The 5 best robot vacuums for cleaning carpets and hardwood floors
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A robot vacuum will make the small but time-consuming task of vacuuming a little easier. However, you'll want one that's powerful and relatively quiet and doesn't require constant attention.
I've tested 30 robot vacuums to find the best ones and consulted health experts and engineers on how to use them properly. A robot vac needs maintenance like any other small appliance. While using it takes just a press of a button, all our experts stressed the importance of regularly cleaning brushes and filters, and running the vac when no one is in the room to keep the indoor air quality clean and avoid resuspended particles. We get into details over here.
I tested each robot vac's cleaning abilities along with its extra features and app. You can find the details of how we tested, what else we recommend, how to shop for a robot vacuum, and more at the end of our guide.
Find out more about how Insider Reviews tests and reviews home products.
Top robot vacuum picks
Best robot vacuum overall: iRobot Roomba i3+ EVO Robot Vacuum - See at Amazon
With its automatic dirt disposal, strong suction, and large main brushes, the iRobot Roomba i3+ EVO Robot Vacuum is an excellent, low-maintenance solution for any home.
Best robot vacuum for pet hair: Bissell SpinWave Robot Vacuum - See at Amazon
The Bissell SpinWave Robot Vacuum picked up all the pet hair on carpet in our tests and has a great assortment of mop attachments and accessories. The company is also committed to helping homeless pets and helps them find loving homes.
Best robot vacuum on a budget: Eufy RoboVac 15C Max Robot Vacuum - See at Amazon
With its sub-$160 price, the Eufy RoboVac 15C Max Robot Vacuum offers an impressive suite of features, including smart connectivity, and performs well picking up most debris on carpeting and hardwood.
Best robot vacuum and mop: Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 AIVI Robot Vacuum - See at Best Buy
The Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo Pro Mopping System thoroughly cleans floors as opposed to pushing a wet cloth around. When paired with the Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 AIVI Robot Vacuum, the two make easy work of time-consuming chores.
Best robot vacuum for hardwood floors: iRobot Roomba s9+ Robot Vacuum - See at Amazon
The D-shaped iRobot Roomba s9+ Robot Vacuum did the best in our hardwood floor tests and features a self-emptying dustbin, an impressive app that lets you set no-go zones, and large main brushes that pick up debris on the first pass.
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Pros: Excellent performance on carpeting, cleans well on hardwood, pairs with the app and Alexa, comes with an automatic dirt disposal base, doesn't get stuck easily
Cons: Loud, virtual wall barriers cost extra, not impressive in corners
The iRobot Roomba i3+ EVO Robot Vacuum is iRobot's most affordable option that features automatic dirt disposal, which empties the vac's dustbin automatically. You just replace the disposable dust bag every month or two.
In our carpet tests, the i3+ EVO picked up all of the coffee grounds, kitty litter, and pet hairs we laid out and left behind only about 5% of the flour — the best performance of all the robot vacs we tested. In corners, it came within an inch of the wall but left behind about half the flour.
It performed better on hardwood floors, picking up all of the coffee grounds and pet hair, and only left behind 5% of the kitty litter and about 10% of the flour. The robot vac didn't get stuck during its cleaning sessions.
Whereas some robot vacuums sense carpeting and boost suction, the i3+ EVO provides consistently strong suction, and when it detects excess dirt, it automatically performs multiple passes.
Setup is a breeze, only taking about 10 minutes, including connecting to the user-friendly app. Unfortunately, the app doesn't allow you to set up no-go zones, so you must buy virtual wall barriers. The barriers work as advertised, but at around $50 each, I prefer using everyday household objects to keep the Roomba out of areas I want to protect.
The other negative with the i3+ EVO is how loud it is. My sound meter recorded 68 dB, and you can't adjust the suction power for a quieter clean.
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Pros: Excellent job on hardwood and corners, picked up all of the pet hair in our tests, great mop attachment and accessories, app connectivity, small size, quiet operation
Cons: Can't set up no-go zones, gets stuck easily
The Bissell SpinWave Robot Vacuum is created specifically for pet hair and has a 5.75-inch tangle-resistant main brush, a useful mop attachment, and powerful suction. Specs aside, a portion of each sale also goes to the Bissell Pet Foundation, which is committed to finding loving homes for pets.
