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Two robot vacuums sit on a gray rug Credit: Reviewed

The Best Robot Vacuums of 2024

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Two robot vacuums sit on a gray rug Credit: Reviewed

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Editor's Choice Product image of iRobot Roomba J9+
Best Overall

iRobot Roomba J9+

4.9
Check Price at Amazon

This robot vacuum is a standout among its competition. Excellent cleaning and navigation means it's the best option for most households. Read More

Pros

  • Excellent cleaning
  • Self-empties
  • Easy-to-use app
  • Excellent navigation

Cons

  • Emptying function is loud
2
Editor's Choice Product image of iRobot Roomba Combo j7+
Best Robot Vacuum Mop Hybrid

iRobot Roomba Combo j7+

4.8
Check Price at Amazon

The iRobot Roomba j7+ Combo is an excellent floor cleaner with its retractable mop, superior navigation, and self-emptying capabilities. Read More

Pros

  • Excellent vacuuming
  • Retractable mop
  • Self-emptying

Cons

  • Average mopping
3
Editor's Choice Product image of Eufy RoboVac 11s
Best Budget

Eufy RoboVac 11s

4.0
Check Price at Walmart

The combination of good dirt pickup and quiet operation make the 11s one of our favorite robot vacuums. Read More

Pros

  • Slim design allows it to clean more areas
  • Excellent dirt pickup

Cons

  • Can get caught on throw rugs
  • Clean cycles can last up to two hours
4
Editor's Choice Product image of Samsung JetBot AI+ VR50T95735W
Best for Pet Owners

Samsung JetBot AI+ VR50T95735W

3.9
Check Price at Samsung

This robot vacuum combines incredible navigation with solid cleaning power. To boot, it's got a smart system specifically geared toward pets. Read More

Pros

  • Excellent LiDAR-based navigation
  • Self-emptying
  • Records video
  • Powerful cleaner

Cons

  • Hefty
5
Editor's Choice Product image of iRobot Roomba j7+

iRobot Roomba j7+

4.9
Check Price at Amazon

The iRobot Roomba j7+ boasts excellent navigation, forward-thinking smart features, and good cleaning performance. Read More

Pros

  • Excellent navigation
  • Easy storage
  • Good cleaning performance

Cons

  • Loud
  • Best Overall iRobot Roomba J9+
  • Best Robot Vacuum Mop Hybrid iRobot Roomba Combo j7+
  • Best Budget Eufy RoboVac 11s
  • Best for Pet Owners Samsung JetBot AI+ VR50T95735W
  • Other Smart Robot Vacuums We Tested
  • How We Test Robot Vacuums
  • What To Consider Before Buying A Robot Vacuum
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • More Articles You Might Enjoy

The robot vacuum cleaners you see today are not the clunky furniture destroyers from a decade or two ago. Like many small appliances in your home, modern automated floor cleaners now connect to the internet, which allows you to control your robot vacuum with smart apps, as well as with voice assistants like Alexa and Google.

We’ve tested the most popular robot vacuums from iRobot, Eufy, and Ecovacs to find out which ones are the best. After extensive testing, the iRobot Roomba j9+ (available at Amazon for $899.00) is the best robot vacuum you can buy right now. It gives you the clean floors you thought you could only get from a traditional vacuum cleaner, without all the work.

However, there are many great robot vacuums in our guide to choose from.


The iRobot j9+ on a wooden floor next to a carpet.
Credit: Reviewed / Jonathan Chan

The iRobot Roomba j9+ is a superb robot vacuum cleaner.

Best Overall
iRobot Roomba J9+
  • Navigation: Excellent
  • Navigational technology: Lidar
  • Self-empties: Yes
  • Mop function: No

iRobot lands top honors again this year with its brand new Roomba j9+ robot vacuum. It takes over where its predecessor (the Roomba j7+) leaves off, with even better suction power, cleaning capabilities, and navigation.

When it comes to cleaning, on average, it picked up around 9.45 grams of our testing debris per run, and it also does well with intense amounts of pet hair. This puts it in the top 10% of all the robot vacuums we’ve tested.

