Best robot vacuums 2024: small, smart cleaners for quick, light maintenance

Make no mistake: a robot vacuum is no replacement for the real thing. Short and sleek, robot vacuums are designed for cleaning in corners and under furniture. They aren't the most efficient or effective cleaners for wide open spaces, but a little robot vacuum could help you out with light maintenance. 

There's a robot vacuum to suit each floor type and every sort of stain or spill. Some robot vacuums work better on carpet, while others are better on wood. Many of the best robot vacuums incorporate smart technology to map out your home for efficient, effective cleaning, or self-empty the vacuum base to keep your hands clean. With so much on the market, it can be hard to split the difference between the products.

We've tested some of the world's best vacuums, from sleek cordless numbers to handheld models, including the best robot vacuums. I know my way around a machine, and I know what I'm looking for: a quick, quiet cleaner to help with light maintenance and handle deep cleans.

Each of these robot vacuums is tried and tested by a member of the H&G team and assessed against the same criteria: power, performance, and the all-important price. Where relevant, I've evaluated any special features and reviewed each robot vacuum app to help you decide whether robot vacuums are really worth it. 

The quick list

If you've already got your eye on a particular robot vacuum, you can skip straight to that section using the jump menu. If you'd rather slow down and take stock of your options, browse the best robot vacuums below. 

Best robot vacuums 2024

The best robot vacuum overall

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Any robot vacuum worth its salt can dig up dust. It takes a special sort of machine to tackle bigger bits of dirt and debris. For a deep clean across carpet, linoleum, or hard wood floors, you need something like the iRobot Roomba j9+ Combo. 

A lot of robot vacuums claim to be automatic, but aren't, really: you still have to manually switch between vacuum and mop settings, and get your hands dirty as you empty the base. The iRobot Roomba j9+ Combo allows for hands-free cleaning. Once you've filled up the water tank for the mop to function, you don't need to touch it for months. Our tester Alex has been using it since last year and hasn't needed to refill the water once. 

When you download the iRobot app, you can schedule cleanings, monitor progress, map your home and empty the bin, all through remote access. It's a user-friendly interface with cleaning prompts written in plain language that anyone can understand: you don't need to be a tech whiz to use it.  

There's not much I don't like about the iRobot Roomba j9+ Combo, apart from these two major considerations: cost and noise. Retailing for more than $1,000 outside of sales season, this little robot is seriously expensive. Although it cleans quickly and quietly, the iRobot Roomba j9+ Combo reaches 80dB as it self-empties. You can't hear yourself talk over it. 

You can find more detail in our iRobot Roomba j9+ Combo review.

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The best combination robot vacuum and mop

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There is such a thing as too much smart tech. No one needs to know the exact size of the particles and pathogens your robot vacuum has cleaned, down to the micron. The Proscenic M8 uses smart technology the right way to map an effective and efficient cleaning route for your home.

This robot vacuum relies on a laser navigation system, as well as two anti-collision sensors, to keep track of stairs, walls, and corners and keep from knocking against the kickboard. When you download the Proscenic M8 app, you can see what the robot sees, and choose to divide your home into distinct areas for regular cleans.

Like any good combination cleaner, the Proscenic M8 is as adept a mop as vacuum, though it struggles to dig up bigger bits of dirt. Occasionally, cereal flakes and paper clips get caught in the brushes. You'll need to manually remove this debris, which sort of defeats the point of hands-free cleaning.  

The Proscenic M8 is ideal for quick, light cleans, and surprisingly effective at picking up pet hair. For more localised stains and spills, you might want to reach for the best handheld vacuum, instead. 

You can find more detail in our Proscenic M8 robot vacuum review.

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The best robot vacuum for pet hair

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Until a few months ago, the iRobot Roomba j7+ was the reigning champion of our 'best robot vacuums' buying guide: that is, until its younger sibling, the j9+ Combo, came out on top in recent tests. The iRobot Roomba j7+ is no longer the best robot vacuum in town, but it's still the best for smart mapping. 