The Bissell SpinWave picked up all the cat and dog hair we laid out on carpeting and hardwood. Additionally, on the hardwood, it only left a trace of kitty litter and flour. It came within 2 inches in corners and picked up more than 60% of the flour on both the carpet and hardwood.
It's also among the quietest vacs we tested – 58 decibels on quiet mode (slightly softer than a normal conversation) and 65 on high suction. If you have particularly skittish pets, the low-decibel output is less likely to startle your fur friends.
The vacuum's extras are helpful to any pet parent, including a mop tank attachment, spinning mop pads, and a trial-size bottle of cleaning formula. Plus, you receive a cleaning tool that helps remove hairs from the brushes and clean the filter.
In testing, the mop attachment worked seamlessly. You just fill the tank with water and some cleaning formula and attach it to the vacuum in place of the dustbin. The mop pads spin to scrub away stuck-on debris while avoiding carpeting.
The SpinWave has a quick setup that takes five minutes, including installing the app and connecting the unit.
The most significant limitation is it consistently got stuck on the 1-inch threshold between rooms.
Amazon
Pros: Good performance on carpeting and hardwood, doesn't get stuck easily, quiet, supported by an app, Alexa and Google Assistant compatible, fits into small spaces
Cons: Did poorly in corner cleaning tests and picking up flour on carpeting, app doesn't let you set no-go zones
Of the vacuums that cost under $250, the Eufy RoboVac 15C Max Robot Vacuum had the best overall performance in our tests.
It picked up all of the coffee grounds, kitty litter, and pet hair we laid out on carpeting and hardwood. It had a more challenging time with flour, leaving 10% of the flour on hardwood and a disappointing 40% of the flour on the carpeting.
Another area where the unit showed poor performance was in corners. It only came within about 3 inches of the hardwood corner, and though it came within an inch of the carpeted corner, it didn't pick up much of the flour.
On the plus side, the RoboVac 15C Max only got stuck during its cleaning cycles about a quarter of the time, which is impressive in my messy home. Also, it's the quietest of the units we tested, registering 60 decibels on its highest suction power.
Beyond quickly testing to make sure it worked, I didn't use the controller because the vacuum pairs with your phone and is compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant. Unfortunately, the app (available for iOS and Android) doesn't allow you to set up no-go zones or virtual barriers.
Additionally, setup and connecting to the app were seamless experiences, taking a total of 10 minutes. The vacuum also has a small footprint so it can squeeze into tight spaces.
Right now, the Eufy 15c Max is $60 off on Eufy when you use the promo code "WS2415CMAX" at check out.
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Pros: Excellent performance on carpeting and hardwood, automatically empties the dustbin, HD video surveillance, impressive deep-cleaning mop attachment, quiet operation
Cons: Got stuck on the threshold in our tests, doesn't get deep into corners
The Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo Pro Mopping System attachment is the best mopping system I've tested. The 480-vibrations-per-minute scrubbing motion offers a deep clean. It made the powerful Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 AIVI Robot Vacuum even better.
The 240mL water tank was large enough to complete at least two passes over the 500-square-foot test floor. With the app, you can choose from four water-flow levels to reach a balance of moistness and quick drying and two mopping patterns. The deep scrubbing option provides thorough cleaning, and the quick scrubbing is for routine mopping. And, I appreciated that it automatically avoids carpeting.
As for the robot vac itself, the Ozmo T8 AIVI has HD video and a microphone so you can watch your pets or check for open windows and doors from your phone. I didn't find the home surveillance features particularly useful, but they could be handy if you're concerned about security.
The more helpful feature is the auto-empty station that automatically empties the dustbin after cleaning sessions. You just replace the disposable pouch every month or two.
The Ozmo T8 AIVI was among the best at removing the debris types we tested on carpeting and hardwood. Plus, it remains relatively quiet at just 67 dB on the highest cleaning setting and 58 dB on Quiet mode.
