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Mapping & Navigation: In our tests, robot vacuums that feature camera or LiDAR laser navigation performed best, doing a better job at mapping your home and reducing the number of bump ins.
Battery Life: The top bots should have a battery life of at least 120 to 140 minutes, which should be enough to clean three to four rooms before it’s time for a recharge. Thanks to standard self-charging, you shouldn’t have to worry about running out of power mid-clean.
Suction: To measure suction power of robot vacuums, we use the unit of measurement, pascal, or “Pa.” The best robot vacuums feature suction levels of 2,700 Pa or more, although there are reliable models with suction levels of 2,000 Pa. Anything below that and your bot will struggle to pick up pet hair and other debris. At the elite level, the Ecovacs Deebot X1 Omni boasts 5,000 Pa suction, but in our testing, 2,700 Pa gets the job done without making excessive noise.
How we tested
When testing the best robot vacuums, we didn’t just compare the top robot vacuums of 2023 to each other; we also compared them to elite stick vacuums like the Samsung Bespoke Jet. If you’re investing in a robot vacuum, you’ll want to make sure you don’t have to follow after it with a handheld vacuum. While there are a lot of special features to consider (and we did test these out as well), overall cleaning effectiveness was our top priority when picking the best robot vacuum.
To find the best robot vacuum for every type of home, we tested these vacuums on multiple types of floors: tile, laminate hardwood, and rugs. For the hybrid robot vacuum and mops, we also tested the mopping functions on moderate floor stains. We compared the process for setting up and using each vacuum. Most of the robot vacuums we tested have the ability to create a map of your home, and so we also compared how easy it was to use these maps and to send the vacuum to a specific zone or room. Finally, we looked for standout features such as superior obstacle avoidance or increased suction power.
Now that you know all there is to know about these rugrats, here are all the best robot vacuums we tried out.
The Best Robot Vacuum, Overall: Roborock Q5 Robot Vacuum Cleaner
First introduced in 2022, the new Q series from Roborock features improved suction compared to the previous generation. While the S5 only came with 2,000 Pa suction, the Q series has a suction level of 2,700 Pa. The Q5 is the most basic bot in the Q series lineup, but it easily handles all types of dust, pet hair, and debris. The Q5 also features smarter LiDAR room mapping, and the Roborock app makes it easy to set schedules or initiate spot cleaning as needed. What really makes the Q5 a standout is that it increases suction when it reaches a carpeted area.
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