Its navigation abilities are advanced as well. The unit uses lidar technology, and it seamlessly transitions from floor to carpet and back again, avoiding furniture, cords, and most importantly, pet accidents.

The j9+'s charging base is simple and black, and it will empty the robot vacuum's dustbins automatically so you don’t have to get your hands dirty. However, when doing so, plug your ears. This puppy is loud.

Its user interface is incredibly simple yet effective, and it is a fit for most households out there.

Read our full review of the iRobot Roomba j9+

Pros

  • Excellent cleaning

  • Self-empties

  • Easy-to-use app

  • Excellent navigation

Cons

  • Emptying function is loud

$899.00 from Amazon

$899.00 from Best Buy

$899.00 from Target

$899.00 from Home Depot
The iRobot j7+ Combo cleaning a floor
Credit: Reviewed / Jon Chan

The iRobot j7+ Combo is elegantly designed and powerful, making it the best robot vacuum and mop hybrid you can buy.

Best Robot Vacuum Mop Hybrid
iRobot Roomba Combo j7+
  • Navigation: Excellent
  • Navigational technology: Lidar
  • Self-empties: Yes
  • Mop function: Yes

The iRobot Roomba j7+ Combo has a lot going for it, most importantly it cleans your floors well and is easy to use.

First off, the Combo excels at vacuuming debris. During testing, it picked up an average of 9.85 grams per run, which places it at the top tier of all robot vacuums we’ve tested.

Its mop is also exceptional. Most other robots with mop attachments have the potential to drag them across carpets. The Combo solves this problem by having the mop flip onto its topside when it detects carpet, meaning it will avoid carpeted areas.

iRobot also engineered the j7+ Combo with useful features, like the ability to self-empty. When the Combo finishes cleaning, a secondary vacuum in the dock suctions everything from the dust bin and places it into a self-sealing bag that can hold up to 60 days' worth of debris.

The j7+ Combo smarts are what makes it stand out amongst the competition. iRobot invested a lot in machine learning and navigation. The company placed a forward-facing camera on this robot, meaning it deftly avoids obstacles like power cables and pet accidents. This is just one of many great smart features the j7+ Combo offers.

For the best robot vacuums and mops, you can't go wrong with the iRobot j7+ Combo.

Read our full review of the iRobot Roomba j7+ Combo robot vacuum and mop

Pros

  • Excellent vacuuming

  • Retractable mop

  • Self-emptying

Cons

  • Average mopping

$890.67 from Amazon

$799.00 from Best Buy

$799.00 from Target

$799.00 from Abt
The Eufy Robovac 11S is our favorite affordable robot vacuum
Credit: Reviewed / Jonathan Chan
Best Budget
Eufy RoboVac 11s
  • Navigation: Fair
  • Navigational technology: Inertia
  • Self-empties: No
  • Mop function: No

The Eufy Robovac 11S is the heir to the much-loved Robovac 11. This robot vacuum does its predecessor proud, offering excellent suction and improved navigation. The slimmer design allows the Robovac 11S to get its brushes into more places.

When we ran our tests, this Eufy robot vacuum picked up around 11.6 grams of dirt per run, more than what most iRobot models manage.

During operation, the 11S is quiet, rarely making enough noise to interrupt a conversation.

This combination of good cleaning performance and quiet operation make the Robovac 11S our favorite affordable robot vacuum.

Read our full review of the Eufy Robovac 11S

Pros

  • Slim design allows it to clean more areas

  • Excellent dirt pickup

Cons

  • Can get caught on throw rugs

  • Clean cycles can last up to two hours

$159.99 from Walmart
A white robot vacuum sits in its doc next to a green dresser
Credit: Samsung

The Samsung JetBot A.I.+ is our pick for best robot vacuum for pet owners because of its ability to suction up hair and avoid messy pet accidents.

Best for Pet Owners
Samsung JetBot AI+ VR50T95735W
  • Navigation: Excellent
  • Navigational technology: Object recognition
  • Self-empties: Yes
  • Mop function: No

The Samsung JetBot A.I.+ is a rather large robot vacuum, but it’s ideal for tackling pet hair and dander.

On top of its powerful suction and self-emptying capabilities, this Samsung robot vacuum navigates around your home with ease. It can avoid furniture as well as other obstacles (like dog poop), which is a common complaint from pet owners who want a good vacuum robot.