However, the vac consistently got stuck on a 1-inch lip between rooms. It also wasn't able to come within 2 inches of corners.
The setup was seamless. I plugged in the dock to charge the vacuum, connected the app, updated the firmware, and set a schedule for cleaning. After two cleanings, the vac created a map of my layout so I could set no-go zones to keep the T8 AIVI away from sensitive areas.
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The D-shaped iRobot Roomba s9+ Robot Vacuum did the best in our hardwood floor tests and features a self-emptying dustbin, an impressive app that lets you set no-go zones, and large main brushes that pick up debris on the first pass.
Pros: Cleans well on hardwood flooring, good performance on carpeting, rarely gets stuck, comes with a charging dock that empties the dustbin, large main brushes, has a helpful app with virtual no-go zones
Cons: Loud, poor performance in carpeted corners
As iRobot's top-of-the-line model, the Roomba s9+ Robot Vacuum is packed with features. It empties itself and is supported by an app that allows you to schedule cleanings effortlessly, set no-go zones, and customize your cleaning experience. You can even pair it with the iRobot Braava Jet M6 (sold separately) to mop after it finishes its vacuum cycle.
In testing, the Roomba s9+ performed the best of any robot vac on hardwood flooring. After the cleaning cycle, there was only a trace of flour left. Its D-shaped design came within an inch and a half of the corner, picking up everything it could reach. The performance was still solid on carpeting with only about 10% of the flour left, 5% of the kitty litter, and no coffee grounds or pet hairs to be found after testing. The unit didn't get stuck in our testing area either.
At 77 dB (about as loud as a busy city street) on high suction power, the s9+ was by far the loudest model we tested, and even in quiet mode, the vacuum is not unnoticeable.
Additionally, the vac got within an inch of the carpeted corner. But it left behind about 70% of the flour, which suggests it doesn't do as well picking up fine debris on carpeting, especially in areas the main brushes have trouble reaching.
Installation was easy, but it took about 25 minutes. I spent most of that time installing firmware updates after connecting to the app.
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We've tested 30 robot vacuums and counting. Here are the ones that didn't make our top picks.
Other robot vacuums we recommend
Under $400
Ecovacs U2 Pro: This vac did excellent cleaning hardwood and carpeting and rarely got stuck. The U2 Pro also comes with a mop attachment, which didn't do a good job of cleaning up dried Tang on linoleum. Despite good performance, it couldn't compete with our current top picks and was too expensive for consideration as our best budget pick. Other negatives include loud operation, poor corner cleaning, and boundary strips for setting no-go zones that are sold separately.
Eufy RoboVac G30 Edge: Eufy usually makes more affordable robot vacuums, so at this price, the G30 Edge is considered the company's top-end model. The variety of extras — no-go zone strips, a user-friendly app, and Alexa and Google Home compatibility — make it worth the price, but you'll have to compromise some power. It performed poorly on carpeting and in corners during our testing, and it was in the middle of the pack on hardwood. Despite the underwhelming performance, it remains a good value for the price.
ILife A10: If setting no-go zones is essential to you, the A10 might be a good option. After it maps your house, you can set up virtual barriers in the app. This model also does an outstanding job of cleaning hardwood and carpet. But, there are plenty of cons: The A10 barely picked up any flour in carpeted corners, it runs loudly, and it gets stuck easily.
Under $800
Roborock S6 MaxV: For the most part, Roborock is doing a terrific job in the robot vac space. We recommend the S6 MaxV because of its excellent performance in our carpeting, hardwood, and corner tests. It also has video surveillance, no-go zones, and a useful app. But it's oversized and kept getting stuck on the 1-inch lip leading into the kitchen of our testing course. The S6 MaxV is louder than most vacs we've tested.
Roborock S7: I tested this Roborock with the optional auto-empty dock ($299.99), which looks incredible, is super convenient, and performed flawlessly. The vac itself has powerful suction and avoided getting stuck in our tests. The mop scrubs at up to 3,000 cycles per minute, which translated to one of the top performances in our mop test. However, it didn't do well vacuuming in corners and operated loudly. It came close but did not perform well enough to unseat any of our top picks. Still, if the Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 AIVI isn't available, this is a worthy substitute.