The iRobot Roomba j7+ incorporates something called PrecisionVision navigation. This robot vacuum uses a combination of cameras and sensors to chart the quickest, neatest cleaning route around a room. There's a wall follow sensor to protect your kickboard, as well as several floor tracking sensors to keep your robot vacuum from falling down the stairs. 

The iRobot Roomba j7+ uses soft-bristle rubber brushes to dig up dust and dirt from carpet, hard wood, and linoleum floors. There's a special edge-sweeping brush to coax out dirt from awkward corners and the gaps between floorboards. The iRobot Roomba j7+ should clean all the same dirt you'd pick up with a standard vacuum, though it might take a little longer to get round to each spill and stain. 

There are two things I don't like about the iRobot Roomba j7+: they concern time and money. With its limited runtime of 75 minutes, I wouldn't recommend you rely on your Roomba to clean the whole house in a single session. You'll need to use it regularly to get your money's worth, at any rate: this is one of the most expensive robot vacuums on the market.

You can find more detail in our iRobot Roomba j7+ review.

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The best robot vacuum on wood

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This combination cleaner is that rare thing: a robot vacuum that's just as good as a robot mop. The Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum and Mop performs well across all floor types, but is particularly impressive on hard wood and linoleum floors. 

The Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 is short, sleek, and deceptively capacious. It comes with an extra-large base to hold up to 60 days of dirt and debris. There's even a self-empty function to save you getting your hands dirty. 

A lot of self-proclaimed robot mops don't really deserve the name: all they do is drag  a wet cloth across the floor. The Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 does things differently: for starters, it comes with a bottle of cleaning solution to freshen up the floors. This combination cleaner incorporates sonic mopping to scrub hard floors at a rate of 100 times a minute. You can select the Ultra Mop setting to better lift stubborn stains.

There isn't much I don't like about the Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1. It all comes down to one key consideration: time. This robot vacuum works hard and fast, but its limited runtime means it runs out of steam pretty quickly, and it takes several hours to charge up again.

You can find more detail in our Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum and Mop review.

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The best robot vacuum for carpet

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As a combination cleaner, the eufy X8 Pro can vacuum and mop across all floor types, but it really shines on carpet. This robot vacuum can dig up fine dirt from deep within high-pile carpets and store it inside its capacious dust bin. 

The whole point of a robot vacuum is hands-free cleaning. If you feel the need to run around after your robot, picking up wires and cables, then you might as well grab a vacuum and do the cleaning yourself. 

The eufy X8 Pro is remarkably self-sufficient. It deftly maneuvers around obstacles to clean what needs to be cleaned and leave what needs to be left. Bar a few minor knocks against the wall, it performed almost perfectly. 

I'd recommend the eufy X8 Pro to pet owners, and anyone who has long hair. Out of all the robot vacuums I've ever tested, the eufy X8 Pro is one of the best for pet hair pick-up. This machine incorporates anti-tangle technology to keep you from picking out the hairs with your fingers. 

My main complaint with the eufy X8 Pro is their app. It's fully functional, with options to schedule cleanings and adjust intensity, but it's a little overbearing for my taste. It wants to know the location of your phone all the time, not just when you're on the eufy app. If you're a bit of a technophobe, you might feel more comfortable with a basic cleaner.

You can find more detail in our eufy X8 Pro Robot Vacuum review.

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The best self-emptying robot vacuum

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If you're looking for a competent cleaning companion for a little light maintenance, look no further than the Shark IQ Robot XL. I wouldn't use it to clear larger piles of dirt and debris, but it's ideal for daily dusting.

Like a lot of smart robot vacuums, the Shark IQ Robot XL incorporates smart mapping to navigate your floors and clean in straight lines. It comes with a roll of BotBoundary Strips that you can cut and stick around furniture, power cords, and anything else you wouldn't want your robot to damage. You only need to keep the strips for a day or two, while your robot learns its way around the home.

