwood floors, but just 11.4% off low-pile carpet and 23.7% off midpile. The below-average carpet performance keeps it from earning a spot on our list.

Robot vacuums we're currently testing

  • The $1,899 Roborock Saro Z70 with its robotic grabber arm is currently being put through our paces in both our vacuum testing lab in Lousiville and in my own apartment in New York City, much to the chagrin of my three cats. I anticipate having a full review of the robot vacuum in May.
  • Narwahl Freo Pro: This $700 robot vacuum and mop is targeted toward the midrange. We'll be testing how it fares against the closest competition.
  • Eufy Omni E28: This robot vacuum will be available starting April 23. Similar to the E20, it's a detachable portable deep cleaner, vacuum and mop all in one device. It's expected to launch at $999.
  • Roborock Saros 10 and 10R: These $1599 vacuums from Roborock have a lot of similarities, but we'll be diving into what makes them different.
  • 3i P10 Ultra and 3i S10 Ultra: These will be the first 3i vacuums we've tested.
  • Ecovacs X8 Pro Omni: One of the more recent releases from Ecovacs, this robot vacuum and mop combo is loaded with features we're keen on trying out.

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Keeping your robot vacuum clean

Some orange cat hair tangled around the Eufy S1 Pro brush.

Robot vacuum brushes have gotten better at not getting hair tangled around itself, but sometimes you still need to help it out.

Chris Wedel/CNET

We like to think that our robot vacuums are completely self-reliant and to some extent, that's increasingly true. Many robot vacuums have self-emptying docks, auto-refill water tanks and self-detangling brush rollers. However, hair can still get tangled around the brush and sensors can get dirty. Performing regular maintenance on your robot vacuum will continue to perform well for years to come.

Some of the routine cleaning that needs done for your robot vacuum is daily, while other stuff can be done weekly or even monthly.

  • Daily: Emptying the bin, checking wheels for stuck debris. 
  • Weekly: Cleaning brush rolls and wheels.
  • Monthly: Charging contacts and cliff sensors; removing and deep cleaning the brushes.

We have dedicated a complete breakdown of the different parts of your robot vacuum that will need some regular maintenance. Most of this work will take only a few minutes at most but will give you much more in return with a cleaner house.

However, some of the newer robovacs reaching the market, such as those from Narwal, come with multi-function base stations that can automatically handle things like dust emptying and water tank refilling, letting it last up to 120 days before maintenance, so you can look forward to spending less time on these tasks in the future.

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Robot vacuum FAQ

How long do robot vacuums last?

Robot vacuums are complex machines with more moving parts, electronics and software than ordinary vacuums. Still, with regular maintenance and replacement parts such as batteries, brushes and filters, these devices can last just as long as traditional vacuums. This should translate to multiple years of use.

Keep in mind that manufacturers typically cover their robots with one-year limited warranties that include parts and labor. IRobot, Neato and Samsung are examples.

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How well do robot vacuums work?

How well a robot vacuum cleans your home depends on many factors. Floors cluttered with obstacles like wires, charging cords, toys, shoes and clothing can stop robots in their tracks. The less overall clutter the better a robot will operate. Some robot vacuum models clean tile, wood flooring and different types of carpet better than others.

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Can robot vacuums climb stairs?

Yes and no, depending on your definition of stairs. Dreame's new X50 Ultra, which was demoed at CES and subsequently earned a place on this list during testing. It can handle "stairs" that are 2.36 inches (4.2 centimeters+1.4cm) tall or under and sliding door tracks up to 6 centimeters wide. So if you have thresholds that are different heights in your living space, such as between the living room and kitchen or bedroom and hallway, the X50 Ultra will cross these better than a standard, legless robovac, but it won't handle a full flight of stairs.

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Can a robot vacuum pick up after you?

Surprisingly, the answer is yes. The Roborock Saros Z70, the recipient of our Best of CES Award, comes with a mechanical task arm that allows it to pick up and move objects it finds lying around the room. In the demo, we saw it pick up socks and drop them at a designated location. For the moment, it's able to detect 108 obstacles, and though the arm can lift fewer items, it'll have more support in future software updates.

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Can robovacs also mop?

Many robovacs now have mopping features, including many on our best list, like the Deebot T30S Combo. Many newer robovacs also incorporate this feature, like the Eureka J15 Max Ultra, which can also use AI to detect liquid spills and untangle its own brushes. There's also Narwal's Flow Series the premium Freo Z10 all-in-one robovac and Freo Pro. They're loaded with features, including mopping, multi-function base stations, hot-air drying, advanced AI object recognition and more.

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What's the best robovac for pet hair?

Our current top robot vacuum for pet hair is the iRobot Roomba S9 Plus. It excelled during our pet hair pickup tests, where we scatter clumps of pet hair donated by a groomers across the floor. It also does great at tackling thick carpets. Honoroable mention goes to the Roomba J7 Plus, it has loads of smart sensors to dodge pet messes, and it works great at picking up pet hair.

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What's the best robovac for hardwood floors?

The Roomba Combo J7 Plus is the best robot vacuum for hardwood floors, beating out the competition by picking up all the sand from a hardwood floor during testing. If price is no object, we also like the Dreame X40 Ultra -- it grabbed 95% of sand during testing.

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What's the best robovac for carpets?

Our best overall, the Deebot T30S is also the best robot vacuum for carpets. It has tons of suction power and was able to pick up 65% of sand from carpet.

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Shark vs. Roomba: Which robot vacuum is better?

Shark and iRobot (maker of the Roomba) are two top rivals in the robot vacuum market, and choosing between their products will ultimately come down to price. Shark robovacs tend to cost a bit less, but if you don't have a strict budget in mind for your robovac purchase, go with one of CNET's choices for best overall robovac, the Roomba Combo J7 Plus. For Shark, we like the fully-featured Shark PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro for its good navigation and cleaning performance, though it's on the more expensive end. For a more detailed analysis of the two brands, CNET experts have put together a comprehensive comparison.



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For more information on FAQs, see how to properly care for your robot vacuum and how a robot vacuum stacks up versus a cordless vacuum