Vacuums we don't recommend
Eufy BoostIQ RoboVac 11S: At one time, the RoboVac 11S was our budget pick, but after putting it through our testing alongside other affordable options, we no longer recommend it. The 11S doesn't have WiFi connectivity, which has become standard at every price point in the industry. The vac performed well on carpeting but left a lot of debris behind on hardwood and in corners. You'd be much better off with the Eufy RoboVac 15C Max. Read our full review.
Yeedi K650: The attractive price doesn't make up for the fact that the Yeedi K650 does a poor job cleaning any surface. It also gets stuck often, is noisy, and doesn't have many of the features we like, such as the ability to set no-go zones.
Eufy RoboVac 11S Max: The 11S Max updates the 11S, but we feel the original 11S is better. If you're spending this much, though, the 15C Max performed much better in our testing. The 11S Max did poorly on carpeting and hardwood and in corners. It also relies on a remote controller rather than app connectivity, which means you need to turn to and keep track of another device.
Roborock S5 Max: The S5 Max is loud, big, and it did poorly in corners and on carpeting in our tests.
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While using a robot vacuum is easy enough, shopping for one can be overwhelming. Here are the main aspects to look for when considering which one to buy.
Size: If you have furniture that's hard to move or low-clearance pieces like sofas or bed frames, you'll want to pay attention to the height of a robot vacuum; the other dimensions are usually within the range of reason for a normal household.
For example, I have several radiators in my house with a 3.5-inch clearance that slim vacuums can get under, while just-slim-enough models sometimes get stuck, and too-thick models bump up against and go elsewhere. If you want your robot vacuum to get under your low-clearance furniture, make sure you choose a model that is slim enough to do so.
Features: It's important to think about what features you actually need. For instance, if you work from home and are rarely away, HD cameras aren't useful since you can keep tabs on your home with your own eyes. If your floors are covered with carpet, you don't need your robot vac to mop. I also rarely use voice control out of personal habit, but if you use Alexa or Google Assistant for everything, then compatibility with those services is a must.
Extras: You can easily purchase extra filters or brushes for robot vacs, but we think having them included with the unit is better. All of our top picks include useful extras like brushes or dirt disposal bags.
Price: Robot vacuums go on sale often, and the discounts are steepest during Amazon Prime Day, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday. We expect most of the models we recommend in this guide to go on sale, so it pays to wait until those sale days.
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I've been reviewing vacuums for the past few years, writing numerous buying guides and reviews, so I leaned on my background when developing our testing methodology.
I also consulted three experts and took their advice and expertise into consideration — Dr. Luis Javier Peña-Hernández, a lung and sleep health specialist at the Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Disorders Institute of South Florida; Andrea Ferro, Ph.D., a professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Clarkson University and the current president of the American Association for Aerosol Research; and Jill Notini, the Vice President of Communication and Marketing for the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers.
In addition to using each robot vacuum daily for at least several weeks, I tested each for its suction on various types of flooring, including corners, ability to maneuver around obstacles, noise, and special features.
Our testing methodology has gotten more comprehensive over the years. For any models that I'd previously tested but didn't have the vacuums on hand anymore, I extrapolated the data as best as possible based on previous testing and manufacturer info. Those vacuums are the iRobot Roomba i7+, Neato Botvac D7 Connected, and Eufy 11S Max and 15C Max.