Perhaps the strongest feature of the Shark IQ Robot XL is the self-emptying base. Shark claims that there's enough space for 30 days of dust and dirt inside this little vacuum, but you can set it to empty as often as you like: I recommend once a week, but you can peer through the little window to decide for yourself. 

To empty, the robot vacuum drives itself into the dock, aligns with the debris intake channel, and lets go. Although it makes a loud noise, it shouldn't last longer than a few seconds, and it's nowhere near as loud as the iRobot Roomba j9+ Combo.

You can find more detail in our Shark IQ Robot XL Vacuum review.

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The best robot vacuum for power

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This isn't Dyson's first attempt to crack the robot vacuum market. The Dyson 360 Vis Nav is preceded by two other little vacuums, the 360 Eye and the 360 Heurist, neither of which were suitable for use in American homes: the 360 Eye was quickly recalled, while the 360 Heurist never even made it to market. We called the Dyson 360 Vis Nav in for testing, hoping that the third time would be the charm. 

According to Dyson, the 360 Vis Nav boasts six times the suction of any other robot vacuum on the market. It's equipped with an intelligent navigation system and features no fewer than 26 sensors. When we put it to the test, we found that the Dyson 360 Vis Nav performs pretty well across all floor types, but it has a tendency to leave dust and dirt around the edges of the room. 

This robot vacuum is short and slim, just the right size to slip under beds, couches, and other low-lying furniture. Inside the machine, you'll find a HEPA filtration system to detect and capture dust, dirt, and dander, and help to off-set that slightly stale smell you sometimes get after vacuuming. 

I have a few bones to pick with the Dyson 360 Vis Nav. It tends to clean in erratic stripes and circles, rather than neat rows, and it struggles to consume bigger bits of dirt and debris. It's good for a quick clean, but nowhere near as thorough as the Dyson Gen5detect cordless vacuum.

Our Dyson 360 Vis Nav review is coming soon.

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The best quiet robot vacuum

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When it comes to combination cleaners, you read a lot about 2-in-1 robot vacuums and mops. The Narwal T10 takes it one – no, two − steps further with their 4-in-1 design: this robot vacuum can sweep, mop. wash, and dry everything from carpets to hard wood floors.

This is the quietest robot vacuum I've ever tested. On its quietest mode, it never exceeds volumes of 45 dB: that's about as loud as birdsong. You could run the Narwal T10 4-in-1 Robot Vacuum first thing in the morning or last thing at night without worrying you'll wake the kids or disturb the neighbors. 

Given that the whole point of a robot vacuum is hands-free cleaning, I was a little disappointed that the Narwal T10 requires quite a but of intervention. You'll need to change the water in the tank every time you mop and annotate the Narwal's smart map to set no-go zones and favorite functions.

The Narwal T10 isn't the smartest robot vacuum on the market: there isn't a self-empty feature or an option to heat dry. You could definitely find a more powerful model for less, but you won't get anything quieter.

You can find more detail in our Narwal T10 4-in-1 Robot Vacuum review.

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The best budget robot vacuum

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Compiling this list got me thinking: some of the best robot vacuums are seriously expensive. If you shop outside of sales season, you could easily spend upwards of a thousand dollars on a combination cleaner. If you're shopping for a robot vacuum, but you're working with a tight budget, your best bet is the VacTidy Nimble T7. 

I tested the VacTidy Nimble T7 across carpet, tile, and hard wood floors over the festive period. That meant there were a few pine needles to hoover up from the Christmas tree, alongside common spills and stains. 

The VacTidy Nimble T7 did a decent job of cleaning wide open spaces, and coped well with larger chunks of debris, though it struggled to clean right up against the wall or round awkward corners. 