The JetBot A.I.+ also includes a unique program called SmartThings Pet, which essentially allows the robo vac to double as a pet cam. The unit has cameras that enable it to record videos of your pets at home, so you can see what they’re up to while you’re gone.

For all of these reasons, we’ve named it the best robot vacuum for pet hair.

Read our full review of the Samsung JetBot A.I.+

Pros

  • Excellent LiDAR-based navigation

  • Self-emptying

  • Records video

  • Powerful cleaner

Cons

  • Hefty

$1,299.00 from Samsung

Buy now at Amazon

$899.99 from Best Buy

$1,299.00 from Home Depot

Other Smart Robot Vacuums We Tested

Product image of iRobot Roomba j7+
iRobot Roomba j7+
  • Navigation: Excellent
  • Navigational technology: Object recognition
  • Self-empties: Yes
  • Mop function: No

It doesn’t get much better than the iRobot Roomba j7+ when it comes navigation and design. The j7+ uses machine learning and forward-facing cameras to maneuver around furniture and avoid obstacles with ease.

The j7+’s excellent navigation allows it to get near-total floor coverage. During testing, our best robot vacuum picked up 9.35 grams of dirt per run, allowing it to keep up with a full-sized vacuum over the course of a week.

Plus, you can use the iRobot Genius app to specify what rooms or parts of rooms you want to be cleaned and when.

Do your kids constantly track in dirt when they come home from school? The j7+ can be programmed to clean the front entrance every day at 3 pm. When it’s done cleaning, this Roomba can empty itself into a self-sealing bag.

Being so programmable and flexible makes the iRobot Roomba j7+ an indispensable tool for cleaning.

It also looks great while doing it. The j7+ has received an aesthetic upgrade. The dock has been redesigned to fit in more places and to match most home décor. The robot itself has a brushed metal top that will keep looking spick and span for years to come.

Overall, the iRobot Roomba j7+ is a leap forward for robot vacuums. It lets you think less about cleaning your floors and that’s really the whole point of a robot vacuum, isn’t it?

Read our full review of the iRobot Roomba j7+

Pros

  • Excellent navigation

  • Easy storage

  • Good cleaning performance

Cons

  • Loud

$749.00 from Amazon

$799.00 from Home Depot

$709.99 from Walmart
Product image of iRobot Roomba i3+
iRobot Roomba i3+
  • Navigation: Fair
  • Navigational technology: Lidar
  • Self-empties: Yes
  • Mop function: No

The iRobot Roomba i3+ is an affordable and self-emptying robot vacuum that’s compatible with iRobot OS, the company’s versatile smart app platform. The app lets you create labeled smart maps. This in turn allows you to have your i3+ clean just under the table or schedule it to clean the doorway when your kids come home from school.

The i3+ itself is a pretty good robot vacuum. It picked up 11 grams of debris per run, which gets a gold star in our book. It also has a textured chassis so it’ll stay looking fresh and new for years to come.

Read our review of the iRobot Roomba i3+

Pros

  • Powerful suction

  • Self-emptying

Cons

  • Expensive, even as a best value

Buy now at Amazon

$549.99 from Best Buy

$549.99 from Target

$400.00 from Walmart
Product image of Ecovacs Deebot T10 Omni
Ecovacs Deebot T10 Omni
  • Navigation: Fair
  • Navigational technology: Object recognition
  • Self-empties: Yes
  • Mop function: Yes

The Ecovacs Deebot T10 Omni is an excellent all-in-one. It can vacuum, mop, self-empty, and self-clean. Unlike most jack-of-all-trades, the T10 does all these cleaning jobs very well.

During testing, it picked up over 10 grams of debris per run, putting it in the same league as the iRobot Roomba j7+ Combo. When it came to mopping, it scoured chocolate syrup off our hardwood floors.

Beyond just a floor cleaner, the T10 Omni can make itself useful in other ways. For example, it has a forward-facing camera that can stream what the robot sees to your smartphone. Combine that with the fact you can remote control the unit as well, and you get a mobile security camera.