Here's a breakdown of the percentages of each material the top picks cleaned up on each surface in our tests:
| Surface - Material | iRobot Roomba i3+ EVO | Eufy RoboVac 15C Max | Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 AIVI | iRobot Roomba s9+ | Bissell SpinWave |
|
Carpet - Flour |
95% | 60% | 98% | 90% | 80% |
| Carpet - Coffee | 100% | 100% | 98% | 100% | 100% |
| Carpet - Litter | 100% | 100% | 98% | 95% | 98% |
| Carpet - Hair | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Carpet corner - Flour | 50% | 20% | 35% | 30% | 65% |
| Carpet corner - Proximity | 1 inch | 1 inch | 2 inches | 1 inch | 2 inches |
| Hardwood - Flour | 90% | 90% | 95% | 98% | 98% |
| Hardwood - Coffee | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Hardwood - Litter | 95% | 100% | 98% | 100% | 98% |
| Hardwood - Hair | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Hardwood corner - Flour | 80% |
0% |
80% | 85% | 75% |
| Hardwood corner - Proximity | 1 inch | 3 inches | 2 inches | 1.5 inches | 1.5 inches |
Here are the main attributes we look for and how we test them:
Size: I note the specs of the overall unit, main brush, and side brushes. This gives me an idea of how well a vacuum can clean floors and carpet — the larger the brushes, the more they can usually sweep up. The main brushes are often between 5 to 10 inches long, and side brushes are usually 2 to 3 inches long. Of the vacs I've tested, only Roomba models have two main brushes; others have one. I've noticed that longer brushes tend to facilitate faster cleaning. If this appeals to you, consider a unit with a longer brush, such as the Roomba s9+.
Carpet cleaning: I poured a tablespoon each of flour, coffee grounds, and kitty litter on 18-inch-square sections of carpeting. I also collected pet hairs from my rat terrier and two cats to place on carpeting. I ran the vacuum on its most powerful mode for two cleaning cycles and compared before-and-after photos to estimate the percentage of each material picked up or left behind.
Hardwood floor cleaning: This is the same test as the carpet cleaning test but on hardwood flooring.
Corner cleaning: To test corner cleaning abilities, I poured a teaspoon of flour in an approximately 4-inch radius in a corner on hardwood and carpeting. I took pictures of the messes before and after running the robot vac for two cleaning cycles to compare how much flour was left over. I also measured how close to the corner the vac was able to reach.
Obstacle avoidance: You don't want your robot vac to get stuck while it's cleaning or when it's returning to its charging dock, both of which force you to hunt it down while it's sending you notifications or making annoying error sounds. I tested the vacuum in an approximately 500-square-foot room with several obstacles, including stairs, a 1-inch threshold to a kitchen, and a table with chairs.
Loudness: I used a sound meter to measure the decibel output of each of the robot vacuums from 12 inches away as they ran on the highest and lowest settings. For vacuums I no longer had in my possession for testing, I relied on manufactures' info and my previous notes.
Brushes: I noted the lengths of the main and side brushes as they'll likely indicate performance in our cleaning tests.
Robot vacuums work using a combination of suction and brushes. There are two types of brushes on robot vacuums: the side brush and the main brush. Units have either one or two side brushes that are about 3 inches in diameter and protrude from the forward portion of the vac. They move in a circular motion, get into corners, and feed debris to the main brush. There appears to be little difference in the performance of vacuums with two side brushes versus those with one.
The main brush is between five and ten inches long, located under the unit, and is made of a rubber-like material. The vacuum sucks debris into the main brush, which spins to feed the materials into the dustbin. Of the vacs I've tested, only Roomba models have two main brushes. Other models have just one. I've noticed that longer brushes tend to facilitate faster cleaning. If this appeals to you, consider a unit with a longer brush, such as the Roomba s9+.
Extras: I note if the vacuums included extras such as filters and side brush replacements, mop attachments, a cleaning tool, and more.
Special features: All of the vacuums featured some method for scheduling and returning to their charging dock on their own, so those weren't useful differentiators. Auto-dirt disposal, voice control, and home surveillance aren't universal, so you may want to consider if those are important. (There's more information on those and other features here.)
Why we don't factor in Pascal Pressure Unit: Pascal (Pa) is a measure of suction. Many manufacturers report the suction of their robot vacuums. However, there are several ways to measure a vacuum's suction, and there's no industry standard. Consequently, reported Pa measurements are inconsistent and useless for comparing robot vacuums. Instead, we rely on a much more important metric: how well each model cleans the test floor.
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