Less than three inches tall, this robot vacuum is ideally sized to slot beneath beds and under furniture. For a little machine, it makes a lot of noise. I recorded a maximum volume of 74 dB: about as loud as a washing machine. It's alright in short bursts, but I wouldn't want to run the VacTidy Nimble T7 when I was on the phone or listening to music.

You can find more detail in our VacTidy Nimble T7 review.

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How we test robot vacuums

We put a lot of thought into how we test robot vacuums. The testing process looks pretty similar to how we test vacuums, with a few key differences. 

We test all of our vacuums across the three major floor types: carpet; linoleum; and hard wood. Carpet can be difficult to clean, as the long fibers tend to cling to dirt. Linoleum is easier to clean, but that sleek, shiny surface is unforgiving with spills and stains. Of all the floor types, wood might be the trickiest to clean, as dust and dirt can slip between the cracks in the floor boards. 

First, we scatter flour and sugar across the floor. These ingredients are among the most common kitchen spills, and they make a good substitute for dust and dead skin. Next, we scatter larger debris to see how the robot vacuum contends with bigger bits of dirt. This could be anything from cereal shapes to grains of rice. A good robot vacuum should be able to suck up the dirt, rather than pushing it around the floor or crushing it beneath its wheels. In our last and strangest test, we scatter hair extensions across the floor. Only the best robot vacuums boast decent hair pick up, so this is a good way to sort the wheat from the chaff. 

Many of the best robot vacuums incorporate smart technology to map your home and visualize the most effective cleaning route. A few even come with their own apps, so that you can schedule cleaning sessions and monitor particle pick-up. Where relevant, we put all of these special features to the test, and include our findings in the review. 

Meet the team

Alex David

Alex leads our eCommerce team. Before he began at Homes & Gardens, he trained at the iconic Good Housekeeping Institute, where he tested dozens of vacuums. He has cleaned the same strips of carpet, linoleum, and hard wood floors over and over again. Alex is only interested in robot vacuums that can clean better than he can. 

Laura Honey

Laura is one of our eCommerce editors and resident product testers at H&G. She has a real range of expertise in everything from coffee and candles to vacuums and fans.

Emilia Hitching

Emilia is another of our eCommerce Editors at H&G. In her time as a product tester, she's worked with some of the world's best vacuums, including handheld models, cordless numbers, and the best robot vacuums.

Helen McCue

Helen is a freelance product tester. She's tested all sorts of small and large appliances, including the latest Dyson vacuums, and reviewed them for the likes of Tech Radar, Top Ten Reviews, Ideal Home, and our own Homes & Gardens.  

Camryn Rabideau

Camryn is a writer and product reviewer, specializing in home, kitchen, and pet products. In her five years as a product tester, she's tested hundreds of items for review in publications such as Forbes, USA Today, and more.

Robot vacuum FAQs

Are robot vacuums really worth it?

We've written an entire article answering the question: are robot vacuums really worth it? If you don't have time to read the whole thing, here are the headlines.

Robot vacuums are undeniably expensive. We're talking thousand-dollar price tags for the top models: even the more affordable cleaners will set you back a few hundred dollars. If you use your robot vacuum a couple times a week, and it saves you time and effort dusting, then you might think it's worth the price. 

If you're looking to clean up larger piles of dirt and debris, your money might be better spent on one of the best vacuum cleaners. 

Which is the best robot vacuum cleaner?

For my money, it's the iRobot Roomba j9+ Combo. It excels across carpets, hard wood and linoleum floors, and it does a great job of detangling long hairs and digging up dirt and debris. Inside the machine, you'll find an advanced HEPA filtration system, designed to trap particles and pathogens so that you can breathe healthier air while you clean.

Final thoughts

You might have made it all the way to the end of this article and realized that what you want isn't a robot vacuum at all, but one of the best handheld vacuums. These little models from Shark, Bissell, Black + Decker, and more make ideal cleaning companions for quick pick-ups and light maintenance. When you work with a handheld vacuum, you keep control over the cleaning, and you can mop up mess in a matter of seconds.