We did observe that the object avoidance was not as strong as we would have liked. The T10 Omni avoided power cords well enough, but its ability to avoid socks seemed very hit-or-miss.

Read our full review of the Ecovacs Deebot T10 Omni.

Pros

  • Self-cleans

  • Vacuums well

  • Mops well

Cons

  • Moderate object avoidance

$629.99 from Amazon
Product image of iRobot Roomba 694
iRobot Roomba 694
  • Navigation: Fair
  • Navigational technology: Lidar
  • Self-empties: No
  • Mop function: No

For the price, the iRobot 694 can pick up more dirt than you’d expect, making this Roomba a great option if you’re looking to seriously cut down on the amount of dust and debris in your home in between deep cleans.

It can be programmed via a free app or remotely controlled with voice commands, allowing you to stop, start, or adjust this robo vac with ease.

Of course, there are some downsides when you’re getting a more affordable option, and for this model the main drawback seemed to be its tendency to bump into furniture.

The 694 is compatible with iRobot Genius, but you won’t really need it for this simple robot vacuum. You can just plug it in and let it do its thing.

Pros

  • Affordable

  • Good Cleaning

Cons

  • Loud

$249.99 from Amazon

$179.99 from Best Buy

$249.99 from Abt

$229.99 from Walmart
Product image of Greenworks GRV-5011
Greenworks GRV-5011
  • Navigation: Good
  • Navigational technology: Dtof Laser
  • Self-empties: Yes
  • Mop function: Yes

Greenworks puts a lot of features in its GRV-5011 robot vacuum/mop combo, and many of these do a good job, even if the mop feature lags our desires a little.

This robot vacuum features a small basin for water, app controls, and an auto-empty docking station that removes debris and dust for you.

The Greenworks robot vacuum is compatible with a free app that allows users to start, stop, schedule, and direct the robot to clean specific areas. At 3.3 inches tall, it can clean under most shelves and couches, and it has sensors that keep it from falling down stairs.

The vacuum does a good job with debris and larger particles, performing nearly as well as our No. 1 pick. It picked up 9.2 grams of debris on each run.

The mop feature didn’t work as well, struggling to clean corners, but, if mopping isn’t your main goal, the Greenworks robot vacuum excels at picking up debris and comes with plenty of smart features to keep your floors clean.

Read our full review of the Greenworks GRV-5011

Pros

  • Good navigation

  • Comprehensive app

  • Self-emptying

Cons

  • Average mop

  • Poor climbing

$749.00 from Amazon
Product image of iRobot Roomba S9+
iRobot Roomba S9+
  • Navigation: Excellent Fair Poor
  • Navigational technology: vSlam
  • Self-empties: Yes
  • Mop function: No

The iRobot Roomba S9+ is unique amongst iRobot robot vacuums with D-shaped chassis. The idea of a D-shape is that it can get flush with walls and corners, something that circular robot vacuums can have trouble doing.

After spending a week with the Roomba S9+, we think that it’s a fine robot vacuum, but it’s too expensive for what you get.

In our cleaning tests, this robot vacuum picked up an average of eight grams per run, slightly lower than our standard of 10 grams.

The S9+ is gentle, only lightly nudging furniture and walls to find its way around. This behavior can be great, but it also means the S9+ avoids jamming its brushes into places to find dirt and debris.

Pros

  • Powerful

  • Self-emptying

Cons

  • Expensive

$599.99 from Amazon

$966.86 from Home Depot

$848.98 from Walmart
Product image of TCL Sweeva 6500 (RV6514B)
TCL Sweeva 6500 (RV6514B)
  • Navigation: Excellent
  • Navigational technology: Lidar
  • Self-empties: Yes
  • Mop function: No

While better known for its TVs, TCL steps into the cleaning arena with the TCL Sweeva 6500 robot vacuum.

Our testing results show that it’s a moderately priced competitor to the iRobot Roomba i3+.

The Sweeva 6500 has a self-emptying feature, satisfactory floor cleaning skills, and functional smart features that you can access via your TCL smart TV. If you already own a TCL TV and are thinking about getting a robot vacuum, you might do well to check out the Sweeva 6500.

