I throw in Cheerios or popcorn to see if they know to vacuum that up rather than avoid it. I also run them over oatmeal and flour to see how well they pick up fine debris and have them tackle both thick and low-pile carpets. I watch to see how they handle rug tassels, skinny chair legs, and room transitions.

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This bot was previously our top pick for hard floors, thanks to hot water mopping that's more than a match for greasy spillages.

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The X40 can also clean its washboard, something the Roborock can’t. That area can get quite grungy, so it needs a cleaning every few weeks. The X40 has AI-powered smart dirt detection that uses its cameras to identify spills like milk or particularly dirty areas.

Right now, the best robot vacuum on the market is the Eufy X10 Pro Omni. On test, this combination robot vacuum and mop was almost perfect, acing our cleaning tests and delivering accurate navigation too.

The Combo has a redesigned dock that’s very large — to accommodate two water tanks and a dust bag — but it doubles as a table.

What to Look for in a Robot Vacuum Manual Empty or Self-Emptying: Which is Best? Some robot vacuums have dust cups that you need to empty into a garbage can manually, and others have a self-emptying feature. The first type is easy to empty (just remove the dust cup, take it to a garbage can, and shake it out). You'll typically need to do this every few days, so it can get tedious. Robot vacuums with a self-emptying feature require a lot less work, because their charging stations have built-in dust bags that can take several weeks (or even months) to fill up. Picture this: at the end of the robot vacuum's cleaning cycle, it will dock itself and empty the recent collection into the larger tower chamber, and then it's ready to go for the next scheduled cleaning. When the bag is full, all you have to do is remove it from the charging station, throw it away, and replace it with a new one. In many ways, this is ideal, especially if you or someone in your household suffers from allergies, because there's less chance of dust getting into the air. The one downside to this convenience is that the emptying process is often much louder than the robot vacuum's normal noise level, so it might disrupt your household. This feature also tends come with newer and more technologically advanced models (which can often be pricier). Our best features pick is one great option that includes this feature. Smart Mapping Matters Back when they were new to the market, basic robot vacuums used a randomized cleaning method, changing direction based on an algorithm and if they bumped into anything.

She has been in consumer journalism since 2020, reviewing and writing about everything from outdoor kit to mattresses and wellness gadgets, with stints on Tom's Guide and T3.

Most are equipped with smaller brushes that extend past the circumference of the vacuum, and the purpose of these is to reach dirt that's settled against baseboards or in awkward places.

“For some people, it might make sense to have multiple vacuums for different situations,” says Frank Rizzi, who tests vacuums for CR. “A robotic vacuum can help with maintaining your pristine floors, and a lighter stick can help with quick messes alongside your bigger upright or canister.”

2,000Pa is on Top 3 Automatic Vacuum Cleaners the low side, but might be fine for hard floors and light cleaning; if you're dealing with things like pet hair and have carpets, I'd definitely be looking at the upper end of that bracket.

Using Matrix Clean navigation, the Shark ensures no areas are missed by cleaning in a precision matrix grid, passing over each section multiple times for comprehensive coverage.

The Eureka J20 is the best robot vacuum for hard floors, thanks to a game-changing new 'RollRenew' mop style. With most robovacs, mopping is a bit of an afterthought, but that's not the case here.