Read our full review of the TCL Sweeva 6500

Pros

  • Self empties

  • Smart maps

Cons

  • Not as slim as advertised

  • UV light doesn't sanitize

Buy now at Amazon

$195.00 from Walmart
Product image of Ecovacs Deebot N10 Plus
Ecovacs Deebot N10 Plus
  • Navigation: Good
  • Navigational technology: Lidar & Dtof
  • Self-empties: Yes
  • Mop function: Yes

Like the idea of a robot vacuum-and-mop hybrid but wonder if it can handle the thick clumps of pet hair that make you want one in the first place? Well, the Ecovacs Deebot N10 Plus Robot Vacuum is designed for just that.

This powerful vacuum is a top performer when it comes to debris pick-up. During our testing, it picked up 10 grams of debris per run. The vacuum also had very little trouble with obstacles, climbing over bumps and getting under four inch shelves.

If that performance wasn’t enough, the Deebot N10 Plus also offers some modern special features, like an auto-empty function at its docking station and an effective app.

The Deebot’s mop performance is just okay. Its ability to actually mop is only middling, and the mop attachment frequently causes the vacuum to get stuck. At 17 inches its docking station is also rather tall and might be hard to fit into some homes.

All in all, in spite of a few shortcomings, the Deebot brings enough quality features to be compelling. For pet owners it's especially effective.

Read our full review of the Ecovacs Deebot N10 Plus

Pros

  • Good vacuum

  • Odor control

  • Comprehensive App

Cons

  • Average mop

  • Occasionally gets stuck

$349.99 from Amazon

$534.99 from Walmart

How We Test Robot Vacuums

I'm Jon Chan, Reviewed’s senior lab technician. I've been testing the vacuum cleaners for years, and I’ve seen robot vacuums change a lot as navigation and smart technologies continue to advance.

Most of the tests we use to challenge a robot vacuum involve doing time on our robot vacuum obstacle course. The area contains analogs for furniture legs, shelves, different types of flooring, and thresholds.

Each robot vacuum has three chances to prove itself. In the first two runs, we placed cork pellets under the shelves and between the furniture legs. When we let the robot vacuum loose, we look for how long a cleaning cycle takes, what obstacles it was able to clean thoroughly, and overall debris pickup. For the final test run, we replaced the cork with pet hair.

What To Consider Before Buying A Robot Vacuum

Navigation System

Robot vacuums tend to have two different types of navigation, infrared and optical, or a combination of both.

Infrared sensors shoot beams that give information about distance. One popular type of infrared sensor is called lidar. Robot vacuums often use this method to map rooms which they can send to your phone via Wi-Fi

Optical navigation involves cameras, usually mounted on the top of the unit. Typically, these cameras utilize contrast and landmarks to decipher where they are. Robot vacuums that rely on optical navigation cannot work in a pitch-black room.

What Type of Floors You Have

Most robot vacuums are designed for bare floors and medium-pile carpets. If you own throw rugs that are taller than a half-inch, your robot vacuum might not be able to climb atop it, and if it does make it up, it may get stuck.

A few other variables to consider are thresholds and flooring transitions. Most robot vacuums are designed to go over thresholds between rooms that are up to .25 inches tall. However, some robot vacuums, specifically mop-vacuum hybrids struggle with floor type transition. Often, the mop attachment, which slides on bare floors well, will drag on carpet.

Barrier and Boundary Set-Up

Over the years, three technologies have developed to help keep robot vacuums from running amok across your floor plan: magnetic strips, virtual barriers, and app-based barriers. All three of these methods have their pros and cons.

  • Magnetic strips are the simplest. You lay them on the floor and they create a barrier that designated robot vacuums will not cross. While they don’t require batteries, magnetic strips are cumbersome. Most robot vacuums that use them only ship with one magnetic strip, so you’ll have to cut it if you want to cover multiple entryways.

  • Virtual barriers are battery-powered devices that emit an infrared line that tells the robot vacuums to turn back. Some specialized barriers, like iRobot’s lighthouse, can create a “halo” or a circle barrier to encompass a piece of furniture or a pet bowl.

  • Specialized apps incorporate new mapping technologies that allow robot vacuums to have a better understanding of their surroundings. They can then send that information to an app on your phone. Companies like iRobot and Ecovacs produce robot vacuums where you can draw lines on virtual maps to denote where the robots can and cannot go.

Holding a
Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

One of the tests for smart robot vacuums is to put the app through its paces

What About Self-Emptying Robot Vacuums?

A self-emptying or automatic-emptying robot utilizes a secondary vacuum located in the charging base. When a cleaning cycle is complete, the robot vacuum returns to the charging base, and the secondary vacuum suctions out the dust bin and places the contents into a bag or separate dirt cup.

Robot Vacuums Can Also Mop—Sometimes

If you want a robot mop and a robot vacuum, but don’t want to purchase two different devices, you should check out a robot vacuum-mop hybrid. These floor cleaners typically have a smaller dust bin to accommodate a water tank that wets the mop pad.

The vast majority of vacuum-mop hybrids are designed to mop up dust and not deal with stains. This is due to the fact that most of the mops rely on friction and the robot vacuum’s downward weight to apply pressure. There are some exceptions, like the Ecovacs X1 Omni, which has rotating mop pads.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Do Robot Vacuums Last?

This is a tricky question.

We find that the battery is the shortest-lived part of a robot vacuum. Both nickel and lithium batteries have hard limits on the number of times they can recharge.

Nickel batteries suffer from memory loss—basically, over time, they lose the ability to recharge fully, whereas the cathodes of lithium batteries tend to wear after a few years.

As a rule of thumb, you can expect to buy a new battery pack for your robot vacuum after two to four years of use, depending on how often you run your device.

Are Robot Vacuums Worth the Money?

As a floor maintainer between manual cleanings, robot vacuums are worth it since they can save you a lot of time and energy.

The best way to get your money’s worth is to set a routine for your robot vacuum to automatically run every day.

Getting one with an app is also a bonus for those times you need to give your floors a once-over before coming home to any last-minute surprise guests.

Should You Buy a Robot Vacuum?

In short: If you’re expecting a deep clean, then no.

After testing dozens of robot vacuums, we’ve come to the conclusion that the product name is a bit of a misnomer.

A robot vacuum’s ability to pick up dirt and debris pales in comparison to that of a full-sized vacuum and can only really compete over the course of a week. To be clear, a robot vacuum is a fantastic option for spot cleanings. It’s also great if you have a pet that sheds dog hair or cat hair daily.

We found that consumers experience the most satisfaction with their robot vacuums when they are used as a spot-cleaner to keep floors looking tidy in between deeper cleans that require an upright vacuum.


Meet the testers

Jonathan Chan

Jonathan Chan

Senior Manager of Lab Operations

@Jonfromthelab1

Jonathan Chan currently serves as the Lab Manager at Reviewed. If you clean with it, it's likely that Jon oversees its testing. Since joining the Reviewed in 2012, Jon has helped launch the company's efforts in reviewing laptops, vacuums, and outdoor gear. He thinks he's a pretty big deal. In the pursuit of data, he's plunged his hands into freezing cold water, consented to be literally dragged through the mud, and watched paint dry. Jon demands you have a nice day.

See all of Jonathan Chan's reviews
Leigh Harrington

Leigh Harrington

Executive Editor, Home

@

Leigh Harrington has more than 20 years experience as a writer and editor for myriad print and digital publications.

At USA TODAY and Reviewed, Harrington oversees large appliances, including refrigerators, dishwashers, ranges, and laundry, and manages Reviewed's overall home content, including areas of focus like home improvement, cleaning, gardening, cooking, and parenting. She focuses on writing, but mostly editing, consumer ed content and product reviews.

Harrington is also an experienced travel writer, and has authored books including Fodor's Boston, 100 Things to Do in Boston Before You Die, and Colorful Boston, an adult coloring book.

See all of Leigh Harrington's reviews
Gabriel Morgan

Gabriel Morgan

Staff Writer, Home

Gabriel Morgan is a staff writer on Reviewed's home team, where he covers consumer education topics such as earthquake preparedness, radon in the home, and concerns about health and wellness in product design. He also writes product reviews and how-to articles on appliances, smart home technology, and goods for the home.

See all of Gabriel Morgan's reviews

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